For new members there is more information lower down this page
Southwick Camera Club
The club welcomes people of all expertise, who enjoy photography and want the company of like minded people. The club offers a range of evenings from practical evenings, to talks about photography by external speakers or club members. Offering advice on using the camera, composition or using photographic software, which can add another dimension to your image.
Southwick Camera Club can trace its history back to 1952 when a small group of photographers met for the first time at Southwick Community Centre. One of the original founders was the late eminent local photographer Bill Wisden MBE. Since then the club has grown and developed to embrace the changes from film to todays digital age of photography, and post processing software.
Southwick Camera Club is affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain through the Surrey Photographic Association (SPA).
The club meets at 7.30p.m most Thursday evenings between September and June in the Deall Room, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick Street, Southwick, BN42 4TE. Membership is open to all interested in photography from beginners to the more experienced, using any form of camera, from a standard camera to mobile phones. Members are welcome to enter the competitions that the club organises, this is not compulsory. Members who do not wish to take part in competitions can request a critique from the judge in order to learn how to improve their images moving forward. Again, this is only at the members request. The competitions are held both in digital and print format.
As well as our main programme of meetings, we organise outside photoshoots from time to time, throughout the year. We also have a monthly coffee group where members can informally discuss and exchange ideas. The group meet at different venues all year and often take cameras with them for that must have photograph. The club is always ready to help beginners learn more about their cameras and to develop their skills and to offer advice to anyone who requests it.
Our main aim is to be a friendly club who organises evenings and events of various types which encourages and inspires everyone to get the best out of the their hobby.
Fees for joining the club as at 2025-2026:
- Adults £74 per year
- Anyone wishing to sample a club evening there is no charge for the first two visits.
- Students in full time education £42 per year
- Visitors £4 per visit
Annual fees are due in September each year.
Any members wishing to see the club constitution should contact the club chairman
WELCOME TO SOUTHWICK CAMERA CLUB
NEW MEMBERS INFORMATION
Annual Programme
Here you will find some useful information regarding the club
NEW MEMBER CRIB SHEET
Welcome to the Southwick Camera Club., we hope you find these few notes useful, and they help you to find your way around. There is more info on each of these in the handbook which you can download from this website, this is just a quick reference for you.
Membership
There is an annual fee for joining the club, the rate may be varied each year.
When you join the club you will be given a membership number which you need to use when submitting images for competitions.
Club meetings
Club meetings are held in the Deall Room at the Southwick Community Centre on a Thursday evening between 7:30pm and 10pm and are a mix of competitions and speakers; some speakers are our own members and some from further afield. Since COVID we have been able to use Zoom, occasionally to widen the range of our external speakers. Entering competitions is not obligatory but we hope you will.
We meet weekly from September to May/June with a break at Christmas, there is a programme of events throughout the year including coffee mornings and other social events.
Competitions
We run a number of competitions during the year – these are a mix of open and set subject competitions. For the 2023/24 season most competitions are for Projected Digital Images (PDI’s) but we also hold print competitions which, for this year, are open subjects, so you can choose the subject matter. For each competition the Competition Secretary will send an email to confirm the format (PDI or Print), the subject matter and the closing date for submission, the size of the image and how you should title your image.
Coffee Mornings
Once a month we hold a coffee morning, the venue varies but it is usually on the last Tuesday of the month at 10:30 – the Chairman will confirm the date and venue each month as part of the “This week, Next Week” email.
Buddies
We know that joining a club when you do not know anyone may be daunting so if you would like to have a buddy please ask one of the committee members and we will find someone to buddy with you, so you have someone to answer those daft questions!. We will try to match you with someone who lives near you and who have the same brand/type of camera.