Crayford Camera Club

29/10/2026

Easy geezers and geezereettes,
I wasn't at camera club this week, but I understand that Andy put on a good informative session, discussing all sorts of back to basics things that are either good to learn, or good to remember when you think that you already know it all. The eveining was rounded of nicely with some group discussion about camera settings, how best to preset your camera for ease of use in dynamic situations and some general shooting chattery.
Our next meeting is a competition night. Alan Lomakin will be critiquing our images entered for the portraiture (prints) competiton, an open theme competiton (print, max A4) and the Rawlinson (digital) which is a set theme of 'out of context'. The word on the street, from a reliable source that had a sneaky peek at the print entries on Tuesday, is that there is some crackers in the mix and it should be a good night for sure.
We are doing a new thing this time around too, as these are one off competitions and not a round one and round two type affair. There will be no scores at all, just Alans critique and his first second and third selection. This not only gives a bit more time for some informed commentry from the judge, but it also dismisses there being a bottom image (figuratively, not literally) and it should also make Alans task easier because he will just be giving his thoughts on the presented images, and then not having to decide which is an 18 and which is a 17.
We're confident that this approach will be warmly welcomed by the members, and encourage some more risk in future entries because you can't be 'marked down' if you are trying something new and it isn't quite bob on. You will just get some constructive critique and probably not first second or third.
Anyway, let me just check my watch.... aha, I thought so, it's linky time. A few of us are off to Brands Hatch again this Sunday for the spectacle that is truck racing, one of my favourites and also what kickstarted my interest in photography (weirdly so). This is a nice little hints and techy talk about how to shoot through the fencing and get the best non fence blurry bits results. Not just good for motorsport, but also zoos and other attractions where there is safety fences in place.

Have you ever found the perfect corner at a race track, only to dis...

21/10/2026

Wassup toggers,
Our last meeting was a fesetival of trvel. OUr members 25s ended up whisking us off on a cruise around the UK, a city break in Budapest, travels to Wales and even took us up the broadway. We managed to pack it all into the evening and even squeezed in the usual jaffa cakes and cuppas.
Our next meeting is a 'back to basics' hosted by Andy Smith, where we will make sure we are getting our horizons straight and our verticles perpendicular... althoug I'm sure there will be more to it than that. If you want to find out,pop along and see for yorselves.

AAAaaaaannnnnnd now here it is, hte weekly linky. Yo umay have noticed a couple of these little zines floating around at our recent print showcase. Alos, it is just really quite spiffing to put your work to print, so here's a nifty little thing to make it all a bit more oohhh and aaaahhhh.

Patreon 🤍: https://patreon.com/iGefenWEBSITE:https://gefenrose...

17/10/2026

Sorry folks... I have been on annual leave this week, and although I didn't go away anywhee, it diddles with my ability to keep track of what day it is. So apologies for the late update, but hopefully it is worth waiting for.
Last week was our first 'be a judge night' in this format, and it was a resounding success. A couple of the organising members selected thirty(ish) images from online resources, including big competition shortlisted/commended images, £multi million auctioned images and also a sneaky AI processed/enhanced photo. These were mixed in with 'general population' images that were shared on Flickr from around the world and set as downloadable.
Our willing members put their names in a hat and where randomly chosen to stand up front and centre to critique and score three images, with varying approaches displayed. It was fun, informative and also quite shocking when some of the expensive and award winning images were revealed.
I think that we will be doing that again at some point.

Our next meeting is a members 25, which does pretty much what it says on the tin. Our members are encouraged to bring in up to twenty five images to take centre stage and either, quietly show and Q&A, do mini presentation or simply run a slideshow. Prints and digital are usually in the mix, so if you are reading this and are curiousabout what we actually photograph, how we edit, what we're like or whatever... pop along and have a gander.

AAaaaaannnnnd now it's linky time...

When we look at the work of master photographers, we forget that we...

09/10/2026

Howdy fans, and apologies for a late one. I have been honing my procrastination skills.
Anyway, last meeting was a good one. Not as many submissions to the competitions as we are used to, but all the images where a joy to see, as ususal. Thanks to Carol for being our judge for the nght.

And speaking of being a judge for a night, our next meeting is your chance to be a judge. We have accrued a smattering of photos and will be encouraging the attendees to take a turn up front, with a few of the images to critique and place into their preffered ascending order. However, we don't want it to be a walk in the park, so we have plopped a few high value and big photography competition shortlisted photos in tothe mix, to see if you can see what other judges do. Oh, not just that though. Come on now, you know us better than that.... we also have a couple of AI edited/processed photos (not fully AI generated though) to see if you can spot the hand of the naughty stuff going on too.
Basically, come along, put your name in the hat to be a judge for ten minutes or so... but we will be trying to challenge you at the same time.

Annnnnd now it's linky time... so let's have a photo work out session. Get your lycra on, pop your cassettte in teh walkman, and prepare for some photography exercises.

Join Tom as he unveils 5 unique and creative training drills design...

01/10/2026

Oi oi toggers,
We had our viewing and members voting on our Autumn assignment for our last emeting. The scores are out already (check your emails) and for the frst time ever, as far as I know, every person that entered got on the scoreboard. So well done everyone, and good job.
Our next meeting is another competition, they come thick and fast at the beginning of our club year. We will be joined by Carol White-Griffiths to impart some critique and scores on our submissions.
This is a double header with one comp being no holds barred, open theme digital image, and the other is another digital comp. This one though, is straight from camera with croppping and straightening only allowed.

And seeing as there isn't much ese to say this week, let's move swiftly on tho this weeks liniiiiiiinkyyyyyy....

Join my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AlanSchallerIt's often th...

23/09/2026

23/09/2026

Hello everybody peeps,
Well, first of all.... BIG UP to us. Even if I do say so myself, we put on a pukka print showcase for our most recent meeting. Over 150 images on display for all to see. Photographers at their tables, and mingling, chatting and enjoying all the goods on show. Special mention to our feature tog, Chris. He had an impressive array of imagery heading up the hall. We also ran an informal 'pick your top three of the night' so a big round of applause to Tim for having the top two highest voted images, and Mark for having the third highest.
We eased towards the end of the night with some rousnig words from our club chair and vice chair, praising the images, turnout and enthusiasm for these kind of events. It realy is a joy to see so much work, all there to peruse at leisure.
Our vice chair also happens to be the main man in the KCPA judging committee, so is effectivly our version of The Stig... and shall now be referred ot as The Stog. He pulled his top eight for a quick review to round the event off nicely.

Our next meeting is the viewing and judging of the Autumn Assignment, which is the first part of the Presidents Award. Over our summer break, we were tasked with ten themes for us to grab a shot of, which have been submitted with no editing past straigt/crop. This is judged by the members, so if you are one and you don't come along... well, you don't get a say in the overall rankings.
It's always interesting to see what people can produce with a single shot for each one, and how the ideas can sometimes differ so much, and sometimes be a dozen shots of the same thing but from slightly different angles.

There will be some images shared from our print showcase, s ocheck the albums for that, but tonights main linky of linkness is loitering below, for your viewing pleasure.

You can watch me explain this all day. Whether it's actually workin...

16/09/2026

Howdy gang,
First off, big up to Tim and Stuart B for making the final four in the last meetings print knockout. Tim took the ultimate kudos winning image, and backed it up with the second and third spot too (bit greedy).
Big thanks to all for brining in some prints and joining in with the spirit and fun of the evening. Approx fifty prints in teh first heat, whittled down to the final four over a few rounds.

Our next meeting is a print showcase. These are fairly new to us and as such are evolving as we go. This is our third shot at it, and it has been decided to let one photographer have a 'main feature' oppurtinity and the innnaugral featured photographer will be Chris. Chris only picked up a camera just over ayear ago, and has really been bitten by the bug. Initially aiimng is lens at wildlife, he is now also the club photographer for a local football team, as well as keeping a keen eye on the local wildlife, and embarking on regular forays into London cit for some street shots.
There will be other members also displaying their work, albeit on a smaller scale around the hall.
All are welcome to come and see what we do, have a chat and a cuppa.... maybe even some biccies. It's an open house for people to see our work, chat to our photographers and maybe even decide it's for you, and you would like to come again.

And now it's linky time. Seeing as we are having a social meetup/photowander at Brands Hatch on Sunday, I htought we should get a taster for what is acheivable, photographing from the spectator areas. You can also put Stuart G on the spot as it was his idea, and he has been a regular visitior to the circuit for quite a while, and it is where his entusiasm for photography first started.

Come with me to Brands Hatch for this years Masters Historic Event....

09/09/2026

Howdy gang, and welcome back. A new club year has begun, and we had our first meeting in the usual guise of a 'bring and show' session. We started off with some good chat though, and off the back of that we have created a Flickr gallery. This can be accessed via the 'galleries' tab on our main website.
It was nice to see our friends back in the club, although there were still a few empty seeats due to holidays and stuff. A good start though, so let's keep it going.

Our next meeting is a print knockout. You are encouraged to bring along up to six prints of whatever tickles your fancy. They will be divvied up into two piles and randomly pitted against each other in various heats. This will continue until we get down to the last handful, from which we will vote for an overall winner, and the kudos will be given.
It's all good fun, a good way to see a varied selection of our images, and will also result in you trying to decide if a picture of a colourful dandy can out do a beautiful Lake District landscape.

AAAaaaan now folks, it is that time... for I shall bestow upon all those that dare to gander.... this weeks liiiiiiiinky...

The art of creativity is something that is within all of us. You ju...

09/09/2026

Now on Flickr. Pop in and give us a like or two. It's still a new group, so drop in every now and then to see how it develops (ooo, very punny).

Welcome to the Flickr group for Crayford Camera Club, a friendly and enthusiastic photography club based in the Bexley and South East London area. Established in 1948, the club brings together photographers of all experience levels and interests, from beginners to experienced photographers. We enjoy...