Walthamstow & District Photographic Society
We are very welcoming and diverse photographic society based in central Walthamstow.
We enjoy all aspects of photography through talks, practical evenings and competitions.
New members welcome!
Society
Members
Meetings
Where and when do we meet?
We meet most Monday evenings throughout the year from 8pm to 10pm, upstairs at the Quaker Meeting House, Jewel Road, Walthamstow (near The Rose and Crown pub).
We don’t meet on Bank Holidays.
Check out the Programme section below for full details.
Programme 2020
January
13th Members’ Evening – Theme ‘Winter’ – a fun projected competition
20th Mike Seaborne – Landscape in Transition
27th Walker Trophy Print Competition (Round One). Judge: Robyn Claydon.
February
3rd Members Evening – Light Painting
10th Bob Johnson – The Kingdom of the Ice Bear
17th Walker Trophy Print Competition (Round Two). Judge: John Woolliams.
24th Projected Image Competition at Chingford. Judge: TBC.
March
2nd John Mannell – A Portrait a Day
9th Walker Trophy Print Competition (Round Three) – Landscape
In memory of John Parish. Judge: Mark Buckley-Sharp.
16th Members’ Evening –
Stock, Atkinson and Waterman
23rd Ken Payne – Elements
30th Members’ Evening – Practical Portrait Lighting
April
6th Ivan Finch – Weddings, portraits and personal work.
13th Easter Bank Holiday – No meeting
20th Members’ Evening – Six-pic challenge
27th Piotr Plaskon – Olympus Camera Ambassador
May
4th Members’ Evening – May The Fourth Be With You
11th Goddard Trophy Competition –
A panel of four prints
18th Chris Shepherd – London Light, London Life
25th Spring Bank Holiday – No meeting
June
1st Members’ Evening Q&A
– Members’ tech questions answered
8th Albert Bale Trophy – Portrait print competition
15th Treasure Hunt at The Bell Pub
22nd City Walk
29th Summer Photography Course – week one
July
6th, 13th, 20th and 27th – Summer Photography Course
August
3rd, 10th and 17th – Summer Photography Course
24th to 31st Annual Exhibition and New Members’ Evening at
Winns Gallery, Lloyd Park
September
7th Annual Exhibition Awards
14th Walker Trophy Projected Competition (Round One)
21st An Evening with Tony Kaye
28th Members’ Evening –
B/W conversions & software for A/V
October
5th Walker Projected Competition (Round Two)
12th An Evening with Paul Radden
19th An Evening with John Cross
26th Walker Projected Competition (Round Three)
November
2nd Bert Whittern Trophy – Print competition (with Muswell Hill and Dunmow at Walthamstow)
9th Annual General Meeting
16th Centenary Trophy – A/V competition
23rd An Evening with Sean Pines
30th Print Battle with Chingford (at Walthamstow)
December
7th EAF DVD and WDPS review of the year
14th Christmas Party
21st & 28th No meetings. Happy Christmas
What do we do?
At each meeting there will be typically between 20 and 30 members attending.
Meetings tend to fall into one of three categories:
- talks
- competitions
- members’ evenings
There is a social aspect too, and members will be able to chat to each other before the meetings and at the break; some will go on to nearby pub The Rose and Crown afterwards.
We also hold regular exhibitions of our work. You may have seen us at Winns Gallery in Lloyd Park; we have also shown at Vestry House, and during the E17 Arts Trail.
Talks
Each year we have up to a dozen external speakers visiting the Society.
The subects of the talks vary, reflecting the different interests of members, and might include wildlife, press and sports photography, travel, portraiture or something technical.
Competitions
There are various competitions spread throughout the year. These are:
- internal competitions for Society members only
- competitions against other local photographic societies and camera clubs
The internal competitions are generally open in terms of subject matter, but we also have a Portrait competition, plus an AV (audio visual) competition.
Some competitions are for projected digital images, others are for prints.
They are judged by an external person who isn’t associated with the Society.
Members find that receiving critique from someone who isn’t a friend or family can greatly improve their photography.
Members’ evenings
Throughout the year we have various informal members’ evenings (see the Programme for details).
They typically allow members to practice or discuss various aspects of photography.
Example evenings include
- practical portraiture – using off-camera flash and studio lighting
- Photoshop or Lightroom sessions
- Light painting
These evenings will also include some fun competitions voted for by members.
Diversity
We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive group of individuals which greatly adds to the interest and strength of the group.
Our club is a fairly even mix of men and women. Anyone can join us regardless of age, ethnicity, religion or gender identity; everyone is made to feel welcome.
Membership and Visiting
Annual membership of the Society currently costs £70 per year which is payable in October.
People joining the Society mid way through the year will pay a pro-rata rate.
Membership entitles you to:
- attend all meetings throughout the year
- enter all the competitions
- enter work in our exhibitions
Should you wish to visit us prior to joining, then please get in touch.
Guests may visit up to three times free of charge before committing to membership.
Summer Photography Course
Our Summer Photography Course runs once a year for 8 weeks during June, July and August, and is aimed at beginners and those wishing to brush up on their skills.
Booking in advance is strongly recommended to ensure a place.
The course covers the practical aspects of using your camera with a strong creative element alongside guidance on how to take better photos across a range of subjects.
Check out our dedicated page for further information.