About Us

Bracknell Camera Club was formed in 1954 and has developed into one of the foremost photography clubs in the home counties. We are respected for the quality of the images our members create and renowned for the friendly environment that exists throughout the club. In 2013 we moved to larger premises enabling us to expand our membership further.

Meetings are held weekly on Mondays, from September through to early June, at The Bracknell Open Learning Centre, Chadwick Mews, off Rectory Lane, Bracknell RG12 7GR. Gathering from 7.30pm, meetings start at 8pm and finish at 10pm, with a break at around 9pm for tea or coffee.

We have a diverse range of members of all photographic abilities and ages, including students still at school. We are a friendly, enthusiastic bunch and we welcome new members of ALL photographic standards, from complete beginners to professionals.

A camera club is an excellent place for novices to learn and for experts to broaden their interests. You will be made to feel at home whatever your level of skill, and whatever equipment you use to capture your images – smartphones, simple compact cameras or the latest DSLRs. You will have the opportunity to receive advice and encouragement from the wealth of experience that our club members have to offer. Some specialise in a particular technique or a photographic genre, and will be happy to share their knowledge and experience with you.

Members are encouraged to enter their images into club competitions and get the benefit of feedback from qualified PAGB judges on all aspects of photography and ways of improving their picture taking.

Most weekly meetings feature either guest speakers or competitions. We have around 16 speakers each season covering a wide variety of topics and genres each season. Each season we hold several Members’ Evenings in which members show us their current projects, images or hints and tips. Check out this season’s programme of meetings here.

In addition to the Monday meetings we run an extensive programme of Workshops, usually on Thursday evenings. They cover a wide range of topics such as informal critique sessions, studio lighting with models and software training mostly on Photoshop and Lightroom etc. These workshops are run by experienced members who have skills in their field.

There are several Special Interest Groups (SIGs) which meet regularly. These groups currently include monochrome (black and white), macro, landscape walking, night photography and one group specifically for new or recent members, designed to help them integrate into the club.

The club competes against other clubs within the Southern Counties Photographic Federation (SCPF), part of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB), the umbrella organisation for camera clubs in the UK.

If you are interested in progressing your photography towards distinctions awarded by the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) and Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB), then there are several members who hold such distinctions and they would be more than willing to give you help and advise. Several members are judges within the SCPF and will be happy to offer help and advice.

If you are interested in joining the club then why not attend a few meetings to find out what it’s like? Non-members may attend most meetings as guests, at a charge of £5 for each visit. If you decide to join the club, up to £15 of any payments paid as a guest in the current season will be deducted from your subscription.

Annual membership for the 2018/19 season costs £49. That’s the equivalent of less than £1.50 per meeting. Students (in full-time education) pay £10. There are additional charges for workshops and Special Interest Groups to cover costs incurred. For more information or to join the club please contact our Membership Secretary.