The historic club faced challenges in retaining and recruiting new members
The Richmond Photography Club is looking for new members to join their ranks as they resume their activities in September.
Membership numbers have been declining for some time, which has put pressure on the club’s operations.
The club runs from September to August and hosts a network of casual and professional photographers, opening doors for collaboration and mentorship.
Some of the club’s most notable recent events include a sunset on Iona beach photo walk, a family farm day at London Farm, a Breakfast for Santa shoot at the Thompson Community Center, the Grand Prix of Art in Steveston and their annual photo exhibit. at Lansdowne Mall.
Meetings take place twice a month: one is educational, involving a presentation by a photographer or a workshop, and the second is a photography assessment with judges from the Canadian Society of Photographic Art.
In addition, informal “Coffee Room” meetings are sometimes held on Thursdays, where photographs are shared and discussed.
Visitors are welcome to attend two meetings without commitment.
Taking part in evaluation nights, external competitions and local exhibitions are also part of their activities.
The club will kick off this year’s program with their Summer Treasure Hunt event, where members will take photographs of specific subjects and discuss their work.
Photo club started 44 years ago
The club was founded in 1980 by a small group of photographers to improve their skills mutually. Around 40 members attended the initiation event and officially established the organisation.
Subsequently, the club organized an annual print exhibition at the Lansdowne Mall, which runs to this day and provides an opportunity to showcase members’ projects.
Now in its fifth decade, the organization has faced various obstacles over the years, but maintaining and renewing membership has been very challenging, said club President Julian Rozental.
“We finished last year with 45 members; that is low. We were as high as 60,” he said. “We are trying to attract more members; at present we are very low.”
One of the reasons the club has trouble attracting new members is the language barrier, and members sometimes leave within weeks of joining, Rozental said.
Another challenge is competing with two other popular photo clubs in Richmond – the Minoru Photo Club for seniors, which is free for seniors, and the Chinese photography club, which has more than 200 members and which has lower membership fees.
The Richmond Photo Club has members from all over the Lower Mainland, and is currently focusing on recruiting local members.
As part of the Richmond Arts Centre, Richmond residents should make up 60 per cent of the club’s membership to use the centre’s facilities and meeting rooms, which has been particularly difficult for the club in recent times.
“Financially, we are secure for a while longer even if we end membership,” he said. “But the danger will be in the end, as a non-profit society, once you run out of funds, what do you do?”
Membership fees are $60 for the entire year, or $30 for the portion of the year after February 1st.
Registrations will remain open for the entire year.
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