So you have a camera or smartphone. You're ready to start taking photos. It's easy to just pick the automatic settings and just point and click. But ... some photos come out better than others, and not just because one camera is technically better than another.

It is more likely to be because the photographer knew how to make choices before they took the shot - putting the subject in the best position, with the light falling the right way, keeping distractions to a minimum, changing a particular camera setting - and yes there are settings you can change even on a phone or point-and-shoot camera.

I try therefore to make this group about stopping and thinking before you shoot, rather than just looking at the photo afterwards and thinking if only I'd taken a step to the left, or moved in closer, or got the important bits sharper than they are. Also about how to download and share results, fix mistakes and tweak image to look better

But mainly just sharing ideas for subjects and styles for photos, and just having an opportunity to chat to fellow photography enthusiasts.

Back to Group List

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New Format from October 2026. Picking a 'challenge' subject for the month, and getting together 2nd Monday of Month (PM) to discuss best locations and approaches. Then planning to "go to where the photo opportunities are" , either as further group activity or just trying things out for ourselves, before sharing a gallery of our results.

See the blog below for latest challenges.

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