Glassburners Photography Club, the long awaited and long anticipated photo inspiration group, is launching very soon. Why join a club? I thought you might ask. I have found that one of the things that hinders me from becoming a better photographer is that I don't make the time to go out and make photographs unless I am commissioned. You can read books and blogs, talk to your friends, and even go out and buy expensive camera gear but nothing develops your skill and vision better than simply going out and clicking the shutter on your favorite camera.
The idea is we will have monthly challenges focusing on one topic that will inspire each member of the group to create a picture. The topics will be presented to get your wheels turning, but will leave much of the composing and creating up to you. Each participating member will submit their image, it will be judged by a panel of diversified critics, and the image will be featured on our website for the month. Details will come.
We intend to have lots of extras including periodic group meets, photo walks, and challenges apart from the monthly project. We also expect to have somewhat of a rolling membership. While the purpose of the group is to inspire us to develop of habit of going out and creating, we fully expect for members to submit entries based on their availability that month. We don't foresee kicking you out of the group or hunting you down while on vacation if you don't submit an entry for a particular month. Submit when you can.
Wait, you're not a professional with a high dollar DSLR who makes a living as a photographer?? It's okay. Really. This group is designed to attract the occasional wildlife photographer, the semi-professional/hobbiest, and even the "iphoneographer". Yes, you can submit camera phone images! And yes, if you are that pro shooter with the new Canon 5D Mark III and an 85mm f/1.2L, your images are most certainly welcome as well. Glassburners is for everyone. Even your grandma.
Glassburners is a product of a realization I had about myself as a photographer when I found myself at one of those "plateau's". I felt like I had to get back to basics. "Basics" for me took me back to sophomore photography class with a Minolta SRT-101. By senior year, I was the president of the photography club and shared a self-built darkroom with my best friend in the basement of my grandmas house. It was a time of fantastic learning. No matter who you are, I think you can agree we all can afford to learn more.
Stay tuned for a more formal list of guidelines and a more clear understanding of how this is going to work.
-Jim
