We’re delighted to announce Chris Burgess as the winner of our latest Facebook Group Photo of the Month with this beautifully atmospheric monochrome landscape. The image makes excellent use of black and white to emphasise texture, shape and mood, with the misty conditions adding a real sense of drama and depth. The strong composition leads the viewer through the scene while the tones and contrast help give the photograph a timeless quality. It’s a striking and confident image

We enjoyed another excellent competition evening at Otley Camera Club, with Monty Trent joining us as our guest judge. The competition featured two categories: Print: Macro Projected Digital Images (PDI): Sports, Photojournalism & Action As expected, the standard of entries was high, with a wide variety of subjects, styles and creative approaches on show. Monty worked his way through the images with great care, offering thoughtful, constructive advice on every entry. His feed

After being rained off earlier in the year, we’re hoping for kinder weather this week as we head outdoors once again for a practical evening focused on long exposure photography. The session will concentrate on capturing light trails, using slow shutter speeds to transform the movement of traffic into dynamic and creative images. Long exposure photography is a fantastic way to experiment with timing, composition and camera settings, and it offers plenty of opportunity for bot

Following on from an amazing evening with Mark Littlejohn, who treated us to breathtaking images showcasing the sheer beauty of the Lake District and Scotland, we’re looking forward to another excellent night at Otley Camera Club as we welcome Monty as our guest judge. This competition evening will see Monty judging two categories: Projected Digital Images (PDI): Photojournalism, Sports & Action Print: Macro Monty will be selecting his personal favourites from each section wh

We’re delighted to be starting 2026 with a truly outstanding guest speaker as we welcome Mark Littlejohn to Otley Camera Club. Mark is a former UK Landscape Photographer of the Year and is widely regarded as one of the country’s most respected landscape photographers. His work stands out for its emphasis on light, mood and atmosphere, often finding compelling images in familiar and everyday locations rather than relying on dramatic or iconic viewpoints. During the evening, Ma

Happy New Year from everyone at Otley Camera Club! If you were lucky enough to receive a new camera for Christmas — or if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to finally use the camera you already own more often — we’re here to help. We have a fantastic second half of the season planned, packed with inspiring guest speakers, hands-on practical and tutorial sessions, friendly competitions and relaxed social evenings. As well as our weekly meetings, we also have exciting trips

As another year draws to a close, we’d like to wish all our members, supporters and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for being part of what continues to be a friendly, supportive and creative photography community. We’re looking forward to returning on Thursday 8th January, when we kick off the new year with a talk by the excellent Mark Littlejohn. Mark is a highly regarded landscape photographer and his presentation promises to be an inspiring w

We are delighted to announce that Emily Waring is the winner of our latest Otley Camera Club Facebook Photo of the Month competition with this beautifully atmospheric monochrome image. The photograph immediately draws the viewer in with its dramatic rays of light bursting through the trees, creating a powerful sense of mood and depth. The strong composition and striking use of light and shadow make this a compelling image that fully deserves its winning place awarded by Kay R

At Otley Camera Club, we’re always keen to find opportunities to work with and support local community events and groups. Not only does it strengthen our community links, but it also gives our members the chance to enjoy new and varied photography experiences. Through our connection with Otley Common, we were recently asked to help a local band who were preparing for an upcoming gig. They wanted a selection of photographs of their instruments to display on the walls of the Co

On Thursday evening, Otley Camera Club welcomed Colin Williams to judge our much-anticipated Nature Competition. As always, this competition is one of the most hotly contested of the season — and it certainly didn’t disappoint. With nearly 100 images entered, Colin had a substantial task ahead of him. Despite this, he took the time to give thoughtful, positive and constructive feedback on every image. His insights were both educational and encouraging, and his relaxed style e

We’re delighted once again to be part of the wonderful All Saints Parish Church Christmas Tree Festival , a much-loved event that fills the church with colour, creativity and festive cheer. This year, there are 40 beautifully decorated trees  on display — including ours — each created by local groups, organisations and community members. The festival is a fantastic way to get into the Christmas spirit, offering a warm, joyful atmosphere for visitors of all ages. Raising Money

If you’re looking for a truly unique and meaningful present this year, why not give the gift of creativity? Otley Camera Club is delighted to offer Half-Year Memberships , starting in January 2026 — the perfect way to inspire someone special. A membership opens the door to six months of photography, learning, fun and community. Whether the recipient is a complete beginner, an enthusiastic hobbyist, or a more experienced photographer, they’ll be warmly welcomed and fully suppo

Last night, Otley Camera Club was treated to a truly memorable and inspiring session from creative photographer David Gilliver , known for his imaginative and beautifully crafted miniature-world images. His talk was not only visually captivating but also wonderfully interactive, keeping the whole room engaged from start to finish. David shared insights into his process, props, lighting, and storytelling — demonstrating how small-scale setups can produce big-impact photographs

Last night’s meeting was supposed to take place outdoors, but the weather — or more accurately, the forecast — had other ideas. Fortunately, at Otley Camera Club we’re never short of talented members willing to step in, and what could have been a lost evening turned into a truly informative and engaging session. RAW-to-Print with Chris We were then treated to a live demonstration from Chris, who walked us through his entire process of preparing a RAW image for print. From ini

We are incredibly pleased to share an important development in the ongoing growth of Otley Camera Club: the appointment of our first ever Inclusion Officer, Danni. As our club continues to grow, so does our commitment to ensuring that every member can participate fully, comfortably, and confidently in all aspects of club life. Photography should be accessible to everyone, and we want our club to reflect that. What the Inclusion Officer Does In her new role, Danni will act as

Last week marked the conclusion of our popular Product Photography Trilogy, a three-part series designed to help members gain confidence and develop the skills needed for our upcoming product photography competition. In this final session, members who led the practical stations demonstrated how they would edit and process some of the images taken the week before. This behind-the-scenes look at different workflows offered a fantastic learning opportunity — from simple adjustme

We’re delighted to announce that Kay is the winner of our latest Facebook Group Photo of the Month with her gorgeous squirrel photograph. The beautifully soft golden background, perfect sharpness, and the lovely expression captured in this charming wildlife moment made it a clear favourite of our judge, Danni. Our Facebook Photo of the Month competition is a fun, informal monthly challenge exclusive to our members. It’s a great way to stay creative, share new work, and enjoy

Last night we enjoyed a fantastic practical evening at Otley Common, where the focus was firmly on product photography. Members rotated around a series of stations, each offering a different setup to explore. These ranged from simple natural-light arrangements to more advanced techniques such as focus stacking. The variety allowed everyone—from beginners to experienced photographers—to experiment, learn, and develop their skills. Some excellent images were produced, and it wa

Last week saw the start of our Product Photography Trilogy at Otley Camera Club. In the first session, our experienced members demonstrated the five practical stations that will be used in next week’s hands-on evening. Each station focuses on different techniques and lighting setups, offering a mix of creative challenges and learning opportunities. The upcoming practical session will feature: Beginner-friendly stations, where members can learn and experiment with guidance. Ad

Next week marks the start of our three-part series on product photography  at Otley Camera Club. The aim of this series is to help members develop their skills and prepare for our upcoming Product Competition . The sessions will guide members through every stage of the process — from concept and setup to shooting and editing. Session One:  A tutorial evening introducing the techniques, lighting setups, and creative approaches used in product photography. Session Two:  A pract

Last night marked the start of our competition season at Otley Camera Club, with the Open Competition. Over the past few years, our membership has grown dramatically — and that was reflected in the number of entries this time around - it must have been a record! Our judge, Giles Rocholl, had the challenging task of reviewing 105 images across both Print and Projected Digital Image (PDI) categories. The overall standard was superb, making his decisions even more difficult! Gil

One of the many things that makes Otley Camera Club special is its strong social spirit. While we organise a variety of club trips throughout the year, it’s just as inspiring to see members chatting in the clubhouse and planning their own spontaneous photography outings. This Thursday was a great example. A group of members quickly organised a last-minute trip to Studley Royal to photograph the rutting deer, taking advantage of the season and the fine autumn light. It turned

Last night Otley Camera Club enjoyed a fantastic evening with Andrew Wakefield, who delivered an entertaining and informative talk on macro photography. The session was illustrated with some excellent photographs, offering practical insights and inspiration for members looking to explore the world of close-up photography. Looking ahead, next week we have our first competition night of the season, where the open competition will be judged by Giles Rocholl. Giles is known for h

Last night marked the end of our recent series of monochrome-focused meetings at Otley Camera Club, with a lively Q&A evening to round things off. Members were invited to submit their questions in advance, and several of our more experienced photographers prepared short presentations to answer them. The evening covered a wide range of topics — from histograms to presets to printing — and provided plenty of inspiration for anyone exploring the art of black and white photograph