Otley Camera Club is delighted to be working with Bingley Amateurs as they prepare for and perform their production of The Witches of Eastwick. This collaboration gives our members the opportunity to document both the build-up and the live performances, capturing everything from rehearsal moments to the drama and atmosphere on stage. Theatre photography presents its own unique challenges — changing lighting, movement, and the need to tell a story in a single frame — making it

We are delighted to congratulate Chris Burgess, whose photograph “Bathing in the Mist”  has been selected for inclusion in the Yorkshire River Trust “Rivers4Life” Exhibition. The exhibition will be held at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes from 6th June to 6th September 2026, celebrating rivers and their importance to our landscapes and communities. Chris’s beautifully crafted long-exposure image captures the soft movement and atmosphere of cascading water, with delicate

We’re delighted to announce that Jamie Kirk is the winner of our latest Facebook Group Photo of the Month with this beautifully captured hummingbird portrait. The image immediately catches the eye with its vibrant, iridescent colours and superb feather detail. The sharp focus on the bird’s eye draws the viewer in, while the soft, blurred background allows the subject to stand out perfectly. It’s a confident and striking wildlife image that fully deserves its winning place. Ou

Next week at Otley Camera Club, we’re trying something a little different and a little experimental — “Let AI Be the Judge.” For this session, members’ images will be reviewed not by a traditional judge, but by Artificial Intelligence. The AI will analyse each photograph, provide a description, highlight what it feels works well, suggest possible improvements, and even select its top images. The aim isn’t to replace human judging, but to explore how AI interprets creativity,

Last night we held the results evening for our PDI Product and Still Life in Monochrome Print competitions. We were delighted to have Mark Waddington as our judge. Mark did a fantastic job, delivering feedback that was both positive and constructive. His comments were thoughtful, balanced and insightful, offering valuable guidance for members looking to refine and strengthen their work. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming him back later in the season to judge our Ann

On Monday evening, members of Otley Camera Club were delighted to receive a warm welcome at Bingley Camera Club, where Richard and Danni were invited to present two talks. Richard shared images and stories from a memorable trip to Iceland last year, undertaken with four fellow club members. The talk showcased dramatic landscapes, unique light and the striking natural beauty that makes Iceland such a compelling destination for photographers. Danni then took to the stage to spe

Last night we held our Ask Anything evening. Members were invited to submit photographic questions in advance, which were then shared with the club. Volunteers kindly stepped forward to prepare and present answers during the meeting, creating an open and supportive environment where knowledge and experience could be shared. The range of questions was wide and varied, covering topics such as histograms, filters, insurance, sensor cleaning and printing, as well as plenty of pra

Over the past two weeks we’ve been trying our best to get outdoors for our planned long exposure practical sessions, but unfortunately the weather had other ideas and forced us indoors both times. While disappointing, it certainly didn’t stop us from enjoying two excellent and productive club evenings. One session was an image review night, giving members the chance to share their photographs and discuss them in a supportive and constructive environment. These evenings are al

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