Welcome to Crewe Photographic Society, where we foster a warm and inclusive community for individuals passionate about photography, spanning from beginners to seasoned photographers of all ages.
Our society offers a friendly environment where members can both enjoy and enhance their creative pursuits. The diverse program features exciting elements such as competitions, inspiring guest speakers, hands-on demonstrations, and engaging discussions about members’ photographic work.
Our season runs from September to April, with an open invitation to new members at any time throughout the year. We gather every Thursday at the New Life Church, Fuller Drive, Crewe, CW2 6TH. Feel free to arrive at 7:15 pm for a prompt 7:30 pm start, with the activities wrapping up around 9:30 pm.
Whether you’re just starting your photographic journey or have years of experience behind the lens, Crewe Photographic Society is the perfect place to share your passion, learn, and connect with like-minded individuals.
Join us on Thursdays and embark on a photographic adventure that transcends skill levels and celebrates the diverse perspectives our members bring to the art of photography.

Meetings

Our home is found at the New Life Church in Fuller Drive, Wistaston, CW2 6TH. You can find using the ‘What3Words’ app at hissing.markets.toothpick

You can find using the ‘What3Words’ app at hissing.markets.toothpick

Here’s a small scale map of the New Life Church
and a long scale map of the New Life Church Hall.

Our season runs from early September until the end of April, with a break for Christmas and Easter. We meet on Thursday evenings and arrive around 7:15 for a 7:30 start and finish around 9:30pm.

Membership

Before you decide to become a member, you can come to up to 3 meetings and just pay the regular attendance levy of £4.00.

Annual membership is:

£40 for an individual  annual subscription plus a £4.00 weekly attendance fee.
Or a single annual subscription of £130 which includes your weekly attendance fee.

£70 for a couple, plus £4.00 per person weekly attendance fee.
Or a single annual subscription of £250 which includes your attendance fees.

£5 for a student (over 18) in full-time education (with a £1 attendance levy for each meeting you come to).

£5 for a Junior (under 18) and no attendance levy for juniors, but they must be accompanied by an adult.  (The Society’s ‘Child & Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy’ is Appendix 1 of the CPS Constitution)

 Programme

We have a very varied Programme each season including:

  • Demonstrations of photographic techniques and equipment
  • Shows of the best prints, and projected images from around the region and nationally.
  • Excellent talks from society members and invited speakers on a wide range of topics. (You’ll find helpful handouts on a number of topics on the Documents page under the Resources tab.)
  • A range of competitions, open to everyone, among society members and between Crewe PS and other clubs. (See the Competitions section below).

 Competitions

Competitions are an excellent way to improve your photography. Any member can enter, and the work is assessed by an invited judge. They provide encouragement and constructive criticism. (Don’t worry — your entries can be anonymous)

Throughout the season we run league competitions for prints and for Projected Digital Images (PDIs); and there are final Annual Competitions at the end of the season. We have devised a scoring policy to help separate the scores. Previously, we’ve had too many high scores!

We enter a number of external competitions against local clubs and the L&CPU regional competitions, which are a great chance to meet members of other societies, visit their clubs and view their work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of camera do I need to have to join the society?
Most people use their phone to take excellent photos now. Many of our members take excellent photos with basic equipment. It’s just a case of learning how to get the best from camera. In getting good shots the photographer matters far more than the gear.

Do I have to enter competitions?
No. About 2/3 of our members do, and you can learn a lot by listening to the judges comments.

I need help with all these buttons on my new camera.
Yes, we all feel intimidated by those buttons and menus, but they are easily overcome, and you can be concentrating on what really matters in photography in no time. If you have any technical problems, someone will be able to help. Meanwhile, set it to “Auto” and enjoy your photography; you will learn the twiddly bits gradually.

Photographic Society sounds very posh. I don’t think I’ll fit in.
Don’t worry –  we pride ourselves in being friendly, and we have a great mix of people. Some clubs call themselves “Camera Clubs” but we feel that seems to focus too much on equipment.

What are the meetings like?
We have a natter, then some announcements and then a speaker or … well, look at the programme. The best way to really find out is to just come to a meeting! All we ask is that you pay the £4.00 like everyone else and then decide after your third go whether to join or not.

As a female photographer, I would like to know how many members are women.
About one quarter of our members are women, and we look to them for much of our most creative work!

What does the term PDI mean?
It stands for Projected Digital Image, and it is just the pictures as stored on your camera’s card. People also call them simply Projections. We view them with a digital projector (very impressive!).
If you use Lightroom can find out how to prepare PDIs here

What are these FOLIOS mentioned in the Programme?
They are collections of prints and PDIs made from the higher scoring images submitted to the last L&CPU Annual Competition. They represent some of the best club work in the region.

Ok, so what is the L&CPU?
It is one of the 15 Photographic Federations serving the UK camera Clubs. The Lancashire & Cheshire Photographic Union is one of the oldest (1905) and biggest (96 clubs) of the Federations. It serves the Isle of Man as well as Lancashire and Cheshire. It provides an invaluable service to clubs in having  a panel of judges and lecturers who can be invited to the clubs, folios of work to circulate and three major competitions each year, not to mention insurance arrangements and general advice.

…and the PAGB?
Through the L&CPU we are affiliated to a national body, the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain which oversees and regulates the Federations and provides an official link with the international body FIAP (Federation Internationale d’Arts Photographique), which is based in Paris.

It’s December, can I join for part of a year?
Yes, you can join at any time. After Christmas you can get roughly pro rata rate.