All posts by Elise

Local Photo Clubs & Groups

There are quite a few photo groups and clubs around town. Some are well-established, while others have come together within the past few years with the help of sites like Flickr, Instagram, and Meetup.

Meet, mingle, learn, and grow!

The Central Ohio Photo Group

Our mission is to have fun while we develop our photographic skills by sharing ideas with each other. We have presentations at our meetings covering various aspects of photography. We also do several photo shoots a month. We go to great lengths to keep costs down, so people can spend their money on equipment. We do not have dues and operate on donations from members. Keep an eye on the Meetup page for updates.

Meetups: presentation, go shooting
Frequency: a couple times a month

meetup • facebook • flickr

Columbus Area Photographic Society (CAPS)

Imaging, editing, gadgets, fellowship, and fun…that’s what Central Ohio Photographic Society (COPS) is all about! Photography, like many arts forms, benefits from constant practice, and reflection, and here at COPS we make every effort to help you down that path.

Meetups: meet or go shooting a couple times a month

Search Facebook for the name of the group and request membership.

Columbus Creative Photography Group

We are a community of photographers dedicated to our personal and professional development as artists and artisans. Our members respect the importance of both digital and traditional photographic processes and recognize that in this rapidly growing digital age, creativity is what sets us apart!

Meetups: meet and/or go shooting a couple times a month

meetup • facebook

Columbus Studio Photography

Get comfortable with studio photography. Typical shoots include four photographers, a professional model, studio costs, all lighting equipment, sets, props and instructor. Each photographer pays $35 to share the costs of a shoot. We also have specialty shoots such as multiple models, body painting, etc. which might carry different prices. Sessions are typically scheduled in Grandview Heights.

meetup

The Focus Group

A diverse, curious and enthusiastic group of amateur and pro photographers, founded by Abdi Roble and Bill Nieberding in 1998. We meet monthly and usually have a guest speaker followed by image sharing. We also do photowalks, field trips and exhibits. Non-members are welcome to stop in!

Membership: $30 individual, student $15 (currently discounted 50%).
Meetings:
 second Friday of the month at the Upper Arlington Municipal Building

homepage • facebook

IGers Columbus

This group organizes outings for local Instagrammers. Follow  @igerscolumbus to find out more!

Lens & Leaves Camera Club

The Lens and Leaves Camera Club was set up by the metro parks back in the 70’s. It is a nature club mostly meaning our competitions must be nature only unless we specifically say we can have the Hand of Man in our competitions. Nature only means no domestic animals, fences, barns, people, jet trails, cut trees showing the cut etc. We have two competitions every month, one digital and one prints.

Membership: $20/year
Meetings: second Thursday of the month at Blacklick Woods. Non-members welcome to attend!

homepage • facebook

Ohio Photographic Adventures

We welcome anyone interested in learning more about photography and improving their photos. Our goal is to learn together and have fun! Most of our events are tours, photo walks, and hikes where we can share ideas, tips, and techniques in an informal setting. Many events will be free, some will have a fee. In-depth classes may also be offered.

Meetups: meetings, classes, and/or shooting a couple times a month

Meetup • facebook

 

Professional Photographers of Central Ohio

The Professional Photographers of Central Ohio is an organization affiliated with the Professional Photographers of America. The organization was established to elevate the standards of professional photography, to promote and have good fellowship among its members. It is also to serve Columbus and the surrounding territory with the finest professional photography services possible.

Membership: $25-105/year
Meetings: $15/meeting for non-members, second Monday of the month, at Berwick Manor Restaurant

homepage • facebook

Westbridge Camera Club

Learn, share, and sharpen your photographic skills. The club is for photographers of all levels, from beginner to advanced. Twice-monthly meetings alternate between Program Night, dedicated to learning a particular topic, and Competition Night, where members show their work for competition (non-members are welcome to attend, but cannot compete). They also host image discussions, photographic outings, and opportunities to exhibit your work.

Membership: $25/year
Meetings: first & third Wednesdays, September-May, at Griswold Center in Worthington

homepagefacebook • Meetup

Did I miss any? Let me know!

Stratford Ecological Center & State Nature Preserve

Can’t decide between taking a hike or visiting a farm? Stratford is your place! Hike the wooded 4-mile trail, hunt for frogs and salamanders in the swamp, interact with farm animals, tend the garden, use an apple press to make cider, and so much more.

Update: Stratford Photography Club is live! It meets the third Thursday of each month, and it’s $10/year to join.

Continue reading Stratford Ecological Center & State Nature Preserve

Geroux Herb Gardens

Gahanna is the “Herb Capital” of Ohio, so it’s only fitting that there’s a sizable herb garden in front of city hall.

It offers brick paths, with an overhead trellis entwined in what seem to be pea vines, and lots of different garden spaces featuring a wide variety of herbs, from culinary to medicinal. A garden shed and brightly-colored benches make playful backdrops for taking portraits, and depending on the time of year, you may find fruits and vegetables ripening as well. While the garden is not that large, it feels a lot bigger due to the variety of areas and plants it has to offer.

Continue reading Geroux Herb Gardens

Know before you go

Know what their expectations are, make a plan, and re-set expectations as needed… before the shoot.

One morning, I was packing up gear for a kid shoot. When I started packing, I suddenly realized that I had no idea what kind of pictures they wanted. Should I take my DSLR and my strobes with light stands and umbrellas? My lightweight Fuji for running around after kids? Guess I should take it all, just in case. For some reason, when planning the shoot, it simply didn’t occur to me to ask how many kids there would be, what their ages were, or ask what kind of pictures they were hoping for. A lot of stupid things to forget.

Continue reading Know before you go

Midwest Fall 2014 Photo Contest

Midwest’s Fall Photo Contest’s theme is FOOD PHOTOS.

Send us your sizzling steak shots, textured tortillas photos-whatever images of food that inspire you! Food Photography can elicit thoughts of texture, taste and smell-all through one visual image. Show us your images that conjure culinary celebrations. Grand Prize winner will receive a Bowens Gemini 400Rx Lighting Kit. Perfect for lighting any food set-up from menu shots to recipe photos.

Continue reading Midwest Fall 2014 Photo Contest

ImageOHIO 15 Submissions

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

ROY G BIV Gallery for Emerging Artists is now accepting submissions for ImageOHIO 15, a statewide, juried exhibition of the best photographic, video and new media art in Ohio. Juror Benjamin Montague (Assistant Professor in Photography at Wright State University) will select the exhibiting artists. Entries are limited to artists living in Ohio or from Ohio. The selected artists’ work will be exhibited from January 20 – February 20, 2015, at the Fort Hayes Shot Tower Gallery.

Continue reading ImageOHIO 15 Submissions

Walnut Woods

Walnut Woods Metro Park has paved trails pup on a hillthroughout, which makes it very accessible. Little to no  trees overhang the trails, so the shade is minimal. It’s bike and pet friendly. There’s a mountain bike trail as well, but since I didn’t have a bike and my dogs were with me, I didn’t check it out. The park also offers a playground, pavilion, sledding hill, and bathrooms in the buckeye area.

Continue reading Walnut Woods