Hello!
We are Irwell Vale Photography Club based in the pretty village of Irwell Vale, in Rossendale, Lancashire (UK). The club was started by a small group of enthusiasts in the spring of 2007 and now has regular attendance of between 20 – 30 people. We welcome photographers of any ability and with any type of camera; be it film, digital SLR, or compact flash. Our main aim is to learn from each other and have fun doing it!
We meet alternate Friday evenings throughout the year in the church hall and you can find dates and details of our meetings on the ‘Programme’ page. Likewise, to find our location, please see the ‘Where to find us’ page.
The club has several trips a year to various places of interest. These are always a great day out! Our expertise at finding the best tea shops in the country is second to none – and Mark’s guide to the best Fish and Chip shops in England is legendary. Not forgetting, of course, some of the best photo locations in England! We return home tired amidst a friendly exchange of the day’s experiences, with lots of good images to keep us occupied in the coming days, and already looking forward to the next trip.
Our club is non-competitive as we wish to maintain an all-inclusive atmosphere for members of all abilities. However, we aim to improve our skills at every level and to this end the club holds a varied programme of talks by visiting photographers on topics such as black and white images; the importance of ‘light’ in landscape photography; and architecture (see programme page). We also have practical evenings: making use of the church hall for indoor portrait sessions (people/pets), practising Macro (close-up) work, outside portraits using natural light, floodlit sessions in the church grounds, local walks during the light evenings … and pretty well trying anything that anyone suggests. The programme is whatever members want it to be!
In 2010 we were accepted as a member of the Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union (LCPU). This providess us with various benefits, including access to a broad range of speakers to give us talks and presentations in the future – all experts in their own field of photography.
The club has no annual membership, but members pay a small charge at each meeting to cover refreshments and the hire of the hall.
You are very welcome to join us at any of our meetings and if you require any further information, please feel free to ring us. (see contact page)
Hope to see you soon!
