If you are an amateur camera enthusiast who would like to meet others who share your photographic interests, the Chicago area is a hotbed of camera-club activity.
Dozens of local clubs sponsor competitions, exhibitions and workshops, as well as conducting club meetings, photographic outings and social events. Some of the organizations have been in existence more than 50 years.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, the photographic world largely revolved around the exhibitions and publications of camera clubs.
In 1900, the New York Camera Club was flourishing and influential. Its official publication, ”Camera Notes,” was edited by club member Alfred Stieglitz.
However, a political rift developed between the club`s Stieglitz faction, which viewed photography as a serious art form, and those members who saw the medium more as a hobby. In 1902 Stieglitz resigned as ”Camera Notes” editor, and in 1908 he was expelled from the club.
This event may have symbolized the first faint crack in the foundation of camera-club influence.
Today, despite the widespread popularity of camera clubs, one seldom finds any mention of club news in the establishment photo press. There appear to be two reasons for this turnabout.
First, the heyday of camera clubs preceded the proliferation of university photography departments, which began expanding rapidly in the `60s. In the first half of the century, it wasn`t unusual for world-famous fine-art photographers-such as Edward Steichen, Harry Callahan and many others-to have begun their careers either as members of camera clubs or as participants in their exhibitions.
Also, the best professionals often lectured at camera clubs. The recent Edward Weston centennial exhibition, ”Supreme Instants,” derived its title from a remark Weston made in a 1922 lecture at the Southern California Camera Club. Lectures given in 1941 by Ansel Adams at the Detroit Photography Guild strongly affected the neophyte Callahan.
Today, however, fine-art photographers, photographic educators and the publications that cover that scene are predominantly concerned with academic and gallery circles.
Second, more than ever before, a distinction is drawn between professional and amateur photographers. This wasn`t the case in the medium`s early days, when many of the very best photographers either were amateurs or had recently come to professional photography from other careers.
Although most of today`s Chicago-area camera clubs are general in nature- offering competitions in black-and-white prints, color slides and prints and accepting a wide range of subject matter-some groups tailor their activities to very specific interests.
For instance, participants in the Chicago Stereo Camera Club are all involved in creating or collecting 3-D images and stereo cameras and viewers. Norm Henkels, former president, refers to the club`s members as ”die-hards.” The Suburban Cinema Club of Cicero is composed of amateur filmmakers. According to the club`s vice president, most members are serious about their filmmaking pursuits, working primarily in 16 mm. and performing their own editing. Documentaries and travelogues are the dominant genres. Recently, the club expanded to include a slide division for members also interested in shooting color 35 mm. slides.
The Nature Camera Club of Chicago is designed for photographers wishing to shoot nature subjects on color-slide film exclusively.
The Chicago Photographic Collectors Society, which boasts members from throughout the country as well as abroad, is dedicated to the preservation and care of antique and classic photographic equipment and images.
Approximately 40 Chicago-area camera clubs belong to an umbrella organization called the Chicago Area Camera Club Association (CACCA), which sponsors interclub competitions and an annual one-day Chicago Area
Photographic School. The association also publishes a monthly newsletter.
CACCA President John Mariana says that any club, no matter how small, is welcome to join the association. However, he takes a Stieglitz-like stance, stressing that his organization is interested only in members who are
”serious amateurs,” rather than casual hobbyists. Mariana says CACCA`s purpose is to further the photographic knowledge and skill of its members and to delve into all areas of imagemaking, including the avant-garde and video.
For anyone considering joining a camera club, now is the perfect time to start making inquiries. Many clubs suspend activities for the summer, resuming in September. Here is a list of local organizations and their meeting schedules, along with phone numbers for further information, to help you decide which camera club best suits your interests:
Suburbs
Arlington Camera Club: First Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.;
Heritage Park, Highland Avenue and Victoria Lane, Arlington Heights. 398-1796. Blue Island Camera Club: First and third Thursdays of each month at 8 p.m.; Broukal Field House, 127th Street and Highland Avenue, Blue Island. 385-5932.
Central Du Page Camera Club: Second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:45 p.m., September-May; Wheaton Public Library, 225 N. Cross St., Wheaton. 665-0319 or 469-8553. Meetings resume Sept. 7.
The Chicago Photographic Collectors Society: Fourth Tuesday of each month at 8 p.m.; Leaning Tower YMCA, Skyline Room, 6300 W. Touhy Ave., Niles. 223-4348.
Des Plaines Camera Club: Second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-June; Des Plaines Public Library, 841 Graceland Ave., Des Plaines. 824-5926 or 541-8730.
Downers Grove Camera Club: First and third Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Lincoln Center, 935 Maple Ave., Downers Grove. Fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Mid-America Building, 55th and Holmes Streets, Clarendon Hills. 964-0368.
F-Stop Camera Club: First and third Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-May; the Abbey, 407 W. St. Charles Rd., Elmhurst. 279-0873 or 832-1317.
Foresters` Camera Club: First and third Mondays of each month at Palos United Methodist Church, 121st Street and Harlem Avenue, Palos Heights. 424-6681.
Garden Camera Club: Second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Chicago Botanic Garden, Lake-Cook Road east of the Edens Expressway, Glencoe. 948-9247.
Inland Steel Athletic Association Photo Club: Third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Munster Public Library, 8701 Calumet Ave., Munster, Ind. 219-399-3136 or 219-924-7702.
Lake County Camera Club: First and third Fridays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Coldwell Banker Building, U.S. Hwy. 45 and Ill. Hwy. 176, Mundelein. 949-5777.
The Levy Center Camera Club: Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.; the Levy Center, 1700 Maple St., Evanston. 869-0727.
Lombard Camera Club: Second and fourth Mondays of each month at 8 p.m., September-April; First Church of Lombard, 220 S. Main St., Lombard. 691-1567 or 620-0893.
Nature Study & Camera Club of the Morton Arboretum: First and third Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Cudahy Auditorium, Morton Arboretum, Lisle; enter arboretum from east side of Ill. Hwy. 53. 724-1182.
North Shore Camera Club: First and third Fridays of each month; Glencoe Park District Library, 999 Green Bay Rd., Glencoe. 256-0958.
Northwest Camera Club: First, second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-May; Elmwood Park Civic Center, 2 Conti Pkwy., Elmwood Park. 283-5845.
Oak Lawn Camera Club: First, second and third Fridays of each month at 7 p.m., September-May; Oak Lawn Recreation Center, 4625 W. 110th St., Oak Lawn. 424-1877. Meetings resume Sept. 8.
Oak Park Camera Club: First and third Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-May; Fox Center, Oak Park Avenue and Jackson Boulevard.
Park Forest Photography Club: Third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-June; Freedom Hall, 410 Lakewood Blvd., Park Forest. 748-8908.
Photogenesis Camera Club: Second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Mid-America Building, 1001 S. Washington St., Naperville. 964-0368. Photo-People Photography Club: Second and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-May; St. Mary`s Episcopal Church, 210 N. McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake. 639-6610 or 815-459-7528.
Salt Creek Camera Club: Second, third and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 8 p.m., September-June; Countryside City Hall, 5550 East Ave., Countryside. 354-2613. Meetings resume Sept. 13.
Sandwich Photographic Society: Second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Sandwich Township Library, Center and Eddy Streets, Sandwich. 815-498-3413.
Schaumburg Area Photographic Society: First, second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m. September-May; Schaumburg Park District Recreation Center, 505 N. Springingsguth Rd., Schaumburg. 885-4634 or 815-455-1646. Meetings resume Sept. 11.
Skokie Photographic Society: Second Sunday of each month at 10 a.m.;
Centre East for the Arts, 7701 Lincoln Ave., Skokie. 674-3583 or 674-4692.
South Side Cine Club: Second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m., September-May; Oak Lawn Library, 95th and Cook Streets, Oak Lawn. 424-1406.
Suburban Cinema Club: Second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m., October-April (one meeting in September and December); Clyde Park Community House, 2731 S. 61st Ct., Cicero. 788-3963. Meetings resume Sept. 25. 3-H Camera Club: Second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-May; Thornton Recreation Center, 701 Highland Ave., Thornton. 672-8647 or 219-322-5458.
Valley Photographic Society: First and third Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m., September-May; McCullough Park, Lake Street and Illinois Avenue, Aurora. 553-7188 or 892-7011. Meetings resume Sept. 6.
City
All-Star Baseball Photographers Club: Every other Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. during baseball season; may continue after season; next meeting Wednesday;
National Fast-Time 1 Hour Photo, 3809 N. Clark St. 935-3456.
Chicago Area Camera Club Association: Second Saturday of each month at 12:30 p.m.; Helix, 310 S. Racine Ave. 851-5873.
Chicago Color Camera Club: First and third Thursdays of each month at 7 p.m., September-June; Dearborn Station, 47 W. Polk St., Suite M-7. 823-8035. Meetings resume Sept. 7.
Chicago Stereo Camera Club: Third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.;
Chicago Athletic Association, 12 S. Michigan Ave. 724-5999.
Ft. Dearborn Chicago Camera Club: Fridays at 8 p.m.; Dearborn Station, 47 W. Polk St., Suite M-7. 922-0770.
Greenbriar Camera Club: First, second and third Wednesdays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Greenbriar Park, 2650 W. Peterson Ave. 674-3817.
Hild-Sulzer Photo Society: Wednesdays at 7 p.m.; Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave. 588-0287.
Independence Park Camera Club: First and last Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m.; Women`s Club House, 3800 W. Byron St. 463-2494. Meetings resume Sept. 11.
Jackson Park Camera Club: Second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.;
K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Temple, 51st Street and Greenwood Avenue. 363-1218. Meetings resume Sept. 12.
Nature Camera Club of Chicago: Second Monday of each month at 7:45 p.m.;
west entrance of the Field Museum of Natural History, Roosevelt Road and Lake Shore Drive. 944-1718.
Photographic Society of America, Chicago Chapter: Fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., September-June (combined November-December meeting);
Chicago Athletic Association, 12 S. Michigan Ave. 642-8841.
Ridge Camera Club: First, third and fourth Wednesdays of each month at 7:32 p.m., September-May (Dec. 6 only; March 14, 21, 28); Ridge Park Fieldhouse, 96th Street and Longwood Drive. 233-0930.
St. Mark Camera Club: Mondays at 7 p.m.; St. Mark United Methodist Church, 8441 St. Lawrence Ave. 483-4709.
Sandburg Camera Club: First and third Wednesday of each month at 7:45 p.m., October-June; 1455 N. Sandburg Ter. 929-1556 or 528-1782.
Washington Park Camera Club: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 p.m.; 5537 King Dr. 779-7889 or 224-8098.
