Creativity and a camera are all you need at the Penrith RSL Photographic Club, which celebrated its 30th birthday earlier this month.
The club’s secretary Peter Thorpe has been with the group since its inception in the early 1990s, when it was known by a different name.
“I was a member of the Emus Photographic Club,” Thorpe began.
“We met on Andrews Road in the Emus Rugby Union complex. But, the football team got promoted to the Shute Shield competition in ’94, starting in ’95, and we were asked to move.
“We looked around for a different place and when we approached Penrith RSL in April 1995, they jumped at the chance.”
The first meeting of the Penrith RSL Photographic Club was held on May 1 that year, and ever since, the club has felt indebted to the Board that oversee their beloved venue.
“We meet twice a month and have guest speakers come in to deliver talks on various aspects of photography, whether it’s their full-time job or just a hobby,” Thorpe explained.
“We’ve had Navy and Air Force photographers come in, numerous landscape photographers, creative photographers, abstract photographers, underwater photographers – anything to do with photography, we get them to come in and give a chat.”
The group also have regular ‘show and tell’ nights to share what they’re working on, as well as competitions throughout the year.
“We don’t teach photography but being around other photographers and people with the same interests and passion, you pick up tips – especially when we’ve got guest speakers,” Thorpe stated.
“Also, when judges come to critique our competitions, we pick up their ideas about what is right or wrong with a photograph.”
But it’s not all about that for the long-serving club secretary. Photography is also about preserving memories.
“You’re saving a record for history and you’re capturing something in a moment in time that’s passed, but you can look back on it,” Thorpe said.
The club now has over 50 members, and more are welcome. From amateurs to pros, local photographers can attend some meetings to see if they would like to join the group.
Find the group’s syllabus online at http://www.penrithrsl.wixsite.com/photographic-club.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.