An exhibition at Buxton Museum & Art Gallery this month sees the start of a series of events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of this highly respected High Peak institution
Every Wednesday from September to April keen photographers from the High Peak area descend on Chapel-en-le-Frith Golf Club for a meeting of like minds, all keen to share their knowledge and improve their photography skills.
Chapel Camera Club was founded 30 years ago by members of Buxton Field Club who specialised in photographing local natural history. A chance advertisement in the Buxton Advertiser placed by founder member Derek Alsop to see what interest there was locally for a photographic club, attracted 60 people to an initial meeting. After such an enthusiastic response, a committee was formed and the Club began its annual programme. Chapel Camera Club soon flourished, its members broadening their horizons to encompass a wide variety of subjects and styles. Today it is both successful and thriving with around 80 members, predominantly from in and around the High Peak area, whose work regularly wins awards and acceptances in national and international competitions. Lectures, in-club competitions, regular workshops and trips to different locations to practice photography are all part of the annual programme.
In addition founder Derek Alsop, who still plays an active role in the Club, has over the years created an important photographic archive documenting local people and places and showing how things were in earlier times in the Chapel-en-le-Frith area.
On 13th September at 2pm, a thirtieth anniversary exhibition of over 100 photographs by club members will be opened officially at the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery by Bill Weston MBE, leader of The Billerettes, 2012 Olympic torch carrier and Buxton Town Crier. It will run until 22nd November. Other events at the Museum on Terrace Road include a series of workshops and competitions for all to enjoy. ‘Through the Pinhole’ will take a look at how to convert your digital SLR to a pinhole camera and experience photography as the Victorians did. There will also be several drop-in Photo Clinics for members of the public to find out how to get more from their cameras. On 20th September, club member Karl Wood will run his Buxton Photo Challenge 2, a follow up from the very successful Buxton Photo Challenge he ran during the Buxton Festival in 2012. A fun day of photography with the chance to win your print framed and exhibited at the gallery during October and November.
Celebrations continue with a talk at Buxton’s Pavilion Arts Centre by the celebrated wildlife photographer and co-founder of the charity ‘Animals on the Edge’, Chris Weston, on 26th September. Chris was named by Outdoor Photography magazine as one of the world’s 40 Most Influential wildlife photographers. Local schools in Buxton and Chapel-en-le Frith will also be participating in the Club’s first Mobileography competition. Pupils will be asked to photograph several challenging themes on their mobile devices, phones and tablets and winners will also be exhibited at the gallery. An opportunity for the next generation of county photographers to discover the delight of combining skill and vision.
Chapel Camera Club is affiliated to the Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union (L&CPU) and to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB). For further information visit www.chapelcameraclub.org.uk
