Conwy Camera Club has introduced a discounted membership fee for any pairs of cohabiting people. The aim is to encourage more couples to join – including spouses and partners who’d like to see what their other half has been enjoying at the club without them!
For most or all of its 78-year existence, the club has had couples in its membership, including the great monochrome photographers Emrys and Gwyneth Jones until the late 1990s. One of the club’s current couples, Peter and Sylvia Jones, met at the club and married!
Some couples have joined the club at the same time because they have a mutual passion for photography, but in many cases the second member has joined after the first – and soon got hooked!
Donald Liepins joined Conwy Camera Club in 2018, a year after his wife Tanya joined (the couple are pictured above). Tanya was new to photography but developed her innate talent so quickly that in her first year she came top in the General section (for marks achieved in internal club competitions). She was soon promoted to the club’s Advanced section, where she came top in 2020-21.
Donald’s own photography improved rapidly. He came top in the General section in 2019-20, and one of his images (the lighthouse photo shown here) was chosen for the front cover of the club’s 2021 Yearbook.
Donald said: “I joined Conwy Camera Club as having been out with Tanya and seeing the enjoyment she gained from photography made me want to try it for myself, and it was great that we had a hobby that we could do together.
“I also saw how much she enjoyed being part of the club community and how it had helped her on her photographic journey.
“I have gained so much from being a member of the club from listening to judges’ critiques on competition nights, also the interesting speakers we have and the social aspect of meeting new like-minded friends. The workshops have also given me a chance to try other genres of photography and helped to improve my skills and confidence.”
For the 2023-24 season, which starts on 5th September, the membership fee is halved for the second person in any cohabiting pair. This can include a parent and (grown-up) child. Under-18s and full-time students also pay half the adult fee. Temporary membership (4 consecutive weeks) is also available for anyone who’d like to attend a few meetings before deciding whether to join.
Full details are available on the club’s application form.