Information about Ivanhoe Photographic Society
Ivanhoe Photographic Society (or IPS) was established in 1955 and is a small community club of around 40 members for people who are interested in the art of photography. We have members of all ages, all abilities and using all kinds of cameras. The club offers friendship, meetings, education, support and a range of photographic opportunities to members. The club meets in Bellfield/Ivanhoe and does not have any geographic restrictions on membership. Members come from a wide geographic area of greater Melbourne.
Why join a camera club?
We could go on at length, but you might enjoy watching this video from a well-known American photographer to understand the benefits of membership: Just click here.
New members & visitors are welcome
Prospective members and visitors are welcome to attend club meetings throughout the year. Just turn up! Or let us know you’re coming via the contact form here. Press the Membership Form button below for more information such as fees. Complete and bring the form with you.
Club meetings are held on the first and third Monday each month, from February through to November inclusive, starting at 7.30 pm. Meetings are held at the Hawdon Street Community Hall, 80 Hawdon St, Heidelberg.
Photography Awards
The club has annual awards that include the following:
• Image of the Year Trophies, for both print, PI and monochrome
• Joan Carson Trophy for best People image
• Shaw Tan Trophy for best Scapes image
• Nature Trophy for best nature image
• Travel & Photojournalism Trophy for best travel and photojournalism image
• Aggregate Trophies for print and PI
• Audiovisual Trophy
• Creative Trophy image
• Macro/Close-Up Trophy
More information about these awards is available in the Competition Rules document under the Competitions menu item of this website.
Does IPS have outings?
• IPS has occasional outings which are well promoted throughout the year
• Suggestions for outings are welcomed.
Does IPS run workshops?
We currently run introductory level photography workshops annually and are planning a series of new workshops on topics such as macro photography, Photoshop and editing, portraiture. We also run practical nights throughout the year. Take a look at the Learning Resources page from the main menu.
What experience and gear do I need to join?
Anyone with an interest in photography can join our club. No experience is necessary, we were all beginners once. Joining a camera club will assist you learning about all those crazy buttons, as well as meeting like-minded camera enthusiasts. Even if you are thinking about buying a new camera, you will find support and guidance to assist you with this. Our club supports members that have all sorts of cameras from simple point and shoot, up to complex DSLR and Mirrorless cameras. We believe that it is important to be able to take a good photograph regardless of the camera, and to learn as much as we can with the cameras we own
Can I attend a club meeting without being a member?
You are welcome to attend meetings before deciding to become a member. Until you are a paid member you are unable to submit for competition or exhibition and will not receive the newsletter.
Who runs the camera club?
The camera club is run by an elected Committee, who are voted in at the AGM in August each year. The Committee comprises of the following positions:
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Other members take roles such as News Brief Editor, Competition Steward, Web Master or Outings Coordinator.
How do I contact the club?
See the Contact page on this website for all email, phone and postal contact details.
Where can I learn about Photoshop (or other post production program)?
In addition to the workshops on this topic and demonstration nights, there are workshops and courses at any local TAFE, and lots of instructional videos on the internet. Take a look at the training videos listed under Training > Photo Editing menu.
Where can I get my images printed?
Images can be printed on a home computer or at a store that provides this service, such as Photo Color in the nearby Warringal Shopping Centre in Heidelberg where you can mention IPS for a 10% discount. Several members also print their own photographs, so you can ask them how to do this.
How do I get information about the club activities?
The club has a fortnightly newsletter, send to all members by email. For more urgent issues, emails are sent. We also have a Facebook group that provides information, links to tutorials and the occasional photographic challenge.
What do these acronyms mean?
Like all special-interest activities and professions, photography is full of jargon. Some of those used elsewhere in this website include:
PI
This is an acronym that stands for Projected Image, which is the digital version of an image or photograph that is intended to be projected onto a screen, as opposed to a print. Alternatives terms to PI commonly used in camera clubs are EDI and EDPI.
VAPS
VAPS stands for Victorian Association of Photographic Societies. It is the state body that oversees camera clubs throughout Victoria. By being a paid member of our club, you are automatically a member of VAPS and are covered by indemnity insurance. More information about VAPS, the annual VAPS convention and the VAPS interclub challenge is located in another document on our website.
APS
APS stands for Australian Photographic Society. Membership to APS is by individual choice and more information about APS can be found on the internet.
Are there club discounts anywhere?
At the Photo Color centre in the Warringal Shopping Centre. One of the owners is a Life Member of IPS.
Do you let children attend?
Children are welcome at our club and we have a special category for family membership. However it is essential that children under 15 are accompanied by a responsible adult at both club meetings and outings.
Do you have insurance or indemnity as a club?
IPS is affiliated with VAPS (Victorian Association of Photographic Societies). A sum of $8 from each member’s membership fee annually, is paid to VAPS and enables the club to have indemnity insurance. If you need more information about this just ask a committee member.
Can I belong to more than one camera club?
There is no limit to how many camera clubs you can belong to. Several IPS members are also members of other camera clubs in Melbourne.
How can I help the club?
The club is run by a volunteer committee and we are always looking for people to help the club out. Here is a list (not complete by any means) of ways you can help the club:
• Become a committee member – you do not have to be an experienced photographer to help out. We have roles for people who are good at things like newsletters, communicating with the local paper, preparing suppers, writing articles, welcoming new members, as well as the usual committee positions
• Put up your hand to organise an outing, speaker, or photo opportunity
• Join in activities
• Welcome new members, help out with their new cameras.
• Write an article for our newsletter or website blog
What’s the difference between a ‘Photographic Society’ and a ‘Camera Club’?
Nothing at all, at least in Australia. Both club and society are terms used for organisations that support a specific area of interest amongst its members, but historically club was used to indicate a localised, relatively informal organisation and society was used for organisations that had a much wider geographic operation and catchment. These differences are irrelevant nowadays. The terms photographic and camera are just adjectives to indicate the specific area of interest of the organisation and, for all intents and purposes, are the same when used here. We prefer to use the simple acronym IPS.
Can I donate to IPS?
Any donation would always be most welcome, whether as cash, a bequest or equipment. The fee revenue of IPS barely covers its operating costs of hall hire and web fees, so any donations are greatly valued and appreciated. IPS is not a registered charity, but it is a not-for-profit organisation.
What does IPS do?
The club provides a range of activities that includes;
Fortnightly evening meetings
Open Competitions
Set-Subject Competitions
Annual competitions
Lectures and presentations
Basic Photography Course
Social activities
Weekend Excursions
Annual End of Year BBQ
Interclub competitions
Overseas contacts and competitions
What happens at IPS meetings?
Meetings commence at 8.00pm with a short presentation of ‘housekeeping’ (ie important dates, upcoming events, reminders)followed by either a formal presentation by a guest speaker or a presentation by an external photographic judge of the critique/ scores from the previous month’s photographic competition. We usually take a 10 minute tea break in the middle of the meeting for socialising. The meeting usually ends around 9.45pm.
Does IPS have competitions?
• IPS runs a monthly competition for all members that includes both print and EDPI (Electronic Digital Projected Images) images. Each month members are invited to submit 2 images in each category, with a theme or open theme alternating each month. More information about image sizing, mounting and presentation is located in the documents section of the club’s website.
• The club is involved in an interclub competition annually against the Rosanna Photographic Club and the Essendon Camera Club. This is a fun activity that all members are invited to participate in
• Members are also invited to submit images to represent the club at the VAPs annual interclub competition.
• From time to time we have informal photographic challenges, usually as part of an outing.