Special Interest Groups

Many NDPS members choose to join one or more of the specialist Groups which concentrate more closely on particular areas of photography and imaging. Currently, there are FIVE (5) Special interest Groups which all meet about once a month.

Please note that members who attend events organised by each of the SIGs are asked to pay a nominal fee of £1.00 as a contribution towards the addition expenses incurred by the Society to run these shoots/events. This fee is normally payable to the Leader of the shoot on the day.

Landscape Group launched in September 2016, aims to encourage and develop the practice of landscape photography, in all its many forms.  It has quickly become established and regularly more than 12-15 members of the Society turn out on its shoots with many now also organising informal get togethers with likeminded colleagues between the Group’s regular meetings.

Nature & Wildlife Group begun following a trial event in February 2019 at which eighteen members turned out to witness wading birds in their hundreds and thousands, literally being pushed off the mudflats by the fast incoming tide on the North Norfolk Coast at Snettisham it was decided to add a number of events to the annual programme covering this type of photography. Because these proved so successful SIG was created and is becoming as firmly established as the Landscape, Studio and Tom’s Tours Groups.

Pictorialists Group the 2005 Encyclopaedia of Twentieth-Century Photography, states that Pictorialism explores
“the artistic possibilities of photography. Influenced by … traditional arts, such as Impressionism and Symbolism, photographers … arrived at a Pictorialist aesthetic often characterised by soft focus, a massing of highlights and shadows, and highly manipulated printing techniques”. The Norwich and District Photographic Society Pictorialist Special Interest Group build on this with the idea of photography as craft. 

Studio Group the oldest of the NDPS Groups normally meets on the second Monday evening of each Month. The intention of this group is to provide a varied programme of events and activities to encourage members to take and share photographs, both in the studio and in outdoor locations. The programme includes portrait, fashion, still-life and desktop macro sessions and occasionally shoots at outdoor location or events.

Tom’s Tours begun in September 2017 these shoots organised by Tom Watson when he was Secretary of the Society have quickly become a central part of the annual programme and are affectionately known as ‘Tom’s Tours’,  Covering genres such as street photography, fairs, architecture and many other subjects through to Urbex and other quirky locations. Tom has proven that he has the ability to get into locations that are not normally available to photographers.

f1.4 Image Improvement Forum aims to develop a symbiotic approach with ALL members of the Society who wish to improve their own photography. The purpose of the Forum is to provide members with an opportunity to receive constructive informal critique for their photographs from a group of the Society’s members who have demonstrated that they collectively possess an appropriate level of skills and experience across all genres of photography and in the use of associated software etc. Use of the Forum is available to all members of the Society whatever their ability who wish to take their photography to the next level and are happy to receive friendly, constructive criticism and analysis of their work by working constructively with other like-minded photographers.

In addition, to the above established groups the Society runs workshops on image-processing to help members achieve the best results and is committed to assisting those members who wish to submit work for RPS and PAGB distinctions..

When there is demand from members the Society regularly organises specialised workshops led by experts (for example, wildlife and nature, and street photography) which could if there is sfficient numbers result in new Special Interest Groups being formed in the future.

All members of the Society are welcome to join any or all of the Special Interest Groups. However, non-members of the Society are not normally able to attend these get togethers.

Click on the appropriate image to find out in detail about each of the Society’s Special Interest Groups. If you require any further information please contact us or come along to one of our regular meetings to see for yourself what we have to offer.