Mission
The St. Louis Camera Club is a group of photographers of widely varying interests and every skill level, from those first discovering photography and learning the basics to professional photographers. What we all have in common is a desire to learn more about photography, share our experiences and enjoy the company of like-minded friends. Our primary focus is on education through our various meetings and competitions.
The Mission of the Club is to promote the art and science of photography in a social environment where photographers of all skill levels are welcomed. The Club embraces the advancement of photography through member education, innovation, technology and creativity.
For more information on how the club works, click here.
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Ethics Statement
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A member of the St. Louis Camera Club shall act in accordance with the by-laws of the St. Louis Camera Club.
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A member shall be ethical when making and presenting photographic images. Images submitted for competition shall originate as photographs by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. By virtue of submitting an entry, the photographer certifies the work as his/her own.
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Members not in compliance with this ethics statement will be subject to the loss of the right to compete and/or loss of competition points and honors.
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Copyright Policy
As an organization comprised of photographers, the St. Louis Camera Club places a high value on the copyright of a creator in his or her artistic works. We advocate for and strongly support all artists’ copyrights. These include not only the rights of photographers and other artists in their visual works, but also the rights of musicians in their compositions and performances. By submitting a presentation to the Club or an entry to any Club competition, a member represents that he/she has complied with all applicable copyright laws and regulations as they pertain to any third party content included in that entry, whether that third party content is aural or visual. It is not the responsibility of any judge of these competitions to make any determination whether the use of music or third party images contained in any entry is in compliance with applicable copyright law. We assume that the member submitting the entry has fully accepted and discharged this responsibility. No judge’s decision regarding the merit of any entry will be influenced by the issue of copyright compliance or non-compliance.
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Statement
The St. Louis Camera Club is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. All members of the St. Louis Camera Club are expected to treat others with dignity and respect. Our members commit to being open to a diversity of artistic photographic expression.
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Club History
The St. Louis Camera Club is one of the oldest photography clubs in the United States, holding its first meeting on February 12, 1914, with a group of five amateur photographers headed by Oscar Kuehn. The Club outgrew meetings in members’ homes and has since held meetings in community centers and libraries. The Club’s first exhibition of 150 prints was in April 1915. Over the years, many St. Louisans have gained photographic proficiency in the St. Louis Camera Club.
The first by-laws were written and a Board of Directors was established in the 1940s. On November 19, 1969, the Club was incorporated as the St. Louis Camera Club, Inc.
Club competitions were in black and white prints until 1945 when Color Slide competition began. The Club has responded to the expanding interests of its members by adding new competition sections: Nature Slides in 1960, Color Prints in 1970, Photo Travel and Photojournalism in 1985. The New Member Workshops were begun in 1982 to help new members learn about the Club and participate in its activities.
The Club is the sponsor of the highly respected Mississippi Valley Salon of Photography. When the Salon was organized in 1945, there were only six other color slide exhibitions in the country. In the early years, prints and color slides were exhibited. Color and nature images are featured in the annual competition.
Competitions, educational programs, gallery exhibitions, outings, field trips and nature study are prominent components of the Club, which are enjoyed by the members.
From a small group of five, the Club membership has grown to over 300 active photography enthusiasts with many and varied interests. The accumulated photographic experience and knowledge of the members, aided by those members who volunteer their talent and expertise, has created the unique success of the St. Louis Camera Club.
Read more about the club and it's history at the following sites:
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Our weekly meetings usually include:
- An educational program by a speaker from our membership or from the photographic community
- A member competition in one of our many photography sections
We also features special competitions such as:
- A short photo essay and a longer travelogue essay
- A yearly competition for our new members (the Rookie Competition)
- As a member of the Photographic Society of America (PSA), the Club sponsors the Mississippi Valley Salon, an international competition, each year
- PSA Interclub competitions with other PSA clubs
- Monthly New Member Meetings focused on questions and needs of our new members
Other activities include:
- Monthly Special Interest Group meetings which delve into more detailed conversation about items of particular interest
- Salons at which small groups discuss their images in a friendly, informal setting
- Outings ranging from an organized two or three day trip, one day get-togethers, to very informal photographic shoots for a few hours
- A summer picnic and a holiday party
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