The Camera Club - Latest News #Club UpdatesThe Camera Club - Latest News #Club Updateshttps://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/tag/club-updatesFri, 08 May 2026 08:51:07 +0200http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[Urban Portrait Pod - April 2026]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/urban-portrait-pod-april-18This month’s Urban Portrait Pod takes us into the vibrant streets of Chinatown, with a possible extension into Covent Garden if time allows. The aim of ]]>

Turning Chinatown’s chaos into cinematic urban portraiture

© Monica A. Walker

This month’s Urban Portrait Pod takes us into the vibrant streets of Chinatown, with a possible extension into Covent Garden if time allows.

The aim of this session is to move beyond tourist photography and explore how the energy of the city can become a compelling backdrop for lifestyle portraiture. We will focus on working with available light in busy urban environments, using the textures, colours, and movement of the city to shape our images.

Participants are welcome to bring flash or additional lighting if they wish to experiment, but this is not required.

If we are able to source TFP models, then one will join us for the session. If not, we will work collaboratively and photograph one another, so please come prepared to step in front of the camera as well as behind it.

When: Saturday, 18 April 2026
Meeting point: Outside Costa Coffee, Leicester Square Odeon
Time: 10:30 am till 12:30 or 13:00. 



Scan the QR code to join our Urban/Studio pod WhatsApp group .

]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 10:45:31 +0000<![CDATA[Gallery 1885 Exhibition: John McKenzie]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/gallery-1885-exhibition-john-mckenzieGallery 1885 13th April - 8th May Open View:  16th April @ 7:00PM An Introduction to John McKenzie Up to the age of twelve I lived in Lambeth Walk, ]]>

Icons & Bygones: Music Legends

Gallery 1885

13th April - 8th May

Open View:  16th April @ 7:00PM



An Introduction to John McKenzie

Up to the age of twelve I lived in Lambeth Walk, SE11, less than a mile from the Camera Club. We lived above the shop and darkroom of my late father, showbusiness photographer Doug McKenzie. There I earnt my pocket money by mixing the print developers etc. in stainless steel buckets. And growing up surrounded by all things photographic meant that by around age ten, I was able to load film into a Rolleiflex and shoot, process and more-or-less print my own work.


After a brief spell working in the darkrooms of the Press Association, I joined Doug as soon as he could afford an assistant, and was soon shooting on my own. I quickly established my own clients, particularly in the music industry, working for the major record companies, the related management and PR companies, and the music press of the day. Every image in this exhibition was originally shot as part of a directly commissioned, fee-paying assignment.


I must have spent hundreds of hours printing in the darkrooms of our expanding print lab, now based in three high street shops in Forest Hill, SE23. Gradually we became one of the largest - and fastest - labs in London. Subsequently based in a large industrial unit just off the Old Kent Road, I took on the role of Production Director - just as we embraced the impact of scanning and digital printing.

Retiring in 2011, I went back to assisting my father, enabling Doug to continue his obsession with photography. Gradually I took over the reins as he became more and more an ‘old friend and honoured guest’ at the events he was expecting to photograph. I have maintained my own love of photography by continuing to shoot for three charities, particularly the Grand Order of Water Rats, a showbusiness charity, founded in 1889. I was invited to become a member in 2014, and now hold the office of ‘Photographer Rat’!


Four of my favourite images by Doug are included nearby as a tiny sample of his own extensive archive, and of his undoubted expertise. And I hope you enjoy this look at my time as a music industry photographer - it was, as you can probably imagine, great fun.

Thank you for your interest.

John McKenzie
www.johnmckenziegallery.uk


]]>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:21:12 +0000<![CDATA[ANNUAL MEMBERS' WINTER EXHIBITION OPEN CALL]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/annual-members-winter-exhibition-open-callAttention Camera Club Members! It is time once again to celebrate the incredible talent within our community! The Annual Members’ Winter Exhibition inv ]]>

SUMBIT TODAY!

Attention Camera Club Members!


It is time once again to celebrate the incredible talent within our community! The Annual Members’ Winter Exhibition invites all members—both seasoned professionals and passionate amateurs—to submit their best photographic work for display on the walls of Gallery 1885. This inclusive exhibition showcases the remarkable diversity, creativity, and vision that make our club so special. Each member may submit up to two works, with a total of 50 pieces to be selected for exhibition. Whether your photography captures the quiet poetry of everyday life or the bold drama of imagined worlds, we look forward to seeing the images that define your artistic voice.


Important Deadlines:

  • Deadline for digital submissions: Midnight, 28 November 2025

  • Deadline for printed submissions: 12 December 2025 (Prints must be physically at the Club by this date.)


Important Note:
There is a cap of 50 photographs for display on the walls. Once we reach 50 confirmed entries, wall submissions will close. Any entries received after that will still be included in the exhibition but will be placed on the display racks instead. Submit early to guarantee your place on the wall!


Submission Process and Guidelines


All participating members must submit both a digital file and a printed version of their selected photograph.

  • The digital submissions are required first. This allows us to review the entries to ensure they meet exhibition standards and to prepare for the Members' Choice Voting Contest, where fellow members will vote for their favourite work. There are, in fact, prizes to be awarded during our Open View on WEDNESDAY 17 December at 7pm.

  • The printed versions must match the digital submissions and will be used for the physical display at the exhibition.


Digital Submission:

  • Submit two low-resolution digital file of your chosen photograph.

  • Name your file: Name_ImageTitle.jpg

  • Email your submission to gallery1885@thecameraclub.co.uk with your name and email address. 

  • Please, include the title, date, a type of print for each photograph.

  • Deadline for digital submissions: 28 November 2025, midnight.


Print Submission:

  • Submit prints of the two photographs you submitted digitally.

  • The printed image must either:

    • Be printed on an A3 sheet with a white border to fit into a 40x50cm frame, or

    • Be printed full A3 size to fit into one of our standard club mounts.

  • Prints can be mounted or unmounted as long as the final size of the image is close to an A3.

  • For affordable, high-quality printing, we recommend Simlab (or any preferred provider).

  • Deliver your print directly to the Stewards at the Club.

  • Deadline for print arrival at the Club: 12 December 2025.
    (Important: Do not leave prints unattended or in the cupboard.)


Quick Reminder:

  • This is one submission process (digital + print).

  • The digital file helps us curate the exhibition and prepares the entry for the Members' Choice Contest.

  • Only the printed version will be displayed physically at the Club.

]]>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 20:36:26 +0000<![CDATA[Gallery 1885 Exhibition: Monica A. Walker Vadillo]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/gallery-1885-exhibition-monica-a.-walker-vadilloBeyond the Bloom: Portraits of Unconventional Beauty Monica A. Walker Vadillo 17th of November -13th December 2025 Open View: 20th of November, 7 pm This ]]>

Beyond the Bloom: Portraits of Unconventional Beauty

Beyond the Bloom: Portraits of Unconventional Beauty
Monica A. Walker Vadillo
17th of November -13th December 2025
Open View: 20th of November, 7 pm

This exhibition marks the culmination of a three-year journey—my first real step into studio portraiture beyond the solitary terrain of self-portraiture and street photography. Beyond the Bloom is both a personal exploration and a tribute to the individuals who stood before my lens and trusted me with a fragment of their story.

The seed for this project was planted after encountering the ethereal floral portraits of photographer Sayaka Maruyama—delicate, dreamlike images of young, beautiful women surrounded by flowers. But I kept asking: What happens when the face is older? Or different? Or simply doesn’t fit the expected mould? Around that same time, I had written about the 16th century artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo for National Geographic: Historia, marvelling at how he composed entire identities from plants, fruit, and objects—an early artistic reminder that the surface is never just surface.

I began to wonder: What do we conceal behind our cultural blooms-behind ageism, impossible beauty standards, sexual orientation, ethnicity, trauma, transformation? This series became my attempt to look beyond. Each portrait is a quiet search for the soul behind the mask, behind the petals—sometimes brittle, sometimes artificial, sometimes defiant.

The flowers I used—dry, plastic, or textile—act as barriers, as veils, as metaphors. They frame, obscure, or challenge the gaze. Yet through this muted palette and soft light, what emerges is something unexpectedly luminous. Not technical perfection, but presence. A moment of vulnerability. A trace of self.

This is not a perfect body of work. It was never meant to be. This exhibition is not about mastery—it is about connection. Each of these sitters offered me their time, their gaze, and something of their spirit. This work is for them. It exists because of them. And I hope you will take a moment to truly see them.

To every person who stepped into that studio, thank you—for your kindness, your friendship, your light. This exhibition is for you.

Come and meet them.
Monica 

About the Photographer

I’m a London-based photographer, and I’ve been taking photographs since I was 13 years old. Over the years, photography has become my constant companion—a way to connect with others, make sense of the world, and explore identity, memory, and emotion.

My work spans self-portraiture, street photography, and collaborative studio portraiture, often using muted tones, symbolic props, and quiet light to bring out the subtleties of character and presence.


Beyond the Bloom: Portraits of Unconventional Beauty is my fourth solo exhibition, following Dancer in the Street (2021), Resilient Portraits 2020 (2022), and 2020 Pandemic: Visions of London After People (2023). I also self-publish small zines of my projects, and my photos have appeared in museum guides, exhibitions, and the media.


Alongside my personal work, I run the Urban Portrait Pod at The Camera Club and lead a Street Photography for Wellbeing workshop for Team London Bridge. I also co-curated The Art of Seeing: 140 Years of Photography at the Camera Club with Gabe Simon earlier this year, and have curated the members’ exhibitions at the club for the past two years.


Instagram: @MonicaAnnWalker

Website: MAWalker Photography

]]>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 19:49:55 +0000<![CDATA[Gallery 1885 Exhibition: Simon J. Webb]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/gallery-1885-exhibition-simon-j.-webbCOMING OUT: 25 Portraits - 25 Personal Stories Simon J. Webb 13th October - 14th of November 2025 Open View: 16th of October 7 pm Photographed over a ten ]]>

COMING OUT
​25 Portraits - 25 Personal Stories

COMING OUT: 25 Portraits - 25 Personal Stories
Simon J. Webb
13th October - 14th of November 2025
Open View: 16th of October 7 pm

Photographed over a ten year period, Coming Out is a collection of portraits taken by photographer Simon J. Webb from his sessions for British queer arts quarterly Jack The Lad. Despite depicting a collection of uniquely talented queer people from the creative arts sector, 21st Century society has still deemed it necessary for each and every one of them to face the dilemma of having to come out in order to live their personal and professional life both openly and authentically. It’s a decision that is seldom taken lightly by anyone in the queer community, the potential for rejection from loved ones, bullying at school or discrimination in the workplace still being a very real fear for many, and whilst these portraits show it definitely does get better, it is hoped that the addition of audio recordings recounting the personal coming out stories that accompany these portraits will serve as a reminder that this unavoidable trauma is still a process that seems cruelly reserved exclusively for members of the queer community.

About the photographer:

Simon J. Webb has been a photographer for over thirty-five years. Progressing from a photographers assistant and darkroom technician to studio photographer back in the analogue days of the late eighties, he took a hiatus from photography to carve out a second career in the booming video post production industry of the nineties. This culminated in opening his own post production facility in Soho for 10 years. Having worked on projects for the likes of Bryan Ferry, Phil Collins and countless nineties electronic acts, he eventually rediscovered a passion for photography, digital camera’s having almost caught up in quality with their analogue counterparts. In this capacity Simon not only found himself frequently working with members of the queer community, but realised that most of the people he photographed also came to his studio also armed with an endless stream of fascinating and relatable stories. This would eventually lead to him publishing his own queer culture magazine, Jack The Lad which, after 43 Issues and over 120 interviews, remains an ongoing venture that is currently enjoying its 10th incredible year.

 
]]>Sun, 21 Sep 2025 17:42:48 +0000<![CDATA[GALLERY 1885 EXHIBITION:  THE LONDON SALON OF PHOTOGRAPHY]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/gallery-1885-exhibition-the-london-salon-of-photographyIn 1893 a group of Photographers met to discuss their concern that the Royal Photographic Society were more concerned with  “Technique” than the ]]>

111TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION

In 1893 a group of Photographers met to discuss their concern that the Royal Photographic Society were more concerned with  “Technique” than the content of the images.  Acceptances in the Annual Exhibition were those images displaying technical expertise but no credit or appreciation was given to the “Art of photography” . This meeting of photographers, who specialised in Pictorial images formed a Society  calling themselves “The Linked Ring”, their aim being to promote Photography as an Art.

The group ran for nearly 20 years when in 1910  it was “unlinked”, but a small group of the Members decided to form a London based society to meet regularly and once a year, to hold an Annual Exhibition, to which photographers from all over the world were invited to submit images for consideration to be included in the exhibition.  The Invitation to enter images stated that:-

 “The aim of the London Salon is to exhibit only that class of work in Pictorial Photography in which there is distinct evidence of personal artistic feeling and execution”. This is still is the aim of the London Salon today.

The Salon was, and is, an International Exhibition entered by photographers worldwide which is selected by the Members who are all entitled to take part in choosing the images and awarding up to ten Salon Medals to be shown in the Exhibition. The London Salon has been shown almost every year including right through the 1st and 2nd War years since its formation over a hundred years ago.

Members including some very famous names from history have been Members including, Yousuf Karsh of Ottawa, Lord Caernarfon,  M.O. Dell, Horace Murch,  Chambre Hardman of Liverpool  to name but a few   Members are elected by invitation and hold their Membership for life pledge they will work for the good of the London Salon and uphold many of the traditions and beliefs which has ensured the success of the London Salon into the 21st Century.

To discover more about the London Salon of Photography, please, visit their website: www.thelondonsalon.org. 

The 111th Annual Members exhibition will take place at Gallery 1885 at The Camera Club in Kennington, London. 
The exhibition goes from the 11th of August to the 5th of September, 2025.
Everybody is welcome to the open view on the 14th of August at 7:00 pm. 

]]>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 12:22:39 +0000<![CDATA[The Four Project: July 2025]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/the-four-project-kissaten-by-dan-bachmannThe latest images gracing the staircase at The Camera Club for the  Four Project are from active member Dan Bachmann. Having friends and family in ]]>

Kissaten by Dan Bachmann

The latest images gracing the staircase at The Camera Club for the Four Project are from active member Dan Bachmann.

Having friends and family in Japan, I often bypass the typical tourist destinations. This has led me to find excitement in photographing things that others overlook—both Japanese locals and visitors alike. I'm drawn to the fascination found in everyday, mundane moments, transforming them through photography into stories where the previously invisible becomes the protagonist.

Traveling into another culture offers a special experience, but being able to travel through time adds an entirely different dimension.
During my last trip to Japan, I discovered kissaten which transported me to 1980s Tokyo.

Kissaten are restaurant cafés that kept pace with Japanese trends until the economic bubble burst in the 1980s. Then, for reasons unknown, they froze in time. Newspapers and magazines lie scattered about for reading, a vintage video arcade machine blinks in the corner, and people still smoke freely. Cigarettes and lighters sit for sale around the same cash register that rang up orders in 1985. From what I can tell, the same person still works the greasy kitchen behind the counter after all these decades. This makes me believe these places are a dying breed.

These images capture different kissaten visited on the same day. A friend, seeing my excitement, took me to another—this time, part of a
kissaten chain. It was larger, decorated with reproduction nostalgic elements. The sterile atmosphere had scrubbed away the wall stains, taking the magic with it. I was no longer time-traveling. My excitement dimmed—I have my last matcha of the day without being compelled to press the shutter button.


]]>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 11:47:17 +0000<![CDATA[Gallery 1885 Exhibition: Annual Members' Summer Exhibition]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/gallery-1885-exhibition-members-summer-exhibitionThe walls of Gallery 1885 are about to come alive with the work of our talented membership! This year’s Annual Members’ Summer Exhibition is a special ]]>

Annual Members' Summer Exhibition: 
Celebrating 140 Years of the Camera Club

The walls of Gallery 1885 are about to come alive with the work of our talented membership! This year’s Annual Members’ Summer Exhibition is a special one—it celebrates not just the height of summer but also 140 years of The Camera Club.

This exhibition is a chance for members to share their favourite or best work with each other and the wider community. Whether you have been with us for years or have just joined recently, this is a moment to come together and reflect on the creativity and vision that continues to define our club.

Join us for the Open View on Thursday 10 July at 7:00 PM


Expect music, drinks, nibbles, and some great conversation. It is a relaxed and welcoming evening where members can catch up, connect, and celebrate. We will also be announcing the winners of the Members’ Vote, which takes place online ahead of the exhibition.

This is more than just an exhibition: it is a gathering of our photographic community. We are especially excited to introduce many new members to the rest of the Club, so if you are able, please come along and show your support. Bring a friend or two—everyone is welcome.

Let us mark this milestone together—with images, with laughter, and with a shared love for photography!

For any questions contact gallery1885@thecameraclub.co.uk. 

]]>Sun, 29 Jun 2025 14:05:54 +0000<![CDATA[GALLERY 1885 EXHIBITION]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/gallery-1885-exhibition-The-Art-of-SeeingFor 140 years, The Camera Club has been at the heart of photographic excellence, innovation, and artistic exploration. As the longest continuously run ]]>

The Art of Seeing: 140 Years of Photography at the Camera Club
​Curated by Gabe Simon & Dr Monica A. Walker
​7 April - 2 May 2025
​Open View 10 April @ 7:00 PM​

For 140 years, The Camera Club has been at the heart of photographic excellence, innovation, and artistic exploration. As the longest continuously running photography club in the world, we are proud to present "The Art of Seeing – 140 Years of Photography at The Camera Club", an extraordinary exhibition celebrating the rich history and evolving artistry of photography.

Curated by Gabe Simon and Dr Monica A. Walker, this exhibition brings together a remarkable selection of images from our vast collection, spanning over a century of photographic practice. From the earliest experiments in monochrome to the latest digital advancements, each piece showcases the universal themes that have shaped photography—the pursuit of light, composition, storytelling, and human connection.

Through the lens of time, "The Art of Seeing" invites visitors to explore how technology and artistic vision have transformed photography, yet how its essence—its ability to capture and convey emotion, beauty, and truth—remains timeless. This exhibition is not just a retrospective but a testament to the enduring power of the photographic image, revealing how generations of photographers have engaged with the world through their cameras.

Join us for the Open View on 10 April and step into 140 years of history, innovation, and the evolving art of photography. Whether you are a long-time member, an emerging photographer, or simply an admirer of the craft, this is a celebration of our legacy, our passion, and our shared vision.


Come and see photography as you have never seen it before.

This exhibition has also been supported by the work of Rod Tidman, Gaby Alvarez, and Felix Hall-Close. 

Photo Credit: From our collection, "To the Lighthouse" (c.1921) by F.J. Mortimer,  CBE., FRSA. (Hon), FRPS.  (1874 – 1944)


]]>Sun, 09 Mar 2025 20:55:22 +0000<![CDATA[GALLERY 1885 EXHIBITION: David Barnett]]>https://www.thecameraclub.co.uk/blog/post/written-on-skinWritten on Skin - The physical, emotional and spiritual places we inhabit as human beings when being our most authentic.  This project is about hu ]]>

Written On Skin
​by
​David Barnett
​10 February to 7 March 2025​

​Open View 13 February @ 7:00 PM 


Written on Skin - The physical, emotional and spiritual places we inhabit as human beings when being our most authentic. 

This project is about human connectivity, respect for each other, and the freedom to love who we choose to love. 

Words are written on the skin as slogans to signify the connection that we ultimately share as part of our inherent humanity, regardless of our perceived differences. 


It throws light on the disconnect that individuals or communities can experience due to ignorance from the external world, whilst celebrating the beauty that resides in the divine condition of oneness--a single humanity--and the one thing that is at the core of our very essence...LOVE.


In terms of David's process for this project, his models were encouraged to contribute to the visual dialogue and to use words that resonated with some part of who they are. Natural daylight was used in the studio space so as to place focus on the colour, contours, and words that make up the image.

His work was shortlisted for the 'Paris Photo Prize 2023'. He has also exhibited Written On Skin at the Saatchi Gallery in London. Recently he launched a fashion label, 'Written On Skin'. I.G. . A collaboration with a fashion designer (Carmen Bravo Ray) culminated in a collection of kimonos to compliment the current collection.  


A graduate from UAL: Chelsea College of Arts, David Barnett has also published two novels, ‘An Alien By Circumstance’ (1996) and the ‘Darlings of Soho’. (2012). He is currently working on his third.  


Follow David Barnett on Instagram @DavidBarnett31


Join us on 13 Febraury for the Open View of Written On Skin at Gallery 1885 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. 


]]>Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:10:55 +0000