New club explores cameras

Picture this: a group of students meeting bi-weekly to test the capabilities of DSLR cameras, explore the uses of digital photography software and put their discoveries to the test on outings around Plattsburgh.

This is the schedule of the new campus photography club, which was approved Sept. 27 for provisional club status by the Student Association.

The idea for the club was put into motion over the summer by Plattsburgh State students Pei Ning and Yee Jin Lim. Ning said there had been talk in the past of creating a photography club, but no action was taken.

Contacting students through the Internet to see who would want to join the club, Ning and Lim realized the amount of interest sparked by the idea and decided to continue organizing it.

Lim said he believes there has been an increase in photography interest due to cameras on iPhones and the popularity of social networking sites that allow users to share photos online, such as Instagram.

“Pictures are memories, and people cherish those a lot,” he said.

Ning said another factor that contributes to this trend is the decrease in the cost of basic point-and-shoot cameras.

Ning said now that the club has been approved, it will work to welcome all students, no matter their experience level, who have any interest in photography.

“It’s a learning process,” she said. “If you don’t have a camera, we will learn together… We just want to explore photography.”

The club has no funding currently, but Ning said the group committee will be looking into applying for funds next summer.

The club’s schedule aims to be a mix of traveling and learning. Members can bounce photo ideas off one another in meetings, which are held in the Blue Room, and put them to the test when the group goes on outings.

“(We could) see how everyone was coping and handling it all,” Lim said while discussing the group’s first outing to the local farmers’ market.

Potential future outings include the upcoming zombie walk and homecoming fireworks display.

Lim said the fireworks outing will likely be one of the most challenging, but it will teach students skills including managing shutter speed and aperture.

Ning said she may incorporate a certain theme into each meeting, making a specific brainstorming subject. Then the group can go on an outing and focus on those certain aspects. She also said it would be helpful to examine professional photographer’s work to get ideas from.

While Ning doesn’t have much experience in photography, she said the club board of committee does.

“I’m just there to be the leader, but they (the board of committee) are the ‘been there, done that’ people,” she said.

Lim began his interest in photography five years ago and has since, picked it up as a hobby while trying to capture images people enjoy most.

“People like to see the zoomed-up view of things,” he said, referring to pictures that show water droplets on leaves or small details on flowers.

Lim said he would like to experiment with different abstract photography skills teach them to the group.