A local photography club is celebrating its 100th year anniversary in style. The Beckenham Photographic Society plans to mark its centenary with an event at Kent County Cricket Club in Beckenham on March 27th which is open for anyone to attend. 

The society was founded in November 1921, and it provides a space for amateur photographers to meet and exhibit their work. I spoke to the President of the society, Lesley Rees, to learn more about this fascinating group.  

“The BPS is a camera club open to anyone who wishes to join. You don’t need to take many photos but you need to be interested in photography,” Rees told me. She said that the society is a friendly organisation that supports photographers of all levels, no matter their experience or qualifications. “Qualifications are not essential, Rees said. “Many people only read magazines, seminars and internet lectures.” While the society supports the development of photographers, they are not expected to have received any formal training. There are professional qualifications from bodies such as the Royal Photographic Society, which some members have obtained, and the club gives support for those who seek to attain them. 

The society also runs photography expeditions, but these have been impacted by the pandemic. There are local trips, to sights in South London, and there are some that travel further afield, such as a recent visit to the Welney Wetland Centre in Cambridgeshire. The club also has a partnership with Image’in Perigny, a photography club in the suburbs of La Rochelle, in the South West of France. Together, they organise exchange trips and competitions. Rees told me that recently they had a joint competition on the topic of “curves" for which they would share images with each other.

For the club’s centenary, a number of events had been planned, but they have been altered timewise due to the pandemic.  The events were scheduled throughout the season from September to May, including an auction for photographic equipment to raise funds. However, this has had to be moved online. The centenary celebration was planned for last November, but due to the high case level at the time, it has been moved to this coming March. It will include a talk from world-renowned BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner, who is a keen wildlife photographer, along with three other award-winning photographers. Tickets cost £25 which includes a light lunch and free gift. There will also be the annual photography exhibition which runs from 17-19 February at Christ Church, Beckenham. 

The club is active in the community with almost all members living in the South-East London area. They are also a force when it comes to charity. Rees told me, “BPS will be making a donation to the Disabled Photographers' Society from the proceeds of our centenary fund-raising activities. A cheque will be presented to a representative of the DPS at the Centenary Celebration Day on 27th March. We are very pleased to be able to support the Disabled Photographers' Society in this way.” They also engage with the community through exhibitions at other locations such as the Bromley Arts Trust, local allotment societies and the Creative Bromley programme which covers a number of artistic disciplines. They also have a partnership with Bromley Adult Education to help improve photography education in the area. 

 

You can book tickets for the centenary event at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/beckenham-photographic-society-centenary-day-tickets-215006790097