Art and Photography

Whats the most that you would pay annually to be a member of a photography group?

  • Last Updated:
  • Apr 11th, 2014 5:42 am
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Poll: Like the title says

  • Total votes: 31. You have voted on this poll.
Id pay anything
 
1
3%
Id pay $500-1000 a year annually tops
 
0
0%
Id pay $200-300 annually tops
 
2
6%
Id pay $100 annually tops
 
3
10%
Id pay $40 tops
 
3
10%
I wouldnt pay anything. I agree with you OP, they should be free to join
 
22
71%
Banned
User avatar
Jun 28, 2012
5562 posts
815 upvotes
Calgary

Whats the most that you would pay annually to be a member of a photography group?

Some of them are so expensive, $300/yr, wtf...and thats annually! Then each meetup depending on what it is, you have to pay for the models, any space rented out or any rented equipment. I find the prices to be out of wack. A couple of the groups im in, theyre $35-60 a year per member and even that im not fond of. I feel these clubs should be free to join. Just pay per each meetup that you choose to attend as whats needed. But to pay to join a group i find is a scam. Its not like these are professional clubs, theyre meetup.com groups.

What would/do/or have you guys paid? Whats the most you are willing to pay per group annually?
12 replies
Deal Addict
Aug 23, 2003
1450 posts
210 upvotes
Make you own club and make it free to join. If there is such a demand it sounds like you will then have the biggest club around.
Member
Jan 6, 2008
434 posts
48 upvotes
wouldn't the membership fee you'd pay depend on what you got out of it? and it's hardly a scam unless they force you to join. or take your money and then fail to deliver. generally things u get for free don't continue. why would anybody keep doing work for nothing?
Deal Fanatic
Sep 21, 2004
8687 posts
1542 upvotes
pessamystic wrote: wouldn't the membership fee you'd pay depend on what you got out of it? and it's hardly a scam unless they force you to join. or take your money and then fail to deliver. generally things u get for free don't continue. why would anybody keep doing work for nothing?

+1.

Depends on what you get.
Jr. Member
Sep 3, 2007
159 posts
33 upvotes
If you don't feel the clubs you're paying to be in are worth it, then quit, or at least don't rejoin when your membership is up.

I'm paying $20/yr to a local club. The money all goes back to group events or equipment (like a projector for club slideshows). It's all accounted for and the club is run by volunteers. You might want to find a group that's open about it's expenses so you can see where the money goes.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Feb 26, 2004
26998 posts
4337 upvotes
$50 tops assuming that I get a free t-shirt and access to regular classes and 1-on-1 tutorials taught by professionals from the club.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Oct 5, 2004
1218 posts
371 upvotes
Toronto
Well, it depends. I've been a member of WPPI in the past as I felt it was giving me something. Eventually, I've grown enough to cancel the membership and not care about any of their photo competitions or other stuff their are doing.
It also became too commercial and felt like it was only in the business of making money. They provide you with absolutely nothing for the money you pay them for. Some group such as PPA(I think that's what it's called) give more to photographers such as insurance and free lawyers.
When I started wedding photography, paid groups of some sort were more popular as it was the only way to learn things. Things changed a bit and you can find pretty much everything online for free on forums, youtube,blogs,etc. If in the past a lot of photographers had some kind of degree of schooling in photography, now it's really rare one one has it and it's in no way a sign of better skill or talent.

I think a lot of people do like to belong to clubs for self-image and the thought of being a member of something... There are way too many amateur photographers who sign up for say Canon CPS membership that doesn't pay for itself...they get a few gifts valued $4-5 every year and a discount on lenses they don't need.

I would just caution people against joining clubs that give you nothing except a useless badge that says "a proud member of XXX"

The absolute worst example of those type of groups is one located in the UK called "Master Photographers Association". For a fee you pay every year you are allowed to call yourself a "Master Photographer" and scam your clients into thinking you have that degree. In my days that required a lot of schooling and specific skills...

Best clubs to join are those which use a good portion towards something; whether it is a competition,meeting or hiring someone to teach workshops,etc.
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Sr. Member
Oct 29, 2005
972 posts
55 upvotes
I wouldn't pay a cent, personally. There's an "RF Photography Club" that costs a coffee or a slice of pizza per workshop that occurs a handful of times year. Feedback has been very good in the past!
Photographer @ Nikko Photography
Sr. Member
Aug 3, 2011
935 posts
159 upvotes
Toronto
^^Nikko, planning on hosting sometime soon(or late) ?
thanks
Sr. Member
Oct 29, 2005
972 posts
55 upvotes
ritz1010 wrote: ^^Nikko, planning on hosting sometime soon(or late) ?
thanks
Maybe the first week of May. Thinking of doing a boudoir/glamour workshop
Photographer @ Nikko Photography
Member
Dec 19, 2005
338 posts
240 upvotes
Ottawa
I've paid $5 to the Ottawa photo meetup and can't see myself wanting to pay significantly more than that unless the club was active and offered free or competitively priced seminars.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jun 29, 2009
5392 posts
107 upvotes
Mayo, why don't you just list what your expectations of a paid/free photo group are vs. what is actually happening?

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