In order to preserve the friendly and sociable nature of the society and because of the capacity of our meeting venue, we do have a membership limit.

It has sometimes been necessary to introduce a waiting list, but there is no waiting list at present.

During and since the pandemic members who are vulnerable or self-isolating or otherwise unable to attend in person have been able to follow our meetings online and there is less pressure on space at the meeting venue.

Please visit Joining or Renewing for details about joining.

Visitors are welcome at any of our Tuesday meetings at £5 per session (maximum number of visits: 4). Certain premium events are charged at a higher rate; please check the Main Programme calendar for details. Please note that we have a minimum age limit of 16 years of age.  All young people under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Our main meetings are every Tuesday evening from 7.30 – 10.00pm at the ARC, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB. Ample free parking is available in Tower Street Car Park, a short walk from the ARC.

Our season runs from the first Tuesday in September to the first Tuesday in June, with a short Christmas break. In addition, there are a number of optional meetings, social events and “photographic walks” through the summer break.

The Society caters for all skill levels from enthusiastic beginners through to experienced advanced workers. We feel that everyone can learn something, or take some inspiration from most, if not all, of our meetings.

As a Members’ Society, we offer an environment with the aims of the promotion, encouragement and enjoyment of all branches of photography through meetings, lectures, workshops and other activities aiding member advancement.

Many of our members have decades of experience of photography as a hobby or sometimes a profession. Friendly informal advice is always available from those members on a Tuesday or a Wednesday evening.

No, in general you do not need to bring a camera to a Tuesday meeting (unless we have a (rare) practical session).

Yes, although they tend not to be part of our main programme. Examples include:

  • Practical Workshops, either on camera techniques, or on post-production software techniques (available to members approximately monthly on Wednesday evenings).
  • Occasional “Photographic walks” offered in the Winchester area or further afield, for example to London. These are arranged according to demand and may be evening events or half- or full-day outings.
  • Yes, one of our main themes through the season is our internal competitions. We offer five Print and five Projected Image Competitions per season, with classes of Beginners, Intermediates, Advanced and Gold – giving the opportunity for members at all levels to enter. For those with a competitive spirit, points awarded at each competition contribute towards a league table position for each member.
  • Less formally, several competitions take place through the season on specific themes (e.g. Monochrome, Audio-Visual, Portraiture, etc.).
  • Trophies are awarded for all Society competitions at an annual end-of-season prize-giving event.

A full listing of the season’s programme is available on this website.

  • In addition to the society’s main programme each Tuesday evening, optional Wednesday less formal sessions are offered to members at a small additional charge at the Memorial Hall, Littleton. Currently these meetings involve one of the following:
  • Workshops: Practical topics either on photographic techniques (e.g. Macro, Flash, Studio, etc.) or Computing Software & Techniques (Calibration, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)
  • Projects: (formerly the Panels Group) We work with groups of images on a theme, rather than the single ones needed for competitions. And we show our work in a very wide range of formats, styles and techniques.
  • Beginners:  An informal group aimed at less experienced photographers.
  • Improvers:  An informal group aimed at intermediate photographers.
  • Enhanced Reality: A group aimed at practising creative techniques, normally in post-production software.

We would encourage all potential members to come along to any Tuesday meeting to “sample” the society. Please introduce yourself to any member for help in settling in. We ask for a fee of £5 per evening for visitors and a higher rate for our premium events.

 Please see Joining or Renewing

For any further questions, or for any other information, please contact the Treasurer & Membership Secretary: Lilian Hobbs: