In-person club meetings are held at E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center, in the Mines of Spain Recreation Area. Virtual meetings are held via Zoom.

Regular meetings are held twice a month from September to early June, usually on the first and third Mondays. Most club meetings start at 6:30 p.m. Occasionally, the club will schedule activities at other times, such as summer meetings, presentations, or photo shoots, depending upon the interests of club members.

Detailed information about upcoming club activities and meetings is sent by email. We use an automated email service. Some information is also posted in the club’s private Facebook group. You can always check the club website for upcoming events, and read Meeting Notes from past meetings.

During the first club meeting of the month (on the first Monday), the club reviews N4C submissions and returns. In other words, we look at a lot of good images!

At the second club meeting of the month (on the third Monday), the club hosts an activity. This may be a hands-on workshop or a photography presentation.

About three times each season, the Dubuque Camera Club judges photography by other N4C clubs. This involves looking at oodles of good images!

Annual dues of only $20 per photographer are payable each year in September.

The club takes online payments. Click here to pay or renew your membership dues online.

There are lots of advantages to joining a photography club!

• Meet other photographers
• Improve your skills
• Enjoy looking at images
• Compete in photo contests
• Participate in exhibits
• Have fun at club activities!

Dubuque Camera Club members are eligible to submit to N4C contests, and participate in all club activities and exhibits. Members may also post items for sale in the club’s private Facebook group.

Any Dubuque or tri-state resident with an interest in photography is welcome to join the Dubuque Camera Club. All photographers are welcome, from amateur to professional.

To join the club or renew your membership for the current season, simply pay your dues. Click here to make an online payment.

The North Central Camera Club Council, or N4C, is a group of 37 midwestern photography clubs. As an affiliated club, the Dubuque Camera Club participates in N4C photography contests. For more information, visit the N4C website at n4c.us

Each club member is assigned a unique member number. You keep that number always. So if your membership lapses, and then you rejoin the club, you will have the same number.

Your member number is part of the filename when you submit to N4C contests. It may also be used to identify you in blind submissions, when needed for club activities. You will also use your member number if you choose to vote on the club’s top submissions to monthly N4C contests.

New members will receive a member number soon after they join the club. If you have a question about your member number, contact one of club’s N4C representatives.

Submissions to monthly N4C contests are due by or before the first club meeting of the month. The N4C season runs from September through May, which means there are eight monthly N4C contests. There is no contest in December, and none during the summer months.

Monthly N4C contests are held in these months:

September
October
November
January
February
March
April
May

Submitting your photos to monthly N4C contests can inspire your creativity as a photographer! Be sure to attend club meetings to find out how the N4C submission process works. Learn more on the Competition page.

Note that competition can be tough, and feedback from other clubs is rarely helpful. If you are seeking to improve your photography, please know that most people get the best advice and support from other Dubuque Camera Club members. Attend meetings to get to know us!

The type of camera you use is up to you.

Most of the discussion about technique that happens during club meetings pertains to digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR).

Most club members use either a Canon or a Nikon DSLR camera. A few people started their photography career using film, and have transitioned to digital.

Mirrorless cameras are preferred by some because they are lightweight and easy to carry. Others use a bridge or megazoom camera, which is more advanced than point-and-shoot, but less expensive than a DSLR.

In today’s digital world, most of us carry a smartphone, and prefer a phone with a high-end camera (naturally!). Iphones and Pixels are favorites.

Note that the club’s main focus is on digital photography; yet we sometimes also create prints.

If you are just getting started with digital photography, you will need two types of software:

• Image management software, to organize all the photos that you take.
• Photo editing software, to crop and resize, or to made image adjustments.

Most experienced club photographers use Adobe Lightroom Classic to organize and edit their photos, and then jump into Photoshop for advanced image editing. This software combination is used by today’s professional photographers. If you are seeking to grow your expertise, it is strongly recommended that you explore this option.

Check out Adobe’s inexpensive monthly photography subscription. If you are a beginner, be aware that this software has a steep learning curve. Consider taking a class, reading books, or watching video tutorials to learn how to use this software successfully. It will be worth it!

Would you like to dig deep into the creative and technical aspects of photography? Club president Ron Tigges has put together a Links page that explores a variety of internet resources about photography. Links for Learning and Inspiration.

If you have other questions that are not answered here, speak up during a club meeting, or ask a club officer. If you are not yet a club member and would like to contact us, you may use the contact form on this website.