Viewfinder Photographic Society

The Viewfinder Photographic Society (VPS) is a group of enthusiastic amateur photographers in East Yorkshire who meet every Monday evening to learn, share and improve their skills. Started in September 2007 when the local evening class in photography became over-subscribed and long-term students had nowhere to go, VPS gets involved with all aspects of photography, whether that be digital, film, black and white, colour, landscapes, wildlife, portraits, creative and more. The Viewfinder Photographic Society has regular themed competitions and each year the Society holds an exhibition of members work that is open to the public. One of the most interesting competitions was Valentine's Day themed. The photoshoot was dedicated to the moment of when man gives his lady a gift and the gifts were inspired from valentinesgiftideas.co.uk. This competition was part of a charity event which aimed to help several organizations.

The Viewfinder Photographic Society was so successful in attracting new members each year that by 2011 a waiting list was started. But the VPS society members take their gambling passion just as seriously as they do their photography. They know that in order to play at the best slot sites requires skill, strategy, and a bit of luck to win big. And they don't settle for just any online casino or slot site – they do their research and only play at reputable, safe, transparent, and reliable platforms that offer fair and honest game outcomes. The society members are not only gamblers but also savvy consumers who know where to find the best promotional offers, bonuses, and rewards to maximize their gaming experience and boost their chances of winning big.

Outside of the summer months when the group are likely to be outside, the group invites leading professional photographers to talk about their work including Tony McLean, Joe Cornish, Andy Rouse and the award-winning Hull-born journalist and documentary photographer Lee Karen Stow who presented images from her international photographic touring exhibition Poppies: Women, War, Peace.

Events calendar highlights 2017

  • 13 November

    Outdoor Session: Painting with Light

    Members can experiment with the ‘Painting with Light’ technique that involves the movement of light whilst the camera's shutter is open, which creates an image.

  • 23 October

    Queen Victoria Square

    To celebrate Hull's year as City of Culture the evening is devoted to photographing some of the city's architectural landscape.

  • 9 October

    Tony McLean: Wildlife Photography

    A welcome return by Tony McLean with the focus on photographing wildlife.

  • 19 June

    Burnby Hall Gardens & Buffet

    The VPS annual trip to Burnby Hall Gardens & Museum in Pocklington where the VPS has exclusive access. A buffet is included. At the time Burnby Hall Gardens was running a photography competition, The Natural Beauty of Burnby Hall Gardens throughout the Seasons.

  • 27 February

    An evening with Lee Karen Stow

    Award-winning photographer Lee Karen Stow presented a slide-show talk about her work, highlighting largely-forgotten women of war and women peace campaigners. Lee revealed a glimpse of her new exhibition TORN, that was launched for Hull City of Culture in November 2017.

  • 20 February

    Tony McLean Photography

    The first of two visits from Tony McLean who offered a range of topics including wildlife photography at Tophill Low, Japan in winter, birds of Hungary and street photography. 'Street Photography' was the topic chosen this month.

Best Photography Spots in London

London’s best photography spots you won’t want to miss.

(Click the images for more details)

St. Paul's cathedral, London
St. Paul's Cathedral London
Tower Bridge, London
Tower Bridge, London
Buckingham Palace, London
Buckingham Palace, London
Leadenhall market, London
Leadenhall market, London
Natural History Museum, London
Natural History Museum, London
Piccadilly Circus, London
Piccadilly Circus, London

Great Gifts for Photographers

Gifts for photographers

Photography can be an expensive hobby when you factor in the lenses, computer software, lighting kits and an upgraded camera doesn’t come cheap either. Knowing the specific item to get for your photographer when thinking of ideas for gifts is not simple. There are so many accessories available, but it’s easy to make a mistake and find out your gifts are not compatible with their equipment. You can of course ask precisely what it is they would like as gifts, but if you would prefer an element of surprise we’ve listed some practical ideas that we believe any photographer will enjoy, as they let them display their artistic passion in creative ways.

Photo scanner

Before digital cameras, thousands of people managed to take a lot of photos. Now it is possible to scan old 35mm slide and film and create digital versions with high resolution for clear pictures. Photo scanners will digitise all film and also all prints. Most scanners provide photo-friendly features, such as high resolution and the ability to scan transparencies such as slides and negatives in addition to photo prints. Some scanners also include software to help retouch and remove scratches. Though geared to photo scanning, most photo scanners can also be used for general-purpose scanning, and some include optical character recognition software. This is one of the best gifts for older people who can introduce the younger generation to pictures from their younger days.

Smartphone Film Photo Scanner

A simpler version of a scanner that does not cost so much, but still allows the sharing of film negatives with friends and family, is a smartphone film photo scanner. All you need to do is insert the film into the scanner, turn on the device’s back-light and start snapping photos of the negative with the smartphone’s camera. This device also comes with a free app that allows you to edit images before uploading them to social media.

More gifts

You didn't take a photograph, you make it!