In the summer of 2001, the staff at Carman’s Foto source on Springbank Ave. in Woodstock put together a Photo Tour for their customers. It was a bus tour with stops at Elora Gorge Conservation Area and Rockwood Conservation Area. The trip was a huge success! Some of the customers present on the trip came up with the idea of meeting on a more regular basis and getting out together with others with the same interests in photography. The concept of the Woodstock Camera Club was born.
In September of 2002, the very first meeting of the Woodstock Camera Club was held at Carman’s Foto source. There were 12 founding members present as well as representatives from the Tillsonburg Camera Club. Over the next several weeks, a program was born, a club hall was made in the huge basement of the store, a constitution and bylaws were drawn up and the very first executive was elected. Before the end of the first year of operations, there were 25 registered club members.
We stayed in the basement of Carman’s for 2-1/2 years. As our membership grew, our space was slowly shrinking. Brendon White, then our President, talked with the people from Quality Hotel and Suites Convention Centre about obtaining a meeting room for us. In September of 2005 we moved into our new “home”. We have had a great working relationship with Quality Hotel and Suites. They not only have provided us with a room for our meetings, but also a ballroom for our year-end Gala, a space to store our equipment and rooms for our various Business and Executive meetings.
In July of 2008 our Club applied and were successful in obtaining an Ontario Trillium Grant in the amount of $15,000.00. This grant has enabled us to bring photography out to a larger volume of people within our community.
Today, the Woodstock Camera Club is a major force in the Oxford County Community. We are growing in number. The club has an active program with a huge emphasis on getting out and taking pictures. The range of knowledge is from beginner to accomplished photographers and the WCC works hard in the community photographing charity and community events through our Volunteers’ Program.
For more information on the Woodstock Camera Club, drop us a line at info@woodstockcameraclub.com.