Camera Clubs and Coronavirus

There has been some discussion on Facebook about camera club meetings and some are deciding to temporarily close till things ease off.

What are the various clubs we all belong to doing?

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Best regards, John

A choir I know has cancelled their Easter concert series because the ages of members and audiences puts most of them in or near the 'vulnerable' category. That's probably the biggest factor in coming to a decision. And also the possibility that people will have put a lot of work into preparing for an event then hardly anyone turns up.

Things for children seem to be carrying on as normal.

But Dorset has only just had it's first confirmed case, so it could all change very quickly.

Steve

I'm not a keen member but I'm aware the the local camera club have stopped their meet due to a couple of illnesses, maybe unrelated issues.

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All the gear with no idea

Well I am avoiding all non essential meetings and at motorway services just using the toilet facilities, and after using cash points I wash hands as soon as possible. Given the U.K. strategy of developing herd resistance I would rather not take the Darwinian option of letting the elderly and those with underlying conditions take their chances thank you, I have two children who would fall into that category and a wife who was hospitalized with pneumonia when younger and as a result has weakened lungs.

I think it's very unlikely that the UK will not follow other European countries in banning large gatherings and maybe even quarantining people, or else pay the price in lives for not doing so. Smaller gatherings mean lesser risk overall but if there is an infected person among them then a higher individual risk to all those who attend.

In summary, any non-essential gathering of people is to be avoided and there's no need to wait for organisers to cancel - just don't go.

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Pentax hybrid user - Digital K3 & K200D, film 645 and 35mm SLR and Pentax (&other) lenses adapted to Fuji X digital
Fan of DA limited and old manual lenses

Greece has now banned groups of more than 500, cafe`s, restaraunts, schools are all closed for 14 days (for now). The borders closed last night.
Given that we`ve (only) had 4 deaths so far, this may be a little over the top, but I guess better that, than the alternatives.

We also have the potential for chaos if this gets onto the refugee camps - it doesn`t bear thinking about

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Today is a great day - they always are if you wake up

They are now talking about over 70s self isolating for months, that isn’t yet but coming soon, forgetting that many in that age group are working and are probably fitter and healthier than the obese and smokers. Apparently you cannot even go out for a walk. TBH a better option if you are healthy would be to catch it and then you only need to self isolate for seven days.

My club has cancelled all face-to-face events from Monday onwards. However, it is exploring whether we would be able to run virtual digital competitions for the remainder of the season.

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K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses

My Flikr Page link

Local photo club meetings cancelled here until further notice.

Philip

I don't belong to a photo club, but I do attend various archaeological and historical groups all packed with an older demographic. They have all cancelled meetings. Work has gone over to "distance learning" so I'll be recording lectures at home and posting them, and all course work is being submitted and marked electronically.

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Kris Lockyear
It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head. Henri Cartier-Bresson
Lots of film bodies, a couple of digital ones, too many lenses (mainly older glass) and a Horseman LE 5x4.
My website

Our club has today suspended all face to face activities for the duration. We also lost last week's joint meeting with another local club because of illness amongst the members of that club.

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Regards,
Mike

Every day's a holiday!

It's the responsibility of all of us to stop this virus, nobody is going to stop it for us. Even if the administrators of your camera club don't close their doors, it would be grossly irresponsible to turn up. You may remember the phrase "Leave means leave." from recent events, well here in Spain it's been replaced by "Lockdown means lockdown". We are only allowed on the roads to go to/from food shops, hospitals, doctors, garages, and tobacconists . All bars, restaurants, golf clubs, cinemas, theatres, etc. have been ordered to close for 15 days.

Now, is reviewing a few photos worth the potential risk of losing your life? Of course not.

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Peter E Smith

My flickr Photostream

We've just cancelled our local U3A Digital Photo Group meeting on the 23rd, and likely following ones for some time thereafter; our Computer Group is still having a meeting tomorrow but no more likely for the foreseeable future. Many of the other groups also appear to have cancelled their forthcoming meetings.

OTOH, the Photo Group will still try to "keep things ticking along" by having on-line competitions using facilities like Google Photos.

In that vein, does anyone know of free, or cheap-to-run, webinar or other services that we might be able to use as we would like to be able to have interactive sessions where members could comment in "real time" on presentations that we already have lined up for the coming months?

NB: not being a video blogger, or following those who are, I know little about the possibilities in that area!

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K-3 II, K-3 and a K-70 from SRS (having now relegated the K-30 /"K-50" to a backup body), & some Sigma and Pentax lenses (and a lot of old 35mm gear!)

Very smart move, timing is critical, the sooner you isolate, the less the spread. China set a good example and we have yet to see sense.

I am dreading it, I have just been given the list of things that need doing around the house and I can’t think of a good excuse now. Just been to buy some tomato, veg and salad seeds but Gill has drawn the line at chickens. We are told not to go for walks, well sod that I don’t see why I can’t go into the fields nearby if I avoid contact which wouldn’t be difficult.