* Update: the failure of attempts to contact this club in summer 2014 suggests that it may be inactive. — Editor

ONE OF the first things Emma Clark, 24, did when she decided to move to Stoke Newington was to surf the web for any local photography clubs. Nothing obvious came up.

So, like the communications officer she is, Clark set up @N16PhotoClub on Twitter.com to see whether anyone else wanted a club. Within 48 hours she had 70 followers and a lot of emails. Thus was born the N16 Photography Club.

Clark takes up the story. “There is a complete mix of people involved so far, from complete beginners who have just bought a new camera to seasoned hobbyists who have their own portfolio websites,” she tells Loving Dalston.

“I believe we have a few pros interested, too. I want to keep the club very accessible, though, as it’s meant to be a fun way of inspiring and motivating people to do some photography — camera snobbery will not be tolerated.”

Clark produces film and photographs in her communications job for  an environmental agency but says that she senses the club will attract people who love photography, rather than media professionals.

“People who use film cameras [Mystified? See above] are totally welcome to come along,” she says. “I would be happy to learn more about film myself, although I wouldn’t be able to offer them much technical support as I shoot digital.”

Novices will be pleased to learn that there will be tuition and workshops.  Clark’s job involves training people in film and photography, so she plans to offer some tuition herself, “or if a few other pros are interested, I may try and get them involved”.

A few hours could cost £20 to £50 a person, depending on the type of workshop, eg, café session or walkabout. But a membership fee is not likely. Clark says she will have to manage carefully the time she spends organising meetings and administration, and is happy to do this free, although members would have to cover any extra costs, such as trips away from London.

Clark emphasises, incidentally, that she is “only the organiser, not the dictator”. An initial startup meeting will be mostly an ideas session, so club members can feel that the club develops “as something everyone wants it to be”. She adds: “We will also set a project for the following month, which will be done by taking ideas from members and running a vote on the favoured project topic.”

David Altheer 260612

* The N16 Photography Club, foundation meeting: the Alma pub, 59 Newington Green Road, London N1 4QU (020 7359 4536), Tuesday 10 July 2012, 8pm.

* Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink, a reader service rare among websites. If a link does not work, it is probably because the site to which the URL refers has not been maintained.