DAPA
Members wishing to access our main website can do so from here: http://www.dapagroup.com
Like many people, prior to 2007, the name DAPA didn’t mean anything; we were just a very small group of friends, who happened to share an interest in photography. In fact, our numbers got so low, we were in danger of becoming extinct!
Perhaps I should explain?
DAPA stands for Digital Artists & Photography Associates.
The idea was for DAPA to move away from the conventional camera club, to a virtual one. A camera club that was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via the Internet.
The aim of the group was to share ideas and to exchange information. We already had our own website and our weekly photographic competition proved popular. The competitive spirit between us was good. Membership at that time was mixed, with novice and experienced photographers working along side each other.
The format of the group worked well, but there was always some underlying tension between those who took their photography serious and those who where just in it for fun. Something needed to be done! We either continued to handout free information to people who weren’t all that interested or we regrouped as a more professional outfit?
All was about to change!
During our time together as a group, countless Internet photography websites had sprung up. One in particular was making a name for itself; Flickr
Flickr had been launched in 2004 and is now owned by Yahoo!
In 2007, when we joined; it was reported to have over 2 million members, all of them photographers! So, if we couldn’t get photographers to come to DAPA, then we would have to take DAPA to them.
What made Flickr different from all the rest lay in the fact that you could create your own community group and tailor it to your own interests?
Right from the off we targeted photographers, who we thought would bring some much needed inspiration to the group. Week by week, month by month our membership strengthened and so did our photography. So much so, a few of us decided to form a subsidiary group and apply to join the Midland Counties Photographic Federation (MCPF).
Our objective was to work together as a team and to push the limits of our photography to the standard required for both National & International photographic distinctions, notably BPE, PAGB and FIAP. Each governing body has their own set of rules, but the objective is the same, you have to get your work accepted into their approved exhibitions, not an easy task when you are competing for place along side some of the best “club” photographers in the world.
Our membership to the MCPF was granted in October, 2007 and after a shaky start our work was starting to get accepted into exhibitions. By the time the MCPF annual exhibition (MidPhot) came round we had a fairly good idea of what was expected of us, what we wasn’t expecting was to be told we’d come second in the Projected Image Championships, beaten by a mere .03 of a point by Wythall Camera Club of Redditch.
Encouraged by our MidPhot result we decided to enter the Great British Cup. This event is open to all UK camera clubs with affiliation to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain. Our entry consisted of 20 award winning images; from which we scored 236 points out of a possible 300, putting us in 6th place overall. You can see some of those images Here.
Coupled with the success from these two competitions and with the individual achievements our members were having on the British Photographic Exhibition (BPE) circuit, people are finally starting to take notice. No longer do you hear them utter the words, DAPA! never ‘eard of ‘em.
If I had to sum DAPA up in a single word, that word would be, dedicated.
Without the support of its members and their determination to succeed DAPA wouldn’t exist, it’s as simple as that!
So, if you’re looking to further your photographic experiences, why not give DAPA Group a try?
All the details you need are here: http://www.dapagroup.com