We are a friendly group where you can develop your photography skills no matter whether you are a complete beginner or a seasoned practitioner wanting to advance to the next level. You can learn from our award-winning speakers and from fellow club members, some of whom are already well on the way to getting higher level accreditation while others just want to enjoy photography as a hobby.

We also have a Facebook Group which is open to everybody with an interest in photography, whether or not they are paid members of the Society. You are welcome to join the group, share your thoughts on photography, post your own work and follow the work of our members.

The calendar consists of weekly meetings, held at 7.30 pm every Tuesday from September through to the end of April, apart from a break at Christmas.

Speaker talks continue to held via Zoom, while competitions and workshops take place at our regular venue, the United Reformed Church, Vicars Cross.

At our talks you can learn from award-winning photographers speaking on a range of topics and photographic interests including landscape, wildlife and natural history, portraiture, sport, and more. Typically our speakers are entertaining and instructive and very willing to answer your questions.

Our Programme page has more information.

As a member you can enter your prints and digital images into our various internal competitions and get constructive feedback that will help you advance your skills from our accredited external judges. You can also submit your work into competitions with other clubs and will be supported in making your own submissions into salons and exhibitions.

Have a look at the winning images and other high-scoring images from competitions in recent years on the Our Work page.

We have various workshops during the year, covering topics requested by our members, held as part of our regular Tuesday evening schedule. They are re-starting for the 2023-24 season afer a Covid-induced break. Recent events before Covid provided hands-on sessions on post processing, macro photography and how to print and mount your work for competition.

The discussion group is an informal forum where members get together over Zoom to chat about photographic topics. While we would like it to meet every three weeks, typically on a Wednesday or Thursday evening, at present it is not meeting because we have no one available to organise it.

We have periodic exhibitions of members’ works at various locations around Chester. Previously we have also worked with organisations such as Chester Civic Trust to provide images on an agreed theme, for public display. There is also a display of print works at the Vicars Cross Libary, Green Lane, Chester.

Local events often involve the organisers working with the society, to generate material they can use for publicity, whilst giving our members access to photo opportunities. In past years the Chester Triathlon, and the Chester Marathon have been covered.

Outings are organised to locations that present photo opportunities. Some social evenings are arranged.

Chester Photographic Society was founded in 1887 and is a section of The Chester Society of Natural Science, Literature and Art.

We are affiliated to the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain, through the Lancashire and Cheshire Photographic Union.

Chester Photographic Society is a registered charity # 515530