UCLA Photo Club Manifesto

Hey guys,

As many of you may know, I am graduating this Spring quarter and thus it is necessary for me to pass the torch. I just wanted to say– thank you everybody who has made this year so special and meaningful to me. When Me, Johnson, and Daniel Jeong first founded The Photography Club at UCLA, we had no idea that it would boom into such a wonderful and helpful community of photographers and friends. Through the club I have befriended many interesting and passionate people as well as created many lasting memories as well. Although once I graduate I will be a bit busy working full-time, I will try my best to make it to all of the events and help out where I can.

With great honor I would like to announce your President/Vice President for Photo Club next year:

John Golden will be the President of The Photography Club at UCLA for next year. He was one of the original members (and staff members) to join, and I could personally attest to his level of integrity, openness, and overall love of photography and community. He has a lot of great ideas brewing for next year, so I hope that you guys receive him with open arms. Email: (johnwgolden@gmail.com)

Michael Sun will be the Vice-President of The Photography Club at UCLA for next year. Although Michael only has recently joined staff this year, his enthusiasm and willingness is highly apparent. He has held many officer positions in the past, and I feel that he will be a great asset to the future of The Photo Club at UCLA. (michaelsun@gmail.com)

Also huge ups to all of the other staff members this year as well: Johnson, Daniel Jeong, Zeus, Daniel Fermanian, Sabrina, Daniel Yang, Alan Nguyen. Without you guys, we wouldn’t have been able to put on all of the epic photo outings, weekly meetings, or the end-of-the-year exhibit too.

If you are interested in staff for next year, please contact John Golden. Anyone who is interested is welcome! No experience necessary.

Best of luck studying for finals!

Eric Kim
June 6, 2010

So the following “Manifesto” was written by the founders of The Photography Club at UCLA: Eric Kim, John Son, and Daniel Jeong in 2009-10. This manifesto outlines the vision that the founders had for the club and will be used as a reference for future years to come:

1. Photo club to be open to photographers from all backgrounds and skill levels:
Photo club is to be an open community and forum which invites photographers from all skill levels and backgrounds to enjoy the art of photography. Photographers in the club will always have an open hand to help those who may need help or suggestion, and will not do so in a pompous manner. Photo club is a place for photographers to meet new friends, improve their photography skills, and just have a good time. Above all, we will NOT be a club that values gear-obsession (cameras, lenses, tripod, etc) over photography itself. Furthermore, members do not need a “fancy” camera to join– or even have a camera.

2. Photo club to be dedicated to community involvement:
We see photography as a tool not only for fun and enjoyment, but also using it to help out the community in some form or another. We wish to use our skills and talents to help support photography to individuals from all walks of life, which can be shown through the Photo Exhibit we had on “Love” in which we raised money to be sent to an organization called “Kids with Cameras” which supports photography to impoverished children in the red light district in Calcutta, India. Furthermore, we will try our best to reach out our hands to other clubs on campus and collaborate as well.

3. We are a group of amateur photographers:
The Photography Club at UCLA is a group of amateur photographers that shoot for the pure love of it. The word “amateur” stems from the latin word “amator” which means lover. The club will not be focused around “professional photography” in trying to make money from our craft. Although members are more than free to embark on any photographic endeavors, the club’s main focus will be to promote an open environment to learn and grow photographic vision and passion.