UCLA Photography Club Manifesto

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.