Shanghai Photography Enthusiasts
When we first moved to Shanghai, I was bumming around online and came upon a site (MeetUp.com) that allows you to meet with like-minded people and get together to do the things you love.
So I chose a few interests and the site spat out a list of nearby groups in those fields. I joined a 700-member strong group called Shanghai Photography Enthusiasts, and then promptly forgot about it. Some time later, I got a message from the Meetup people saying the organizer of the group had stepped down, and if someone wanted to take over, they could.
Of course I said I’d do it.
I logged on and found the group was quite inactive – most members hadn’t visited the group in over a year, and given the transitory nature of expats in Shanghai, I guessed they had left the city. I sent a mail out and then started pruning the list of members. My rule of thumb was if someone hadn’t logged on in over a year, they get the boot. Of course they were welcome to come back.
So now, every six months, I prune the list, and (as of today), we’re down to over 400 'active' members. Eventually I’ll draw the line at 6 months. Over 6 months of inactivity, and it is safe to say you’ve either lost interest or have left Shanghai.
We try to go on photowalks twice a month and the turnout ranges from 5 to 15 people per walk. We get an interesting mix of professional photographers, serious hobbyists and rank newbies. It is nice – the idea is to just get out there and shoot more. I created a WeChat group for more immediate, on the ground communication and that group is at some 80 members and growing weekly. Have a look, below, at some of our recent results, or visit the meetup page and see more.
So if you’re in Shanghai, and interested in photography, join the fun!
[Update 2019.11.07: I moved to Hong Kong in August this year. The Shanghai Photography Enthusiasts group still exists and is going strong, in the very capable hands of my friend, Lim. Read up about the new Hong Kong Photography Enthusiasts group!]
