Urban Photo Collective’s Manifesto
Passion for photography
The Urban Photo Collective (UPC) is a group of people who have one common denominator: we are all in it to discover more about the wonderful world of photography. UPC tries to stimulate and share creativity and the use of photography in an urban setting. UPC brings people together that have a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. The one thing they definitely have in common: a passion for photography.
Share & Learn
By sharing our passion and learning from each other one plus one all of a sudden becomes three! Together you learn more than just tips and tricks. You get to share in creativity and others might make you look at things differently. Challenge your own perspective by asking someone else theirs. Besides that everyone who participates in UPC has a passion for photography in common which makes it easier to enlarge your network and make new friends.
We meet up every month
Activities are organized on (at least) a monthly base. Meetings or activities take place in one of the cities connected to UPC or one big international shindig.
We are urban-minded
Being urban in this case means:
- Going outside to photograph, hardly any studio work
- Using your surroundings
- Getting to know your city and the people in it better (and how to use them as your subject).
We photograph using a theme
Photography has a wide array of perspectives. By using different themes focused on the city or a special technique UPC tries to challenge members on a monthly base to use, develop and share their creativity
Just one condition
With UCP it doesn’t matter what kind of camera you use, how much experience you have or how artsy you approach your subjects. The only thing that is a prerequisite of joining in on UPC is fun. Yes, you heard that right; The only thing we ask of you is that you enjoy yourself.
No obligations
Participating in UPC is entirely voluntarily. If you join up every month that’s cool, but if you organize just one activity a year that’s fine too! We don’t have a required attendance. Being there is something you want to do, not an obligation. Viva la Freedom.
We don’t judge your photographs
That’s one of the big differences between UPC and most other photography groups. We don’t indulge in festivals of criticism in which pictures get broken down to show their ‘flaws’. If you want some constructive feedback you can always ask your fellow UPC-ers, but it’s not our main goal.
We are volunteers
Whether it be the administration of the website, organizing meetings or workshops, all of the activities that UPC presents to you are entirely powered by volunteers. When a member wants to organize something they’re free to do so! Without this voluntary character we probably wouldn’t be able to organize anything. That’s why we value each and every initiative people take to further stimulate UPC’s growth.
We communicate through the internet
You may have heard of this rad new medium called ‘the interwebs’. We use it. A lot. Photo’s, meetings, themes, interesting facts, blogs, we all share this info through the internet. You can check our website, mailing list and social media.
Our ambition
It’s simple really: To inspire fellow photographers to get to know each other, help each other and enjoy photography together.
An open character
UPC is open to everyone with a passion for photography. We’re always on the lookout for more and more people who want to share this passion with us, striving to make photography the glue that keeps us together all over the world.