It’s the 5th anniversary of my involvement with Meetup. I created and began organizing the iPhone Photography Group on December 23, 2013 then hosted my first Meetup event in Fells Point on January 4th, 2014. For those that don’t remember, our area was in the midst of a Polar Vortex, it was all of 22 degrees with a 10 mph wind, (9 degrees with wind chill!), when the group met in front of The Horse You Came In On Saloon. Since then I’ve hosted more than 50 additional Meetup events, all much warmer.

I started the iPhone group after meeting Vickie Lewis at a regular SSCC meeting and learning about the Meetup group she organized. I thought the idea behind Meetup was a great concept and a way to connect with other iPhone photographers in real life. Having virtual “friends” on Facebook does not appeal to me at all. Meetup is truly a social media company because of its social nature by actually meeting and having face to face interaction in real life (IRL).

Along with my own group I joined as a member several other Meetup groups that appealed to me. Road Runner Photography Tours is great and Creative Exposure Baltimore is a fun group. Of course, I was a member of Vickie’s Montgomery County Photography Meetup Group, the group that got me into this Meetup thing in the first place. Tragically Vickie became very sick and passed away early in 2017. Les Picker stepped up and ran the group for about a year before he asked me to take it over. My first official hosted Meetup event as organizer, the Meetup that was formerly Vickie’s, was January 6th 2018. The name of the group was changed to Photographers of the Washington/Baltimore Metro Area in the beginning of February to broaden the geographic scope and appeal to more photographers. In this last year 600 additional photographers have joined the group.

Vickie’s mission was “To create a fun, supportive, light-hearted community of people who want to share their passion for photography”. This aligns with my goal to have a Meetup group that meets in a real life destination to learn techniques, share ideas, build camaraderie and have a good time taking pictures together. Lately I’ve been focusing on the more intellectual aspects of photography by trying to answer the questions that many have about motivation, reasons for taking pictures, and how photography plays a role in a photographer’s life. Through movie viewings, book discussions, and happy hour picture sharing the group extends the passion for photography beyond just gathering to take pictures.

The nice thing is, none of the activities of a Meetup group compete with any other group or camera club. Each organizer brings their own view and influence on the group and members are often members of several different Meetup groups. Any day of the year could have a Meetup event going on in your area that may interest you. I believe there are advantages to meeting with other photographers IRL. It helps broaden your outlook on life, reduces conflicts, and strengthens the community. Basically, what’s good for Meetup groups, including my two, is good for SSCC and good for the local photography community.

I hope to see you at an event soon:

• meetup.com/Photographers-of-the-Washington-Baltimore-Metro-Area/
• meetup.com/iPhone-Photography-Meetup/

Michael