Camera clubs on Long Island: Taking your photography to the next level

When Nancy Panicucci-Roma retired, she developed a passion for wildlife photography. But to advance her skills, she knew she needed help.

So when she moved from upstate Nanuet to Northport to be closer to her daughter, Panicucci-Roma joined the Huntington Camera Club.

Since then, she said she’s learned a lot more about the medium, especially through the club’s competitions and group outings, like a recent photographic jaunt to Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay.

“Your work gets critiqued once a month, and you learn from the critiques that people give you, and you start talking to your fellow colleagues and also learn through them,” said Panicucci-Roma, 70, who worked in administration for the state Office of Mental Health.

Whether you’re using a cellphone or a high-end camera, the ability to consistently take decent photos requires learning skills such as “composition, recognition of good light and interesting subject matter,” said Darin Reed, the club’s president.

“Otherwise, you might get a good shot, but you may have just gotten lucky,” he said. “When you can take it from getting lucky to making something special out of something that’s somewhat mundane — that takes some effort, some skills, some training.”

For example, Reed said club members will go over guidelines for producing stronger, more compelling images like the rule of thirds: A photographer uses imaginary lines to divide a photo into thirds, placing the subject off center.

“We, as a club, can help people learn these rules, but we also encourage creative experimentation,” he said, noting most members are amateur photographers, though some work professionally.

The greatest advice he’s ever gotten, he said, was to “learn to see the way my camera sees. Once you understand this, and how to operate your camera, your photography will get a whole lot better.”

As photographers explore the medium, Reed said they tend to focus on specific areas of interest, including landscapes, portraits, wildlife or street photography.

“You eventually develop your own style,” he said.