Club History

Early in 1989 protracted conversations among friends, about needing to get out and shoot more and to overcome inertia, crystallized into forming a group, the Focus Group Camera Club. The purpose of the Club was to learn more about photography and to inspire each other, recalls Pete Kolbe, a founding and current member. Pete, Paul Bates and Bob Coles, also a current member, began meeting in Pete’s demo room at his office at 1605 Brook Road. By April 1989,  Bob Coles located a spot at Innsbrook to hold the monthly meetings. Almost from the beginning the Club was coed. The twenty-five or so amateur photographers from Hanover and Chesterfield Counties, and the city, and even Williamsburg and Charlottesville have made their living as doctors, policemen,, professors, engineers, nurses, principals, teachers and farriers. At the start some were in their thirties and some were retired, some had published and some were beginners, and so it is today. The principal idea of the club was to have fun sharing and encouraging rather than competing for prizes.

Members have arranged field trips locally but also to Washington, D.C., Florida, The Great Smoky Mountains, and Martha’s Vineyard.  Far away trips happen as the spirit moves us, other field trips are planned ahead such as going to Upper Brandon, Morvan,  the Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area or the Skyline Drive. We also travel in small groups to local sites like the Little River, the Flood Wall, and the Woodson’s Mill.  Some trips are made that turn out to be scouting explorations, one of which turned out to bring back images of nature reclaiming an abandoned motel on Route 1.  After a local morning trip we sometimes stop for breakfast together before heading home.

Each year we have an annual exhibit and a reception for family and friends and professionals in the community displaying what we consider our best photographs of the year.  The first Exhibit was held at the James Center in 1990 where we have had one ever since. The Club has also held a number of community seminars. We have had John Shaw, Freeman Patterson, and Jim Zuckerman make presentations and twice we have had John Shaw, on a second day, instruct us in the field.

In the 1990s, imperceptibly at first, members began dabbling in digital photography and now about 75% of the members are shooting and printing digitally. The Club  is currently publishing an electronic newsletter and maintains this website.