Photo of The Shutter Clique by Patrick Ang of Patrick Ang Photography. Founder Jennifer Williams is pictured kneeling in the center of the photograph.

At January's meet-up, Vanessa Marie Duran and Rigoberto Vindiola are seen silhouetted against the Bakersfield cityscape while inside the Petroleum Club. Photograph by Patrick Ang of Patrick Ang Photography

Chris Vindiola, Rigoberto Vindiola and Laura Hill pose in this November 2009 meet-up photograph by Alan Urquhart of Alan Urquhart Photography and Design.

Newcomer Lindsey Kimball of Left Coast Design Studios shot this photo depicting "Unity, Variety and Emphasis" for April's design principles photo scavenger hunt.

Original member of The Shutter Clique, Jessica Frey of Jessica Frey Photography took this photo of Lauryn Hornung at April's rainy-evening meet-up.

By Terry Telford, Arts Columnist

Let’s say you’re a professional photographer, tired of amateurs under-cutting your business with unprofessionalism. Or, perhaps you are an up-and-coming photographer who is trying to learn pro standards who hasn’t been able to find someone in the business willing to share information about pricing, practices or even equipment recommendations. With today’s availability of camera models which allow even the novice to produce stunning images, photography has become a popular pastime. However, it takes time and some form of instruction to develop skill, consistency and a trained eye.

The Shutter Clique exists as a way to bridge the expanse between established photo makers and those who are interested in taking their creativity further. The group began in September 2009 to network, share, shoot and encourage.

While a clique may have the connotation of being selective, stand-offish and even arrogantly exclusive, founder Jennifer Williams wants interested parties to know the biggest ticket into this photography club is simply being “nice.”

Williams, a photographer and designer, says “Everyone has something to learn and share.”

Members of the group are equally enthusiastic about the benefits of The Shutter Clique.

When pro photographer Andrew Skelton first moved to town, he found it wasn’t always easy to make contact with other photographers. With Williams and the core group of participants in The Shutter Clique he found “a great medium for learning new techniques and skills, meeting other people who like to talk shop and even (trade) referrals,” he says.

Wedding photographers Lauryn Hornung and Patrick Ang both joined The Shutter Clique at its inception.

Hornung says that simply watching other photographers while they work has been helpful, especially because “the group does not view each other as competition.”

Says Ang, “I think the best way to learn photography is from others. Not from a class or a book, but from hands-on experience and studying other perspectives to develop your own.”

The top criteria for acceptance to The Shutter Clique, as cited by Williams, are:

• using a manual SLR (single lens reflex camera, which uses removable lenses), upholding the artistic quality of photography,
• executing professional business practices,
• and being creative, full of ideas, and a nice person.

The monthly group meet-ups aim to “provide fun, creative shoots, valuable learning experiences and community involvement,” Williams says.

Previous meet-ups have included shooting super-hero-costumed models at night, photographing the ambience of an elegant indoor venue, capturing the gritty downtown area, as well as meeting for digital photo editing tutorials and other photography discussion. The next gathering, scheduled for May 18, will be an exercise in portraiture when the “Pink Ladies” serve as models for the group.

The “Pink Ladies” are an organization of rockabilly-styled women who actively collaborate to raise funds benefiting women’s and children’s charities. They are a creative group whose traditional pink sweaters and ‘50s pompadours will make a visually interesting subject for the shutter bugs who attend next Tuesday’s meet-up.

Says illustrator and designer Coy Townson, “It’s always interesting to see the outcome of like-minded people with un-like-minded creativity. We all have the same goal … but find different ways to meet it.”

For more information, as well as how to submit a fun but mandatory photo to RSVP for Tuesday’s “Pink Ladies” shoot, visit www.theshutterclique.com.