Photosoc is the photographic society of the University of Edinburgh. We are currently both the oldest and the largest university photographic society in the UK with an annual membership nearing 400. Photosoc welcomes students and non-students, digital and film lovers, complete beginners and keen amateurs.
Our activities
At Photosoc we try our best to cater for members of all skill levels. Our Wednesday night meetings range from beginner tutorials, to more advanced workshops on topics such as lighting and Photoshop. Our recently-formed partnership with Sony has allowed us to put on larger events, such as lectures and hands-on workshops given by professional and semi-professional photographers. Through these talks, we try to cover as many different styles of photography throughout the year, ranging from portraiture to light-painting. If you have any suggestions for topics you would like to see covered at Photosoc, let us know.
At Photosoc, we realise the importance of putting the skills learnt in our weekly meetings into practice, and so, as well as
talksand tutorials, there are plenty of opportunities to take photos – such as on our night time photo walks around Edinburgh or during one of our many Saturday trips.However, all good societies need a strong social dynamic, and at Photosoc we’re no different. If we can’t be found in the
darkroom, we can always be found in the pub, whether this be after one of meetings, at the end of a long day of shooting on one of our trips, or on one of our famous Photosoc pub crawls. Last year saw the beginning of a new cultural phenomenon, the disposable camera pub crawl, which will be back this year by popular demand.
Competitions and Exhibitions
Twice a year, Photosoc runs a competition for its members. The competitions generally have a two-theme structure: one theme that is general and one that is specific. We encourage our members to use the Saturday trips as an opportunity to shoot for each competition. The competitions are judged by Photosoc members; the winning photographs from each theme win prizes, and these photographs, along with the best of the rest will be exhibited in a chosen venue in Edinburgh. More information on the competition can be found on the Competitions page.
We freely acknowledge that our weekly 2 hour sessions can only offer a taster for the possibilities of what is largely an individual pursuit. In response to this, we organise occasional Saturday workshops and excursions in and around Edinburgh, as well as bi-annual trips further afield. Previous trips have included Fort William, Oban and Mull. More information on trips can be found on the Trips page.