Our History

Gryffe Camera Club was founded in 1986, started by a small group of photographers who had recently completed an evening course in photography at Craigends School in Linwood. In that first year it joined the GDPU and the SPF in 1987.

The club's first darkroom was a garden shed erected by the club in Craigends School. 1988 saw the club move to St. Conval's School in Linwood and soon after another move to Gryffe High School. Yet another move followed in 1991, this time to Johnstone Community Halls and during the first season in the Halls, Gryffe won the GDPU Inter-Club Slide Competition and hosted the Renfrewshire Competition.

1992-93 saw Gryffe retaining the GDPU slide trophy and with 45 members the expanding club's need for a darkroom became more and more pressing.  Early in1993 the Community Council acquired the Old School in Houston and Gryffe CC became a partner in the development of the building for community use.  Funds for kitting out a darkroom were successfully gained and by November 1994 all of the capital items had been purchased and the Old School had become the permanent home that the Club had long required. The following session, 1995-96, saw Gryffe CC lift the GDPU slide trophy for the third in the club’s first ten years.

In recent years the club has played an important part in the local community, supporting Summer Fetes and organising a highly successful annual inter-schools photography competition. The acquisition a few years ago of computing equipment through a Lottery Grant has widened the range of the Club's activities and its thriving membership of over 50 workers has a good range of ages and experience.

A second major Lottery Grant has seen the club move forward in the digital photography area and we are now introducing a Projected Digital Image Section.