Enchanted Lens Camera Club turns 70

New Mexico’s longest-running photography club turns 70 this year. The Albuquerque-based Enchanted Lens Camera Club is currently 241 members strong and growing.

Since its inception, the club has been open to anyone with an interest in photography.

“Some of us are professionals, but by and large we’re an amateur group, seeking companionship and learning from each other,” David Cushman, the club’s president, said. “We like to explore New Mexico and all of its photographic wonder together.”

When Stephen Foiles came to his first meeting five years ago, he thought other club members might look down on him for not having an impressive-looking camera.

“I had this paranoia of, ‘Oh, do I have the fancy-enough equipment that people in photography clubs are supposed to have?’ And there are certainly some people who do have very high-end equipment. But there are other people who have more modest equipment,” Foiles said.

Foiles’ insecurity quickly faded as he made new friends, and he is now the club’s vice president. He said no one should feel intimidated about attending Enchanted Lens events, even if the only camera they have is a smartphone.

“In fact, we have an annual Photo of the Year contest, and in 2024, the overall winner was taken with an iPhone,” Foiles said. “So, it’s not always about having the latest and greatest, multi-thousand-dollar hunk of equipment, but being able to capture a compelling moment and present it properly framed and all of that. And if you can do that on a cellphone, more power to you.”

“The best camera is the one you have with you,” Foiles added.

Cushman said the ubiquity of camera phones has helped democratize photography.

“Lots of people use them all the time to do all kinds of photography, and it’s remarkable how good the tools are now,” Cushman said. “People are using them seriously, to do serious work — and not just still photography, but movies and videos and all kinds of other photographic applications. So, that’s one of the things we’d like to expand upon, both as a way of increasing our own education about photography and to attract younger people to join the club.”

The club has traditionally attracted a high proportion of retirees, according to Cushman, but younger people are increasingly getting involved.

“We have two important entry points into the club,” Cushman said. “The first, Casual Critique, was my entry into the club. It’s a way to bring in newcomers and beginners who are interested in photography, to learn something in a very informal, stress-free environment.”

The other main activity that attracts newcomers is Marauders, a monthly meet-up where photo enthusiasts meet at a photogenic location, such as a historic building, a hiking trail or ABQ BioPark, to explore and capture images together.

“A lot of younger people are coming into Marauders,” Barry Schwartz, who has been with the club for 13 years, said.

“We’ll meet downtown, let’s say, at nine o’clock in the morning at Lindy’s Diner,” Schwartz said. “And that’s not a coincidence that we’re meeting there, because one of the things we always do is we have breakfast or lunch before or after the shoot.”

“A lot of people say that’s the primary reason for Marauders; the photography is second,” Schwartz joked. “But we do like to support family-owned businesses. And we’ll go out and shoot for about two hours, then talk about photography and our lives with about 20 other people. It’s just a wonderful experience.”

Even though everyone is shooting in the same places, the photographs rarely turn out similar, since everyone has their own point-of-view.

“Sometimes we’ll go to an old church, and it’s a small place, and you have 20 different people shooting the altar area, and we get to see, ‘Oh, my gosh, look how Jill composed this image. I never would have thought to shoot it that way,’” Schwartz said. “It really brings out the artistic creativity that is available in photography, which is a wonderful aspect of Marauders.”

Schwartz emphasized the intergenerational camaraderie that the club offers.

“We’ve got 80-year-old photographers sitting next to 20-year-old photographers, sharing their experiences,” Schwartz said. “It’s pretty neat.”

Maria Baca, a former club president who kept Enchanted Lens going during the challenging COVID years, agreed that community and a sense of belonging are integral to the club.

“For our elderly population, and some younger people, as well, the community it provides is more than just photography,” Baca said. “It’s about connecting in a community that is doing something creative, and I think that is very important.”

Inclusivity is important to Enchanted Lens, as well. Baca said the club has long welcomed and supported members with disabilities.

“There’s a gentleman in one of my portfolio groups who’s colorblind, and we have other people who are challenged in other ways, and we welcome everyone and work as a community,” Baca said. “It’s really a neat thing to have people who may not think they could do photography if they’re colorblind, or if they have this or that (disability), but they actually find a place. They can come and join us where they are, and they’re not disincluded.”

Like many organizations, Enchanted Lens began using Zoom during COVID, but they have continued providing it as an option, partly to allow members who are less mobile, or those who are caregivers, to participate in more events.

“I see it as a way of being all-inclusive,” Baca said.

Zoom also allowed the club to invite higher-profile photographers to be speakers and critics, including award-winning National Geographic photographers.

“One of the unintended benefits was that we were able to bring some judges who weren’t in the Albuquerque area,” Schwartz said. “So, our membership has gotten the advantage of being critiqued by world-renowned photographers.”

Beyond the club’s longevity as a 70-year-old institution, Cushman said another metric of its success is the length of time people remain involved.

“A large percentage, about 60% of us, have been with the club for more than six years, and 30% or more have been with the club for more than ten years,” Cushman said. “So, that just gives you an idea of the investment that people have made in this club and how important it is to them.”

Learn more about Enchanted Lens Camera Club and its upcoming events at enchantedlens.org.

Enchanted Lens Camera Club turns 70