Announcing The London PhotoHunt 2013

This is it folks: The Big One. This is what we’re all about and this is what got us started in the first place.

We’re now in the run-up to the 5th annual London PhotoHunt, brought to you by the N.U.P.S.!

This post will be wordy as there’s a lot of information to convey – but please pay close attention as it’s all vital.

What?:

The London PhotoHunt is our annual favourite event – bringing together hundreds of keen photographers from dozens of University societies across the country together in a scavenger hunt with a twist!

It’s a great chance to make new friends, see some classic and hidden parts of London City and hopefully take some fantastic photos along the way – all capped off with an evening of relaxing in the warm belly of a specially reserved typical British Pub (with plenty of food and drink to suit all tastes available of course!)

The History:

This year marks the fifth year of our running a PhotoHunt in London and second year in an official capacity as a society (previous years being run by our illustrious president, Adam! ).

The PhotoHunt has gone from strength to strength over the years – from a neat day out for a few societies to meet up and have some fun – to a UK-wide competition.

Last year we saw over 23 societies and 320+ people take part – coming from across the country to socialise, experience London and pit their creativity against each other in a good-natured battle of lenses.

In a word – it was fantastic.

Not only did we have a great time, we also had the pleasure of handing out some great prizes to the talented winners of our various competitions during the day – sponsored by some pretty big names in photography!

This year we hope to our-do ourselves – over 30 societies have already confirmed with some Universities even subsidising their photographic societies to allow them to attend. It’s going to be huge!

When?:

This year we will be holding the London PhotoHunt on Saturday 23rd November.

We ask societies to arrive for 11:00am on the day. We appreciate that some of you will have further to travel than others – but it’s essential that we get everyone together at a similar time to ensure a smooth start to the day.

The cut off point – and start – for the event will be 12:00 mid-day. If you arrive after than this point you will still be able to take part, however anyone who is late will forfeit points in the competition and will not get the most out of the day – so don’t be late!

Where?:

We will be meeting at Jubilee Gardens, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX ‎

Jubilee Gardens is a short (5 minute) walk from Waterloo train station in central London. From Waterloo station, head west towards the River Thames. The most notable landmark nearby will be the London Eye (a conveniently huge ferris wheel)

To view the location on a map, please click here!

Please arrive promptly as detailed above!

What Will I Need?:

During the competition itself you will be walking the streets of London unsupervised – we recommend you consider the following as basic requirements to ensure you are comfortable and well prepared for the day.

There are plenty of places in London to find food and drink – however you may wish to bring your own snacks.

Warm, waterproof clothes and comfortable footwear (You’ll be on your feet for much of the day)!
A camera and any accessories you feel necessary to suit your photography (batteries, memory cards, film, flash etc.)
Mobile phone (charged and with credit – should you need to contact an N.U.P.S. member or someone from your own University).
Travel-card / Oyster card / money for transport.
Additional spending money for food / drink etc. as necessary.

Those of you staying away from home in hostels / hotels etc. may also want to bring:

A change of clothes.
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste etc.)
Booking confirmation for your hostel / hotel
Phone / camera charger

The After-Party:

After a long day flexing creative (and leg) muscles on the streets of London we look forward to repeating our traditional after-party at our official end-point venue: The Counting House.

The Counting House is a traditional English pub / tavern in the heart of London with a wide selection of great food and drink (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic to suit tastes).

The pub has been pre-booked exclusively for us and will remain open ’till late’ so we’ll be able to enjoy a safe environment to unwind in. Eat, drink and be merry with us!

The Counting House can be found at 50 Cornhill, EC3V 3PD. The nearest station is Bank. This information will be on the handouts we provide on the day.

In addition to food and drink we will also have a projector system set up showing a selection of photos and a tweet wall. Please use the hashtag #PhotoHunt2013 throughout the day!

The Night Before:

With so much going on, its easy to forget the basics… here’s a quick check-list to help you make sure you’re ready…

Charge your mobile phone.
Charge your camera and/or batteries as necessary.
Format / clear any memory cards – pack film.
If travelling – check train / coach / bus times and ensure you’re ready for a prompt departure to avoid problems.
SLEEP

A Word on Cameras:

Last year we received some concern that there would be an unfair advantage for those who own more advanced camera equipment. We’d like to tackle that question up-front.

There’s a well-known quote we feel continues to apply: The best camera is the one you have with you.

Our scoring systems are carefully moderated to ensure it is ability that we measure – not the camera that the shot was taken with. We have no brand bias or interest in whether your camera cost £100 or £1000.

It’s the shot that counts.

We’re happy to prove this in the form of a true story – over the last couple of years we’ve had individual and group winners who have used phone and entry-level compact cameras – not advanced professional equipment but very affordable kit. It was the creative flair – the skill and passion of the shot – that sets a good shot apart from a great shot.

That’s not to say that those of you with professional grade kit have no hope of winning – just that your camera won’t make or break you, your skill will.

The playing field is even – it’s all to play for!

Questions?:

We hope we’ve covered everything here but if you have any problems then please do get in touch with one of the N.U.P.S. committee as quickly as possible so that we can help you.

On the day we will all be there to help out – but will not necessarily be with you in person on the day. Our president and vice-president are available for any emergency issues and can be contacted: