Photograpy in English
It’s a lot more fun in nice company!
​
Tampere Photographic Society (Tampereen Valokuvausseura, TVS for short) has close to 400 members of all skill levels and ages. Our purpose is to bring together photography enthusiasts in Tampere and its surrounding areas, and to support our members in developing their photography skills.
We run many interesting activities, such as meetups with various themes and photography courses. You will meet like-minded people, and find great company for shooting sessions and for learning more about photography.
We have a studio that members can use for a reasonable hourly rate, and you can make studio reservations after you’ve taken the introductory course. For film photographers, a darkroom is available, and reservations likewise require attending an introduction session.
TVS is a member of the Finnish Camera Club Association.
​
Activities in English
Thus far, the Society’s activities have been in Finnish. As the number of our non-Finnish-speaking members grows, we are introducing events in English for those who do not yet feel comfortable participating in Finnish-only events. See photos taken at the group’s meetings in the Society’s gallery.
​
Becoming a member
If you are aspiring to become a member, you should have some sort of camera gear. Nothing fancy or expensive is required, but we recommend having something more than just your phone.
The membership fee for a regular member is €50, and €40 for a young member. You are considered a young member until the end of the year in which you turn 29.
You can also use an employee benefit (Epassi, Smartum, Edenred) to pay for the membership fee, training courses, and studio rentals once you have first received an invoice for them. You can find the club in the service location search (Merchant Search) under the name “Valokuvausseura.”
Becoming a member is easy — just fill in the form here=>
Your membership will be confirmed within 1–3 days, and you will receive an email with the membership fee invoice and a link through which we recommend activating your personal membership register page. If you do not see any messages within 3 days, please check your email’s spam folder.
​
General Information About the Club’s Groups
Once your membership has been confirmed, you will receive a link to the membership register where you can join the Photography in English group.​
​
The Finnish-language “Lauantaikuvaajat” (LaKu, Saturday Photographers) is a separate thing. There is no group to join, as information is always shared with all members in the weekly newsletter.
​
The club also has Finnish-language groups that you can join via your personal page in the membership register: "Henkilökuvaajat" (HeKu, Portrait Photographers) and "Näyttelykuvaajat (Exhibition Photographers).
Groups that do not require separate registration are the "Jalovedostus" (Fine Art Printing Group), "Katukuvaajat" (Street Photographers), and "Luontokuvaajat" (Nature Photographers)." Information about these groups is always shared with all members in the weekly newsletter.
​
Group leader
My name is Martti Ala-Rantala, and I go by the nickname “Mara.” I’ve been with the Society for about 5 years. I shoot a variety of subjects: nature, events, TFCD, fantasy, light art… I mostly shoot with Canon R6 Mk II, and sometimes resort to my trusty old 5D Mk III.
I will be running Saturday Photographers group in English.
Here’s my contact information:
Phone: 040 542 8850
Email: valokuvausseura (a) ala-rantala.com
IG: instamara666
First meeting 10.1.2026
One of our long-running formats is LaKu (short for lauantaikuvaajat, “Saturday Photographers”), a relaxed meetup on a Saturday once a month, built around a photographic theme.
Since this format has worked very well for many years, we will launch a similar activity in English. The first LaKu event in English will take place on January 10, 2026 at the Vapriikki café.
We will sit together for a cup of coffee and bun (a very Finnish custom!) to get to know each other a bit and discuss your expectations for the kind of events you would find interesting. Afterwards, we will do a photo walk in Tampere city center.
This event has already taken place. You can view photos taken at the event via this link=>
​
Photo: Sabina Fataliyeva
​
Lielahti Manor, 21.2.2026 - shoot your friends (as models 😀)
We will meet in Lielahti Manor (Lielahden Kartano). The manor may be familiar to some of you, but is probably new to many new members.
We will meet at 12, and open the day with Joe Tully guiding us through (and demystifying) the process of sensor cleaning. Many members have indicated interest in this, but if you are not one of them, you may join us a bit later.
The Society’s studio is located in the manor, and we will take a peek inside. We have often had fun sessions inside the manor - it’s crazy to think it’s been somebody’s home! We will model for each other in the premises, and there are many opportunities to shoot in window light. I will see if we could get some simple lights in addition. Of course if you have flashes and know how to use them you should pack them by all means.
The area around it is also interesting: there’s a beautiful park, old industrial buildings with high-quality graffiti, etc., so we might step outside for a few shots and then get back to the cozy warmth.
I estimate we will spend 2-3 hours after Joe’s intro for all this.
There’s a cafe in the manor, open 12-17. They also serve brunch but you have to pre-order.
The manor has meeting rooms with large tables where we can sit together.
Arriving by car: The address is Tehdaskartanonkatu 36, 33400 Tampere, and there’s a parking lot next to the manor.
Arriving by public transport: The tram stop “Tehdas” is about 300 meters from the manor. Most of the time it’s served by tram line 1 to Lentävänniemi, but on occasion line 3 runs this route, too.
​
Please register via this link =>
​
Photo: Martti Ala-Rantala
28.2. (Very) Basics of Photography in English
If terms like aperture, ISO and shutter speed are all Greek to you, or if you've been wondering what the numbers and letters in your lenses mean, or if markings in the exposure mode dial (A, S, Tv, Av, M, P, SCN) puzzle you, this introduction is just right for you.
Teaching method: Theory interspersed with hands-on exercises.
Requirements: You should have a camera with manual settings. A smartphone is not sufficient due to the minuscule size of the sensor.
Duration: About 3 hours, depending on how much discussion we will have.
Contents:
- Camera & lens types
- Exposure triangle (Aperture, shutter speed, ISO)
- Composition basics
Location: Lielahti Manor
Arriving by car: The address is Tehdaskartanonkatu 36, 33400 Tampere, and there’s a parking lot next to the manor.
Arriving by public transport: The tram stop “Tehdas” is about 300 meters from the manor. Most of the time it’s served by tram line 1 to Lentävänniemi, but on occasion line 3 runs this route, too.
​
Course fee Member 20 €, non-member 30 €
​
​Please register via this link =>
