About OffShoot

OffShoot is a photography society in the South County Dublin area with a focus on enjoying photography in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Our society caters to photographers of all standards and all genres and firmly believes we each have something we can learn and each have something we can share.

Welcome

OffShoot is a photography society in the South County Dublin area with a focus on enjoying photography in a relaxed and friendly environment. Our society caters to photographers of all standards and all genres and firmly believes we each have something we can learn and each have something we can share. However, if you are a complete beginner, you will most likely also need to do an external beginners course or increase your knowledge through videos or books.

The club has an active and varied calendar with Club Meetings, Guest Speakers, Practical Tutorials, Outings, formal and informal Competitions and participation in Regional and National Photographic events and initiatives. Come along to one of our meetings and say hello.

OffShoot was established in 2008 with the aim of progressing the photography skills of its members through active participation in our programme of events designed to build ability through practical experience. At OffShoot, we believe:

First and foremost, we believe that the image is everything.
- It is not the camera or lens it was taken with or the techniques used that matter, but the final impact and quality of the image itself
The best way to advance your skills is to learn from experience.
- OffShoot is not a school. It will, however, give you an opportunity to meet like-minded photographers and challenge yourself to improve your skills.
To get the most from the club, you need to participate.
- Our programme of outings, competitions, and discussions is geared towards offering our members a chance to gain exposure to all areas of photography and try things they may not have tried individually.
That there is great benefit if members interact with other members.
- Our membership is diverse, and it is our aim to bring our members together to talk about all aspects of photography, meet new people, and share knowledge. We believe members can gain as much benefit from the social side of the society as from the programme itself.

Finally, whilst it’s impossible to please all of our members all of the time we endeavour to put together a programme that reflects the broad range of interests and abilities within the club.

Meetings

The society meets most Monday nights at 8.00 pm in the school hall of St Brigids Girls National School, Park Drive, The Park, Cabinteely, Dublin 18.

Ample parking is available in front of the adjacent small shopping centre. (Please do not park in the short-stay bays near the shops.) After parking, return to Park Drive and enter the school via the first pedestrian entrance gate on the left as you walk towards Cabinteely Park.

Once inside the gate, the main school building will be in front of you. The evening time entrance to the school reception area/school hall is located around the right-hand side of the main school building.

View OffShoot Photography Society location on Google Maps.

Contact Us

We would love to hear from you! If you have a question or query about joining OffShoot, then please email us at newmembers@offshoot.ie and the Club Membership Secretary will help you out.

For more general information about the Society or non-membership queries, please email us at secretary@offshoot.ie, and the Club Secretary will happily assist.

As well as in-society announcements, we have several means of communication: Weekly newsletter-style update emails are circulated to all members; the website, www.offshoot.ie, features a forum and both member and society galleries; Be-friend or like us at offshoot on Facebook or Instagram. You can also see some of the members' images on Flickr.

If all that's not enough, you can also email directly to the chairperson at chairperson@offshoot.ie.

Why join?

One of the best ways to improve your photography is to join a photography club or society. No matter what level of photography you are at, joining a club or society is a great way to learn more and to meet and exchange ideas with like-minded people who share your passion. If you have a New Member query about OffShoot please email newmembers@offshoot.ie.

Joining a club or society gives you the opportunity to:

Further your interest and knowledge in photography,
be exposed to new ideas and techniques,
be inspired by what others are interested in,
learn through hands-on sessions,
receive feedback for your work,
receive encouragement from others,
try new areas of photography that you haven’t attempted before,
meet others who use the same camera and equipment as you, and to share tips and information.

Besides the fact that it’s fun and is a great way to get to meet people who share your interests, OffShoot Photography Society offers an opportunity for photographers to improve their skills, to share ideas and to show their work. Members have a diverse range of photographic interest areas and a wide range of abilities. Guest speakers, outings and competitions are set with members' interests in mind. What we all have in common is a love of photography and a willingness to share our skills and ideas with fellow members.

10 Things You Need To Know About OffShoot

OffShoot holds meetings most Monday evenings at 8 pm in St. Bridgids National Girls School, located in The Park housing estate in Cabinteely, Dublin 18.
We are a society that caters to every level of photography in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Evening meetings include talks by guest speakers covering a wide variety of photographic interests, including landscape, macro, nature, wildlife, travel, street and portraiture, etc.
The club runs ‘Shoot With Me’ programs where a leader takes a small group and shares his/her interest in a particular area of photography. The team present their work back to the Club afterwards.
Competitions are run on a regular basis. Formal competitions are set with a variety of themes in mind. Formal competitions give an opportunity for you to receive constructive feedback from an impartial judge about your work. Informal competitions are also held and these are more relaxed, with fun in mind and are a great way to get to know other members.
OffShoot sends regular updates by email with details of upcoming meetings, outings and anything else that might be of interest to its members.
The annual subscription is €90. New members are welcome to attend three meetings before deciding to join. After this trial period, prospective new members are asked to make a decision to join.
Throughout the year, OffShoot organises outings for its members. This gives members an opportunity to photograph in locations or using setups they would not normally have access to. We have full Club Insurance.
OffShoot has a Flickr and Facebook group where members can post their work and receive feedback.
The Club has many talented photographers who are happy to share their knowledge and experience.

The society's constitution can be accessed here.

Subs & Dues

The membership fee for 2026 is €90 (for the year or part thereof). Prospective members can attend meetings for up to three weeks while deciding on full membership. The €90 membership fee is due on joining.

People of all photography levels are very welcome. Full members receive a membership ID number, which is used for formal competition entries. Members will receive a weekly Newsletter as well as access to Members Only Flickr and Facebook groups.

Committee

At the Annual General Meeting on 24th November 2025, the club elected its committee for the year: Gerry Donovan (Chairperson), Nigel Leyland (Treasurer), Eithne O’Leary (Secretary), and John O’Connor (Competitions Secretary).

The incoming Committee has appointed the following sub-committee leads: Bob Acton (Shoot With Me Coordinator), Peter Chapman (Outings Secretary), Peter Chapman (Outings Secretary), Emily Gallagher (IPF Liaison), lan Gemmell (IT/Communications Secretary), Gerry Donovan (Photo Challenge Organiser) and Eithne O’Leary (Membership Secretary).