Amateur Photographer Community of the Year 2023

The trophy was presented at the Amateur Photographer Awards gala event in London

After a public vote, SheClicks won the Amateur Photographer Community of the Year award 2023

On Thursday 23rd February, SheClicks Founder, Angela Nicholson, and four SheClicks Ambassadors, Ann Cochrane, Carmen Drake, Liz Hammond and Paula Wilks, were invited to attend the Amateur Photographer Awards Gala event in London. It was a fabulous evening with a lovely dinner, delicious wine and plenty of dancing, however, the highlight was when SheClicks was announced as the recipient of the new photography Community of the Year Award. The trophy was presented by Jonathan Main, Chairman and CEO of Lensbaby, who had flown in from the USA specially for the event.

From left to right: Liz Hammond, Paula Wilks, Jonathan Main, Angela Nicholson, Ann Cochrane and Carmen Drake at the Amateur Photographer Awards 2023.

Making the announcement, Amateur Photographer’s Editor, Nigel Atherton said, ‘Photography can be a solitary, contemplative escape from the world. But it can also be a vehicle to connect with it. To meet with other photographers, collaborate, and support each other. The internet has enabled the creation of thousands of online communities, based upon shared common interests and experiences, and geography is no barrier to membership. They communicate through social platforms but also get together in person.

Our new Community of the Year award was voted for by the public and we had a huge response. The winning community was only founded in 2018 but has already amassed a membership of nearly 12,000 people. Or, to be more specific, 12,000 women. Because I’m talking about SheClicks, the women only photography group founded by former AP Technical Editor Angela Nicholson. “I wanted to do something to give female photographers a louder voice,” she told our Features Editor Amy Davies. SheClicks provides its members with access to free webinars over Zoom, as well as meetups up and down the country. Her Thursday morning coffee mornings, started during lockdown, proved so popular they continue to this day. As one member told us “SheClicks really has made a very positive impact on my photographic journey. I view the other members as part of my photographic family as the atmosphere is so positive, friendly, and yet has a polite honesty.” Or as another simply put it: “SheClicks is like coming home, when you didn’t even realise you’d left.”’

Angela would like to thank everyone who voted for SheClicks, she says, ‘I might have started SheClicks but it’s the SheClickers that make it the fabulous community that it is.’

There will be an 8-page feature about SheClicks in the 7th March issue of Amateur Photographer, so be sure to pick up a copy!