🕰️ Our History

What began in 1986 as an idea from Dirk Blommaert, quickly grew into a thriving photo club with dozens of enthusiastic members. After an initial call to interested parties, Fotokring Gamma Tielt was officially established in 1987, with Dirk as the first chairman.

In the early years, our meetings took place in the Gildhof, later in the basement theatre of Malpertus, then in Club 77 in Schuiferskapelle, and finally in the Europahal in Tielt – our permanent home to this day.

From the very beginning, there was ambition: to participate in the Grand Prix of Belgium, at that time the leading photography competition. Within the first year of the club, Gamma achieved a provincial first place and a gold medal. The 1990s also saw several highlights, with top rankings and awards.

Around the year 2000, the club switched from analogue to digital photography – an important milestone that gave our operations and creativity a new dynamic.

During the presidency of Oswald Spriet the club further developed into a stable association with international contacts. In 2017, a European collaboration emerged with photo clubs from Groß-Gerau (Germany), Szamotuły (Poland), Bruneck (Italy), and Brignols (France).

From 2018, Luk Van Biesbrouck gave the club a renewed digital vision. Even during the COVID period, we remained active thanks to online meetings and a digital exhibition – our first YouTube photo montage featuring images from all members.

In January 2026, Geert Van Compernolle will take over the presidency.

With this new step, the club builds further on a solid foundation, focusing on rejuvenation, digital growth, and new forms of collaboration. Thus, Fotokring Gamma Tielt remains a vibrant association where tradition and innovation go hand in hand.