row of towering stone chimneys cast long shadows across rooftops. In the street below, a shower has left cobblestones glistening. And scudding clouds are reflected in puddles at the kerbside.

Such amazing images – but they are ignored by the vast majority of people hurrying along the streets of Bradford’s Little Germany.

And I have to confess, despite a keen interest in my surroundings, I would not have noticed them either. They were pointed out to me by two people who spend a large portion of their lives capturing such views on camera.

I had gone to the historic former German merchants’ quarter with Graeme Mitchell and Keith Nuttall, members of Bradford Photographic Society – itself historic, having been founded in 1860, making it one of the oldest photographic societies in the world.

As an enthusiastic snapper whose home is littered with dozens of photographs waiting to be stuck in albums, I hoped that Graeme, the society’s president, and Keith, its treasurer, would be able to give me a few tips on how to take a decent picture.

And no sooner had we set off than I began to realise just how much there was to learn. It wasn’t, as I naively thought, simply a case of ‘find a nice view, point and shoot’.

There were so many views that I would not have even registered, let alone photographed. Like the line of chimneys on Burnett Street, which Keith and Graeme pointed out.

We all captured the image. I thought mine was okay, until I saw the pictures Keith and Graeme had taken. They were stunning, with sharp contrast between the golden stone and the blue sky.

“We have got very different cameras,” says former wool merchant and publisher Graeme, trying to be as kind as possible about the small Kodak digital I’d borrowed from my daughter.

He handed over his camera – a Leica V-Lux 1 – for me to try, and I could straight away see the vast difference a state-of-the-art model makes.

Freelance website designer Keith, who is shooting with a Nikon D300, draws my attention to the cobble stones in a side street. I was proud of myself for already having noticed them, and the effect left by the shower. But what I didn’t spot were tyre treads. “If you can get down on one knee, home in on those treads,” he says.

I did, and the resulting picture clearly shows the treads, lifting it from a good image to a brilliant image. The photograph was, in fact, the first thing my husband commented on when I showed him the pictures that evening.

Had I been using a camera like Keith’s, it would have even more successful – although I would have to get my head round the technical side. “The aperture of the camera controls how much you get in focus,” he explains. “You learn to lengthen the exposure to get more foreground and background. If you widen the aperture, the background will be more blurred and your subject sharper.”

I remember the first time I visited Little Germany. It was in the 1980s, years before I started work at the Telegraph & Argus. It was a dark winter afternoon, and I remember being overawed by the lofty buildings, sloping streets and sense of history. I remember wishing I’d had a camera.

We begun our photographic adventure at the restored former Methodist ‘cathedral’ Eastbrook Hall, where we captured the beautifully-restored stained-glass frontage. “You have to note the position of the sun,” says Graeme, who lives in Bingley. “It is very bright and is reflecting in the glass – it would be better to wait until the building is in shade.”

It is not often – particularly at this time of year – that I will the sun to disappear. But I was thrilled when, a few moments later, it did. The resulting image was, I had to admit, far better than the first.

The society, which has around 35 members, meets weekly. Members bring along different skills, some specialising in animals, others in birds, and some in landscapes. Within the group are many experienced photographers who are keen to share their knowledge, from choosing cameras, creating the best image, using Photoshop to make adjustments, printing and mounting, and creating audio-visual sequences.

Competitions are held, and members take trips – last year they visited Northumbria and photographed puffins on the Farne Islands – and enjoy social events.

Next year is the society’s 150th anniversary, and Graeme plans to get people involved in taking photographs of Bradford. The best of them can then be put together with the best of the society’s collection in an exhibition called simply ‘Bradford’.

“This district is wonderful for photography as it contains such diverse landscapes – it has everything,” says Keith, whose home is in Shipley. “There’s gritty urban landscapes and stunning countryside.”

Adds Graeme: “The architecture is absolutely stunning – not only in Little Germany. As a district it is extraordinary, with so many contrasts – there’s Saltaire, and not far away, Haworth – each in very different environments.”

Both agreed that their art is a reason to get out and about, and to visit places they would possibly not otherwise visit.

Says Keith: “Photography gives you a reason to explore the countryside or town and enjoy them, both generally and through the camera lens.

“When I’m out, I can’t stop making imaginary rectangles with my hands – I’m always composing pictures in my head.”

An hour flew by, and I was surprised by how much I’d learned. What I thought were great images were good – but could usually be improved by slightly altering the image. A stone eagle above a doorway, taken from below, looked far better with the building rising dramatically above him. And a line of ornate railings looked completely different – and far more striking – in sunshine.

The lesson helped me a great deal – but on the downside, I’m now desperate for a decent camera of my own. I’ll have to start saving...

Bradford Photographic Society meets every evening at 7.30pm in Upper Bolton Conservative Club, Idle Road (near Bolton Junction), Bradford BD2 4IN. Call Graeme Mitchell on (01274) 551131 or visit kingsdr.demon.co.uk/bps