2026 PhotoCamp Details and Signup Form

TBCC members, mark your calendar for our 2026 PhotoCamp , March 20-22, 2026.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE POST FOR ALL THE IMPORTANT DETAILS.

For those who have not experienced PhotoCamp, this is an opportunity to share a weekend with fellow photographers while camping at one of Florida’s state parks. This year, we will be camping at Hillsborough River State Park, which is just east of Tampa on Hwy 301 (see map below).

We have reserved 5 adjacent RV/tent campsites, so the number of campers will be limited. But, if you don’t make it on the list of campers, you can drive out for just the day on Saturday.

If you are camping, you can arrive Friday evening and stay until Sunday morning. The campsite restrictions are as follows: 2 vehicles and 8 people per site. The sites will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each campsite has water, electricity, a picnic table, and a fire ring. Since there are a limited number of sites, a limited number of vehicles, and a limited number of people, allowed per site, it is important that you fill out the form below accurately so that our organizers can calculate the logistics as the event fills up. The reserved campsites have been paid for by TBCC.

Amenities include showers and restrooms.

There is a $6 per vehicle entry fee to the state park. $4 for a single-occupant vehicle.

Friday

Check-in time on Friday is: 3 PM

Those who register for camping will receive the gate code just prior to the event.

There are no restaurants nearby, so it is best to bring your own dinner for Friday.

Hang out with your fellow early-arriving photographers.

Saturday

We have several activities planned for attendees. This is the currently planned itinerary; however, be aware that any of it is subject to change at any time up until and during the event.

If you are not camping, you can still join us for just the morning photowalk, lunch, afternoon free time, potluck dinner, and/or night shoot (weather permitting).

A map and details will be sent to those who sign up.

Saturday morning, there will be a photo walk led by Jim Sykes, on trails in Hillsborough River State Park, starting around 10 AM. We will meet at the campsites, which is just off the loop road within the park. We will wrap up the photowalk around 12:30 -1 PM.

When we return to the campgrounds around 1:30 PM, TBCC will host a lunch for attendees at the campsites. All food and drinks for lunch will be provided by the club. Donations of snacks and/or additional drinks will be appreciated, however. Please bring your own food if you have special dietary needs. Also, all food must be packed away in cars as the raccoons are very active.

Please bring your own chairs.

Over lunch, and for a bit longer, if needed, we will have a photography discussion moderated by Robert Rostick. The last five years have been quite enlightening!

After lunch, there will be time for campers to set up their camping gear on the campsite if you arrived that morning. There will also be time to explore the park or just hangout at the campsites.

Around sunset, everyone will gather at our central campsite for a potluck dinner. Everyone who is staying for dinner should bring a food item to share with the group. TBCC will provide paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils for the potluck dinner. There will be options to cook food on the grills or on camp stoves.

After dinner, any interested attendees can join in some night photography, provided that the weather or clouds don’t interfere.

For the remainder of the evening, we will enjoy time at the campsites as long as anyone wants to stay or stay up.

Sunday

Check-out time on Sunday is: 1 PM

SIGN-UP FORM – MUST BE COMPLETED BY ALL ATTENDEES

SAMPLE IMAGES FROM THE PARK

MAP TO HILLSBOROUGH RIVER STATE PARK

March Education Night – Special Presentation “Using Weather in Your Outdoor Photography” by Ben Williamson:

TBCC invites all members to attend a Zoom Education Night on March 26, 2026, featuring a special presentation by Maine photographer Ben Williamson.

Summary of Presentation

Weather plays a major role in every photograph made outdoors. That’s because our primary light source, the sun, is filtered and shaped by what’s going on in the atmosphere. Weather changes light. Weather changes mood. Weather can help tell a story, or be a story all on its own. Weather is a variable that can add incredible flavor to outdoor photography. Learn how to use it!

Long before picking up a camera, Maine photographer Benjamin Williamson had been obsessed with weather. That passion has informed much of his work. This presentation aims to help you understand the weather to improve your own photography, either in your backyard or when traveling. Don’t miss it!

Ben’s Bio

Maine photographer Benjamin Williamson isn’t your traditional landscape photographer. Instead of seeking places devoid of human presence, he likes to showcase our relationship to the environment through images that include man-made objects. A lifelong love of history and the weather has combined in images that feature classic Maine and New England scenery in beautiful light and unusual conditions. Williamson was the photo editor and staff photographer for Down East Magazine for 6 years. He leads photography workshops across the country.

https://www.benjaminwilliamsonphotography.com/

Some Examples of Ben’s Photography

A glowing rainbow arches over the Island Inn on Monhegan as a trio of seagulls takes flight. We couldn’t believe our luck at having such an awesome occurence on our last night on the island.
A red fishing boat sits at mooring off of Lubec, Maine during a beautiful pink sunset.
A large and powerful bolt of lightning strikes the ocean as seen from Lookout Point in Harspwell.
This image shows a historic wave about to impact Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, during a severe winter storm.

Who Should Attend

This presentation is for all outdoor photographers! Weather plays a big part in what, when, and how we make our images!

How to Attend

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2026) members a few days before 03/26/2026.

I hope to see you at our upcoming Exhibit/Comment Nights in February and March, our in-person Education Night on February 26, 2026, and for this special presentation on March 26, 2026.

Keep pressing that shutter button!

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President

Highlights of 2025 TBCC Annual Awards and Holiday Party

I want to thank all those members, and plus 1’s, who came out to Philippe Park on Sunday (December 7, 2025) to join in the food, fellowship, and fun for our 2025 Annual Awards and Holiday Party!

As usual, the food was amazing and yummy! And even though it rained most of the time we were there, Pavilion #8 did a great job of keeping us and the food dry!

We had a wonderful surprise visitor, Victoria Drum, our Secretary, who lives in Texas, drove to Florida to join in the fun of our annual party! We love you, Vic!

Lynn played two songs she created, “Christmas in Florida” and “TBCC 2025”. Jim has added the tracks to the highlight video he has made of the party. (see below)

We had a great turnout for our “Story Display” exhibit; the stories were educational, inspirational, and funny!

We changed things up a bit with our free raffle this year as we gave away four $50 B&H Gift Cards, 8 poinsettias, a camera bag, and 2 embroidered Christmas towels (donated by Sue Harvey)!

Richard Edwards won our 50/50 Raffle and graciously donated his winnings to CWE, the organization that puts on the golf tournament fundraiser for medical missions to South America and Africa, for which 14 TBCC members worked as photography volunteers back in November.

Thank you to the Board of Directors, plus Lorrie Maniscalco and Lourdes Fusco, for putting the party all together and cleaning up in record time!

We had 16 members qualify per the eligibility rules listed on our website. https://mytbcc.com/about/competition-rules/

1st Place – Lourdes Fusco

2nd Place – Liwen Tao

3rd Place – Ron Buening

4th Place – Richard Edwards

5th Place – Karen Robinson

6th Place – Lee Brand

Special thanks were given to Lynn (thank you) and to our two Pros, Robert Rostick and Jim Sykes

Music created by Lynn Wiezycki

Lynn W.

2025 Annual Awards and Holiday Party – Sunday, December 7, 2025

On behalf of your TBCC Board of Directors, you are cordially invited to the TBCC Annual Awards and Holiday Party that will be held on Sunday, December 7th, at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor (map below).

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST!

The fun gets started at 1 PM in Pavilion #8 and will go on until about 4 PM.

There are many big picnic tables in the pavilion, but you are welcome to bring your own chairs if you prefer. The club will supply grills, hand sanitizer, ice, plates, cups, silverware, napkins, and some basic drinks. There is no electricity, so plan accordingly. There is a restroom nearby.

We are counting on all of you to bring all that wonderful food and drink that TBCC is famous for!

The food/drink signup form is below.

Story Display image! Please bring one photo that is at least 8X10 (so everyone can see it). It should be on a piece of foam core or matted for rigidity while hanging from our photo lineup! This is not a competition but a chance for you to get up and tell everyone the story behind your image. So keep that in mind when making your image choice. Please, only bring an image we have not seen before.

This year, we are having a 50/50 Raffle! $4 per ticket or 6 tickets for $20. The winner will get 50% of whatever amount we take in, and the other 50% will go toward the club’s educational endeavors.

Annual Photography Gift Raffle – Be sure to get your one free ticket when you arrive.

Our end-of-year Awards Ceremony will be for those who qualified in our monthly Exhibits.

Please join us for an afternoon of fun, food, fellowship, and photo sharing!

If you have any questions, please let me know at mytbcc@gmail.com

Lynn Wiezycki

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dag7tDyIPcOhbZhktMo-B4uhfPi6oIFDXVgor5XrUq8/edit?usp=sharing

Map to park:

September 2025 Education Night – Special Presentation – “An Introduction to Light Painting” by Chris Nicholson

Please join your fellow members for a Special Presentation on September 25th, “An Introduction to Light Painting” by Chris Nicholson.

Presentation Summary

In the process of learning night photography, you learn a lot about gear, focus, and exposure, and how to capture star points and trails. Then, before long, you start to wonder what to do with the dark foreground. In this presentation, Chris Nicholson will review the fundamentals of adding light to those shadows to reveal all the potential for that night composition.

Chris will discuss light painting tools, angle of light, proper technique, determining how much light to add, and more. By the end of this talk, you’ll feel more confident getting into dark environments to start painting, opening up whole new worlds of photographic opportunity.

Bio

Chris Nicholson is the author of Photographing National Parks and is a partner and director of content for National Parks at Night. As a former magazine editor and longtime magazine contributor, Chris’s work has appeared in over 40 books and periodicals. He has served as a book editor for National Parks Traveler, a content consultant for Chimani national park travel guide apps, and a writer for various photography websites. Chris is co-director of the Great Smoky Mountains Photo Fest, has taught for CreativeLive, is a regular presenter for Out of Chicago and the B&H Event Space, and he speaks at photography conferences and events around the U.S.

https://www.nationalparksatnight.com/

Some Samples of Chris’s Photos

Who Should Attend

This presentation is for all photographers! Lightpainting is a great technique to learn if you’re at all interested in shooting at night. FYI: Lightpainting is our assignment for November!

How to Attend

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2025) members a few days before 08/25/2025.

I hope to see you at our Exhibit/Comment Night on September 18th, and our Education Night on September 25, 2025, for this special presentation. 

Keep pressing that shutter button!

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President

July 2025 Education Night – Special Presentation – The Fine Art of Black and White Photography by Jennifer King

Please join your fellow members for a Special Presentation on July 24th, “The Fine Art of Black and White Photography ” by Jennifer King!

Presentation Summary

There is something quite magical about black and white photography. The silver-like component that creates a sense of illusion, the dark tones that produce an emotional response, and the light that brings each image to life. We will walk through the creative process of capturing your vision, defining your style, and producing dramatic images from concept to processing.

Jennifer King Bio 

Jennifer King is an internationally acclaimed nature and fine art photographer with a passion for teaching and inspiring photographers around the world. She draws on her fine art and design background to bring a fresh perspective to nature photography. 

Jennifer is honored to have been named the first woman ambassador and master of photography in the field of nature photography by the industry. She has built a respectable reputation by combining award winning photography with dedication to advancing the role of women in photography and art. Jennifer is a Moab Master Photographer, recognized as 1 of 15 Amazing Women to Follow (by 500px), and is one of the premier black and white photographers in the country. She is also the founder of PHOTOGRAPHY for the FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER (pfabc.org), an industry-wide organization bringing together the biggest names in photography to raise money for breast cancer research. 

You can find her photography, video tutorials, and interviews in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, Shutter Magazine, Camera in the Wild, Photography Talk, Smoky Mountains Journal of Photography, Our State Magazine, VIA Magazine, and more! Jennifer speaks at many yearly photographic summits such as NANPA, MPA, GNPA, MAPV, NVPS, CNPA, and FCCC.

Some Sample Images of Jennifer’s Art

Who Should Attend

This presentation is for all photographers! We all want to know what “fine art” is, and we all want to convert our images to Black and White in the best possible way.

How to Attend

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2025) members a few days before 07/24/2025.

Non -Members – If you are interested in joining us to see what we are all about, we will send you a Zoom Invitation for our Exhibit/Comments Night only. Our Exhibit/Comment Nights are on the 3rd Thursday of each month except December. Please send your Name and Email address with the Subject line “Zoom Invite Needed for MEETING on (appropriate date) to mytbcc@gmail.com so we can get the invitation to you.

I hope to see you at our Exhibit/Comment Night on July 17th, and our Education Night on July 24, 2025, for this special presentation. 

Keep pressing that shutter button!

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President