May Education Night – Special Presentation – “7 Secrets of Outstanding Telephoto Landscapes” by Joshua Cripps

You are invited to a special presentation to get you ready for our July assignment, Telephoto Landscapes, and make your future landscape images so much better!

Presentation Summary

“7 Secrets of Outstanding Telephoto Landscapes”

Ask a random photographer what lens to use for landscape photography and 90% of the time
they will answer, “a wide-angle, duh!!” Wide-angle lenses and landscapes are so closely
connected it sometimes feels like “thou shalt use a wide angle” is the first commandment
handed down from the landscape photography gods.
But in my opinion, the BEST lens for landscapes is actually the telephoto! What?! Heresy!! I
know, I know…
You see, photography is all about telling visual stories. And every complete story needs to do at
least three things:

  1. Establish the environment.
  2. Provide storytelling moments that showcase what unique things happen at a place.
  3. Show intimate details about the subjects/places/things in your story to help your viewers
    understand the place more deeply.

Telephoto lenses can do all of these things, and they are particularly good at numbers 2 & 3.
Which means telephoto lenses allow you to be a clearer, more personally expressive
storyteller since the specific moments and details you notice are very likely to be unique to you
and you alone.
However, shooting landscapes with a telephoto lens is extremely challenging. There are
compositional challenges, technical challenges, and visualization challenges, just to name a
few. But fear not. In this talk, I will cover 7 secrets that will allow you to harness the power of your
telephoto in order to tell more effective visual stories and become a more complete
photographer.

Joshua’s Bio

Joshua Cripps is a wilderness landscape photographer who has garnered widespread acclaim
for his strong compositional style and dramatic use of light and color. His images have been
published by National Geographic, NASA, CNN, BBC, Nikon, Outdoor Photographer Magazine,
and many others. He is one of today’s most sought-after photography educators, speaking at
conferences and leading photo tours in North and South America, Europe, and the Pacific.
Josh grew up in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada and has been exploring the Range of
Light for most of his life. Since 2015 Josh has made his home in the Eastern Sierra, one of the
most spectacular and photogenic mountain landscapes in the world.
In 2023, Josh founded The Mount Whitney Gallery as a way to share his passion for the
stunning landscapes of the Sierra Nevada and beyond. Located at the base of stunning Mount
Whitney in the small town of Lone Pine, California, the gallery features fine art prints of Josh’s
signature photographs. The gallery also serves as a classroom where Josh teaches other
photographers how to capture their own spectacular photos.

A Few Examples of Joshua’s Art

Who Should Attend

If you shoot landscapes (which is pretty much all of us!) then this presentation will help you narrow your point of view. This seems counter-intuitive but believe me, I shot landscapes with an 80-200mm lens for many years. I still use my 70-200mm lens a lot. I needed that very narrow view to start to see the landscape in smaller bits. Now I am much better at using my wide-angle lenses and eliminating what the telephoto lens did for me.

I have had Joshua as an instructor, in-person and online. He is a dynamic teacher and an amazing photographer and he knows more about PhotoPills than anyone else I know!

How to Attend

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2023) members a few days prior to 05/25/2023.

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. 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 05/18/2023 and at our Education Night on 05/25/2023, for this special presentation.

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President

The Sunflowers 🌻 are Blooming! Outing at a Sunflower Field, Saturday, April 29, 2023

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST FOR ALL THE IMPORTANT DETAILS! 🌻

The sunflowers🌻, in many varieties, are blooming! So, it is last-minute outing time! Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 8 AM, we will meet at Three Son Farms on 3830 McIntosh Rd, Dover (map below) to have some fun in the flower field! This is one hour before their normal opening time so please thank them for letting us in early to get the earlier light!

They charge photographers $25 each to shoot this year but we have once again gotten a good deal. The group fee is $100 so the cost per person will depend on the number of people who show up!

Since last year they have moved the produce stand into the large barn that they were building last year. There is a lot more produce. Plus they are serving all kinds of goodies, ie, milkshakes, smoothies, etc. as they added a kitchen.

There are many picnic tables and a bar where you can sit and look out at the flower field.

We want them to continue to plant the flowers every year so please purchase some produce. It is the best! I buy from them weekly while they are open.

The field is planted in rows this year (like a strawberry field) so getting around in it will be a bit easier. They planted at least 7 varieties of sunflowers. Note: The zinnias may not be blooming yet as they have been affected by the lack of rain (which is good for the sunflowers as a lot of rain ruins the blooms)!

RAIN! If it happens to rain we will still have the outing…last year it rained just as we arrived and we had some wonderful drops on the flowers to add to the beauty of the flowers. So, be prepared to get dirty and possibly muddy, and bring rain gear just in case!

Bring your macro lens, a small scrim/reflector, and a wide angle for full-field shots. Your phone can make some great images as well!

Afterward, we will go get an early lunch at a local taco place!

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

Hope to see you all there!

Lynn W.

Here are a few iPhone images I took on April 20 in some very bad light! The field will be quite different on 4/29.

April Education Day – Special Day and Time and Very Special Presentation on Travel Photography by Rick Sammon

Yes, the “Godfather of Photography” will be doing a special presentation all about Travel Photography!

This Education Day Zoom meeting will be at 3 PM EDT on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

Presentation Summary

In this fun-filled and info-packed presentation, Rick Sammon will take us around the world, from Alaska to Africa and from the High Arctic to Antarctica. He’ll share with us his tricks, tips, and techniques for making images with impact – which is one of Rick’s goals. If you are interested in wildlife, nature, and landscape photography, this meeting is for you.

Rick’s Bio

Award-winning photographer Rick Sammon loves his day job. A tireless, prolific, and inspirational image-maker, Rick, called by some “The Godfather of Photography,” has authored 43 books. His latest are: “Photo Therapy Motivation and Wisdom–Discovering the Power of Pictures” and “Photo Quest–finding your photographic and artistic voice”.

He also has 40 photography classes on KelbyOne.com.

While Rick describes himself as “evolving” and an Explorer of Life, he hesitates to categorize his work. “I’m an A-to-Z type of photographer. I do it all–and I enjoy the freedom of not specializing.”

With nearly 40 years of experience, this self-taught photographer has many accomplishments–and many more anticipated for the road ahead. As Rick suggests, “When you are through changing, you are through.”

Visit Rick at www.ricksammon.com. He can be contacted at ricksammon@me.com.

Some Samples of Rick’s Photography from His Travels

Who Should Attend

Rick is the ultimate generalist so his presentation is for everyone! This talk is focused on Travel Photography but travel photography in general includes most types of photography!

Rick’s “Sammonisms,” which are his very memorable lines of wisdom on photography, are, to me (who has many of them stuck in my head), one of the main reasons to attend!

We will record the meeting and send the link to our current members in case you can not make the meeting on this special day and time!

How to Attend

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2023) members a few days prior to 04/23/2023.

Non -Members – If you are interested in joining us to see what we are all about, we will send you a Zoom Invitation. 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 04/20/2023 and at our Special Education Day at 3 PM EDT on Sunday 04/23/2023, for this special presentation.

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President

March Education Night – “How to Create an Environmental Portrait” by your Education Team

Making a portrait of a person in their environment is not the same as a normal portrait. An environmental portrait requires that you pull back some and show that person in their workspace or other environment that is applicable to that person’s life and/or passion.

Robert Rostick, Jim Sykes, and Lynn Wiezycki take you into the art studio of a local artist and show you his environment and then show you several ways to work with the person in their environment to create a portrait that is about the person and what he/she does!

We have created a video showing the techniques and essence of this type of portraiture. We will answer your questions after the video.

So please think about a person or persons who might fit this assignment. Think about the environment they work in and come up with some questions that will help you make a creative environmental portrait!

Reminder: This is our monthly assignment for June’s Exhibit/Comment Night!

Who Should Attend

This type of portraiture is actually closer to what most folks shoot of friends and family! Sometimes we even attempt this while shooting folks we see in our travels. But there are some tricks to getting that really good environmental portrait! This will take your photos, of this type, to the next level!

How to Attend

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2023) members on Tuesday.

Non -Members – If you are interested in joining us to see what we are all about, we will send you a Zoom Invitation. 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 Education Night on 03/23/2023.

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President

Get Ready for One Day Tampa Bay Camera Club on Saturday, April 1, 2023! Our Next Outing!

PLEASE NOTE THE LOCATION HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR THE TAMPA OUTING! IT IS NOW AT CURTIS HIXON PARK IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA. PLEASE BRING A COPY OF THE CITY OF TAMPA PERMIT I EMAILED TO ALL MEMBERS.

This is an outing for ALL our members, no matter where you are! THIS IS NOT AN APRIL FOOLS JOKE!

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE EMAIL!

For 24 hours starting at 12:01 AM April 1 and ending at 11:59 PM April 1, get those cameras out and show us where you are during those 24 HOURS ONLY! Even if you are away from home!! 📷 📲

Also, all members in the Tampa Bay area are invited to not only shoot around where you live specifically but also join us in person at 4:30 PM EDT at Julian B Lane Riverfront Park CURTIS HIXON PARK(map below) across the river from downtown Tampa for a photography outing. There is a lot to shoot along the Tampa Riverwalk, places to eat, and to get ICE CREAM! 🍦🍧

BE SURE THE CORRECT DATE AND TIME ARE ON YOUR CAMERA AND PLEASE DO NOT STRIP THE METADATA FROM YOUR PHOTOS WHEN YOU EXPORT THEM!!!

After April 1, please send at least 5 images that best depict where you were on that day! Use the same procedures for these jpeg images as we use for exhibit nights.

Please rename your images to include the place!

Send your images to mytbcc@gmail.com before 7 PM EDT on April 17th so I can create a slideshow of all our images! Use the SUBJECT: ODTBCC Photos

Let’s celebrate spring and where we live or are visiting!

Any questions, please email me at mytbcc@gmail.com or ask at the next two Zoom meetings!

Lynn