Author: lwiezycki

April 2025 Education Night – Special Presentation – Post-Processing Your Bird Photos by Tony Baldasaro

Please join your fellow TBCC members for a Special Presentation Education Night on April 24th!

Tony Baldasaro, an amazing photographer and educator, I met through Out of Chicago, will be our instructor for the session.

Summary of Presentation

So, you have taken up Bird Photography!  Congratulations on choosing the most difficult subgenre of nature photography there is.  😕 Now, you’ve come home from a long day of photographing birds and have the daunting task of culling and processing cards full of images.  Where do you begin?  How do you select the images you are going to process, and how do you take an image from card to completion?  

This class will focus on the unique challenge of post-processing in bird photography, including the large number of images bird photographers have to manage, the reality of shooting with less-than-ideal settings, and most importantly, the mindset that post-processing begins when you leave the house, not when you return.   

Tony will share his mindset while shooting as well as his workflow for post-processing bird images using primarily Lightroom, Topaz, and Photoshop to create striking images.  

Tony’s Bio

As a native New Englander, I enjoy the natural beauty of landscapes and wildlife images. After studying Biology and Ornithology in college, I have spent the better part of 30 years in public education, doing my best to share my passion for the natural world and my unwavering belief that everyone can learn in public school settings. Combining my educator experience with more than 20 years of nature photography, I have found immense joy in helping others improve their own nature photography, specifically Landscape and Wild Bird Photography. Through one-on-one coaching, speaking, and workshop opportunities, I have helped others improve their craft since 2017. When not photographing or teaching, my wife and I split time between the seacoast and lake regions of New Hampshire. Together, we have three adult children with whom we love spending time.

Examples of Tony’s Photos

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

This presentation is for all photographers! Even though the emphasis will be on bird photography, Tony’s post-processing techniques and tips will apply to most genres of photography!

HOW TO ATTEND

We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2025) members a few days before 04/24/2025.

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. 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. Our Exhibit/Comment Nights are on the 3rd Thursday of each month except December.

I hope to see you at our next outing on April 3rd (details emailed to all current members), at our Exhibit/Comment Night on April 17th, and our Education Night on April 24th, 2025, for this special presentation. 

Just keep shooting!

Lynn Wiezycki, TBCC President

2025 PhotoCamp Details and Signup Form

Mark your calendars for our 2025 PhotoCamp on March 21st-23rd.

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 the Tillis Hill Recreation Area in the Withlacochee State Forest. (The map is 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 up 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. The parking lot (where extra vehicles and the Saturday-only folks can park) is close to the entrance to the campgrounds and not too far from the sites we have reserved. 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.

Friday

Check-in time on Friday is: 3 PM

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

Friday night dinner is on your own.

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 join us for just the morning photowalk or you can drive back to the campground (kind of on the way back to Tampa) and join us for lunch, our afternoon photographic discussion, our potluck dinner, and night photography. 

There is a $13 per person admission fee for Homosassa Springs.

Saturday morning, there will be a photo walk in Homosassa Springs State Park, which is about 30 minutes from the campgrounds. We will meet at the entrance kiosk at 10 AM. We will wait until 10:15 AM and then go into the park.

This park has nature trails and captive wildlife. We will wrap up the photowalk around 12:30 -1 PM.

When we return to the Tillis Hill 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.

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

After lunch, there will be time for campers to set up their camping gear on the campsite if you arrive that morning.

Around sunset, everyone will gather at our central campfire 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 fire, on the grill, or on camp stoves.

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

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

Sunday

Check-out time on Sunday is: 1 PM

SAMPLE PHOTOS FROM HOMOSASSA SPRINGS (photo credits Lee Brand)

PLEASE COMPLETE THE RESERVATION FORM BELOW BEFORE March 1:

Please be sure to fill in the form even if you are only coming for Saturday’s events so we have enough food for lunch.

Note: We will close the camping reservations earlier than 3/1 if we reach the maximum capacity for the camping sites we have reserved.

SIGN UP FORM

MAPS

February Outing! Florida State Fair

Join your fellow TBCC members for a fun evening at the Florida State Fair on Wednesday, February 12th!

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST!

We will meet at 6:00 PM (sunset is at 6:18 PM so we want to be there for sunset and blue hour) at the base of the Giant Ferris Wheel that overlooks the large pond. It is the largest of the Ferris wheels. There is an open area in front of it with some tables.

Please let me know if you are planning to attend this outing by emailing mytbcc@gmail.com by 7 PM on February 11th. If you arrive after 6:15 PM please text me and I will let you know where we are. I will email my cell # to those attending.

Wednesday night is usually not very crowded so this is the best time to make images.

We will be going rain or shine! Puddles are great for night shots!

Be sure to remember where you parked your car, it is a very large parking lot! And remember the gate number you came in at.

Bring a lens that can go from wide to zoom and a tripod. It is best to travel as light as possible. They do have security at the gates so be prepared for that. For the safety of your equipment, use a vest or backpack instead of a roller bag. We have never had a problem but better safe than sorry.

We will spend a couple of hours wandering around the mid-way to capture some long exposures, multiple exposures, ICMs, and street photography. At this point, Robert is planning to be there.

If you are so inclined there is plenty of “fair food” to eat while walking around.

I hope to see you there!

Lynn W.

Here are some of my images from last year’s state fair outing!