This is an outing for ALL our members, no matter where you are!
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE EMAIL!
For 24 hours, starting at 12:01 AM April 13th and ending at 11:59 PM April 13th, get those cameras/phones out and show us where you were 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 9:30 AM at Sunken Gardens, St Petersburg (map below). If we have at least 10 attendees we will get a $1.00 discount each. Discounted fees are 62+ – $11 and under 62 – $14.
I MUST collect all the money before we enter the Visitor Center so please plan to arrive between 9:30 AM and 9:45 AM. Please bring the correct change for the appropriate fee. If you arrive after the group has entered the gardens at 10 AM, you will have to pay the full price.
Also, if we have at least 10 attendees, Sunken Gardens will give us each a Photo Scavenger Hunt list. You don’t have to participate but we have done scavenger hunts in the past and they were a lot of fun! We might even have a little contest for that (I will let you know)!
We will spend 2-3 hours in the gardens and then find a place for lunch in the surrounding area.
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 13th, please send 5 – 10 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 May 13th 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!
Please join us for this special presentation on March 28, 2024, for a look into the day of a professional sports photographer. This will be a great prep for our upcoming monthly assignment in April, Action Sports Photography!
Summary of Presentation
Road to becoming a professional from self-taught amateur
A day in the life – gameday
Technique
Workflow and editing
Q&A
Kevin’s Bio
Kevin Sabitus is currently a photographer for the National Football League.
During their 2020-21 seasons, Kevin served as an interim photographer for the Toronto Blue Jays, the Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC in Tampa Bay. He was a staff photographer for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2018-2020 as a member of the first full-time photography team in the organization’s history.
Before working at the Tampa Bay Rays, he was a Seasonal Photographer at Kansas City Chiefs for the 2017-18 NFL season. As a 2015 graduate of The University of Notre Dame, he worked for Fighting Irish Media and The Observer daily newspaper, covering athletic and social events.
In 2023, Kevin’s photo was used in ESPN the Magazine’s Super Bowl LVII edition cover.
Kevin received first place in the 2022 World Sports Photography Awards for American football.
Some Examples of Kevin’s Photos
Who Should Attend
Anyone interested in any kind of action photography. Sports photography is a great place to learn how to think on your feet, see the shot, and shoot quickly!
How to Attend
We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2024) members a few days before 03/28/2024.
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 March 21st, and our Education Night on March 28, 2024, for this special presentation.
Join us on Thursday, February 22, 2024, for a dive into the photographer’s must-have app, PhotoPills, and some moon photography, with our great friend, Joshua Cripps!
Presentation Summary
Do you have a folder of blurry, out-of-focus, overexposed blob, and boring photos of the moon? You are not alone! In fact, I have more of those than I can count. The moon is one of the most beautiful sights in the natural world, and yet it is frustratingly difficult to photograph well. However, by understanding the 4 main challenges of moon photography you can create spectacular photos of our moon. In this talk, I will teach you to overcome the challenges of moon photography, as well as demonstrate how to use the PhotoPills and PeakFinder apps to plan breathtaking moon shots. I will demystify the complexity of PhotoPills and show you exactly which tools you need and how to use them to create extraordinary images.
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.
Examples of Joshua’s Images for which he used PhotoPills
Who Should Attend
Anyone who wants to get a great image of the moon and learn how to use PhotoPills! And we all know Joshua is a fun presenter!
How to Attend
We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2024) members a few days prior to 02/22/2024.
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 first outing in 2024 at Bok Tower Gardens on Feb 3rd, at our rescheduled January Education Night on February 8th, Exhibit/Comment Night on February 15th, and our Education Night on February 22, 2024, for this special presentation. It is a busy month!
Mark your calendars for our 2024 PhotoCamp on March 1st-3rd.
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 Rainbow Springs Campground, which is located along the Rainbow River. (The map is below.)
We have reserved 5 adjacent tent-only 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, 2 tents, 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) and bathrooms are very close to the campsites. Since there are a limited number of tents, 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 a campground store, showers and restrooms, and laundry. There is access to the river from the campground to fish, swim or paddle.
Friday
Check-in time on Friday is: 4-6 PM
For those camping, please call Lee Brand for the campground gate code after 3:00 PM on Friday. (His phone # will be emailed to those who sign up only).
Friday night dinner will be at Swampy’s, 19773 E Pennsylvania Ave, Dunnellon, FL 34422. Meeting there at 6:30PM.
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.
We WILL NOT BE VISITING Rainbow Springs State Park this year! Instead, we will be driving about 30 minutes from the Campground to Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens in Williston.
There is a $12 per person admission fee for Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens.
Saturday morning, there will be a photo walk in Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens. We will meet at the entrance kiosk at 9:30 AM. We will wait until 9:45 AM and then go into the gardens.
This is a privately owned botanical garden that was created from an old mining operation. There are gardens, fountains, bridges, waterfalls, and swans to photograph. (See some images below.) The trails, some of which are paved, go from the entrance to the top of the site. There are stairs down to the lower level where you can get closer to the base of the waterfalls. There are a couple of pavilions to take a break in as well at the lower level.
When we return to the Rainbow Springs Campgrounds around noon, 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 three 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, 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: Noon
PLEASE COMPLETE THE RESERVATION FORM BELOW BEFORE FEBRUARY 17TH:
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 2/17 if we reach the maximum capacity for the camping sites.
Sign Up Form (All Attendees MUST Complete the Form)
Some Images from Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens
Maps to Campgrounds and Cedar Lakes Woods and Gardens
Join us on Saturday, February 3, 2024, for a visit to the iconic Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd, Lake Wales, FL 33853 (map below).
PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST.
This time of year, we can not only make images of Bok Tower and listen to the carillon within but also the camellias and maybe some azaleas and other cool weather flowers.
This place is perfect for infrared images since there is so much green!
An upcoming monthly assignment is ICM! That is another great technique to try in a botanical garden!
If you have any Lensbaby optics, that is another creative way to utilize what Bok Tower Gardens has to offer.
This is a great place to just have some photographic fun and practice our skills!
When and Where
The ticket booth is near the main entrance as you drive in. Admission is $20 per person. Once you are through that gate, drive onto the main parking area at the Visitor Center. We will meet on the plaza in front of the entrance to the Visitor Center at 9:30 AM on February 3, 2024. We will wait until 9:45am at the plaza and then head into the gardens. So, please arrive on time!
We will walk around and shoot throughout the gardens until around Noon. They have a very nice cafe right at the entrance so if it is not too crowded we will have lunch there. If crowded, we will find a place outside of the gardens to eat lunch.
What to Bring
Per the descriptions above, you can shoot just about anything here so the equipment depends on what you want to create! There can be a lot of walking involved so I would recommend a light kit. Remember your phone is a pretty good camera as well!
I hope you will join me and other members for our first official TBCC outing for 2024!
If you have any questions, please let me know. We will go over everything at our two Zoom meetings in January!
We are starting off our 2024 Education Nights with a presentation from our own Jim Sykes. On January 25, 2024, join us for a presentation on Creative Lens Flare!
This is an Exhibit Night Assignment for April so make sure you attend so you are up to speed on how to create these artist additions to your images.
Summary of Presentation
Lens flare is a type of optical aberration that occurs when light is scattered by the lens elements of a camera onto film or an imaging sensor. Although it can sometimes be a nuisance, it can also be used artistically as a powerful tool to create interesting photographic effects. Lens flare can be used to add a sense of mystery, to obscure part of a subject, or to create a sense of depth in a photo.
During our January Education Night, I will show you techniques to create various types of lens flare in an image and how those different types of lens flare can be used to add a surreal glow to a scene, to create patterns, starbursts, and other effects.
Samples of Lens FlaresImages
Who Should Attend
If you want to be ready for the April Exhibit Assignment and/or have a creative technique to add to your art, then you should attend!
How to Attend
We will send the Zoom invitation to all current (2024) members a few days before 01/25/2024.
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 want to thank all those members, and plus 1’s, who came out to Philippe Park on Sunday to join in the food, fellowship, and fun for our 2023 Annual Awards and Holiday Party!
As usual, the food was amazing and yummy! We had tastes from all over the world!
We had a great turnout for our “Clothes Pin” exhibit and the stories were educational, inspirational, and funny!
I think everyone present won a raffle prize! Thank you Jim McWilliam for adding to what the club purchased!
Thank you to the Board of Directors, plus Lorrie Maniscalco, Susan Huckabay, and Lourdes Fusco, for putting the party all together and cleaning up in record time!
Thank you to those who donated and who purchased the items for the Silent Auction.
1st Place – Liwen Tao, 2nd Place – Sylvia Fernandez, 3rd Place – Lee Brand, 4th Place – Kathy Thompson, 5th Place – Lourdes Fusco, 6th Place – Karen Robinson
Special thanks were given to me (thank you) and to our two Pros, Robert Rostick and Jim Sykes.
Jim Sykes brought his herd of cameras and was taking video and stills most of the afternoon so here is the highlight video, if you missed coming or want to relive the day!
We missed all of our out-of-state members and others who could not make it, so I hope this video allows you to a least witness the fun and fellowship that this club is known for!
We will see you at our next Zoom meeting on January 18, for our first 2024 Exhibition/Comment Night (The assignment is Macro Photography (Redemption Assignment) – A creative image of anything at a 1:1 ratio or closer, no cropping).
On behalf of your TBCC Board of Directors, you are cordially invited tothe TBCC Annual Awards and Holiday Party that will be held on Sunday, December 3rd, 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.
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.
We will have our end-of-year awards ceremony for those who qualified in our monthly competitions.
Don’t forget our “pushpin” story display! Since we are not actually using “pushpins” in our outdoor venue, 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.
In addition, we are having a Silent Auction again. This auction will help us raise some additional funds that we need to continue to bring in the internationally known photography educators that we have been fortunate to have for the last few years.
If you have any photography-related items (equipment, books, prints, etc.) you would like to donate, please bring them with you on Dec 3.
Whether you donate an item or not, we hope you will bid on an item or items in the silent auction.
Be sure to get your free ticket when you arrive for our Annual Raffle.
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
PLEASE CHECK THIS LIST OF FOOD AND DRINKS TO SEE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDED:
mytbcc.com 