We are designating March as OCC Bird Photography Month! We have presentations, challenges, and field trips centered around birds this month, alongside some of our other regular programming. We hope to see you at one of our many events!
March 3rd, Monday 6:30pm: SIG (Special Interest Groups) Zoom Meeting
Are you looking for a group of like-minded photographers to share photos, and ideas, to plan field trips, and hold learning experiences with? Join one of our interactive Special Interest Groups (SIGs) at the Orlando Camera Club.
If you have not joined a SIG or are new to the club, check out a SIG meeting. We presently have four SIGs: Landscape, Nature, People, and Abstract. Photographers from all levels can join, beginners are always welcome.
If you would like to see another SIG group added or have an idea for a new SIG group such as Post-processing, Drones/Aerial, Fine Art, Sports, or your favorite photography genre, please contact the
We meet on the first Monday of each month, 6:30-8 pm via Zoom.
Register in advance for this meeting by visiting our zoom meeting links page here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
March 10th, Monday 6:30pm: “Fundamentals of Digital Printing” presented by Lewis Katz (Zoom Meeting)
This presentation covers all of the knowledge needed before you press the Print button. It covers calibration of your monitor, ICC profiles, why your print does not match your monitor, aspect ratio, color space, paper types and other issues that relate to printing. This course is based on Epson printers but the knowledge can be used for any printer brand.
Lewis’ Bio:
Photography has been part of me from a young age. An early memory of my Dad is him looking down through the viewfinder of his twin lens reflex camera. He soon graduated to a Konica rangefinder that was constantly by his side. I vividly remember the slide shows of family vacations as well as more private moments shared by my parents.
My first camera was the Olympus Pen F half-frame beauty and I soon moved through the full line of Olympus OM models. Fast forward to the digital cameras and images of today. I still shoot Olympus but have added a Nikon to the bag.
Emotive displays were not commonplace in my home growing up. The camera and the image became an outlet for suppressed feelings as well as for artistic expression.
Many years after college I lived in southern York County Pennsylvania and its rural beauty. Although I had been out west as a teenager it was here that I truly discovered landscape photography. Throughout my career in the travel industry, many other trips followed, including visiting most of the major National Parks.
After moving to Baltimore in 2001 I discovered and joined the Baltimore Camera Club. I was quickly in awe and humbled by the talent and more importantly, I found the companionship of fellow members which is so important to me to this day. The Baltimore Camera Club remains an integral part of my photography life. I have been honored and have received many awards from the competitions at the club.
Teaching photography is another essential component of my photography life as I love sharing my passion. I currently teach for the Johns Hopkins Odyssey program, the Capital Photography Center of DC, and for private students as well. I live for those aha moments that only teaching can provide.
Lewis’ website is https://www.
Register in advance for this meeting by visiting our zoom meeting links page here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
March 17th, Monday 6:30pm: Board Meeting
There is a lot that goes on “behind the curtain” at OCC. We would love to have you join us, and share your thoughts and ideas!
So come find out what is going on, hang out with some awesome photo people, and have fun along the way!! OCC board meetings are held on Zoom and are open to all members! If you are interested in attending a meeting, click here to contact President@OrlandoCameraClub.
FIELD TRIP: Orlando Wetlands Park, Friday, March 14
In keeping with March 2025 being designated as “OCC Bird Month” we will be having a field trip to the Orlando Wetlands Park (25155 Wheeler Road, Christmas, FL 32709).
For those new to the area and the club, the park is an internationally renown location for birds and animals of many types and March is nesting season.
Friday was picked because over the weekends this time of year, the park is literally swamped by people, and the tram operates Friday through Sunday for those who are mobility challenged.
The park is open from sunrise to sunset and sunrise is 7:33 am on this morning. Plan on being there before 7:30 am for the gate to open. The parking lot will likely fill quickly. We will meet at the pavilion adjacent to the parking lot.
As many of us know, the boardwalk goes through the wetland and past a cypress dome. It provides excellent photography opportunities, and right past a spot where Roseate Spoonbills congregate. Long lenses are recommended.
The website is full of information on the facility, including Wetlands Maps and Guides including: birds, flora and fauna, insects, and trail maps.
Please RSVP to Al Aikens at fieldtrips@
Attached are photos of a Black Crown Night Heron, a Spoonbill, and a Red-shouldered Hawk as examples of birds found at the park.
March 24th, Monday 6:30 pm: “Bird Photography” by Wayne Bennett (in-person meeting)
When teaching at Disney Institute, I had the opportunity to spend a week with Jay Maisel, a well known photographer in NYC. He spoke about photographing gestures made by people he was photographing, because each gesture is different and represents a change in the individual for whatever reason.
So, I thought, if people make gestures, then animals and even scenic shots make gestures, albeit different in nature, but nonetheless gestures, which are expressions of mood change or an activity of any nature.
I call my presentation “Little Things Mean A Lot”, because even the smallest change can represent a major event. These changes or inuendos can completely change the feel of an image and, too, how the viewer of the image actually perceives the image.
I will be presenting both scenic and bird images to illustrate this point.
Bio:
Wayne Bennett is a dentist by profession (retired in 2014) and has been a professional photographer for the past 25 years, specializing in the area of nature photography.
The Great American Photography Weekends (GAPW), Bill Fortney in particular, was the spark that ignited his turnaround in photography. He enjoyed an association of about 15 years with GAPW and has had the opportunity to learn from and teach with the best of the best in nature photography, including, John Shaw, Rod Planck, Pat O’Hara, Art Wolfe, Bryan Peterson, and of course Bill Fortney. GAPW was the #1 Nature Workshop group in the United States.
After GAPW, Wayne taught photography at Disney Institute in Orlando, FL.
He has shot stock for Sharpshooters, Corbis, and Alamy Agencies and has been published in a number of publications, including Outdoor Photographer.
He continues to teach photography through seminars, tours, and workshops.
Aside from making presentations at the Orlando Camera Club, he has made presentations at camera clubs in Ormond Beach, Vero Beach, St Augustine, New Smyrna Beach, and Melbourne. He has presented to Orange Audubon and Seminole Audubon. He has also made presentations in Canada, and Greece, and co-led a tour to Patagonia with David Muensch and Jack Dykinga. He has also made back-to-back seminars in Savannah and Moab, UT, co-leading with Scott Kelby and Bill Fortney.
A few years ago, Wayne started WMB Productions, a company, which brings the biggest names in photography to the Orlando area for seminars and workshops. He has had photographers such as Bill Fortney, Adam Jones, Bryan Peterson, Rick Sammon, Tony Sweet, RC Concepcion (from NAPP), Tim Grey, Bob Krist and Rob Sheppard (editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine).
Wayne has traveled extensively in the United States and around the world. He has photographed on all continents (42 countries) except Antarctica.
Wayne is proud to be a charter member of NANPA (North American Nature Photographers Association) and the Orlando Camera Club. He was the second President of the OCC.
The OCC’s image of the year (in its annual competition) is named after Wayne, The Wayne Bennett Award.
Wayne has recently had a specialty filter from Singh-Ray Filters named after him, the Singh-Ray Wayne Bennett Smoky Vision Polarizer. Singh-Ray makes the finest photographic filters in the world.
In 2008, nine members of the Orlando Camera Club, including Wayne, submitted a portfolio of 20 images (selected from over 350 submitted) to the Natures Best Magazine Windland Smith Rice International Photo Competition and won! There were 85 camera clubs worldwide that submitted portfolios to the competition. A
composite of 9 of the images was hanging in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC until May 2009.
Wayne had an image selected as Highly Honored in the 2009 Natures Best Contest. That image was displayed at the Smithsonian until May 2010.
A new product and the brainchild of Wayne and good friend Ken Blye is the PUFFIN PAD. The Puffin Pad has just been introduced to the photo marketplace. It is a lightweight
alternative to the bean bag.
Wayne’s website is www.
In-Person meetings are held at: Marks Street Senior Center, 99 E Marks St., Orlando, FL 32803