Longwood Gardens Trip with Olympus and Frank T Smith May 7

Join Bergen County Camera and Olympus Trailblazer Frank Smith for a photo excursion to Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, PA. Longwood Gardens is considered to be the World’s premier horticultural display garden.

The beautiful 1050 acre site features 20 outdoor gardens, 20 indoor gardens, spectacular fountains, and 11,000 different types of plants. Our trip is planned during the Garden’s Spring Blooms. With dogwoods, magnolias, wisterias, azaleas, foam-flowers, and more than 240,000 tulips, Spring Blooms creates a symphony of color like no other season. BCC staff will be available to assist you with your photography throughout the day. Tickets are $99 each and include pre trip class, transportation, admission and Saturday Focus Session Trip Review. We also have a full Macro Photography class scheduled for April 25th if you want to improve your skills before the trip. $50

 


All about Frank T. Smith 
At an early age (3 years old+/-) I developed a curiosity with photography. My grandfather, Frank Fehn was an avid photographer, always with his Leica camera in his hand and me by his side. He bought me a miniature replica 35mm camera which was the beginning of my life-long passion for photography.

Photography is my passion – both in taking the pictures as well as the post pro-cessing techniques that I use. I am an experienced traveler having had the op-portunity to photograph in places around the world. As a native of the northeast, I also enjoy the local scenery of the Pocono Mountains or urban decay and iconic subjects as well as historical sites such as the former Bethlehem Steel factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. My portfolio is diverse.

I use the Olympus Micro Four Thirds system. My workhorses are the Pro OM-D EM-1 Mark II and the EM-5 Mark II. I use the OM-D EM-10 Mark II for road trav-el and family events. I use a variety of different lenses based on the camera and type of shooting I am doing. My attraction with Olympus is two-fold; first the camera and lens quality and second, the weight and size. My post processing is done with Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop CC, and various plug-ins.

I am a member of the Olympus Visionary Program. Olympus Visionaries are es-tablished, award-winning professional photographers who travel the world with Olympus products to capture life’s beauty and splendor. The elite members of the program include several Pulitzer Prize–winning photographers, as well as artists whose careers have included assignments around the globe. Frank Smith Olym-pus Trailblazer

I believe photography is a constantly changing art form and as such I try to stay current by teaching workshops & classes every year. I exhibit my work in various galleries. Some of my recent exhibits include “Atacama – A Lunar Landscape”, “Near and Far” an 8 year compilation of India; “Bhutan – The Land of the Thunder Dragon”; “Allentown State Hospital – A Different View” and “The Birth of a Na-tion- South Sudan”. My work can be seen on my website at www.franksmithphotos.com or on my blog where I post my up to date work regu-larly at www.franktsmith.wordpress.com/. You can also follow me on Facebook. I was also published in Outdoor Photography (December 2013) and presented a Ted Talk in 2013 titled Looking thru the Lens -Vocation vs. Avocation. In November 2015, PBS did the following interview with me.

Photo Trip to the Lakota Wolf Preserve October 12th

IMG_4660bOut most popular trip is coming around again. Join Bergen County Camera and Tamron on October 12, 2014 as we return to the Lakota Wolf Preserve.

Featuring numerous opportunities to get unobstructed pictures of the wolves in their natural settings. Since you will be photographing the wolves where they live, in a stress free environment, you will get the best possible photo opportunities. Come as close as 3-4 feet of the wolves during our private photography session.  We will end our morning at the Brook Hollow Winery for a wrap up session and complimentary wine tasting.

There will be a pre-trip lecture on Creating Great Images at Lakota Wolf in our Westwood store, the date is October 9th. The lecture will cover the layout and rules of Lakota, what to expect, what lenses are best suited, and how to get that great shot! The lecture will be presented by Tamron.IMG_4355b

Tamron will be providing free loaner lenses for Nikon, Canon, Sony, and even Pentax cameras. Bonus rebates on all current Tamron lenses will also be offered.

BCC will open a half hour before our 6:00 am bus departure for coffee, bagels and any last minute photography needs. Tickets are $250.00 each and include round trip bus transportation and admission. The bus will depart around 11:00am with a scheduled arrival of 1:00 pm back at the store. This trip is limited to 30 people so be sure to reserve early.

Tickets are available now on Eventbrite. 

Eventbrite - Bergen County Camera Photo Trips 2014 - Boulders Dugout Experience May 29 - Bronx Zoo June 1

Bronx Zoo Trip

Join Bergen County Camera on Sunday, June 1, 2014, for a bus excursion from our store in Westwood to the world famous Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the nation, with more than 6,000 animals and many award-winning exhibits. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to capture some stunning images of the large array of wild creatures. BCC staff will be available to assist you with your photography throughout the day.

BCC will open for a half hour before the 9:00am bus departure for coffee, bagels and any last minute photography needs. Tickets are $129.99 each and cover a pre-trip class on wildlife photography, round trip bus transportation, admission and lunch. The bus will leave about 4:30pm with a scheduled arrival of 6:00pm back at the store.

There will be a pre-trip lecture on wildlife photography in our Westwood store on Monday, May 19, 2014 from 7-8pm. The lecture will cover the layout and rules of the Bronx Zoo, tips for getting the best photos through glass, the best times to visit each exhibit and lots of other helpful information to get the most out of your time at the zoo.

Special Note: Tripods are not permitted in the Butterfly Zone and the Children’s Zoo. In Congo Gorilla Forest, tripods are not permitted in the Gorilla Tunnel area and in the front area of the Great Gorilla Gallery. Tripods may also be restricted in other Zoo exhibits, at the discretion of Zoo staff.

Eventbrite - Bergen County Camera Photo Trips 2014

Bergen County Camera Returns to The Lakota Wolf Preserve

Join Bergen County Camera and Tamron for our Lakota Wolf Preserve Photography Trip on Sunday, November 24th, 2013. There will be numerous opportunities to get unobstructed pictures of the wolves in their natural settings.  Since you will be photographing the wolves where they live, in a stress free environment, you will get the best possible photo opportunities. Come as close as 3-4 feet of the wolves during our private photography session.

There will be a pre-trip lecture on Creating Great Images at Lakota Wolf in our Westwood store, the date is Thursday, November 21st. The lecture will cover the layout and rules of Lakota, what to expect, what lenses are best suited, and how to get that great shot!

Tamron will be providing free loaner lenses for Nikon, Canon, and Sony cameras. Bonus rebates on all current Tamron lenses will also be offered.

BCC will open a half hour before our 6:00am bus departure for coffee, bagels and any last minute photography needs. Tickets are $250 each and include round trip bus transportation and admission.  The bus will depart around 11:00am with a scheduled arrival of 1:00pm back at the store. This trip is limited to 30 people so be sure to reserve early.

We’ll have some special offers and a photo contest for the best picture taken on the trip. More information will be provided at our pre-trip lecture regarding the contest. Hope to see you there.

Please note: No one under 16 years of age allowed on this workshop.

Advance reservations required.



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Here are some pictures provide by Dan Bacon from Lakota Wolf Preserve – Thanks Dan!

Panama Photo Safari – Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge

Starting this September, Bergen County Camera is embarking on a Panama Photo Safari with award winning nature photographer Franklin Viola.  Here is a great video detailing some of the sights and adventures available around the Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge. For more information feel free to check out our original blog post or browse our other posts about the trip!

For more information on how to book this photo safari please contact Bergen County Camera.

Panama Photo Safari – About the Trip and Guide

On Sept. 14, I will be escorting and guiding Bergen County Camera’s Panama Photo Safari on a seven night, eight day adventure through Tranquilo Bay, Panama.  I will be accompanied by my longtime friend and BCC owner Tom Gramegna. He will be along to experience firsthand some of the amazing diversity of flora and fauna that Tranquilo Bay offers us. Here is some background on my history and experiences, and some of what you can expect when you join us for this exciting trip.

 

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In 1994, the British Museum of Natural History recognized me as one of the top ten wildlife photographers of the year for an underwater image I captured of a spawning tube sponge off of Little Cayman Island. Unfortunately, I did not get to attend the ceremony in London as I was already committed to leading a photo safari through the Bay Islands of Honduras.

 

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The “skinny” Americas have always been inviting to me, whether it be piloting a ship throughout her islands as a Merchant Marine officer (my first career), or scuba diving her spectacular reefs as a professional nature and travel photographer. My cameras have always discovering wondrous treasures, both natural and man-made, throughout Latin America.

 

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I will be spending 6 months in Panama, staying at the Tranquilo Bay Eco-Adventure Lodge. It is perhaps the finest ‘built’ resort my 25 years of travel have revealed, and I will be spending my time there documenting some of the islands lush tropical vegetation, along with her encyclopedia of exotic animals from poison dart frogs to three-toed sloths.

 

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Days here range from sun drenched and humid (though not stifling like my native Texas) to cool and wet when cumulus clouds nourish the jungle and its inhabitants. We will go birding, hiking, kayaking, beach combing, snorkeling, and sometimes we will just relax to slow down the pace with hanging porch hammocks, Hemingway novels and adult beverages.

 

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Wait. Hear it? There in the mangroves. A white-faced capuchin monkey. Dust off your passport, pack your bags, get your binoculars and camera. We should get a great view on the boardwalk. Hope you may join Bergen County Camera and myself for one of our three Photo Safari Panama!

For more information on how to book this photo safari please contact Bergen County Camera.

See more of Franklin Viola’s “Photo of the Day” Panama at:

http://www.violaphoto.com/pod.htm

Lensbaby goes to Grounds For Sculpture

Sunday, April 14th, Bergen County Camera partnered with Lensbaby to create an unforgettable trip down to Hamilton New Jersey’s Grounds For Sculpture. Lensbaby provided lenses for the participants to walk around the gardens and explore their creativity with.

Lensbaby is a Portland, Oregon based company that launched in 2004. The idea of the Lensbaby started with a vacuum tube and has evolved throughout the years into eight different optics which each create a unique effect. See attached gallery for examples of images from the trip that were taken with several different optics.

Grounds For Sculpture is a 42-acre property located in Hamilton, New Jersey. It was the former location of the NJ State Fairgrounds and has been transformed into a array of sculptures, flowers, trees, and more for the public to wander and enjoy.

Click on an image below to see it larger and to see which Lensbaby optic the image was shot with.

Longwood Gardens Photo Excursion Announced

Additional information is available by clicking on any trip name listed below. Every trip includes a pre-trip session, and Saturday Focus Session Review.

Longwood Gardens – Sunday, June 9, 2013
Price: $129.99 through March 17th then $159.99 with registration required. Register

Includes bus transportation, admission, and lunch.

longwood1

Grounds for Sculpture – Sunday, April 14, 2013
Price: $99.99 through March 17th then $129.99 with registration required. Register
Our friends from Lensbaby will be joining us for this event. They will have an assortment of Lensbabies lenses to borrow and try during the trip.

Includes bus transportation, admission, and lunch.

grounds-for-sculpture

 

Rockland Boulders Dugout Experience – Meetup Rockland County, NY – Thursday, May 16, 2013

Tickets: $50.00 with registration required. Register

rockland-boulders

 

Bronx Zoo – Sunday, May 19, 2013
Price: $129.99 with registration required. Register

Includes bus transportation, admission, and lunch.  Special guest Ron Magill of the Miami Dade Zoo (Thanks to Nikon.)

Bronx Zoo Trip

Register Now

 

Photo Excursions and Meetups – Bronx Zoo with Ron Magill Added

Additional information is available by clicking on any trip name listed below. Every trip includes a pre-trip session, and Saturday Focus Session Review.

Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, NJ – Sunday, March 24, 2013
Price: $250 with registration required. SOLD OUT
Our friends from Tamron will be joining us for this event. They will have an assortment of Tamron lenses to borrow and try during the trip.

 

Grounds for Sculpture – Sunday, April 14, 2013
Price: $99.99 through March 17th then $129.99 with registration required. Register
Our friends from Lensbaby will be joining us for this event. They will have an assortment of Lensbabies lenses to borrow and try during the trip.

Includes bus transportation, admission, and lunch.

grounds-for-sculpture

 

Rockland Boulders Dugout Experience – Meetup Rockland County, NY – Thursday, May 16, 2013

Tickets: $50.00 with registration required. Register

rockland-boulders

 

Bronx Zoo trip – Sunday May 19, 2013
Price: $99.99 through March 17th then $129.99 with registration required. Register
Our friends from Nikon will be joining us for this event along with special guest Ron Magill.

Includes bus transportation, snacks, pre-trip info session, post trip Focus Session, admission, and lunch.

Register Now

 

 

 

Upcoming Photo Excursions Announced

Additional information is available by clicking on any trip name listed below. Every trip includes a pre-trip session, and Saturday Focus Session Review.

Lakota Wolf Preserve in Columbia, NJ – Sunday, March 24, 2013
Price: $250 with registration required. Register
Our friends from Tamron will be joining us for this event. They will have an assortment of Tamron lenses to borrow and try during the trip.

 

Grounds for Sculpture – Sunday, April 14, 2013
Price: $99.99 through March 17th then $129.99  with registration required. Register
Our friends from Lensbaby will be joining us for this event. They will have an assortment of Lensbabies lenses to borrow and try during the trip.

Includes bus transportation, admission, and lunch.  

grounds-for-sculpture

 

Rockland Boulders Dugout Experience – Meetup Rockland County, NY – Thursday, May 16, 2013

Tickets: $50.00 with registration required. Register

rockland-boulders

 

Register Now