2026 Virtual Photo Beach Bash - February 28

The Coastal Camera Club is proud to present our 6th Annual Photo Beach Bash. This year it will be a one-day event, via Zoom, with a morning and an afternoon session featuring internationally renowned photographers Charles & Melissa Needle. Register now to receive your Zoom link in the confirmation email.

The Coastal Camera Club is located in Lewes, Delaware, USA.

For the past five years we have successfully presented virtual programs with speakers Kristi Odom, Joe Brady, David duChemin, Colleen Miniuk, Joe Edelman, Chuck Kimmerle, Bob Coates, Jackie Kramer, and Tony Sweet attracting an audience of over 500 from around the world each year. Please join us on February 28, 2026, for two exciting presentations by these accomplished speakers.

This event will be free of charge to the first 1000 people who register on Eventbrite.

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The Coastal Camera Club is a tax exempt 501(c)3. We would greatly appreciate tax exempt (for U.S. residents) donations using the DONATE link below. All those who donate will be automatically entered in two raffles. Melissa will be donating one of her photographs and the winner will get to select an image from one of three photographs offered. Charles is offering one of his cutting-edge instructional e-books on Impressionism Photography. The winners will be drawn at 8pm on the day of the bash and the winners will be notified by email.

All donations over and above the CCC's cost of presenting today's speakers will be offered in the form of scholarships to a Delaware Technical College student majoring in Photography & Videography. Two students received $750 scholarships for the Fall 2025 semester from the donations received over the past two Coastal Camera Club Beach Bashes. So with this said, please consider donating and being a part of this wonderful gift for students in need of financial assistance!

Donations: https://www.coastalcameraclub.com/about/donate/

In addition, the CCC is holding our regular club meetings via zoom for the foreseeable future. Any interested photographers are welcome to join our club by going to our website at CoastalCameraClub.com/join-us .

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Saturday February 28, 2026, 10:00 AM EST, lasting about 2.5 hours including Q&A.

"Next-Level iPhone Photography: From Snapshot to Masterpiece" by Melissa Needle & co-presenter Charles Needle

In this presentation, Melissa will take you beyond the “point and shoot” capabilities of the camera that’s always with you: your smartphone!

Using a combination of lecture and live demonstrations, she will show you how to get the most from your native camera and reveal many of its hidden features, as well as a review of helpful accessories. Melissa will then discuss creative editing and stylizing apps, giving you the tools to unleash your creativity and transform average, “not-quite-there” images into expressive, painterly masterpieces. You’ll come away from this jam-packed session with new knowledge that will empower you to make images you never imagined possible with your smartphone!

*Note: Android users are welcome with the understanding that Melissa uses and will demonstrate various apps and camera features using an iPhone. Many apps and techniques work on both iPhones and Androids, and she will highlight similar Android apps when possible.

Melissa Needle is a part-time professional photographer who stared her journey at the age of 12 with the family camera. She has lectured on smartphone photography at numerous camera clubs and at the New England Council of Camera Clubs annual conference. She currently leads the Greater Lynn Photographic Association (MA) smartphone specialty group. She has assisted her husband, Charles, in workshops, classes and zoom sessions since 2016. She enjoys literal image making but really enjoys exploring her creative side with various smartphone apps. Her smartphone images have been recognized with various awards including a Top-24 Image Award in the 2020 North American Nature Photography Association Member Showcase Competition.

Saturday February 28, 2026, 3:00 PM EST, lasting about 2 hours including Q&A.

“Impressionistic Photography: How to Use Your Camera as a Paintbrush” by Charles Needle

Unlock your creative potential and discover how to craft Impressionistic-looking photographs using nothing more than your digital camera. Charles will describe the process of using long-exposure and multiple-exposure techniques to transform everyday scenes into unimaginable visual masterpieces.

Using an easy-to-understand, step-by-step approach, he will define and illustrate techniques such as, Long-Exposure Pan/Tilt, "Multiple-Exposure Monet" (a technique Charles invented), Multiple-Exposure Rotate & Zoom, Soft-Glow Montage and Composite Montage. He will also explain how to use a free script in Photoshop to accomplish this same look, if your camera does not have built-in multiple-exposure capability. At the end of his presentation, Charles will also touch upon various smartphone shooting apps that allow you to create painterly images using nothing more than your smartphone. You’ll learn how to see in new ways and take your photography to an entirely new, mind-blowing level!

Charles Needle is an award-winning, Colorado-based fine art photographer, author, speaker and workshop leader with a unique eye for design and artistic interpretation. His popular “Art of Nature” creative macro workshops have attracted students nationwide.

In 2018 and 2021, Charles earned honorable mentions in the Macro and Visual FX categories of the prestigious Annual International Mobile Photography Awards Contest. He was also a semi-finalist in the 2014 Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards photo contest. In 2011, Charles was selected as a finalist, among 15,000 entries worldwide, in the International Garden Photographer of the Year photography contest, sponsored by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (London, England). This exhibition traveled throughout the United Kingdom.

A popular conference and camera club speaker for more than two decades, Charles has authored three cutting-edge instructional books: Tiny Worlds: Creative Macro Photography Skills (Amherst Media, January 2015), Impressionistic Photography: A Field Guide to Using Your Camera as a Paintbrush (March 2014), and Creative Macro Photography: Professional Tips & Techniques (2011).

An accomplished speaker, photography juror and teacher with international workshops in Monet's Garden (Giverny, France for 20 years in a row, with exclusive private access), Keukenhof Gardens (Holland) and The Butchart Gardens (Canada), Charles is a North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) Showcase Award winner for 17 years in a row, and placed in the Top Ten and Top 26 image categories for two of those years.

Charles’ photographs have selected for publication in Nature’s Best, Outdoor Photographer magazine, Nature Photographer magazine, Inner Reflections Engagement Calendar, The Chicago Tribune, SELF Magazine and are in private and public collections nationwide and abroad.

To learn more about Charles' work, including his workshop and private lesson offerings, visit www.charlesneedlephoto.com.

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FAQs

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please use the "Contact the Organizer" button for any questions you may have.

How will I know if I am registered?

You will receive an immediate email confirming your registration. SAVE this email, it contains the meeting link.

When will I receive a link for the webinar?

Your confirmation email will contain the Zoom Link information. Please mark the date on your calendar and SAVE the email....you need the link to join the webinar.

Are the webinars opened to anyone?

Yes, please feel free to share the Eventbrite website info so that others can register on Eventbrite. Please DO NOT share your Zoom Link sign-in information. There is a limit to how many people can participate in the online events.

What if I can't join in at the beginning?

Please feel free to join in at any time.

Should I have my camera and microphone on?

No your camera and microphone should be off. The speakers will share all the details at the beginning of their sessions. They will also explain how the Q&A will be handled.