Joe Tomasello
Joe Tomasello has been taking photos and telling visual stories since he was 12 years old with a Kodak Instamatic. In high school he was the yearbook photographer and built his own dark room. By college he was entering contests and winning awards. Over the years Joe photographed friends, family and special events. Joe worked in commercial banking for 37 years in the Chicago area. After early retirement, he moved to Arizona and joined the SaddleBrooke Photography Club 18 months ago.
Joe’s life as a photographer was transformed when he converted to digital photography. He says, “The option to take an infinite number of photos [like 3,000 on our trip to Italy] and see immediate results was astounding!”
Currently Joe is shooting with a DSLR Nikon D810. He has discovered his passion. Photographing wildlife! Joe and his wife have visited numerous National Parks and are hooked on the natural beauty and uniqueness of each region. The combination of digital photography and his experiences in the National Parks motivated Joe to participate in professionally guided photo workshops and trips.
Joe shares these thrilling adventures with his long-time college friend. Together they have explored Yellowstone Lamar Valley in the frigid winter, humpback and killer whales in Monterey, CA and the annual sandhill crane migration in Kearney Nebraska. Oftentimes he is traveling and shooting alongside professional wildlife photographers.
This month Joe presented to the club his most recent trip to Haines, Alaska. This March, Joe won a Second Place and Honorable Mention for his “Eagles in Alaska” in the Arizona Camera Club Council Spring Round-up. He joined professional photographer, Matt Shetzer, on his Bald Eagle Photography Workshop. Here is how Joe described this amazing experience: “My overall impression was that Alaska is truly the ‘last frontier’…The eagles that migrate to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve must be protected from interference in their annual migration at all costs. It is essential to preserve their existence for future generations to witness these magnificent creatures. The eagles were exciting to observe and photograph and allowed me to broaden my knowledge of this rare population of raptors.”
Future trips for Joe include the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to capture images of condors. This year he will return to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons and next year he is headed to Vero Beach, Florida for action shots of osprey. Joe believes that traveling to these amazing locations with a professional photographer tour guide has enhanced and improved the quality of his photography. The SaddleBrooke Photography Club is honored to present the talented, Joe Tomasello, as our May Photographer of the Month. Drop into the photo studio in the Agate Room at SaddleBrooke TWO any Wednesday or Friday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon to see what the club can do for you.