May 16-17 St. Augustine Photo Trek

To register for the St. Augustine Photo Trek, we require a $50 registration fee (deposit) — similar to the standard fee we charge for our Photo Shoots and Workshops. This $50 secures your spot on the trek and confirms your commitment to participate. The fee is fully refundable through April 15, 2026. After that date, it becomes non-refundable due to lodging and reservation commitments made on behalf of the group. Space is limited, and your registration fee ensures your place in this immersive experience.

Registration for the St. Augustine Photo Trek is a two-step process. First, you must complete and submit the registration form. After submitting, you should see the confirmation message: “Your submission was successful.” Once you see that message, your second step is to complete the payment to secure your spot. Both steps are required in order to be fully registered for the Photo Trek.

If your bank offers Zelle, you may use it to submit your $50 registration deposit. Please send payment to treasurer@tcpcinc.org and list Treasure Coast Photography Center as the payee. In the memo field, clearly indicate what you are purchasing (for example: St. Augustine Photo Trek Deposit) so your payment can be properly credited.

If you have questions about the Trek contact Teresa Milanese – email: milaneset@gmail.com Phone or Text : 631.513.8749

Limited Enrollment

Comfort Suites St.  Augustine Historic District

Hotel Booking Instructions – St. Augustine Photo Trek

To reserve your room, please call the hotel directly at 904-925-1707 and ask for the Front Desk (not Reservations). Press 2 on your keypad.

Let them know you are booking with the Treasure Coast Photography Center group.

A credit card is required to secure your reservation. You will not be charged at the time of booking. The hotel will charge only the first night plus taxes 30 days prior to the event.

Reservations are fully refundable until April 15, 2026.

Comfort Suites St Augustine

Meet Our St. Augustine Local Guide – Bruce Cathcart

Our St. Augustine Photo Trek will be guided locally by Bruce Cathcart, who now calls St. Augustine home and will help guide participants toward some of the area’s most rewarding photographic opportunities.

Bruce and TCPC President Charlie Hutchins share a long professional history. In 1974, Charlie recruited Bruce to the Photographic Technology Department at the Florida Institute of Technology’s Jensen Beach campus. Bruce began as a student employee, later became the lab manager, and ultimately served on the faculty for 13 years, helping teach and support the photography program until FIT closed the campus in 1986.

In 1996 Bruce moved with his family to St. Augustine, where he pursued a second career as a physical therapist, practicing until his retirement in 2023. Today he volunteers as a Natural Resources Field Volunteer at Anastasia State Park, remaining deeply engaged with the region’s natural environment.

Having lived in St. Augustine for nearly three decades, Bruce brings an insider’s understanding of the city’s unique blend of natural beauty, historic architecture, and layered human history. His knowledge of the area—and his lifelong connection to photography—will help participants discover compelling subjects and perspectives throughout the Photo Trek.

 
 
 

St. Augustine, Florida

May 16–17

The Treasure Coast Photography Center is launching something brand new —

Our first-ever immersive Photo Trek.

This is not simply a field trip. It is a curated, two-day photographic experience combining history, street photography, wildlife, night shooting, instruction, and community.

This special Photo Trek weekend can easily be expanded into a longer photographic experience. Participants have the option to arrive Friday for an additional exploration of historic Flagler architecture in St. Augustine, and to remain through Monday morning for an optional coastal photography expedition to Anastasia State Park. To make this possible, the Treasure Coast Photography Center has secured special group hotel rates for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, allowing participants to extend their stay and take full advantage of these additional photographic opportunities.

We begin at the historic Huguenot Cemetery — the first cemetery in St. Augustine dedicated to Anglo-American civilians.

11:00 AM –  Guided tour by Charles Tingley, president Friends of the Huguenot Cemetery Inc..

Photographic opportunities include:

  • Spanish moss and textured light

  • Historic gravestones and storytelling compositions

  • Environmental detail studies

  • Black-and-white interpretation

This is where we slow down and shoot with intention.

Picnic Lunch + Street Photography

After lunch, we transition into downtown St. Augustine for street photography.

Cobblestone streets. Colonial architecture. Tourists. Musicians. Layers of history.

This is where we work on:

  • Shooting with intention from a fixed location

  • Environmental portraits

  • Observing gesture and timing

  • Storytelling through layers

St. Augustine provides one of Florida’s richest street photography environments.

Hotel Check-In

Late afternoon check-in gives time to rest, download selected images on the provided flash drive, and prepare for the evening session.

Dinner will be at the legendary
Columbia Restaurant – St. Augustine at 6:30PM in a private location

Florida’s oldest restaurant group offers not only extraordinary Spanish cuisine but a visually rich interior perfect for documentary-style photography.

Evening Class & Night Photography

After dinner, we return to the hotel for a focused class session:

  • Review and critique Street photography discussionPlanning night exposures
  • Creative direction for low-light work

Participants are then encouraged to photograph (optional):

Castillo de San Marcos
Bridge of Lions

Day 2 (Sunday)

After breakfast (included), we head to the iconic
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park (Group Rate)

This location is famous for:

Active bird rookeries
Elevated boardwalk perspectives
Alligators and crocodiles
Wildlife behavior photography

Members may register for a special behind-the-scenes tour (additional cost).

Behind-the-Scenes Tour – St. Augustine Alligator Farm

Participants who wish to attend the Behind-the-Scenes Tour at 12:30 PM must reserve their spot directly through the St. Augustine Alligator Farm website. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Those interested should visit the Alligator Farm website, select the 12:30 PM Behind-the-Scenes Tour, reserve their space, and complete payment online. This can be done now to secure your spot

Click here to buy your ticket

Participants may: Head home Sunday afternoon
OR  stay an additional night (not included in the base cost)

Optional Add-On Day

Participants may:

Head home Sunday afternoon
OR Stay an additional night (not included in base cost)

Visit Anastasia State Park the following morning

Expect:

  • Coastal dunes
  • Shorebirds
  • Seashore landscapes
  • Minimalist compositions

Estimated Cost

Approximately $400 per person (one-night experience)

Includes:

  • 1-night hotel stay

  • Breakfast

  • Dinner

  • Parking

  • Admission fees

  • Instruction & group class session

Not Included:

  • Optional behind-the-scenes Alligator Farm tour
  • Additional night stay
  • Travel to/from St. Augustin

Who Should Attend?

This Photo Trek is ideal for:

  • Photographers who want immersive learning

  • Members seeking community-based critique

  • Wildlife and street photographers

  • Those wanting to strengthen visual storytelling

  • Anyone ready to step beyond a single-location field trip

    Lodging & Estimated Expenses Including additional days hotel costs

    Participants will stay at the Comfort Suites St. Augustine Historic District Area, where a block of rooms has been reserved for the Treasure Coast Photography Center. Saturday night, May 16, is the official overnight stay for the Photo Trek. 

    However, participants may wish to extend their experience by arriving on Friday evening to be rested and ready for the start of activities, or by staying Sunday night. Those who remain Sunday evening are invited to join an optional Monday morning photography expedition to Anastasia State Park, providing an additional opportunity to photograph coastal landscapes, wildlife, and the beautiful Atlantic shoreline.  

    Reservations for additional nights should be made directly with the hotel when booking your room.Group Rates

    The hotel will honor these group rates until April 15, 2026.

  • Important Notes:

    • Cancellations must be made by 4:00 PM at least 30 days prior to check-in.
    • Hotel parking: $10 per day.
    • If you plan to stay the night before or after the scheduled program, those reservations must be arranged directly with the hotel.

This Is the Beginning of Our Photo Trek Series

The St. Augustine Photo Trek marks the start of a new TCPC initiative:

Immersive learning environments where photography, instruction, and community merge.

Learn with Intention. Create with Purpose