Club Meetings Held on the Third Thursday of Each Month (except December)
Live Training Session(s) at 6:00 PM and Program at 7:00 PM
West Plano Presbyterian Church - 2709 Custer Road, Plano, Texas
Online Training Session(s) Open to Members of Plano Photography Club and Dallas Camera Club
Reunion Tower Late Afternoon/Evening Photo Shoot
Please plan to join us on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, for a late afternoon/evening photo shoot at Dallas' iconic Reunion Tower.
If you've never been there, the stunning 360-degree panoramic view of the city from the tower's observation deck must be seen to be believed. From 470 feet above the ground we can see and photograph the scenery for miles in any direction. While the views are spectacular no matter when you visit, they're extra special at sundown.
Details
Location: Reunion Tower | 300 Reunion Blvd E, Dallas, Texas 75207 (map)
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM CT
(Golden hour begins at 6:48 PM; Sunset is at 7:22 PM; Nautical twilight is at 7:45 PM)
Parking: Self-parking for visitors is available in Lot B, just a short walk from Reunion Tower located at 601 Sports Street. Parking is $10 for 0-4 hours. Handicap parking is available at 300 Reunion Tower Boulevard with the Hyatt Regency Valet.
Directions to Entrance: From the Lot B parking lot, walk toward Reunion Tower and to the stairways that lead down to the entrance, which is to the left via the glass doors. Upon entering the facility, follow the hallway and go up the escalators and the ticket counter is to the left through the double doors.
How To Buy Tickets
Reunion Tower is offering PPC members $4 off regular admission prices to the tower. To take advantage of this offer, you must enter the discount code (available via the button below) in the Coupon Applied field when purchasing your ticket(s).
Step 1: GET THE DISCOUNT CODE (AVAILABLE TO PPC MEMBERS ONLY)
Step 2: PURCHASE DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR SEPTEMBER 24 (6:00 PM)
If you have questions about this event, please contact Activities Chair Mary Ruehle.
Big Boy No. 4014 Returns to Texas in September and October
On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014 left its home base in Cheyenne, Wyoming for its Heartland of America Tour, which includes travel through ten states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
This will be the Big Boy's third trip to the Lone Star State since its multi-year restoration was completed in 2019.
- 2019: the giant locomotive visited 32 cities and towns in Texas in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
- 2021: Big Boy toured the southwestern portion of the Union Pacific system as part of The Great Race Across the Southwest, passing through Sherman, Denton, and Fort Worth, among other nearby North Texas cities. Many PPC members took advantage of the opportunity to capture spectacular images of this amazing relic of American railroad history.
- 2024: #4014 is spending nearly a month in Texas, including a two-week maintenance stop.
And this time around there's a special opportunity for Dallas-area photographers... the Big Boy will be traveling into Dallas on Tuesday, September 17, and parking overnight (there will be no public access). The train will leave Dallas on Thursday, September 19 to head south toward Houston.
It will return to DFW on October 9-13, stopping for two days in Fort Worth before continuing north to Oklahoma.
The Fort Worth stop will be the public's first chance to see the locomotive up close in North Texas. It'll be displayed at the downtown Fort Worth train station at 275 West Lancaster from 9 AM to 3 PM on October 10 and 9 AM to 1 PM on October 11. Admission is free.
DIY Photo Activity
In 2021, many PPC members took advantage of the locomotive's visit to North Texas to capture spectacular images (see the gallery at right) of this amazing relic of American railroad history.
The club is now sponsoring a two-part DIY activity built around the engine's 2024 return to the Lone Star State.
Part one of the activity is in September, so let's talk about that one while holding off a few weeks on the October return trip to the area.
Tuesday, September 17, and Thursday, September 19
On September 17, the Big Boy will travel from Texarkana, Arkansas into Dallas, where it will stop for the night and a private Union Pacific event the next day. Two days later, the locomotive will take leave of the city to begin its trip to Houston.
Note that the locomotive will not be on public display in Dallas. But that doesn't mean you won't have a chance to photograph it.
As in 2021, we have created a detailed resource page for photographers who want to capture images of the Big Boy rolling through North Texas.
The page expands upon the scheduled whistle-stop list provided by Union Pacific by identifying the locations of many train crossings in intermediate locations and providing supplemental Google Maps and Google Street View links.
So check out the information page to get the full schedule details and plan where you can get the best shots.
We invite you to SEND UP TO SEVEN (7) of your best photos of Big Boy No. 4014 in North Texas to clubphotos@planophotographyclub.com.
As always, please include YOUR NAME and the TOPIC in the file name(s) (e.g., EdDickens_Big Boy_1.jpg). The maximum dimension (long edge) for submitted images is 4096 pixels; the maximum individual file size is 10MB.
The submission deadline for part one of this DIY activity is SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2024.
BIG BOY 4014 TEXAS 2024 INFORMATION PAGE | TRACK THE BIG BOY INTO DALLAS | TRACK THE BIG BOY OUT OF DALLAS
Parvin Stiles
September in Photos
In September, North Texas experiences a welcome shift in weather, making it a fun photography time. The sweltering heat begins to ease with daytime temperatures in the mid-80s, offering a comfortable environment for outdoor shoots. The skies clear up, providing vibrant blue backdrops to a softer golden light in later afternoons.
Whether you are capturing urban tranquility during the hustle and bustle in a city or urban wildlife, there are many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and capture the moments.
Our activity chair, Mary Ruehle, and her committee have coordinated three exciting and fun photo outings for us this month:
- Reunion Tower evening shoot (September 24): We will have an amazing vantage point (with a 360-degree view) to shoot the Dallas skyline during sunset and twilight hours. Take advantage of a $4 discount Reunion Tower offer from our website and join the group for a fun time.
- Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 returns to Texas from its home in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The massive steam locomotive will travel through Texas for a month including a 2-day stop in Fort Worth (October 10-11) before continuing north through Oklahoma. In 2021, several PPC members had a blast photographing Big Boy at its stops, and a few enjoyed following the train on its journey through Texas. It was so much fun; I would not be surprised if some of us would be so tempted to chase it once again to photograph the amazing giant in different settings.
- The State Fair of Texas (September 27 - October 20) is always fun to enjoy and photograph. The neon lights of the fair rides can be a visually captivating experience, especially as the vibrant colors and dynamic motion create a striking contrast against the evening sky. This will be a DIY activity, and we hope that we can provide our members with free passes.
So pick up your camera, clean your lens, and get out there to have some fun!
Winning Images from the July 2024 Club Contest
Topic: Open (Electronic)
(Click any image to see it full-screen)
Award recipients in the July Plano Photography Club contest were announced at the monthly club meeting on Thursday, August 15, 2024.
Detailed results are listed below; honored photographs are visible at right. Congratulations to the awardees and thanks to all competitors.
Entry
- 1st: 105 years of carpentry experience - Jonathan Biser
- 2nd: Long Long Long Fishing Trip - Gary Berger
- 3rd: Kayaking - Janet Liu
- HM: Street Musician Passau Germany - Dennis Hahn
Intermediate
- 1st: Forging Metal - Craig Rowen (Honorable Mention overall)
- 2nd: Jazz - Jodi Smith
- 3rd: Hoop Dee Doo - Pat McCormick
- 3rd: Popcorn Vendor - Jin Li
- HM: Smooth Sax Man - Lynn Barrett
Advanced
- 1st: Pets Sitter Morning Walk - Siu Wong (2nd Place overall)
- 2nd: The Collector - Heidi Phillips
- 3rd: Are you going to Scarborough Fair - Daniel Dailey
- 3rd: Fishmonger - Clive Fernando
- HM: Putting the "Bomp" in the Bap! - Randy Ratzlaff
- HM: Over Loaded for a Mission Trip - Michael Losurdo
Master
- 1st: Fisherman in the Mekong River - Linda Grigsby (Best of Show)
- 2nd: Shear Skill - Danette Volkmer (3rd Place overall)
- 3rd: Taking a Break - Janice Goetz
- HM: The Ring Merchant - Anita Oakley
- HM: The Joy of Victory - Larry Petterborg
Full-Screen Slideshow | Gallery | Judge's Commentary
Standings: All Classes | Entry | Intermediate | Advanced | Master
Training - 6:00 PM CT
Panoramas (Library)
Program - 7:00 PM CT
Jay Miller: The Art and Science of Aviation Photography
Jay Miller
Bio: Jay is from Odessa, TX, where he lived until leaving for the University of Texas at Austin in 1966 and an undergraduate degree in English Literature.
Already long immersed in aviation photography and writing by the time he arrived in Austin, he also served as curator/director of the UT History of Aviation Collection. He would later become director of the American Airlines CR Smith Museum. And still later, he would become director of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection in Seattle, WA.
Jay has authored 36 books and well over a thousand magazine and newspaper articles. His aviation photography has appeared in numerous publications across the globe. He has appeared on "60 Minutes” twice and he’s been privileged to have been befriended by such renowned aviation personalities as Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Chuck Yeager, Scott Crossfield, Jimmy Doolittle, Joe Kittinger, Bob Hoover, and a long list of others who helped put the aviation community on the world stage.
As Jay’s wife of fifty years says, “...he’s had a Forrest Gump life...”
Program Description: Jay will cover all aspects of the aviation photography world.
As a professional aviation photographer for the past sixty-plus years, he’s covered virtually all aspects of this somewhat esoteric slice of the professional photographer’s pie. He will cover equipment, techniques, and the pluses and minuses of taking aircraft photographs for clients and publication.
Samples of Jay's Photography
The Plano Photography Club's September contest is an ELECTRONIC competition with the theme PORTALS.
Electronic entries must be uploaded to the PPC Competition Site before 11:59 PM CT on Thursday, September 19, 2024.
Resources
Definition: Merriam-Webster | Cambridge | Wikipedia | Wiktionary
Sample Images: 500px | Adobe Stock | Flickr | Pinterest | Shutterstock | SmugMug
NOTE: You must be a Plano Photography Club member to submit contest images.
The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received recognition in the August 2024 Gulf States Camera Club Council photo competition:
Monochrome Projected
- 2nd Place: Breaking Through - Sanjay Kaul
Nature Projected Projected
- 1st Honorable Mention: Farewell Cruel World - Parvin Stiles
To see the winning images and a full list of award recipients, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
Graham Hobart | Infrared Nature and Wildlife Photography
Jason Ware | Galaxy Photography
Barry and Ruth Guimbellot | Creative Illusions
Essie Graham | Essie Graham Photography