If you traveled to Longview for the club's June 13-14 photo shoot at the Great Texas Balloon Race, we hope you had a spectacular time and were able to capture some amazing photos.
As is typical with club member activities, we would like to feature your images from the event in the slide gallery at right.
We look forward to seeing your pictures.
The goal of this DIY activity is to photograph fireworks and other scenes that capture the spirit of the Fourth of July.
Photo by Larry Petterborg
You might be attending a major public event, such as Addison Kaboom Town 40 or Fair Park Fourth in the Cotton Bowl. Or, perhaps you’ll be checking out smaller, less crowded celebrations in the area. Of course, you might simply be celebrating at home by lighting sparklers in your front yard.
No matter how you choose to mark the holiday, we’d love to see your photos!
Please send your best 5-7 pictures (4096 pixels on the long side; 10MB maximum) to clubphotos@planophotographyclub.com by Sunday, July 13, 2025, for inclusion in a gallery to be posted on the club website.
SEE A LIST OF DFW-AREA FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS AND FIREWORKS
Questions? Contact club Activity Chair Mary Ruehle.
Below, you will find some tips on capturing and editing fireworks photos for the best results. Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your images.
Capturing Fireworks Images
Post-Processing Fireworks Photos
We hope you can join us on July 12 for a morning photo shoot at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is a premier aviation and space museum located at Dallas Love Field Airport. Founded in 1988, the museum is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the rich history of aviation and space exploration, with a special emphasis on the Dallas/Fort Worth area’s pivotal role in the industry.
The museum offers a fascinating journey through the history of flight, making it a must-visit destination for aviation enthusiasts, families, photographers, and anyone interested in science and exploration. With its impressive collection, educational programs, and vibrant community events, the museum connects visitors to the wonder of flight and the stories of those who made it possible.
Details
Location: Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field |
6911 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75209 | (directions)
Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM CT (one hour before the public)
Admission: $10 for PPC members (as long as the group has 10+ people); payable at the door
Parking: Ample free parking is available on-site
Photo Restrictions: Photos of the Frontiers of Flight Museum logo may not be posted to social media in a way that suggests any club member is an official photographer for the museum.
Group Lunch
Attendees are invited to attend a group lunch at Maple Landing (5855 Maple Avenue, Suite 100 | directions) following the event at 11:30 AM.
Questions?
Please contact club Activity Chair Mary Ruehle.
Future Photo Activities
| Activity |
Activity Date/Time |
Notes |
| Tabletop Workshop |
August 23, 2025 |
|
| Plano Balloon Festival (DIY) |
September 18 - 21, 2025 |
|
| State Fair of Texas (DIY) |
September 26 - October 19, 2025 |
|
| Red Steagall Cowboy Gathering (Fort Worth Stockyards) |
October 25, 2025 |
|
PPC Showcase Prints Exhibited on the Curved Wall at Haggard Library
Update - June 21: Copies of the PPC Showcase 2025 Keepsake Book were distributed to purchasers at the June 19 club meeting. A PDF version of the book is now available for free download.
Update - June 6: Those PPC members who informed us of their desire to buy a copy of the PPC Showcase 2025 Keepsake book have now received information regarding how to purchase the book.
Update - May 9: The PPC Showcase 2025 is currently on display at Haggard Library in Plano through June 30, featuring more than 50 works by 28 club members.
A souvenir book of the collection will soon be available to purchase for about $27.
If you would like to reserve one or more copies of this keepsake, please complete and submit the form linked below.
https://form.jotform.com/251284011476149
NOTE: This form is now CLOSED.
Instructions for ordering the book(s) will be provided at a later date.
Update - May 1: The Plano Photography Club's Photo Showcase 2025 is now underway at Haggard Library Photo Showcase.
Prints are mounted in several areas on the library's second floor; you can visit them at any time during the library's standard operating hours.
The exhibit lasts until Monday, June 30.
Click for prior updates ...
Update - April 25: All PPC exhibitors have been informed whether they need to complete any of their library-required paperwork for the Haggard Library Photo Showcase.
All prints must be delivered to the library for the exhibit installation on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
Exhibitors who cannot be there at that time must ensure delivery of their prints by some other means. James Stover will be accepting dropoffs at his home on Sunday, April 27, and Wednesday, April 30.
Update - April 23: We received word back from our library contact that only five submitters completed and signed all of the required library forms correctly. The rest are missing small details or pages; some are missing one entire form.
They have identified what they believe to be a simple solution.
When each photographer brings their work to the library to install, they will be asked to complete the missing forms/sections at that time.
Speaking of the install date and time, the library informed us that the exhibit install will occur on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 10:00 AM.
Thank you to the twenty-eight (28) Plano Photography Club members who registered for the PPC Photo Showcase at Haggard Library from May 1 to June 30. Collectively, these talented photographers will display over fifty (50) prints, highlighting the exceptional skills of our members.
Our library contact is currently reviewing all submitted paperwork to ensure its completeness and accuracy. If any issues arise, we will directly contact the affected participants to resolve them. We anticipate this process will be completed within the week.
Once everything is finalized, we will provide additional details to exhibitors, including instructions on when and where to drop off their prints. Stay tuned for further updates!
Questions? Contact Club Historian Cindy Vaillancourt.
The Log Cabin Motor Court
The Plano Photography Club will travel to North Carolina for a fall foliage tour this fall.
There are many details to be shared in the weeks and months ahead, but attendees must REGISTER NOW for lodging at our planned headquarters via the Reservation Process detailed below.
Trip Dates: October 20-24, 2025
Our Headquarters: The Log Cabin Motor Court (330 Weaverville Highway, Asheville, NC 28804)
Phone Number: 828-645-6546
Proprietor: Susie
Reservation Process: DO NOT make your reservation(s) via the lodge website. Call Susie at the Log Cabin Motor Court; leave a message, and she will get back to you.
By doing it this way, you will receive a discount not available via the website. You may wish to send her an email at logcabincourt@gmail.com.
*** Important – we need all reservations to be made no later than May 31, 2025. ***
REGISTER FOR NORTH CAROLINA FALL FOLIAGE TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
(*) - The trip formerly known as the Blue Ridge Waterfall and Foliage Tour
Training (6:00 PM CT) - My Passions: Cacti, Succulents, and Macro (Irwin Lightstone)
Program (7:00 PM CT) - Kim Leeson: Discovering Details
Kim Leeson
Bio: Kim Leeson has been a professional photographer for more than 25 years. Her clients have included People magazine, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and a wide array of industrial, educational, and corporate publications.
She worked as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News from 1993-2004. Her work for the newspaper earned her awards from the Texas Headliners Foundation, the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, Texas Associated Press Managing Editors, and the Association for Women Journalists.
Many also know Kim as an accomplished nature photographer whose specialty is finding the extraordinary details of the natural world in urban environments.
She has a BA in photography from Texas A&M-Commerce (now East Texas A&M).
Program Description: Learn to see, experience, and intimately capture nature with a macro lens. You don’t have to travel far or go to exotic locations to witness nature’s incredible beauty. It’s just a few steps away at all times, and diving in with your macro lens and exploring things up close will reveal a micro-universe of grace and wonder.
Examples of Kim's Photography
On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Adobe issued the following updates to these products covered under its Creative Cloud Photography Plan:
- Lightroom Classic version 14.4
- Remove distractions (reflections/people) from a photo
- Performance improvements while performing interactive editing tasks
- View and control all AI edits together
- Tethering support for Fujifilm cameras
- Support for new cameras and lenses
- Other feature enhancements and changes
- Lightroom on desktop (version 8.4) and Lightroom on mobile (version 10.4)
- Detect and remove distractions (reflections/people) in a photo
- Editing landscape elements with Scene Enhance
- View and update AI edit settings in a photo
- Various enhancements in Lightroom on mobile
- Support for new cameras and lenses
- Other feature enhancements and changes
- Camera Raw version 17.4
- Quickly remove distracting people
- Quickly remove reflections in a photo
- Update AI edit settings in a photo
- Achieve consistency in tone with Color Variance (Early Access)
- Support for new cameras and lenses
- Other feature enhancements
You can update your copies of these products by opening your Creative Cloud desktop and clicking the Update All link on the Updates tab.
Additional details on the Lightroom updates are available from the Lightroom Queen blog:
Overview
"Mr. Polaroid" is a recently released documentary from PBS’s acclaimed American Experience series, premiering on May 19, 2025. The film explores the remarkable life and legacy of Edwin Land, the visionary inventor behind the Polaroid instant camera and one of the most influential technology pioneers of the 20th century.
Key Themes and Content
The documentary profiles Mr. Land, a Harvard dropout whose dream was to create “a camera that you would use as often as your pencil or your eyeglasses.” Land’s vision led to the creation of the Polaroid Model 95, which debuted in 1948 and allowed people to see their photographs instantly—a revolutionary concept long before the era of smartphones.
"Mr. Polaroid" highlights how the Polaroid camera transformed photography, making it immediate, accessible, and personal.
It traces Polaroid’s meteoric rise through the 1960s and 70s, when it became a cultural icon - often compared to Apple for its innovation and influence. Land’s approach to technology and design inspired future leaders like Steve Jobs, who considered Land an idol for creating products people didn’t even know they wanted.
The film doesn’t shy away from the company’s struggles, including risky business decisions, a costly lawsuit with Kodak, and ethical controversies, such as Polaroid’s involvement in South Africa during apartheid, which led to internal protests and public backlash.
Despite its eventual decline, Polaroid remains one of the most recognizable brands in photography, celebrated for its sense of playfulness and innovation.
Why Watch?
"Mr. Polaroid" offers a compelling look at the intersection of creativity, technology, and culture. It’s a must-see for anyone interested in photography, innovation, or the stories of visionaries who changed the way we see the world.
You can watch "Mr. Polaroid" on YouTube and on the PBS American Experience website.
The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received recognition in the May 2025 Gulf States Camera Club Council photo competition:
Nature Projected
- 2nd Place: Fighting Birds - Linda Grigsby
- Honorable Mention: Mt Tipsoo Sunrise - Jodi Smith
Color Projected
- 1st Place: To see a sunset - Jin Li
- Honorable Mention: Rotunda, the breakers at Ceda - Jason Ware
To see the winning image(s) and a full list of award recipients, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
Oh, June is Upon Us!
Parvin Stiles
What can I say about June? It comes after May and before July! School is out, so no more slowing down in school zones. Of course, June marks the official start of summer, with the Summer Solstice on Friday, June 20 at 9:41 PM Central Time – the longest day of the year!
But before that, don’t miss the fun at the Great Texas Balloon Race in Longview, Texas, on June 13-14. This colorful event features hot air balloon races, drone shows, and the magical Balloon Glow, lighting up the night sky. We suggest grabbing your tickets online and planning your day around the excitement.
Don’t miss our special Art Showcase on the 2nd floor of the Haggard Library in Plano, running through June 30. This exhibit features over 50 stunning photographs from 28 talented members, a true celebration of creativity and visual storytelling.
This spring, we had a fantastic time capturing the beautiful landscapes and wildlife at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Likewise, please mark your calendars for our fall trip to North Carolina, taking place from October 20 to 24. We’ll be photographing the brilliant fall colors and scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains. Our home base will be the Log Cabin Motor Court in Asheville, placing us close to waterfalls, Pisgah National Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and more. Visit our website for full details and to reserve your spot.
Don't forget our upcoming June 19 club meeting. During the training session at 6 PM, Alan Whiteside will talk about photographing moving water. At 7 PM, our guest speaker, Brittany Hamilton from the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, will share her experiences rehabilitating birds of prey and explain why these raptors are vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems.
Let’s kick off the summer with a camera in hand and adventure in our hearts! Whether you're snapping photos at local events, hiking through the wild, or just catching some rays, June is packed with moments waiting for you to capture!
Jeremy Woodhouse | Pixelchrome Tours
Andy Hess | Large Format Photography
Larry Golden | Cell Phone Photography
Jay Miller | Aviation Photography