Training (6:00 PM CT) - What Judges Look For (Larry Petterborg)
Program (7:00 PM CT) - Anita Oakley: Carnival of Venice
NOTE: Jon Fischer is ill and unable to present at tonight's meeting. PPC member Anita Oakley will fill in for him, and Jon will reschedule for a date later this year.
Anita Oakley
Bio: I started my journey as a photographer in 1967 with a Minolta SR-T 101 (a boat anchor). I got married in 1968 and put it aside for many years, other than taking family pictures and vacation snapshots. In 1997, I decided to get serious and took classes at Northlake College, and I haven’t looked back since.
I’ve been fortunate to travel to Iceland, Svalbard, Venice, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Chile, South Georgia Island, England, Germany, and Australia. I’m a storm chaser, and I love weather photography as well.
Program Description: The Carnival of Venice is a two-week celebration, typically held in February and March, leading up to Lent, and is known for its masks, costumes, and theatrical performances.
I have made the trek to Venice for Carnival twice. I’ll share some insights and images from those trips, along with tips about good shooting locations in the city.
Samples of Anita's Photography
Please plan to join us at the Fort Worth Stockyards this Saturday, February 21, 2026, for a playful photo scavenger hunt that will turn this historic Western district into a creative playground. The hunt topic is COWBOY LUGE.
Photo by Larry Petterborg
With brick streets, working Longhorn cattle drives, weathered barns, and classic storefronts, there are countless subjects whose names fit the theme's letters, so photographers of all levels will find engaging images around every corner.
The Winter Olympics twist (because the event takes place on the final weekend of the Olympic Winter Games) adds a fun layer of visual wordplay, inviting participants to interpret each letter in imaginative ways and compare their findings.
The mix of structured prompts and free roaming should encourage conversation, sharing locations and ideas, and coming home with a set of uniquely personal Stockyards images.
Details
Location: Fort Worth Stockyards |
131 E. Exchange Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76164 | (directions)
Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM CT
Parking: Multiple parking lots at various price points surround the Stockyards; free parking is available on city streets west of N. Main Street (subject to availability)
Group Lunch
After the 11:30 AM cattle drive through the Stockyards, a group lunch will take place at Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall | 122 E. Exchange Avenue, Suite 200, Fort Worth, Texas 76164 | (menu | directions).
Questions?
Please contact club Activity Chair Mary Ruehle.
The recent winter storm and cold snap in the DFW area changed our daily routines and created some memorable moments - both indoors and out. We’d love to see how you experienced those days through your camera.
We’re inviting you to submit photos that capture your personal perspective on the storm for the slide gallery at right.
These can be anything from icy landscapes and snowy neighborhoods to cozy scenes at home or creative details you noticed while staying put.
Here are the guidelines for submitting photos:
- SEND UP TO SEVEN (7) of your best pictures to clubphotos@planophotographyclub.com.
- The maximum dimension (long edge) for submitted images is 4096 pixels.
- Individual files are limited to 10 MB in size.
- Please include YOUR NAME and the TOPIC in the file name(s) (e.g., JimCantore_WinterStorm_1.jpg).
All submitted photos must be received by SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2026.
This is meant to be fun and informal, so don’t overthink it; share what caught your eye.
We’re really looking forward to seeing how everyone's unique take on this (thankfully) unusual stretch of winter weather.
This slideshow is now closed. Thanks to all for your submitted photos.
Full-Screen Slideshow | Gallery of Photos | All Slideshows and Galleries
Cold Clicks and Golden Moments!
Parvin Stiles
I love waking up early and looking out the window. This morning felt calm and silent. The street was white, frozen with ice and snow, and the clouds were beautiful as they slowly broke after a brutally cold weekend. I watched a lonely squirrel hopping through the snow, flicking his tail, maybe searching for a friend. He climbed a leafless tree and disappeared.
February weather in North Texas is unpredictable, but it offers many photo opportunities, from quiet, moody winter scenes to kids playing in the snow. Or February could be more like other years, giving us another pleasant day worth documenting.
Our photo outing this month is a scavenger hunt at the Fort Worth Stockyards on Saturday, February 21. Because it is a Winter Olympics month, our theme is “Cowboy Luge." Can you just picture it - a tall, skinny cowboy wearing a giant Stetson flying down a curving luge track towards Olympic Gold? Yeah, maybe not. But photo Gold? Yes, absolutely. We won’t spot that exact scene in the Stockyards, but we will hunt
down 10 items whose first letter starts with our “Cowboy Luge” theme. Charge up, saddle up, and start looking!
Don’t forget our upcoming February 19 club meeting. During the 6 PM training session in the library, our own master photographer, Larry Petterborg, will explain what judges look for when evaluating an image. Then at 7 PM, our guest speaker Jon Fischer will share why he chose his 2015 Toyota Tacoma as his travel platform, the modifications he’s made over the years, and images he’s captured while traveling the
country in search of unique landscapes.
Join us at our photo outing and invite a friend to join you at our meeting. Looking forward to seeing you
there.
Shari Hunt | Shari Hunt Photography
Jason Ware | Galaxy Photo
Rob Hull | Great Photography
Kim Leeson | Kim Leeson Photography