With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Plano Photography Club member Robert (Bob) Robinette of Garland, Texas, who passed away on March 26, 2025, just a few days after his 63rd birthday.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Angela Robinette, daughter Lynn Robinette, child Nick Robinette, and many loving family and friends.

A memorial service will be held this Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 1 PM at the Keene Senior Citizen's Center (207 E. 1st, Keene, TX 76059 [map]).

For more details and to share your thoughts or stories about Bob, please visit his memorial page.

The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received recognition in the March 2025 Gulf States Camera Club Council photo competition:

Photojournalism Projected

• 1st Honorable Mention: Muddy Muddy Rugby - Larry Petterborg

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.

We want to make club members aware of a free virtual training opportunity coming later this month: the Photoshop Creativity Virtual Summit 2025.

Photoshop Virtual Creativity Summit 2025 (March 23-26, 2025)

VIEW THE CLASS SCHEDULE | GET YOUR FREE PASS | GET INFO ON THE VIP PASS (EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS MARCH 23) 

The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received recognition in the February 2025 Gulf States Camera Club Council photo competition:

Color Projected

• 1st Honorable Mention: The Dying Light Beneath The Rim, Grand Canyon - Fred Manchester

Monochrome Projected

• 2nd Honorable Mention: Smooth Sax Man - Lynn Barrett

To see the winning images and a full list of award recipients, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.

On Wednesday, February 15, 2025, Adobe issued the following updates to these products covered under its Creative Cloud Photography Plan:

• Lightroom Classic version 14.2
  • Adjust the tones and colors of your photos with Adaptive Profiles to create an enhanced yet realistic starting point for further editing
  • Significant performance improvements enhancing speed, precision, and fluidity across various tools and adjustments for interactive editing tasks
  • Easily adjust focus points and autofocus modes directly from the tethered live view window for Sony, Canon, and Nikon cameras
  • Easily manage your catalog backups with a new backup panel in Catalog Settings, allowing you to open backup locations, check sizes, and delete older backups without removing actual files
  • Support for new cameras and lenses
  • Other enhancements and bug fixes
• Lightroom on desktop (version 8.2) and Lightroom on mobile (version 10.1)
  • Adjust the tones and colors of your photos with Adaptive Profiles to create an enhanced yet realistic starting point for further editing
  • With the Fix Angle tool in Lightroom on mobile, you can make instant geometric corrections in an image
  • Work across two monitors in Lightroom to make your editing journey more productive than ever
  • Support for new cameras and lenses
  • Other enhancements and bug fixes
• Camera Raw version 17.2
  • Bring out the best in your photos by quickly removing unwanted people
  • 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:

• What’s New in Lightroom Classic 14.2, Mobile & Desktop (February 2025)?

We have been asked to share the following information about the 47th Annual Heard Nature Photography Contest, which is coming next month.

The Heard Nature Photographers Club administers the contest and has for over 40 years. All proceeds go directly to the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary for operating expenses or special projects. In just the last nine years since the contest went all digital over $57,000 has been raised for the museum.

Both Adult and Youth divisions are available with a wide choice of nature-related categories. There is a $100 cash prize for Best of Show in each division,  and certificates will be awarded to all winners.

You can be a part of it this year by entering in your division. And you don’t have to be a member of the Heard Museum or the photography club to participate.

The contest is open to all photographers, so find your best nature images and get ready to enter (submission dates are March 22 - April 13, 2025). The awards ceremony will be on May 4, 2025.

To learn more, including the contest rules, fees, and requirements for submitted photos, please visit the contest website, where you can also view winning images from the 2024 contest.

The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received recognition in the January 2025 Gulf States Camera Club Council photo competition:

Nature

• 3rd Place: Great Horned Owl Family - Frank Barnhart
• 2nd Honorable Mention: Singing in the Rain - Jodi Smith

To see the winning images and a full list of award recipients, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.

Flickr's Year in Review is an annual reflection on the platform's photography community, highlighting key achievements, trends, and notable moments in photography. The 2024 Year in Review reveals fascinating insights into the platform's photography community and trends.

Here are the key features:

Photography Device Highlights

• Canon dominated traditional cameras, occupying 6 of the top 10 spots
• iPhone 13 was the most-used camera overall
• Surprisingly, 900 users still actively used the iPhone 3G
• A total of 7,000 different image capture devices were used

Photography Trends

• 30% increase in street photography popularity
• Color-themed tags (red and green) were among top 5 used
• "Friendly Challenges" became the most active discussion group
• "World Photography Day 2024" was the fastest-growing group

Popular Photography Locations

• Times Square
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Empire State Building
• Vatican City (2,300 unique users uploaded photos)
• Mammoth Cave National Park (most photographed U.S. National Park)

The review emphasizes that great photography transcends equipment choices and highlights the enduring power of photography to connect people globally.

Plantation Inn

As was announced at the January club meeting, we're heading to the Wichita Mountains this spring.

Our field trip is set for April 14-16, 2025, and we'll be based at The Plantation Inn in Medicine Park, Oklahoma (map).

Built on the original foundation of the old Oklahoma Press Association's Clubhouse and re-created from old photographs to look like the original building, The Plantation Inn has the charm of yesteryear with all the modern conveniences.

The Inn has 20 rooms (a mix of upstairs and downstairs) and reservations just opened up for the week of our trip.

If you're interested, don't wait to book your room.

RESERVE A ROOM AT THE PLANTATION INN

We're still finalizing some trip details, but stay tuned - we'll share more info in the coming weeks.

Got questions? Reach out to Mary Ruehle, our Activities Chair, and she'll get you the information you need.

As we enter 2025, photographers should take a moment to update their copyright information in their editing program of choice. This simple yet crucial task ensures your intellectual property is protected across all your images.

Here are additional reasons why you should update your copyright information: 

• Legal Protection: Embedding accurate copyright information establishes your legal ownership, deterring unauthorized use and making it easier to enforce your rights if infringements occur.
• Professionalism: Consistently updating your metadata reflects a professional approach, ensuring clients and collaborators have the correct information about your work.
• Searchability and Organization: Detailed metadata helps catalog and retrieve images efficiently, especially in extensive photo libraries.

Regardless of which editing program(s) you use, taking a few minutes to update your copyright information can save you potential headaches in the future.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on updating your copyright information in the various Adobe Lightroom products, visit The Lightroom Queen's website. You'll find comprehensive instructions for each Lightroom version, ensuring you can protect your work effectively in 2025 and beyond.

Remember, your photographs are your intellectual property. By keeping your copyright information current, you're taking an important step in safeguarding your creative work.