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.
Did you participate in the recent group photo outing in Glencoe Park to watch the Dallas Harlequins rugby matches? If so, we would like to feature your best images in the slideshow that appears below.
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., JonnyWilkinson_Rugby_1.jpg).
All submitted photos must be received by WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2026.
We look forward to seeing your photos.
This slideshow is now closed. Thanks to all for your submitted photos.
Full-Screen Slideshow | Gallery of Photos | All Slideshows and Galleries
Fort Worth Stockyards Scavenger Hunt
Please plan to join us at the Fort Worth Stockyards on Saturday, February 21, 2026, for a playful “COWBOY LUGE” photo scavenger hunt that will turn this historic Western district into a creative playground.
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 is taking 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, 2025
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.
Future Activities
The award recipients of the Plano Photography Club's November photo contest were announced during the club's monthly meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
Detailed results are listed below; honored photographs are visible on the right.
Winning Images from the November 2025 Club Contest
Topic: Roads and Paths Leading Through the Image (Electronic) (Click any image to see it full-screen)
Congratulations to the awardees, and thank you to all competitors.
Entry
- 1st: Death Gate - Mike Evans (3rd Place Overall)
- 2nd: Fisherman's Bridge over the Yellowstone River - Maggie Hutchison
- 3rd: A Paris Walk to Remember - Ann Tilger
- HM: Rush Hour after the War - Terence Jesper
- HM: Alpine Meadow Chapel Path - Lauterbrunnen - Julie Yu
Intermediate
- 1st: Oh, Misty Iowa Morning - Ian McVea (Honorable Mention Overall)
- 2nd: Darkness Falls on Foothill Parkway - Kelly Hernandez
- 3rd: Dealey Plaza at Night - John Copes
- HM: Long Stretch of the Road - Lisa Wilkins
- HM: Stairway to hea....? - Jonathan Biser
Advanced
- 1st: Jaywalkers - Mark Bernthal (2nd Place Overall)
- 2nd: The Path to Serenity - Daniel Dailey
- 3rd: Zipping thru Dallas - Richard Otto
- HM: A Limestone Road Through Time - Chung Oey
- HM: Electric Pathways - Greg Rains
Master
- 1st: Dust and Thunder - Anita Oakley (Best of Show)
- 2nd: I-30 To Downtown Dallas - Larry Petterborg
- 3rd: Main Street, Turkey Texas -Alan Daniel
- HM: Life is a Highway - David Swinney
Full-Screen Slideshow | Gallery | Judge's Commentary
Standings: All Levels | Entry Level | Intermediate Level | Advanced Level | Master Level
Training (6:00 PM CT) - What Judges Look For (Larry Petterborg)
Program (7:00 PM CT) - Jon Fischer: Toyota Tacoma Travel Platform
Jon Fischer
Bio: Jon Fischer is a nature and landscape photographer based in North Texas, with a portfolio that spans from the rugged deserts of New Mexico to the lush coasts of New Zealand—and countless breathtaking places in between.
For Jon, the natural world is more than a subject to photograph; it’s a place of refuge, inspiration, and connection. Guided by his philosophy “Where Nature and Art Meet,” Jon seeks out the world’s most artistic forms and captures them with an artist’s eye.
Through his website, Jon shares not only his striking imagery but also educational resources and insights to help photographers of all levels grow their craft and deepen their appreciation for the landscapes around them.
This will be Jon’s second presentation to the club; he previously spoke in June 2022 about capturing the drama of Texas skies.
Program Description: From Washington State to North Carolina, Jon Fischer has traveled the country, from its Interstate Highways to well beyond paved surfaces, in search of unique landscapes to capture.
In this presentation, he will show you why he chose his 2015 Toyota Tacoma as his travel platform, the many modifications made over the years to transform it into the ideal platform for him, and images captured on a wide range of trips since the truck was new.
Samples of Jon's Photography
The Plano Photography Club's February contest is a PRINT competition with the theme BLACK AND WHITE LANDSCAPE.
Please review the print contest procedures before submitting your print.
Submit contest image
NOTE: You must be a Plano Photography Club member to submit contest images.
Electronic entries must be uploaded to the PPC Competition Site by 11:59 PM CT on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
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