May is a month of transition here at the Plano Photography Club.

Alan Daniel

We wrapped up our 2025–2026 season in April, and to celebrate a successful year, we invite everyone to attend our End-of-Year Dinner on Thursday, May 21, at 6:30 PM. The event will be held at our usual location, West Plano Presbyterian Church. Following the meal, we will share member images and present awards to those whose work was recognized in last year’s competitions. For more information about the dinner, please check out the website, and don’t forget to register for the event so we can plan appropriately.

May also marks a transition for some of the members who volunteer their time and talents in the various positions that ensure the photography club runs smoothly.

I would like to personally thank Parvin Stiles for her leadership over the past two years as president. She has done an outstanding job and will be greatly missed. I look forward to following in her footsteps.

I also want to express my gratitude to Mary Ruehle, who served as 1st VP and Activities Chair, Craig Rowen, our outgoing Contest Chairman, and Larry Petterborg, the club’s longtime PSA Representative. These members are stepping down from their duties.

New members on the Executive Council are Debbie Conard, 1st VP and Secretary, Lily Mak, our Activities Chair, and Greg Rains, who takes on the role of Contest Director. Parvin Stiles is the club’s new PSA Representative. 

Get out there, enjoy the weather, and take some great photos.

If you attended the Texas Discovery Gardens photo shoot at Fair Park on Saturday, April 18, we'd love to see the photos that you captured.

Here are the guidelines for submitting photos:

• SEND UP TO FIVE (5) of your best/favorite photos from the event to ppcsendphotos@gmail.com (note the new email address).
• The maximum dimension (long edge) for submitted images is 4096 pixels.
• Individual files are limited to 10 MB.
• Please include YOUR NAME and the TOPIC in the file name(s) (e.g., JaimeRojo_Butterfly_1.jpg).

Your photos will be included in the slide gallery at right, and will be part of a slideshow at a future club meeting.

All submitted photos must be received by SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2026.

Full-Screen Slideshow Gallery of Photos All Slideshows and Galleries

The award recipients of the Plano Photography Club's March contest were announced during the club's monthly meeting on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

Detailed results are listed below; honored photographs are visible on the right.

Congratulations to the awardees, and thank you to all competitors.

• 1st: Above the Clouds - Adam Johnson
• 2nd: Returning home - Jean-Claude Wakim
• 3rd: Willow House Casita #8 in Terlingua, Texas - Maggie Hutchison
• HM: We're Done Here! - Robert Eilers
• HM: Temple of Apollo - Julie Yu

• 1st: Fall waters - Jonathan Biser (2nd Place Overall)
• 2nd: Junk in the Trunk - Brian Lamacchia (Honorable Mention Overall)
• 3rd: Flying - Janet Yiu
• HM: The watchful eye - Dennis Hahn
• HM: Felgueiras Lighthouse - Steven Wilson

• 1st: Pale Fire - Jin Li
• 2nd: Stairs - Mark Bernthal
• 3rd: Serenity - David Hutchison

• 1st: Golden Hour Glide - Alan Daniel (Best of Show)
• 2nd: Reflections of a Hunter - Clive Fernando (3rd Place Overall)
• 3rd: Wings Beneath the Lights - Eddie Yu
• HM: Cathedral Rock and Cabin - Dennis Fritsche
• HM: Spring - Nancy Mack

Full-Screen Slideshow Gallery of Photos Judge's Commentary

Standings - All Levels Entry Level Intermediate Level Advanced Level Master Level

The Plano Photography Club's May contest - the first of the 2026-2027 club year - is an ELECTRONIC competition with the theme EVOKING EMOTION.

Submissions for all 2026-2027 contests will open on FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2026.

NOTE: You must be a Plano Photography Club member to submit contest images.

Resources

• 5 Tips to Take Photos That Evoke Emotion — A practical, idea-friendly piece that emphasizes photographing what you feel and using your own emotions to shape the image.
• Unifying a Photo’s Emotions — Great for understanding how lighting, subject, composition, and post-processing work together to support one emotional mood instead of competing with it.
• Mastering Storytelling: Capture Emotion in Your Photos — Focuses on using light and composition to create warmth, drama, and intentional mood.
• How to Capture Emotion in Your Photos — Encourages empathy with the subject and experimenting with expressive gestures, lighting, and perspective.
• Ten Tips To Help Wildlife Photographers Create Emotions in Their Photographs — Even though it is wildlife-focused, it has useful ideas about perspective, action, color, contrast, and including the environment to strengthen the feeling.
• How to Improve Your Photography Composition: A Guide — Useful for members who want practical composition ideas like negative space, leading lines, and visual structure to make an image feel more emotionally engaging.