Of course, you might just be staying home and lighting sparklers in your own front yard.
Whatever you do to celebrate the holiday, we would love to see your photos.
Below you will find some tips on how to capture and edit fireworks photos for the best results. Good luck and we look forward to seeing your images.
Submitted images will be displayed in a website scrolling gallery as in the past. Please note that no one will be able to download copies of these images from the gallery; you may add a watermark to the image if you wish.
Carpool drivers and the passengers who assign themselves to a particular car should get in touch with each other to coordinate all necessary logistics. All communications between carpool drivers and passengers are the responsibility of those parties.
We hope this makes it possible for more of you to attend the event.
Considered by many of the pilots that compete there to be the best run event on the circuit, the Great Texas Balloon Race earned Longview the official designation as "The Balloon Capital of Texas" by the Governor of Texas in 1985.
Submitted images will be displayed in a website scrolling gallery as in the past. Please note that no one will be able to download copies of these images from the gallery; you may add a watermark to the image if you wish.
On Tuesday, June 14, Adobe issued the following updates to the products covered under its Creative Cloud Photography Plan:
You can update your copies of these products by opening your Creative Cloud desktop and clicking the Update All link on the Updates tab.
The Dallas Camera Club is presenting its first-ever photography exhibition and gallery show in June at the Uptown Theater in Grand Prairie, Texas.
The show, "Celebrating The Print," spotlights the photographic art of the club's members (some of whom are also members of the Plano Photography Club).
DCC member Gary Kelly initiated this request for an exhibition to be held at the Uptown Theater Gallery and following his passing, Larry Petterborg continued with the plans to make it a reality.
Details are as follows:
Gallery Show Flyer | Preview Catalog
PPC Members Recognized at the May 2022 GSCCC Competition
The following Plano Photography Club member received awards in the Gulf States Camera Club Council May photo competition:
Monochrome Projected
- 2nd HM: Passing It On - Greg Rains
For a full list of winners, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
2021-2022 End of Year Awards Announced
The following club members were honored during the PPC End of Year Awards at the May 19, 2022 club meeting.
Competition Class Winners
Winners were determined by the highest total image points from the ten monthly contests.
- Entry Level
- First Place: Jodi Smith
- Second Place: Jennifer Wu
- Third Place: Shannon Hutchison
- Intermediate Level
- First Place: David Swinney
- Second Place: Siu Wong
- Third Place: Mary Ruehle
- Advanced Level
- First Place: Anita Oakley
- Second Place: Linfen Hwang
- Third Place: Jason Ware
- Masters Level
- First Place: Alan Daniel
- Second Place: Ron Hasty
- Third Place: John Lehman
- Third Place: Linda Grigsby
Special Interest Contests
Members could submit one image in any or all 3 categories; there were 72 submissions this year.
- Nature
- First Place: Alan Daniel - "Turf Battle"
- Second Place: Jason Ware - "The Great Orion Nebula"
- Third Place: Dennis Fritsche - "Cypress with Evening Light"
- Photojournalism
- First Place: Robert Shafer - "From a Grateful Nation"
- Second Place: Russell McGuire - "Summer Rain"
- Third Place: Dennis Fritsche - "Going for the Edge"
- Portraits of People
- First Place: Janice Goetz - "Childhood Means Simplicity"
- Second Place: Robert Shafer - "A Boy and His Stick"
- Third Place: Mary Ruehle - "New Marshall in Town"
Images of the Year
Winners were chosen from all the first and second-place finishers in the 2021-2022 print and digital contests, respectively.
- Print Image
- First Place: Greg Rains - "Into Darkness"
- Second Place: Anita Oakley - "Back to School circa 1900"
- Third Place: Anita Oakley - "Savannah Sunset"
- Digital Image
- First Place: Brian Clark - "National Memorial for Peace and Justice"
- Second Place: Alan Daniel - "Caddo Lake at Night"
- Third Place: Greg Rains - "St. Jo TX"
Photographer of the Year
This honor is awarded to the person with the highest combined score of Image and Place points during the competition year.
The 2021-2022 PPC Photographer of the Year is Anita Oakley.
Presidential Recognition Award
The Presidential Recognition Award, established in 2020, is presented to any PPC member who has assisted in accomplishing the aims of the Plano Photography Club.
The recipient of the 2021-2022 PPC Presidential Recognition Award is Greg Jones.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award may be presented annually to a Plano Photography Club member whose contributions of time, talents, and service have made a significant impact on the Plano Photography Club and its membership.
The recipient of the 2021-2022 PPC Distinguished Service Award is David Swinney.
Congratulations and thanks to all honorees mentioned above.
Total Lunar Eclipse Coming Sunday, May 15
If you are inclined to stay up a bit late and the weather cooperates, you'll have a chance to see (and photograph) the Super Flower Blood Moon total lunar eclipse in DFW on the evening of Sunday, May 15, 2022.
Here is the information that you need to help you photograph this five-hour and 19-minute celestial event.
| When The Eclipse Happens |
| Event |
Time in Plano (CT) |
Visible in Plano? |
Direction |
Altitude |
Penumbral Eclipse begins
The earth's penumbra starts touching the moon's face;
the moon is close to the horizon, so make sure you have free sight to ESE |
May 15 at 8:32 PM |
Yes |
115° |
3.9° |
Partial Eclipse begins
The moon is getting red |
May 15 at 9:27 PM |
Yes |
124° |
13.3° |
Total Eclipse begins
Completely red moon |
May 15 at 10:29 PM |
Yes |
135° |
22.7° |
Maximum Eclipse
The moon is closest to the center of the shadow |
May 15 at 11:11 PM |
Yes |
144° |
28.1° |
| Total Eclipse ends |
May 15 at 11:53 PM |
Yes |
154° |
32.4° |
| Partial Eclipse ends |
May 16 at 12:55 AM |
Yes |
170° |
36.0° |
| Penumbral Eclipse ends |
May 16 at 1:50 AM |
Yes |
186° |
36.1° |
Resources
Register by May 17 for the 2022 PPC End of Year Awards Dinner
Please plan to join us at West Plano Presbyterian Church on May 19, 2022, for our annual End of Year Awards and Dinner Party.
Setup is at 5:30 PM with dinner and program starting at 6:30 PM.
Members are asked to bring an appetizer, vegetable, or dessert. The club will provide meat, drinks, and utensils.
FREE Advance registration is required. Registration closes on Tuesday, May 17 at 12 PM.
If you have any questions, please contact the club president.
NOTE: This meeting will be IN-PERSON ONLY. There will be no Zoom broadcast.
Downtown Dallas Architecture Photo Walk with Nikola Olic
On Saturday, May 14, 2022, November 2021 program speaker Nikola Olic is holding an exclusive photo walk in Dallas for members of the Plano Photography Club.
His goal is to help us all look for new ways to view and appreciate the architecture in and around downtown Dallas.
The standard cost for Nikola's photo walks is $65 but he is offering access to this walk at the discounted rate of $30/person to PPC members.
One week after the walk (or whatever date works best for everybody), there will be a second, online gathering to review photographs taken and discuss them. Access to the photo review is included in the ticket price; attendance is totally optional.
Schedule and Logistics:
Photo Walk - Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 10 AM to 2 PM CT (You do not have to stay the entire time)
Registration (REQUIRED) - $30 per person; Nikola will communicate additional information as required to registrants
Parking - Street parking is available ($5-$10) near the Klyde Warren Park performance stage; the Dallas Museum of Art is another option ($15)
Camera Recommendations - Any camera will do, including smartphones; having a camera with some zoom capability will be useful, but is not necessary
Lunch - We will gather in a nearby restaurant after the photo walk is complete
Online Photography Review and Discussion - Saturday, May 21, 2022, @ 11 AM CT (60-90 minutes)
If you have questions about this event, please contact Nikola Olic directly by email.
Book Signing and Program Invitation from the DCC
The Dallas Camera Club has invited PPC members to a book signing and program by documentary photographer Richard Sharum. Richard is not only an outstanding photographer (Black & White is his medium), but he is an articulate speaker. He has previously presented to the DCC and other clubs in the DFW Metroplex to excellent reviews.
His program and the title of his book is Campesino Cuba, which is about rural life in Cuba. At the conclusion of his program, he will be available to sign and sell his
book.
This program will be presented on Tuesday night, May 24, 2022, at 7:30 PM CT at the following venue:
Congregation Shearith Israel
9401 Douglas Avenue
Dallas, Texas, 75225
Contests Now Open for 2022-2023 Competition Year
As of Sunday, May 1, 2022, all contests for the 2022-2023 competition year - including the Special Interest contests - are open for submissions.
Please be sure to select the correct contest when submitting a photo.
New Club Year Begins With (Some) New Club Officers
At the April 21, 2022 club meeting, members affirmed the following slate of officers and volunteers for the 2022-2023 PPC Club Year.
The club thanks outgoing officers Alan Daniel, Suzanne Beasley, Brian Clark, and Greg Jones for their service to the PPC.
| President |
David Swinney |
| VP Activities |
Cliff McKenzie |
| VP Programs |
Mary Ruehle |
| Treasurer |
Mike Losurdo |
| Training Chair |
Dennis Fritsche |
| Contest Chair |
Clive Fernando |
| Membership Chair |
Michael Farnham |
| Webmaster |
David Swinney |
| Newsletter |
James Stover |
| Social Media |
Heidi Phillips |
| PSA Representative |
Larry Petterborg |
| GSCCC Representative |
Sam Lucas |
| Historian |
Cindy Vaillancourt |
April 2022
OnStage @ Allen Public Library: Allen Photographer Raúl Rivero
Commercial and portrait photographer Raúl Rivero loves learning the history and stories of the places he visits and lives.
Join him on Thursday, April 28, 2022, for a presentation of his images of Allen's landscapes and architecture and a conversation about his art.
This program will be presented live both in person and virtually.
In-person attendance is limited to 225. No registration is required to attend. Admittance is first come, first served.
Updates to Photoshop, Lightroom, and Camera Raw
On Tuesday, April 12, Adobe issued minor updates to all the products covered under its Creative Cloud Photography Plan, as follows:
- Photoshop v 23.3
- This update contains many bug fixes as well as feature and performance improvements including enhancements to Sky Replacement, copy/paste text from Illustrator to Photoshop, improvements to cloud documents, performance gains from additional GPU processing and more.
- Lightroom v 5.3
- This update includes bug fixes and support for new cameras and lenses. This update also includes the ability to export specific versions of your images in the Versions Panel, and the ability to export an image using the short side dimension. Masking now includes a new intersect option.
- Lightroom Classic v 11.3
- This update introduces improved responsiveness in the Metadata panel & Wacom tablets, updated camera and lens support, bug fixes, and more.
- Camera Raw v 14.3
- Photoshop Camera Raw 14.3: Update to the Camera RAW plug-in that ships with Photoshop; adds RAW support for new camera models.
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 are available from the Lightroom Queen blog:
PPC Members Recognized at the GSCCC End of Year Competition
The following Plano Photography Club member received awards in the Gulf States Camera Club Council End of Year photo competition:
Nature Projected
- 2nd: Eagle Food Fight - Ron Hasty
For a full list of winners, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
Election of Club Officers is Coming
May marks the start of the new club year.
At the upcoming April meeting, members will have the opportunity to vote on new officers and volunteers.
This year, voting will be in person, so please plan to be there!
Here is the proposed slate of officers for 2022-2023:
| President |
David Swinney |
| VP Activities |
Cliff McKenzie |
| VP Programs |
Mary Ruehle |
| Treasurer |
Mike Losurdo |
| Training Chair |
Dennis Fritsche |
| Contest Chair |
Clive Fernando |
| Membership Chair |
Michael Farnham |
| Webmaster |
David Swinney |
| Newsletter |
James Stover |
| Social Media |
Heidi Phillips |
| PSA Representative |
Larry Petterborg |
| GSCCC Representative |
Sam Lucas |
| Historian |
Cindy Vaillancourt |
If anyone else not listed here is interested in serving, please contact club president Alan Daniel.
Donate Old Film Cameras to Collin College
During her February 2022 program presentation, Anna Fritzel mentioned that the Collin College Foundation accepts donations of old film cameras for use in classes at the school.
The steps to make those donations are as follows:
- Contact Anna Fritzel via email if you wish to donate any equipment to the college. She will address any questions that you have, including those related to equipment transfer.
- Download and fill out the Collin College Foundation In-Kind Contribution Form.
- Send the form along with the equipment to the address in the form.
- Anna will receive and process both the form and the donated equipment, which will then be sent on to the Foundation.
NOTE: There is no tax write-off available for these donations, but the Foundation will send you a thank you note.
March 2022
Details on Anna Fritzel's Frozen Gallery Showing
February program guest, Plano multimedia artist, and photography educator Anna Fritzel is currently putting on an exhibition of her Frozen series of prints at the University of Texas at Dallas SP/N Gallery.
Created during the early stages of the COVID lockdown, Anna says that "Frozen contemplates the dormant potential of women historically, particularly the female experience, over the past 200 years within the context of American Exceptionalism."
Details are as follows:
This showcase will provide an opportunity for those club members unable to attend the February meeting in person to get a close-up look at Anna's exceptional work.
PPC Members Recognized at the March GSCCC Competition
The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received awards in the Gulf States Camera Club Council March 2022 photo competition:
Nature
- 2nd: A Bare Tree in the Lake - WenChi Lee
- HM: Savannah Sunset - Anita Oakley
Photojournalism
- HM: Waiting for Jo - Russell McGuire
For a full list of winners, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
DCP Invites PPC Members to Call for Entry and Swap Meet
The Dallas Center for Photography (DCP) has invited all members of the Plano Photography Club to DCP’s next call for entry and Photo Swap Meet event, as detailed below.
- DCP’s Landscapes Call for Entry – Show how you capture the land’s shapes, colors, and forms in unique ways.
We invite photographers of all ages and skill levels to submit to DCP’s Landscapes call for entry. Selections will be featured in an exhibition in the DCP Gallery in May 2022.
Prizes will be awarded to first, second, and third places, as well as honorable mentions.
The deadline to submit is April 12.
More information is available here.
- Photo Swap Meet – Saturday, May 7, 2021, from 10 AM - 4 PM at DCP – It’s back!
For one day, DCP will be stuffed full of photo gear for you to buy or trade. Expect to find the usual and the very unusual on over 30 tables of cameras, lenses, lighting, bags, and doodads.
DCP is hosting this event with help from Don’s Camera, the best-used camera store in the region.
Entry is $5 at the door. DCP members and kids 12 and under get in free.
More information is available here.
Nominations Now Open for Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award may be presented annually to a Plano Photography Club member whose contributions of time, talents, and service have made a significant impact on the club and its membership.
Any member of the PPC may submit a nomination for this award, and we invite you to consider doing so, as follows:
Option 1: Download the PPC Distinguished Service Award Nomination Form Fill it out on your computer and send it via email (Word or PDF) to the Club President.
Option 2: Send an email message to the Club President which contains the following information:
- Name of nominee
- Description of why you are nominating this person for the Distinguished Service Award
Nominations are open through 11:59PM CT on April 23, 2022.
The 2022 State Fair of Texas Creative Arts Handbook Is Out
The 2022 Creative Arts handbook is now available and that means you can sign up to compete in one of the hundreds of competitions at the Fair. There is something for everyone from photography to canning — young and young at heart. It all starts with the handbook, so start exploring it today and plan your creative adventure towards a 2022 State Fair of Texas ribbon!
Each category is organized into a designated department. To learn more about each of these and the various classes, download the handbook and locate the desired Arts & Crafts section you wish to enter. After registering online, all that’s left to do is get creative and produce your masterpiece!
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center Featured in Texas Highways
In case you missed it, the January 2022 issue of Texas Highways magazine included a feature article on the work done by the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center.
Of course, many of our members are familiar with the BPRC, but in case you are not, the center is a small but rapidly growing operation on 66 acres at the western edge of Lavon Lake in Lucas.
Their goal is to help injured animals and create a place where Texans can learn about and appreciate birds of prey, vultures included.
The magazine article does a great job of educating you on the center's history, the financial challenges it faces, and what its future looks like. Highly recommended.
Tabletop Workshop Coming March 26
The club is excited to announce our first Tabletop Workshop in more than two years - Saturday, March 26 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the West Plano Presbyterian Church (our home base).
This indoor educational photo opportunity (masks are encouraged) is in the format of a "hands-on" cafeteria-style photography workshop that encourages learning through participation. We ask that you please be considerate and share time at the various tabletop set-ups and digital stations.
Here is a list of the currently scheduled activities and stations (subject to change and additions):
- Water Drops
- Abstract Photography
- Backlit Flowers/Fruits/Vegetables
- A Splash of Red
- Oil and Water
- Crystal Ball
- Lightroom Classic Workflow
We look forward to seeing you at this in-person event and don't forget to bring your camera!
NOTE: There will be a lunch break from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM; all participants and attendees are on their own for lunch.
March DIY Excursion Information
The club's second DIY Photo Excursion of the year is to the Dallas Arboretum for Dallas Blooms, the largest annual floral festival in the Southwest, which runs through the entire month of March.
With the theme “Birds in Paradise,” the 2022 edition of the spring festival showcases an explosion of color from 100 varieties of spring bulbs, 500,000 spring-blooming blossoms, thousands of azaleas and hundreds of Japanese cherry trees.
Highlights include four larger-than-life peacock topiaries, 500,000 spring-blooming bulbs, and a variety of themed programming, including bird talks, bird flight shows, demonstrations, and more.
Admission prices for Dallas Blooms range from $12 to $20. Tickets are available now.
After you return home from the Arboretum, please send your best pictures (maximum of five) to clubphotos@planophotographyclub.com for inclusion in a gallery to be posted on the club website. Please see the DIY Excursion panel for additional information.
Anna Fritzel's Frozen Series Will Have A Gallery Showing In April
As mentioned at the conclusion of her February program presentation to the PPC, Plano multimedia artist and photography educator Anna Fritzel is putting on an exhibition of her Frozen series of prints beginning April 1, 2022, at the University of Texas at Dallas SP/N Gallery.
Created during the early stages of the COVID lockdown, Anna describes Frozen as a series of photographs that "address perceptions of and restraints on women in a 21st-century world still dominated by patriarchal institutions, particularly mass media and its messaging. They also focus on aging, perception, grief, and exploring what it means to be 'grounded.'"
This showcase will provide those club members who were unable to see examples of Anna's work at the meeting an opportunity to get a close-up look at her exceptional work.
Please visit the University of Texas at Dallas SP/N Gallery website for additional details.
Watch Nikola Olic Speak at Dallas Center for Photography (In-Person or Online)
NOTE: This event was rescheduled from its original date due to inclement weather in the Dallas area.
Dallas Center for Photography invites you to an evening with architecture photographer Nikola Olic on Thursday, March 10 from 7 PM - 9 PM CT.
This event will be in-person at Dallas Center for Photography (limited seats are still available).
You may watch the live stream of this event via Zoom for a discounted ticket price.
Nikola, who was the featured speaker at the PPC's November 2021 meeting, is a Serbian photographer living and working right here in the Dallas/Fort-Worth area. He focuses on architectural photography and abstract structural quotes that reimagine architecture in playful, dimensionless, and disorienting ways. He is represented by Afterimage Gallery in Dallas, Subject Art Gallery in New York City, Espaces Atypiques in France, and Bartselona Gallery in Serbia.
Every photograph in his collection includes the exact coordinates where each photograph was taken, offering a quick return to the real world in which the structure exists, of cars, noise, buildings, and people, and is intended as a demystifying tool, reminding us that these structures — beautiful or otherwise — are among us on every corner, in cities we visit or cities where we live.
February 2022
PPC Members Recognized at the February 2022 GSCCC Competition
The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received awards in the Gulf States Camera Club Council February 2022 photo competition:
Monochrome
- 2nd: Ansel’s Homage - Fred Manchester
- 3rd: Convection - Jason Ware
Color
- HM: Lily Light - Jodi Smith
For a full list of winners, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
Are You Going To Scarborough Faire ... At No Cost?
NOTE: As of March 2, 2022, all available passes have been claimed.
The Plano Photography Club has obtained ten (10) free day passes for the Scarborough Renaissance Festival (Scarborough Faire) which takes place from April 9 - May 30, 2022 in Waxahachie.
These passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting Greg Jones via email.
Please note the following requirements for use of the passes:
- They are only available to Plano Photography Club members
- Only those members who plan to take photographs at the event may request a pass
- Passes may be used only during any of the first four weekends of the Festival
- Passes are to be picked up at the Will Call window at the Festival
- As a condition of providing the passes to the PPC, the Festival is requesting copies of 10 photographs from each pass recipient for possible marketing use
If you have questions, please contact Club President Alan Daniels via email.
Here's How You Can Get A Free Photographer Pass To The North Texas Irish Festival
The North Texas Irish Festival (NTIF) returns to Fair Park in Dallas from March 4-6, 2022, bringing with it all the music, dance, culture, and excitement that this well-loved event creates to celebrate the rich tradition of Irish and Celtic culture.
The Plano Photography Club has obtained forty (40) free event passes which are available on a first-come, first-served basis by contacting Suzanne Beasley via email.
Please note the following requirements for use of the passes:
- They are only available to Plano Photography Club members
- Only those members who plan to take photographs at the event may request a pass
- As a condition of providing the passes to the PPC, the NTIF is requesting copies of up to 5 photographs taken by each recipient at the event
- Passes will be available for pickup at the February 17 club meeting and in the church parking lot between 10 AM and 2 PM on Saturday, February 19
If you have questions, please contact Club President Alan Daniels via email.
Want to Go Storm Chasing With Jeremy Woodhouse?
July 2020 PPC program guest Jeremy Woodhouse has made us aware that limited openings are now available in his June 2022 storm chasing tours.
The first of these (June 6-17, 2022) is a High Plains tour, which typically offers the best photo ops of the season. There will be frequent storm intercept opportunities in Colorado, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Occasionally the tour will slip into Canada so you would need to bring your passport.
The other tour (June 18-25, 2022) offers the longest chase days of the year thanks to the summer solstice and includes frequent storm intercepts in eastern Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Montana.
The storm chasing is led by the industry's most experienced staff and it includes lodging, weather briefings, free onboard Wi-Fi, photo tips from professional storm photographers, an exclusive chase team T-shirt, and much more. A chase will begin immediately following the mandatory 9:00 AM orientation on the arrival date.
If you're interested in taking part in this adventure, you can learn more about the program(s) and reserve a spot (subject to availability) at Jeremy's PhotoTours website.
Annual Heard Nature Photography Contest Is Now Open
The annual Heard Nature Photography Contest is accepting submissions from February 1 through February 24, 2022.
The fee for each submitted image is $10 and proceeds from the contest benefit the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.
The contest is hosted by the museum's affiliated photography club but you don’t have to be a member of the museum or the photography club to participate.
To learn more about the contest, including the requirements for submitted photos, please visit the contest website.
February 2022 DIY Excursion Information
The first PPC DIY Photo Excursion of 2022 is to the Dallas Zoo, located at 650 South R.L. Thornton Freeway in Dallas (map). The Zoo is currently open every day from 9 AM to 4 PM CT.
Penguin Days are back through February 28 with an $8 daily general admission fee for all ages. Advance tickets are required. Parking is $10.
As of August 12, 2021, the Dallas Zoo requires masks to be worn while visiting indoor spaces at the zoo. Learn more about the Zoo's health and safety protocols for COVID-19 here.
After you return home from the Zoo, please send your best pictures (maximum of five) to clubphotos@planophotographyclub.com for inclusion in a gallery to be posted on the club website. Please see the DIY Excursion section for additional details.
Enjoy getting outdoors and your trip to the Dallas Zoo, but please stay safe and keep healthy.
Resources: General Information | Explore the Zoo | Map of the Zoo
PPC Members Recognized at the January 2022 GSCCC Competition
The following Plano Photography Club member(s) received awards in the Gulf States Camera Club Council January 2022 photo competition:
Monochrome
- 2nd HM: Windswept North Dakota Homestead - Jason Ware
For a full list of winners, please visit the GSCCC competition results page. Congratulations to those listed above.
January 2022
Invitation to Create New Website Banners
We are inviting all club members to create some new banners for use on the PPC website.
Guidelines and requirements for the graphics are as follows:
- They may consist of a single photo or a collage of photos in JPEG format
- Banner dimensions must be exactly 1372px wide by 260px tall
- The maximum banner file size is 1 MB
- Banners may be in color or black & white (or anything in-between)
- Included image(s) must have been captured in Plano
- Submissions may include a photographer watermark
- If no watermark is included, submitters will be acknowledged by name
- You may submit more than one banner
NOTE: The club logo will be overlaid on the submitted banners by the webmaster, so please do not incorporate it into your submissions.
To participate, send your image(s) to clubphotos@planophotographyclub.com.
Approved banners will be incorporated into a display rotation on the website. Our plan is to refresh them weekly, but the actual schedule will be determined by how many approved submissions we receive.
Thanks in advance for your participation, and we look forward to seeing your creativity at work.
Annual Heard Photography Contest Is Coming Soon
The annual Heard Nature Photography Contest will be accepting submissions from February 1 through February 24, 2022.
The fee for each submitted image is $10 and proceeds from the contest benefit the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.
The contest is hosted by the museum's affiliated photography club but you don’t have to be a member of the museum or the photography club to participate.
To learn more about the contest, including the requirements for submitted photos, please visit the contest website.
The North Texas Irish Festival Is Back in 2022
The North Texas Irish Festival makes its triumphant return to Fair Park in Dallas from March 4-6, bringing with it all the music, dance, culture, and excitement that this well-loved, family-friendly event creates to celebrate the rich tradition of Irish and Celtic culture.
This family-friendly event features live music, dancing, storytelling, chef demonstrations, and more on multiple stages, both indoors and outdoors, throughout Fair Park.
Attendees will also enjoy horse shows, fencing demonstrations, sheepherding demonstrations, beer and whiskey tastings, genealogy research opportunities, shopping, animal rescue groups, child-friendly entertainment, and free arts and crafts for the kids.
We'll have additional information at a later time about the possibility of acquiring free tickets for our members. Stay tuned.
Seeking Photographers For Dallas Quilt Show In March
Club member Jan de Meulder has asked that the following request be shared with all members:
The Dallas Quilt Show is set to open to the public for the first time in three years from March 11-13, 2022. Sam Lucas and I, and a third person, were the official photographers for the last live show in 2019. This coming March, Sam and I will cover the event at Dallas Market Hall, but we will need some help.
We will have about 400 quilts to photograph, download the images, post-process them and submit the full set to the Show Committee in a fairly short time span. We can only start taking pictures once the quilts have been judged and ribbons attached to the winners’ quilts (around 6 PM on Thursday night March 10.
The show opens its doors on Friday morning March 11 at 10 AM and closes Sunday at 5 PM. The Show Committee would like to be able to start posting all the pictures as soon as the show closes on Sunday.
We would need two (2) additional volunteers, possibly from the Plano Photography Club, to help with the actual photography: one additional person to shoot part of the 400 quilts, and one person to mass edit/post-process the pictures as they come in, directly from the photographers' memory cards.
If you feel you’re up for a challenge and would be interested to help out with this event, please contact Jan de Meulder via email.
Register Now For The Texas School Of Professional Photography
Registration is now open for Texas School 2022, the annual Texas School of Professional Photography, which will be held from April 24-29, 2022 in Addison, Texas.
The conference website shares the following information:
At the Texas School of Professional Photography, our classes educate, inspire creativity, and invigorate your photo business. That is why we provide first-class instructors in small-size classes. This ensures more individual attention to meet your needs.
After class, unwind with our legendary FUN and FREE evening events. And don’t forget our impressive Trade Show with over 70 vendors offering the BEST prices on equipment anywhere! You will NOT be disappointed!
We offer six days of the BEST photographic education in the world. Because you will leave full of new ideas, new friends, new vision, we know you will join those who anxiously await Texas School NEXT year! Experience the unrivaled Texas School of Professional Photography: The BEST photographic education at the best price… and SO much more!
Visit the Texas School 2022 website to get more information on cost, the scheduled classes, testimonials from prior attendees and much more.
Mark Your Calendars For These Celestial Events in 2022
As we continue to work through the pandemic and deal with its required safety protocols, there are still opportunities for photographers to exercise their creative muscles with a spate of upcoming astronomical events.
This article (excerpted and linked below) from Digital Camera World summarizes the major celestial events happening this year.
From eclipses to supermoons, there are lots of out-of-this-world opportunities for astrophotographers in 2022. Here’s what and when to point your camera at in the next 12 months:
- Quadrantid meteor shower: January 3-4
- Venus and Jupiter in conjunction: May 1
- Eta Aquarids meteor shower: May 6-7
- Total lunar eclipse: May 16
- Supermoon on the solstice: June 21
- Venus and the crescent Moon in conjunction: June 26
- Partial solar eclipse: October 25
- Total lunar eclipse: November 8
- Saturn, Jupiter and Mars at opposition: August 14, September 26, and December 1
- Mars occulted by the Moon: December 8
The full article provides additional information about each of these astronomical happenings.