WELCOME TO THE TACOMA PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY!
We focus on promoting fellowship among our members, improving our skills, and stimulating interest in all branches of photography.
- Learn from experienced photographers and meet new friends.
- Enjoy Photography outings, guest speakers, & presentations.
- Meetings are open to the public. All ages & skills are welcome.
- Monthly print and projection competitions in-person & on Zoom.
- Participate in PSA and NWCCC interclub & individual competitions.
- TPS Annual Spring Fair Photo Contest is open to PNW photographers.
- To join TPS or read more about a membership click here
- Share and get connected on Facebook Group We would love to see you there and your images
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To see more competition results, log in and go to Competitions > Competition Results or click here. A special "Thank You" to Ralph Reed, Bud Harris, Kristina Allums, Dawn Umstot, and Bruce Benson for contributing their photos to the top header of our website pages.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SPRING FAIR PHOTO CONTEST.
MEMBERS CAN GET THE INFO AND SIGN UP AT:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DACA82DAAFFC70-61943348-spring
FOR INFO ABOUT THE CONTEST & TO ENTER, PLEASE CLICK ON THE INFO PAGE ABOVE.
Tacoma Photo Extravaganza with
Guest Speaker PNW native professional photographer/instructor John Greengo
was a huge success. We learned so much from John and really appreciate all the information he shared with us.
Please see all the photos from the day in Galleries and TPS January Photo Extravaganza.
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2025 Competition Dates & Monthly Theme Assignments
Meetings are open to the public
You must be a club member to compete in print/projection competitions
Award-winning photos will be placed in the Home Page slideshow. For more projection information and competition rules, click here.
Submission Requirements: Print / Projection
If you are not a member of the TPS and would like to start competing in Print and Projection Competitions, join the TPS by clicking here. We hope to see your photos in our competitions and meet you at our monthly Projection and Print meetings.
THEMES - Monthly Themes are chosen to encourage people to explore outside their comfort zone by photographing something specific that is different. They stimulate your imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness. They encourage you to look around and pay more attention to something you might not notice. It takes just a little effort to look for these specific subjects, which, surprisingly, can be fun and interesting. Are you up to these monthly challenges? Take advantage of a new learning opportunity by trying something new, exploring, and having fun! You might surprise yourself by enjoying a new photography subject or style. Don't miss out on the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills!
The Theme subject must be the dominant subject/main focal point of interest. PDF list of Themes to download
Wednesday Projection Meeting Dates
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Themes |
Thursday Print
Meeting Dates
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| September 3, 2025 (ZOOM only) |
Architecture - Entire buildings or portions, focusing on patterns, shapes, and textures
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September 18, 2025 |
October 1, 2025
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Energy - Capturing dynamism, movement or vibrancy
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October 16, 2025 |
| November 5, 2025 |
Rain - Raindrops, reflections, abstracts . . . anything involving rain
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November 20, 2025 |
December 3, 2025
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Curves
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December 18, 2025 |
| January 7, 2026 |
Selected Color (black and white with ONE color) |
January 15, 2026 |
| February 4, 2026 |
Human Elements - focus on people, emotions |
February 19, 2026 |
| March 4, 2026 |
Hope - Visual representations of optimism or promise |
March 19, 2026 |
| April 1, 2026 |
Solitude |
April 16, 2026 |
| May 6, 2026 |
Bridges |
May 21, 2026 |
| June 3, 2026 |
Insects |
June 18, 2026 |
| July & August 2026 |
No Competitions during summer break |
July & August 2026 |
| September 2, 2026 |
Long Exposure - Capturing car light trails, smooth water, star movements, etc. |
September 17, 2026 |
| October 7, 2026 |
The Decisive Moment. Making a decision about . . .? |
October 15, 2026 |
| November 4, 2026 |
Minimalism |
November 19, 2026 |
| December 2, 2026 |
Large and Small |
December 17, 2026 |
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See Table above for dates and theme
Projection Competition
Submit Photos - by 11:30 pm
Judging & Voting - Tuesday, until Saturday, 9 pm before meeting
Review Meeting - The photo review meeting will be held on ZOOM only with social time and optional critiques starting at 6:30-9 pm.
Meeting Location - ZOOM only for this meeting, otherwise our regular meeting place is at Curtis High School, 8425 40th Street, University Place, WA 98466 Google map
Directions: Turn into the small parking lot (by the reader board sign and the big rock). There are also flagpoles by the main entrance. Go to the outside door marked "Staff Development Room".
Print Competition
Submit Photos - Friday until Wednesday, - You must submit your photos online before the meeting. Please note that we do not accept walk-in print registrations on the night of the meeting.
Therefore, please make sure you have pre-registered your prints on the website with a digital JPEG in sRGB photo of your print, before the cut-off date/time.
Judge & Vote - The meeting is at 6:30 pm to 9 pm with judging, voting, photo review, and optional critiques in person.
Location - Waller Road Grange, 2708 64th Street East, Tacoma Google map
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TPS Field Trips & Other Fun Events
Including Presentations, Workshops, Tutorials, etc.
| Date |
Event & Location
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Contact Member
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March 5th
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Point Defiance zoo, Meet Tedd @ the entrance at 9 am..for Lions, Tigers and Bears..Oh MY! |
Tedd Wilkinson
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March 14
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9 am.we meet at 512 Park and Ride to go to George Town Steam Plant in South Seattle.
The Georgetown Steam Plant in Seattle 1906 by the Seattle Electric Company is a preserved early-20th-century industrial power station built in 1906 by the Seattle Electric Company. The plant originally generated electricity for the city’s rapidly expanding streetcar system and industry using massive steam-driven generators.
Today it operates as a historic landmark and museum, featuring towering turbines, boilers, and switchgear that remain largely intact. The building’s cathedral-like turbine hall and raw industrial machinery make it one of the most complete surviving steam power plants in the United States.
Doug Hall and I plan to depart from 512 Park and Ride @ 9 am. If you need a ride maybe work it out with someone who is going. I hope we can share the ride if possible from here. Otherwise we meet at the Steam Plant @ 10 am. at 6605 13th Ave. in Seattle. Please Note - the building will be open to the general public, this not a private event. You will be free to roam and shoot.
Lunch will be at Post Pike 5701 Airport way S. @ 12:30 Pizza, Salads, and sandwiches. They also offer Gluten and Vegan options..Please note lunch is RSVP ONLY, @ photogordy@gmail.com
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Gordon Swetland (aka Gordy Lee)
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| March 14 & 15 |
Disc Dogs - Spanaway Lake
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Brian Bunko (253) 297-2947 |
March 23rd
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9-12 am. Olympia waliking tour come and meet us at The Owl's Nest Coffee 116 Capitol Way in Olympia, come take in the sights and other fun things our capitol city has to offer.
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Gordon Swetland (aka Gordy Lee) |
| March 24th |
It's best to arrive at the parking lot at Wallace Falls as close to 8am as possible due to the fact that this is a popular photo and hiking destination. With that in mind, if anyone wants to car pool for this day trip
I can take two people in addition to Rod Gamper and myself in my Rav 4. I will plan on being at the Federal Way/S320th BAY 1 parking are by 6am. I'm picking Rod up there and if anyone else needs a ride (up to 2 folks) please text/call me at
253-312-2637. Google Maps has good directions to the park if you are not planning on carpooling. Leaving P&R by 615 should get us to the park by close to 8am depending on traffic.
A link to the PDF (and the state park web site) is included here: The address is 14503 Wallace Lake Road #B Gold Bar, WA 98251 (360) 793-0420.
https://parks.wa.gov/find-parks/state-parks/wallace-falls-state-park
Be prepared: This trek will require sturdy hiking boots, walking sticks, snacks, water, and rain gear (if the forecast calls for rain - hopefully not!)
As you'll note from the website - there are 3 falls in this complex. Lower, Middle, and Upper falls. Per the Park Service: Wallace Falls offers 12 miles of well-maintained trails that takes you along the Wallace River, up to Wallace Falls and out to Wallace and Jay lakes. The popular 2.8-mile hike up to the top of Wallace Falls is doable for most skill levels, and viewpoints located at the lower, middle and upper falls let you decide how long you want your hike to be. The middle viewpoint gives you the most panaromic views of the Skykomish River Valley and Olympic Mountains. For a longer trek, head down an old logging road or follow the Greg Ball Trail over four miles to Wallace and Jay lakes.
Additional information on Wallace Falls can be found at the Washington Trails Association website: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/wallace-falls#hike-full-description
Rod and I wil likely stick to the lower falls and the middle falls overlook. If I get real ambitious I may try to get up the final destination Upper Falls (elevation 1300-1500 feet). FIGURE ABOUT 3 HOURS R/T TO MIDDLE FALLS
We will talk about lunch when we get up there but there are several eateries in Gold Bar.
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Tedd Wilkinson |
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| TBA |
Mount Rainier Railroad, Industrial Ruins and old rails, Rail Museum, Tacoma Symphony, Tulip Festival, Lakewold Gardens
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Additional day trip ideas that need a leader (pick a trip, pick a day, share with all TPS members): Deception Pass (in March, September), Oregon Falls, Thomasson Farm (in Spring and/or Fall), Seattle Public Library, Gas Works Park in Seattle, Rhododendron Parks (there are several) in Spring and/or Early Fall, Mt. Ranier, Pt. Defiance Japanese Garden and Roses, Connells Dahlias in Tacoma, Tacoma B&W Street Photo walk.
Email messages will be sent to all members with details through the website email system. Dates are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather, event location closures, illnesses, etc. Members are encouraged to bring their family and friends as their guests (unless a participation limit is stated in the event details). Please share your photos on the Galleries Pages for each field trip event/location. You do not have to attend on the date the event is scheduled to post your photos. Click on the Galleries link at the top of this page.
All club members and their guests are responsible for paying parking fees, entrance fees, and State or Federal Parks pass fees for themselves. Check before you go to see if a State Discover Pass or Federal Parks Pass is required. You do not have to stay together as a group unless the event consists of a guided tour provided by the facility's staff. Please read the event details carefully to see if there are any restrictions, such as no tripods, monopods, flash attachments, handicapped accessibility limitations, strollers, pets, children, etc. Please RSVP to the contact member for all field trips.
Dont forget to add some highlights or behind the scenes fun from your outings on our new Facebook group page. We would love to see any photos for sharing, field trips, adventures, questions and comments. Take a look and join in
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The Tacoma Photographic Society is proud to be a member of these two fine organizations:
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The TPS extends our sincere thanks to these local companies for helping make our TPS Annual Spring Fair Photo Competition a great success for us, and especially for all of the PNW photographer entrants! All photo entries are displayed at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup each April.
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Copyright © 2024 Tacoma Photographic Society - Pierce County, Washington
All photos on this website are the artistic and intellectual property of club members and are copy-protected. By law, they can't be copied, saved, reproduced, distributed, or shared in any form or for any reason without written permission from the photographer who created the photo(s). Photography is protected under the same copyright laws as fine art, books, poetry, and music.
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