• Learn from experienced photographers and meet new friends.
• Enjoy Photography outings, guest speakers, & presentations.
• Improve your skills through the club's educational website pages.
• Improve your photography skills with photo critiques.
• Monthly print and projection competitions in-person & on Zoom.
• Participate in PSA and NWCCC interclub & individual competitions.
  
• Meetings are open to the public. All ages & skills are welcome.
• TPS Annual Spring Fair Photo Contest is open to PNW photographers.
  
• TPS Annual Division Competition & Award Banquet--members only.

To join TPS or read more about a membership click here 

Tacoma Photographic Society
Annual Spring Fair Photo Competition 23rd Anniversary
Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup, WA
April 10-13 & 17-20, 2025

Congratulations To All Of The Competition Winners!

A very special "Thank You!" to our Judges:  Tim Clifton, Trinda Love, and Eric Bastin.

A PDF file listing the photographers' names, image titles, and placement awards is available for download. PDF File. To see all of the winning photos, click on the TPS WIX website link  2025 Spring Fair Photo Winners.
 

The Tacoma Photographic Society sponsors this competition, which is an annual fundraising event. Thank you for your support!

A Special "Thank You" To All Of The TPS Volunteers
Who Helped With Various Jobs To Make This A Successful And Fun Event!

Thanks to the following volunteers who helped with the display setup (pictured left to right and front to back): Bill Jacobs, Tedd Wilkinson, Ellen Hodge, Kristina Allums, Richard Thomas, David Hodge, Maria DeKoker, Doug Hall.  Not in the photo is Bud Harris.

Thank you to these wonderful TPS volunteers for helping with the judging process, guest information help, display teardown, and miscellaneous jobs: 

Bruce Benson, Joe Tieger, Maggie Tieger, David Hodge, Ellen Hodge, Bill Jacobs, Bud Harris, Kristina Allums, Doug Hall, Judi Kubes, Richard Thomas, Richard Price, Joel Ferguson, Tim Clifton, Christy Hoffman, Tedd Wilkinson, Maria DeKoker, Joel Ferguson, Zach Wiren, Dorinda Wills, Gordon Swetland,  Bruce Severeid, Cynthia Brandt, Keith Underwood, Heather Curbow, and Cheryl Thielhorn.

Volunteering to help with these annual fun events is a great way to meet members and make new friends! Volunteers who work at the TPS guest information table receive a free parking pass and free entry to the Spring Fair!

2025 Competition Dates And Monthly Theme Assignments

Monthly Themes are chosen to encourage people to explore outside their comfort zone and try photographing something specific that is different from what they normally photograph.  They stimulate your imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness. They encourage you to look around and pay more attention to something you might not consider photographing.  It takes just a little effort to look for these specific subjects, which, surprisingly, can be fun and interesting.  Some photography clubs call it a “Club Challenge”.  Are you up to these monthly challenges? Don’t just search through your photo library for something that will make do.  Take advantage of a new learning opportunity and explore, try something new, and have fun!  You might surprise yourself by enjoying a new photography subject or style. Themes are designed to teach you new capturing techniques, new equipment, and different editing skills for a subject that is completely different from anything else you have done in the past.  Don't miss out on the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills!

The more accurately the main subject in your photograph expresses the theme, while achieving high-quality photographic, artistic, and technical standards, the more likely your photo will receive more votes. The Theme subject must be the dominant subject/main focal point of interest.

TPS Field Trips & Other Fun Events
Including Presentations, Workshops, Tutorials, etc.

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.  Some events have a minimum attendance requirement and may charge a fee. It is necessary to know how many members and guests plan to participate so the fee can be split among all attendees, helping to reduce the cost of the event.

Wednesday, September 3 Projection Competition
September's Theme Is "Architecture"

Please note that we take a break from competitions during July and August, allowing our members to enjoy their photography.  Meetings are open to the public on the first Wednesday of the month; however, you must be a club member to compete in monthly and annual print and projection competitions.

Meetings are held either in person or via Zoom! The Zoom link will be emailed to all members before the meeting date and posted on the Calendar. 

Submit Photos - Thursday, August 21 through Monday, August 25 at 11:30 pm

Judging & Voting - Tuesday, August 26 until Saturday, August 30 at 9 pm

Review Meeting - Wednesday, September 3 - The photo review meeting will be held in-person with social time and optional critiques starting at 6:30-9 pm, as well as through Zoom.

Meeting Location - 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".

Submission Requirements:          

• Export/Save
  your images in JPEG, sRGB, no larger than 1920 px wide x 1080 px high, and a 1.5 MB file size limit.  Adjust the Quality level to stay within the total file size of approximately 1.5 MB.
  
• Submit your photos on the website at:  Competitions > Submit Images For Print or Projection  OR  click here   
  
• Please capitalize each word in your photo titles & check your spelling.  The public will see your mistakes and we can’t correct them for you. 
  
• DO NOT include your name, the word "copy", version numbers, or file numbers in the photo titles.  The automated features of this new website will automatically insert your name below your photo.  There is a box you can use to list your RAW photo file number (assigned by your camera) or any other number or name to help you remember which version of the photo you submitted.
  
• DO NOT include "For Comment" or "Not For Comment" in the title of your photos. The website will keep track of the options you choose.
• The judging and voting process is conducted blindly, so all watermarked images will be disqualified.

Your photos will be automatically placed into your private Image Library for future reference and use, including submitting them to the TPS Annual Division Competition and PSA competitions! You will also be able to read all the helpful, educational critiques from our members.

Award-winning photos will be placed in the Home Page slideshow.  If you do NOT want your photos included in the slideshow, please contact the Website Administrator through the website email message system.  For more projection information and competition rules, click here.

Some Rules to Keep In Mind:

• DO NOT resubmit photos.  You may submit a photo only once to either a monthly Projection Competition or to a monthly Print Competition--not to both competitions. If you make substantial changes and you want to re-submit your photo, you must re-submit it to the same competition it was submitted to the first time.  You can't submit a photo to a Projection Competition, make substantial changes, and then submit it to a Print Competition, and vice versa. No crossing over from Projection to Print. This applies to both the Open (subject) competitions and the Theme (specific subject) competitions.  Check your Image Library or Image History so you don't accidentally re-submit photos: Membership > My Account > My Image History or My Image Library.  You will see all of the photos you have submitted to all competitions since September 2022.
  
• The TPS is a club member of PSA; however, we do NOT compete according to PSA rules, such as no signs of "hand of man" in nature/wildlife photos.  You are allowed/expected to remove distracting objects from most photos, including nature/wildlife photos. It's your choice to delete distracting objects in photojournalism or documentary photos or not (sports, community and political events, rodeos, animal competitions, etc.). Judges should NOT penalize a photographer if they choose not to remove distracting objects in a photojournalism or documentary photo, to protect the "truth of the story".  You should also not penalize the photographer with lower scores or fewer votes if they had to take their photojournalism photo in less-than-ideal conditions. They had no control over the time of day and lighting conditions when the event was held such as: hard light in mid-day sun, flat light on dark cloudy days, or poor indoor or outdoor nighttime lighting. Please read the website page article titled "Photojournalism And Documentary Photo Guidelines" at  d/72706b87-0285-40a7-b0d4-4719a04d8451
• All parts of your photo must originate in your camera.  You may substitute backgrounds and skies; however, they must be your photos.  Do NOT use the photos provided by Adobe Photoshop for the Sky Replacement feature.  Do not use other scripts, actions, or photos you download off the internet, including from professional photographers, either free of charge, or ones you purchased.

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.

Thursday, September 18 Print Competition
September's Theme Is "Architecture"

Meetings are open to the public on the third Thursday of the month; however, you must be a club member to compete in monthly and annual print and projection competitions.

Submit Photos - Friday, September 5 at 12 am until Wednesday, September 17 at 11:30 pm - 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.  Please do not exceed 1920 px wide x 1080 px high and 1.5 MB for your digital file size.  This change will allow the meeting to proceed on time, make the scorekeeping a smooth process, and create less work for all of our volunteers.  As a bonus, your photos will be stored in your private Image Library for future reference and use, including submitting them to the TPS Annual Division Competition and PSA competitions.  Yes, our website is connected to the PSA organization!

Judge & Vote - Judging and voting are done only in person at the review meeting.

Review Meeting - Thursday, September 17 - The meeting is at 6:30 pm to 9 pm with judging, voting, photo review, and optional critiques.  These meetings are in-person only (no Zoom meetings).

Location - Waller Road Grange, 2708 64th Street East, Tacoma Google map

Submission Requirements:

• Commercially
  made color prints shall be accepted in the Print Division competition.
• As stated in the Bylaws, Print Division entries shall be a minimum of 35 square inches (e.g., 5″ x 7″) not including mounting. Maximum combined print and mount size shall be no larger than 320 square inches (e.g., 16″ x 20″).
• Submit your photos on the website: Competitions > Submit Images For Print or Projection  OR  click here.
• Please capitalize each word in your photo titles and use proper word spacing. Please check your spelling! Everyone will see your mistakes, which we can't correct for you.
  
• Please capitalize your photo titles.  DO NOT include your name, the word "copy", version numbers, or file numbers in the photo titles.  The automated features of the website will automatically insert your name below your photo.  There is a box you can use to list your RAW photo file number (assigned by your camera) or any other number or name to help you remember which version of the photo you submitted.
• DO NOT include "For Comment" or "Not For Comment" in the title of your photos. The website will keep track of the options you choose.
• The judging and voting process is conducted blindly, so all watermarked images will be disqualified.

Award-winning photos will be placed in the Home Page slideshow.  If you do NOT want your photos included in the slideshow, please contact the Website Administrator through the website email message system.  For more print information and competition rules, click here.

Some Rules to Keep In Mind:

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 Print and Projection meetings.

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.

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.