Summit Conference Center at Haw River State Park
Central’s Winter Camp is Jan. 18-20 PPNC Central Seminar Chairman Bob Henderson has lined up a terrific seminar featuring seasoned talent in an unusual setting. The 2014 PPNC Winter Camp is slated for Saturday, Jan. 18 through Monday, Jan. 20 at the Summit Conference Center at Haw River State Park in Browns Summit. The Summit is a state-of-the-art conference center located in the deep woods of Haw River State Park. There are 47 on-site motel rooms available. Bob says “nothing fancy, just a comfortable place to sleep at night. Room rates include three meals and a morning break. You should book your room early (sharing is recommended). Room rates are $90 per person for single occupancy and $70 per person for doubleoccupancy. Saturday begins at 2 p.m. with a Shoot-out with PPNC mentors until 5 p.m. There is no extra charge for those who are registered for the seminar. On Sunday, registration runs from 7:30 until 9 a.m. There is also breakfast for guests who stayed Saturday night. From 8:30 until 9 a.m., there’s the first vendor showcase. At 9 a.m., Adrienne Cregar-Jandler presents The Photographer’s Guide to Social Media.
Lunch is 12-12:45 p.m. From 12 to 1 p.m., the PPNC Board meets. At 1 p.m., Pete Wright presents Standing Out in the Wedding Market. From 2:30 until 2:45 p.m. there is a break with time to visit the vendors. From 2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Pete Wright continues. At 3:45, the vendor showcase continues. From 4 until 6:30 p.m., Mark Barnett presents Kicking It With Lightroom 5. Dinner, included in registration, runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. From 7:30 p.m. on, it’s PPNC Family time. Get to know your PPNC family. On Sunday, 7:30 a.m. is the start of registration. From 8 until 9 a.m., breakfast is served for overnight guests. At 9 a.m., Bill Goode presents The Many Hats of the Photographer. There is a break from 10:30 until 10:45 a.m. From 10:45 a.m. until Noon, Bill Goode continues. Lunch is at 1 p.m. Bill Goode continues from 1 until 3 p.m.
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Pete Wright
M. Photog. Cr.
Standing Out in the Wedding How to brand yourself to make potential clients remember you ...
Market
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Pete Wright has mastered the art of branding a takes the anxiety out of finding separation betw all of the steps needed to make sure the next bi
and targeting his ideal client. Join Pete as he ween yon and your competition and shows you ig wedding has you at the top of their list.
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During his 25 years of working as a photographer Pete has earned the distinction of Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman.
He also received Photographer of the Year honors from PPA six times, has been awarded several Fuji and Kodak Gallery Awards, has been featured in several national publications as a journalist and a photographer and is fortunate to have lectured around the world about his passion for photography.
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Mark Barnett
M. Photog. Cr., F. Ph, CPP
Kicking it with Lightroom 5
Mark will show you how to organize and develop your images ... and how to get your life back with a faster workflow.
Late Breaking News
Print Competiton slated for Winter meet Seminar-level Print Competition is officially open for the 2014 PPNC Winter Seminar. It will be held in conjunction with the seminar at the Summit Conference Center, Haw River State Park, 339 Conference Center Drive, Browns Summit, Jan. 19-20.
PPNC Executive Director Loretta Byrd said, “We’ve listened to your requests and entry fees for Seminar Digital Competition Only have been reduced to $5 per entry. “This is your opportunity to have your images evaluated for your upcoming
entries in SEPPA and IMAGING USA.” Go to www.printcompetition.com to register entries. Don’t delay, get them ready! The deadline for entries is Jan. 18, 2014 at midnight. Editor’s Note: This is not the main PPNC print competition. That is set for August.
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Working necessities, along with shortcuts for the organizing, editing and developing your images, will be the highlight of this class.
See page 16
Award-winning photographer Mark Barnett is based in Charlotte and is constantly inspired by the people he photo-
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Mark has earned the most honored, Master of Photography degree, the Craftsman Degree and has been PPA Certified for more than 10 years.
His work has earned the recognition of the prestigious Kodak Gallery Award, the Fuji Masterpiece Award and Art Leather’s Most Creative Album Award. He has images in the PPA National Loan Collection.
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Bill Goode
Cr. Photog., F. Ph
The Many Hats of the Photo
Operating Your Photography St
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In this changing economy, the photographer must wear many hats - Bill’s program will cover: Customer Service, Workflow, Marketing, Portraits on Location ... and more. 17 16
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Bill and his wife Amy operate Bill Goode Photogr
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Bill is active in the Professional Photographers of North Carolina, serving as president in 1998. He is also a National Councilman in the Professional Photographers of America. Because of his service to photography and the programs he has presented, he was awarded the Photographic Craftsman degree by PPA.
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Adrienne Cregar-Jandler The Photographer’s Field Guide to Social Media: Strategies for Building Business & Exposure
Social media has forever changed the way we interact with each other, and offers tremendous opportunities for businesses to connect with clients and prospect. In this seminar you’ll learn how you can row your business Online by identifying the best networks for reaching your audience and the etiquette for each, how to create a basic social media plan and editorial calendar, and strategies for efficiently working your social networking into each day. • Adrienne Cregar-Jandler is the president of Atlantic Webworks, a web development and interactive marketing firm, and Atlantic Social Media Group, a social media agency. Now in its 16th year of business, the firm serves clients locally, across the country and overseas and has offices in Greensboro and Myrtle Beach. • Passionate about social media, Adrienne believes that it offers businesses an unparalleled opportunity to connect with its stakeholders and the community. • She works oneon-one with businesses to develop social media plans, and provide training; her firm also offers complete social media management services.
‘Early’ East Coast School set for March East Coast School is coming soon – March 9-12, in fact. Because serious conflicts with national and regional photography shows and conventions forced PPNC’s board to move the annual convention and trade show to August of 2014, that pushed East Coast School to find a new time. The ECS Board and ECS Director Rex Truell have moved ECS to March.
Essentially, the convention and the school have swapped dates. This “special edition” of ECS is smaller than usual with four instructors, and will be held at the Clarion Hotel on Hillsborough Street in downtown Raleigh. Al Audleman will offer Preparing for the Certification Exam. In his first time as an ECS instructor, Adrian Henson will offer Mastering Print Competition. Rich-
ard Sturdevant is returning by popular demand to again offer Extreme Photography and Photoshop. Fuller Royal is returning to ECS with Extreme Seniors, a supercharged version of the course he presented five years ago. The cost of each class is $595. Participants in the certification class will also need to pay for a certification guide.
Preparing for the Certification Exam With Al Audleman, this class is a concentrated study of serious photographic knowledge requirements, ending with the Certification Exam. It is based on the current certification process and reference materials including London, Stone & Upton’s Photography text book. There is a workbook fee included in the class. You will be given a download link for my CPP Exam Study Guide upon registration, covering all the info you need to know without the extraneous material in some of the other reource material. Using this Study Guide prior to the class will really help prepare you prepare for both the class and the test. All of the “math’’ requirements are explained in detail and several sample “tests” are studied in order to prepare the student for the exam. Topics covered include f-stops, shutter speeds and exposure, plus lighting ratios, portrait lighting patterns, portrait styles, technical lighting, lens selection, perspective the inverse square law, guide numbers, etc. In addition, color is discussed in detail, as are filter factors and exposure values – all including lots of practice. This class will conclude with a short review on the last day, immediately followed by the Certification Exam, giving you the benefit of having gone over the material prior to the test. In order to take the exam, you must declare your candidacy through PPA’s website and pay the required fee prior to the test. The image submission process will also be discussed and get you started on that portion of the process. Once you have completed the process and become certified, you will see a significant increase in the quality of your work. Certification is a big step in becoming
a much more accomplished and competent photographer.
Al Audleman
PPA Certified Master Photographic Craftsman, API, FDPE, FSA, FED and GFD. A commercial photographer operating out of St. Petersburg, Fl., Audleman is past president of the Florida Professional Photographers. He is a PPA Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman and was one of the first PPA Approved Photographic Instructors. He has been PPA Certified for 25 years. He is one of the three recognized PPA Certification Instructors worldwide. Professional recognition includes several PPA Loan Collection Images, selection to the Kodak Epcot Center Exhibit, Kodak Gallery and Fuji Masterpiece awards, Florida’s “Becker Award for Creative Photography” and the coveted Florida People’s Choice Award. Audleman has also earned the Georgia Fellowship Degree, the Florida Degree of Photographic Excellence, the Florida Service Award and the Florida
Education Degree. He was named the Florida Photographer of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and will receive the Florida Degree of Artistic Excellence in 2014. His teaching credentials include Certification Exam Preparation Classes and teaching Photoshop to professional photographers. He has taught classes at PPA affiliated schools in New England, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, California, North Carolina, Texas, the Bahamas and Canada. He has been a featured speaker at several PPA International Conventions plus state conventions in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. He served as Chairman of the PPA Certification Committee in the 1990’s and was instrumental in preparing the updated Certification Exam in the early part of the 2000’s. He is currently Involved with the PPA Certification program working on the development of an official instructor training syllabus for future CPP Exam Prep classes.
Mastering Print Competition This class will cover, in depth, every aspect of print competition. We will cover ideology, ideas, strategy and procedures from state to Iinternational Print Competition. We will then shoot images while covering thoughts and ideals on shooting and subject matter. I will set up challenging shooting scenarios based on ideas discussed in class. Following that, we will prepare the images in Photoshop while covering my thoughts, methods and ideals on retouching and preparing images for print competition. Next we will print, mount, self judge and correct our work if needed. Finally, I would like to have a mini print competition and see where the images created in
the class stand. This will be a hands-on class. While there will be a small presentation, the class will be a hands-on, busy and fun class. Most importantly, though, it will be your class and will be flexible, and as with all of my classes, the students will have the freedom to guide the class to fit what they need most. Please note that, as per IPC rules, students’ images from any class may not be used in print competition. However the knowledge you gain will definitely get you a few steps closer to print competition success.
About Adrian
Adrian Henson and his wife Heather operate their studio in New Bern. They
began their journey into photography in 2001 and never looked back. While their studio covers the usual range of clients, the heart of their business is high school Ssniors, dance students and commercial clients. Adrian’s images have received many awards from state, regional and international competitions including a photographer of the year awards in 2011, 2012 and the Diamond Award in 2013. Adrian has earned his Master of Photography, Master of Electronic Imaging and the Craftsman degrees and now has enough PPA Loan Collection images to receive the coveted Image Excellence Award.
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Extreme Photography & Photoshop Advanced Photographic Artist Composites
Do you want to take your work to a level that will separate you from the average photographer? Richard Sturdevant’s Advanced Photographic Artist Composites will help you to do so. This class is for advanced photographers with a strong understanding of Photoshop. Get ready for a week of creative inspiration, sound creative Photoshop techniques, an introduction to Corel Painter to help finish off your creative art. Richard is known for his creative composite abilities, sound lighting techniques, passion for teaching and is willing to share everything he knows to help you take it to your next level. This is not just a Photoshop class – you will learn creative lighting for compositing, composition techniques, color theory and superb blending techniques to finish of an image. The Complete Photographic Artist Class will include: •Creative lighting techniques •Light pattern matching for blending images •Photoshop for compositing •Corel Painter for finishing •Composition theories and techniques •Color Theories for dynamic impact •File and image prep •Extracting the image with flawless edges and hair •Bringing an idea to life and how to photograph for it •How to incorporate art into your studio and most of all make money with it •How to teach yourself to think like an artist.
About the Instructor
Richard Sturdevant is a leading expert in photographic artistry and creative composites. His award winning work, style and techniques have earned him high praise in the photographic industry. Richard is known for an impressive track record in PPA print competition – receiving 16 prints with a perfect 100-point score in both state, regional and district competitions. He also made history with PPA at SWPPA District competition in September 2010 for the highest print case ever scored in the USA, receiving a 100 on all four of his prints. He is the Overall Grand Imaging Award (GIA) Winner for 2011 and 2012 with best print in PPA. In 2013 he received first and second
place in the GIA Awards for best Master Artist Image and third place in Portrait. Richard is the only photographer in PPA history to go Double Diamond twice – 2012 and 2013. He’s has been awarded Diamond Photographer of the year five times with Diamond and Platinum to be awarded at Imaging USA 2014. In 2013, Richard also became a PPA international juror. Sturdevant’s fluid combination of photography with fine art skills stems from his original artistic roots. Prior to becoming a photographer, Richard made his living as a classic and award-winning artist and also was a national art instructor and a published subject matter expert. Using airbrush and oil, his unique but photorealistic style made for a natural transition to photography. Today his passion for painting comes alive in his creations of photographic art. As a photographic artist, Richard received the prestigious title of 2010, 2011,
2012 and 2013 Southwest Photographer of the Year with SWPPA; the 2009, 2010 and 2012 Texas Photographer of the Year with TPPA and 2008-10 Dallas Photographer of the Year with DPPA. He also achieved International Gold and International Platinum Photographer of the Year with PPA in 2007 and 2008, then went double Platinum Photographer of the year for Photographic Open and Electronic Imaging in 2010. From 2005 to 2011, he received 15 Kodak Gallery Awards as well as 16 Fuji Masterpiece Awards. He also received first place in the portrait and group category in the 2010 and 2011 WPPI 16x20 print competition. Richard owns and operates Sturdevant Studio – a thriving portrait studio in Garland, Texas. He specializes in fine art composites, seniors, families, wedding, and commercial photography. He was featured on the cover of Professional Photographer in December 2012 with his award-winning image Time Traveler. He was featured in Rangefinder magazine August 2006 where his image Durrel’s Run was featured on the cover. Richard is a member of PPA, ASP, WPPI, TPPA, DPPA and is PPA Master of Photography, Master Artist of Photography and Photographic Craftsman. With over 20 years of experience as a creative artist, Richard brings a unique eye to the world of photographic education. Sharing his knowledge and experience with others in the industry is something that he enjoys. As part of his commitment to helping others learn and succeed, he has launched his own brand of educational materials to photographers, graphic designers, and artists nationwide. He believes that these materials, known as the “Sturdavinci Art Tools,” will help fellow professionals, as well as aspiring students, achieve their creative potentials and improve their workflow. Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary will continue to be Richard’s goal in his personal photographic journey and as a platform for his teachings. Website: sturdevantstudio.com sturdavinci.com Email:sturstudio@aol.com
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Extreme Seniors Fuller Royal is excited to once again serve as an instructor at East Coast School He taught his senior portrait class at ECS in 2008. A believer in ECS, he has attended 11 times as a student, serving as class assistant for two of those sessions. More than 200 professional photographers have attended Fuller’s Senior Portrait classes in his studio plus hundreds more have heard his senior and digital presentations at PPNC conventions and seminars. With more than 2,000 seniors photographed and scores of state, regional and national merit prints as well as dozens of print salon awards, Fuller has kept his senior work at the forefront. Always looking for new ideas and techniques, he is quick to share with his students his latest discoveries. While his class is geared toward senior portraits (and the ages just below and above) much of what he covers can be applied to any type of portraiture. The bulk of his annual studio income comes from the high school seniors he photographs throughout the year. If you are looking to make seniors your niche or just to increase your numbers, this class is for you. On the first day, Sunday, Fuller will present an overview of the class and then dive directly into marketing, promoting and selling senior portraits. He’ll show all of the tricks of the trade he has mastered in attracting seniors to his style of photography. He will also show how he has transferred the idea of senior images to college-aged students, high school underclassmen and middle schoolers. You will learn about his Traditional Sessions, Senior Safaris, Mini-Safaris, PORTFOLIOS Sessions, Designer Sessions and InBetweeners Sessions. He’ll show the secrets to how he operates his ambassador program, which has
successfully brought in seniors from across Southeastern North Carolina and Northeastern South Carolina. He will cover social media and how he has successfully used Facebook, Instagram as well as his website. He will demonstrate how he creates promotional pieces for Facebook and Instagram and the techniques he uses to maximize his exposure on the Internet. He will show unique ways to create visual displays for stores and windows. Finally, Fuller will go over his prices and packaging and what he has discovered works best. Monday is all about photography. The entire day will be spent photographing seniors, underclassmen, middle schoolers and college-aged guys and gals. Fuller will demonstrate the various lighting styles he uses to achieve the award-winning portraiture he is known for – from large and medium softboxes indoors to smaller softboxes outdoors. He’ll demonstrate how he uses reflectors, ring lights and beauty dishes. You’ll learn why he uses three or more cameras with all of his sessions and what each lens does. Fuller will demonstrate how he lights and photographs seniors for the composites or blends he creates and sells. Outdoors, Fuller will demonstrate how to make use of existing buildings and landscaping around your studio or location. He will demonstrate his methods of composition and posing and how he comes up with his ideas and looks. Bring your camera because class mem-
bers will have the opportunity to photograph the models incorporating Fuller’s ideas into their own styles of portraiture. Tuesday and Wednesday will be spent at the computer as Fuller teaches a hands-on class with the techniques he uses to create “senior portrait magic.” Among those techniques, Fuller will teach how to quickly drop in new backgrounds and background blends without the need for green screen. He will demonstrate techniques that will change the look of your images forever, adding new layers of excitement. He we will go step-by-step on how to create the popular galleries, composites, blendings and digital products that he sells to clients. Class members will need their computers. Computers should be set up just the way their normal workflow computers are set up. Students should have the latest (or close to it) versions of Photoshop, Lightroom and Painter. Fuller will use and demonstrate QuickMats, Color Efex Pro 4, Viveza 2, Silver Efex Pro 2, HDR Efex Pro, Photomatix, Alien Skin Bokeh 2, Topaz Adjust 5, Topaz Detail 3, Topaz ReStyle, Topaz Simplify 3, Topaz ReMask 3, Alien Skin Snap Art 4 and Anthropics Portrait Professional. Students will also need a Wacom tablet and stylus/pen to properly create their images. Fuller has his Fellowship degree from PPNC and his Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman degrees from PPA, He has been in business for 24 years and has been a photographer since age 12. He and his wife Janet have four daughters. Email Fuller with any questions about his course or course content at fullerroyal@ whiteville.com
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PPNC warmly welcomes the photographers and friends who joined PPNC in 2013. Carmen Ackerman, Greenville Donna Allen Asheboro Rico Allende, Hope Mills Dennis Ammons, Advance Kenneth Armstrong, Council Ivy Bagley, Greenville Sandy Beasley, Wallace Dennis Beck, Raleigh Donna Bellous, Apex Bonnie-Jeanne Berg, Winnabow Earl Black, Denver Kirsten Boehmer, Hampstead Carolyn Bowden, Elizabeth City Rachel Bowen, Danville, Va. Woody Bowen, Lumberton Andre’ Boykin, Gunpowder, Md. Kathy Bradley, Rocky Mount Cliff Brandt, Durham Courtney Bronzo, Fayetteville Chris Caggiano, Concord David Cain, Goldsboro Pamela Campbell, Dunn Bobby Carlsen, Danville, Va. Eugenia Carraway, Gifton Kathleen Carroll, Raleigh Roderick Charles, Kernersville Wanda Clayton, Willow Spring Deric Cook, Walkertown Cassidy Cox, Raleigh Jim Cunningham, Little Rock, Ark. David Davies, Raleigh Aurora DeLuca, Cary Caroline Dickson, Durham Dawn Downey, Raleigh Patricia Dunmire, Fuquay Varina Victor Ellison, Boone Adelyn Feather, Greensboro Roberta Fields, Spring Hope Connie Gentz, Mint Hill John Golden, Winston Salem Dave Goldman, Charlotte Jerri Greenberg, Chapel Hill Eddie Harris, Fayetteville Michael Haynes, Boone Sandra Henderson, Clemmons Katie Hilbert, Greensboro Stephanie Hilbourn, Whiteville Timothy Hilbourn, Whiteville DouglasHorne Jr., Kenly Cliff Hotchkiss, Asheville Sonia Houghton, Greenville Allied Imaging, Grand Rapids. Mich. Sarah Jacobs, Marion Tim Jacobs, Fuquay-Varina Steve Jamroz, Raleigh Charlie Jarman, Evergreen Gerlonia Johnson, Clayton Sarah Johnson, Salisbury Laura Jolly, Greenville Megan Jones, Zebulon Eric Keene, Raleigh Olen Kelley III, Clayton Lorrie Kennedy, Winterville
SabrinaKerns, Wake Forest Alvin Keyes, Greensboro Teresa King, Scottsburg, Va. Jeff Kolbfleisch, Raleigh David Kuhn, Raleigh Margaret Langley, Wilson Pam Lappegard, Durham Elizabeth Larson, Browns Summit Ashley Latham, Eden Paige Lee, Albertson Christina Leggett, Washington Erica Letchworth, Snow Hill Julie Mallett, Flat Rock Isabel Mangirati, Matthews Amy Matthews, Norlina Jeff McClure, Mt. Holly Donald McFarlin, Rocky Mount Caroline McGath, New Bern Gina McLean, Raleigh Donna Meinhold, Charlotte Jen Mink, Raleigh Toyette Minor, Greenville Kevin Minter, Raleigh Laura Mullis, Mooresville Greg Neighbors, Raleigh Ann Norment, Fort Mill Daniel O’Neill, Four Oaks Mithun Oorath, Apex Linda Packard, Lake Wylie Michele Parsley, Jacksonville John Payne, Morganton Hilda Phillips, Kelly Cato Pinkney, Charlotte Warren Pittman, Fayetteville Jennifer Priddy, Reidsville Gracie Ramirez, Vass Ashley Rescott, Hubert Timothy Rhoades, Wake Forest Richard Rinehart, Cary Jose Sanchez, Charlotte Margo Sears, Ocean Isle Beach Amber Smith, Greenville Erin Smith, New Bern Jessica Smith, Reidsville David Snook, New Bern Renee Sprink, Raleigh Julie Stahr, Greensboro Alicia Stemper, Chapel Hill Celeste Stephens, Greenville Michael Stewart, Fuquay Varina Faith Strader, Danville, Va. Lisa Wheeler Thayers, Raeford James L. Thomas, Lillington Darren Thompson, Fayetteville Allen Thornburgh, Arlington Jordan Tickle, Greensboro Eve Turek, Kill Devil Hills Sandy Tyson, Jacksonville Lauren Vick, Princeton Catherine Whaley, Richlands Phillip Wood, Fayetteville Amy Woolard,Washington Evan Wynmor, Hillsborough
In Memorium The heartfelt best wishes and prayers from PPNC are extended to the family of Scott Epperson of Benson. Epperson, who was considered to be the leading Barney Fife Impersonator in the nation, died unexpectedly Nov. 26 at the age of 57. By special arrangements made with PPNC Executive Director Loretta Byrd, a longtime friend of Scott’s, he appeared at the 2013 Spring Seminar and was the highlight of the weekend.
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Necessary Reinvention The Birth and Maturity of a Portrait Artist By Janet Boschker
PPA Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman July 2013 Editor’s Note: Only a handful of North Carolina photographers have received Fellowship status with the American Society of Photographers ... Linda Weaver, Randy McNeilly, Sam Gray and William Branson come to mind. PPNC member Janet Boschker is the latest. Reprinted here is her thesis, required for the honor, as well as a sampling of the 25 images she had to submit for approval by the judges. Portrait photography is so much more than recording the obvious … It is a gesture, an expression, or a moment in time captured … to be remembered and revisited each time one views it. No matter the age of the subject, the times of our lives are fleeting and forgotten if not celebrated. For me, photography is the medium that I love and use to create those memories for my clients and myself. My first experience with creating photographs was at the age of eight. My
parents had decided it was time to move from East Memphis to the suburbs where newer schools and homes were more desirable. My mother sensed that I was fretful about leaving the only home I had known, and playmates I had grown up with. One day, before the move, she gave me a little plastic mint green camera
loaded with black and white film and sent me out to take pictures of my friends. I marched myself up and down the street, ordering playmates to come out into their front yards to be photographed. I still have those snapshots! Who knew that 20 years later I would choose this profession of photography as a career! Growing up with three brothers (two older, one younger) I was no stranger to competition. “The Boys” were talented athletes, and I remember playing baseball in the vacant lot at the end of our street, praying I would hit the ball so I wouldn’t be sent home because I was a girl. My parents insisted that I participate in more feminine hobbies: dance, piano and sewing, which I did, but secretly all I really wanted was a machine gun so I could play with “The Boys.” I learned patience and perfection as a result of compliance with my parents’
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Boschker Continued from page 32 wishes, which would prove to serve me well later when I became interested in the arts. Fast forward to the spring of 1968 my eighth grade year. The art teacher from the high school next door visited our class and asked us to draw a face in profile. She then went around the classroom and pointed out those students she believed had a propensity for drawing and recommended art as an elective. I was one of the chosen. I loved my art classes, and in my Senior year of high school, I won a Scholastic Art Award for a pen and ink drawing. We often spent Thanksgiving Holidays with my aunt and uncle in Washington, DC. My birthday is at the end of November, and the year I turned 16 it was on Thanksgiving Day. My uncle asked me what I wanted to do – anything I wanted and if it was in his power, he would make it happen – that was his gift to me. I thought for a moment. “I want to climb the National Monument, Visit the National Gallery of Art, and see Bonnie and Clyde” (a new movie with Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty). We did it all! My brothers groaned at the thought of going to the Art Museum, but I was in heaven when I saw John Singer Sargent’s “Lady in White,” Oh, I knew then I wanted to paint someday! I graduated in 1972, was accepted at Greensboro College and went off to become an art therapist. I was expected to go to college, but after two short months at school, being there didn’t make any sense to me. I was not ready to commit to years of higher education. When my boy -friend proposed, it sounded appealing and I accepted. I was 17. We immediately produced a child, a beautiful little girl. I photographed her with my Kodak Instamatic in every outfit and at every phase of her development – I did not want to forget one minute of her life. Housebound with a baby, I also took mail order art classes; she was my subject, and I received a lot of positive feedback from my long distance art teachers. Two more children followed in the next five years, and as I got busier with being a mom, the art and photography got pushed to the side. In 1982 the marriage failed and I found myself in the precarious position of having to figure out how to provide for 3 little ones with no education and virtually no job skills. I appeared on my parents’ doorstep in
walked into the studio and stopped dead in my tracks. The wonderful portraiture took my breath away. The place was in total chaos - the silver haired photographer was in the midst of testing a camera that had given trouble at a wedding the previous weekend. He stopped what he was doing and gave me a tour – I noticed a sign over the door in the workroom that said: ”Neatness – a Sure Sign of a Sick Mind” and I thought: “This could work!” I quickly picked up retouching, and within two months was working full time. I photographed my first wedding that Thanksgiving. The following year I photographed 35. I loved the energy, emotions and excitement of photographing weddings. It felt like I was sharing the best times of our clients’ lives. I loved the work and the people I worked for and with. I became the studio manager within a year.
March of that year, grateful to have a place to go, not sure how I was going to make it work. My sweet little eight-year-old daughter was asking questions as we drove nine hours to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Did I know anyone who had done this? Would her teachers know where she was? Would they worry? Who would give her an allowance? I had no answers, but reassured her as best as I could, my own doubts nagging at me as we made the trip. After settling the children in, I enrolled at the community college. I chose the Advertising Design program and threw myself into learning all there was to know about layout, typography, design and drawing. It was thrilling to be back in a creative environment. Photography was part of the required curriculum. I will never forget the excitement of seeing my image come up in the chemistry for the first time. It was an image of my son on his first day of Little League. He was mesmerized by the older boys – I still have the print – it always takes me back to the wonder of that moment. I began to spend more and more time in the darkroom perfecting my printing skills, less and less time on other projects. As luck would have it, a local photographer called the art department looking for someone to do the retouching on his portraits; the lead was offered to me. I
Phil Aull Studio was very prominent in Charlotte and handled all the society weddings. It grew from three staff photographers to six in my 11 years there. It was an amazing experience. We would all go out and shoot weddings, sometimes 10 or 12 in one weekend, process the film, print, assemble and deliver the albums by the following weekend. All of it was done in house. The last year I worked there, the studio did an amazing 252 weddings! Phil was a Professional Photographers of America Master, and encouraged us to enter our wedding images in print competition at the Professional Photographers of North Carolina convention. We did well, and I sent my images on to PPA that first year, getting two Loan Prints! I earned my Master’s Degree in 1995.
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Boschker Continued from page 33 My children were now teenagers. I had been working six days a week all those years; it became grueling and I was burned out. I had gone from loving my work to hating the thought of looking at another girl in a white dress. It was a very troubling time; I was feeling trapped and hopeless. I had no other job experience and no idea how to make things better. A career counselor helped me sort through my strengths and weaknesses. After many tests and discussions she gave her opinion: I was not in the wrong career, but the wrong environment. I began to think in terms of leaving the studio and starting my own business. It was terrifying. It took me a year to muster the courage to leave, but I did in 1994. To my surprise I was quickly booked solid; I never had to touch my savings. Then the most amazing thing happened. Girls whose weddings I had done over the years began to call and ask me to photograph their children! I gave away my living room furniture, hung a background, and began to photograph children in the small 14x17 living room. About that time I went to visit my grandmother in South Dakota. She pulled a box from beneath her bed and began showing me her collection of family portraits made in the early 1900’s. Stories I had never heard were told - her little brother who died at age five – there was a wonderful portrait of him in the box. Another was a woman that my grandmother’s family had taken in and raised as their own. The box also included my grandfather’s baby portrait and her uncle in his raccoon coat. I was taken by the simplicity, the amazing lighting and timeless look of the photography. When I questioned her about it, she showed me a picture of the tiny town where she grew up in North Dakota, on the Canadian border, taken from a grain elevator. There was an itinerant photographers’ tent set up on the edge of town, and she explained that he would come around every so often and photograph the townspeople in the tent, using natural light that fed in through the open tent flap. It was a defining moment for me. I wanted to give my clients images of their children and families they cherished. This became a driving force for me and a reason to excel that surpassed making money or winning merits. I thought of the bay window in my living room I had carefully covered over to block the light out. When I returned
home, I uncovered it and began experimenting with window light at the end of each session. At the time, ISO 400 was the fastest film available. I was in love with my 150 soft focus lens, so I was locked into 5.6 as my working aperture. Shutter
speeds were dependent on whether the day was overcast or sunny. No longer could I be the crazy, funny photographer working for big smiles; I had to calm everything down to avoid movement in the image. And so my style shifted to a sweeter, gentler look with children - and my clients loved it. It became “my look” and through word of mouth, my portrait business grew. Having worked in an environment that kept everything in house from film developing to print finishing, I found working with labs nearly impossible. I was accustomed to fine tuning color and density to suit my taste. So I built a darkroom in my backyard and specialized in black and white portraiture. It was tremendously satisfying to have complete control of the entire process, from creating the image, to printing and framing the finished portrait. I continued on this happy path for many years. I loved the black and white portraiture I was producing. Having eliminated the distraction of color, I learned how lighting impacted the image through highlight and shadow in a way that I had not been aware of before. In the late nineties, I visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The theme was something on the order of “American Life in the Twentieth Century.” The images were black and white, varied in size between 4x6 and 8x10. All
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Boschker Continued from page 34 were framed with large white mats and skinny wooden frames. It told the story of life in America beginning with the year 1900, through all the changes of the century: automobiles, airplanes, the world wars, the depression, the fifties, and sixties. It was all there: 100 years of American Life in black and white. Inspired, I decided to offer my clients that look. I encouraged them to document the times of their children’s lives by displaying them matted, framed and on the wall – small images printed on fiber paper - much like the museum had. This look perfectly complimented the light and airy look that I gravitate to when photographing young children. The color white symbolizes innocence and purity. For me, it represents the inherent sweetness all children possess. These early images in a family’s history are intimate portraits to be treasured as time passes. A young mother’s love is evident in the image “Lullaby,” (center top row of the portfolio). Her gentle connection with her newborn combined with the lyrical curves of soft fabrics all speak to the quiet melody of a lullaby she might be quietly humming to her baby. I enjoy photographing children for so many reasons. They are delightfully spontaneous, expressive, and loving. While they each have their own individual personality, natural curiosity makes it impossible to resist exploring their surroundings. Given the choice of clinging to mom or holding a colorful, shiny marble and discovering the way light dances as it is turned while holding this marvelous new thing… curiosity wins every time. They are sensitive to genuine interest in them, and so it is that we develop a relationship that continues to grow each time they come to visit. I have a wonderful extended family relationship with many of my little clients, and nothing is quite as rewarding as the hugs we exchange at the end of a session. In my early days of learning the craft of photography, I was taking oil painting classes with a long term goal that I would someday become a portrait painter. My first attempts were decent, but I struggled with getting a perfect likeness of my subjects. I put the dream aside and concentrated on learning the art of portrait photography. With the advent of Painter software, all that doubt went away. I took a class with Jeremy Sutton in 2008 and immediately began to offer painted portraits. This is the direction I feel pulled
Even though I now use digital technology to create my portraiture, I continue to strive for the simple classic look that I believe will be valued over time. I imagine that someday, somewhere, someone’s grandmother will bring out her cherished collection of family portraits and tell the story of her life to a young person – passing on family history that only photographs can bring to life. Respectfully Submitted, Janet Boschker
Acknowledgements
more and more as my career continues to grow and change. One of my first painted portraits was the little boy in the center of my portfolio. The way the light kisses the little curls at the back of his neck and the tip of his little nose touches my heart… or is it because he is, in fact my grandchild? For me that image is the epitome of childhood innocence. His inquiring expression, the delicate gesture of his hands, the slight lean as he begins to escape and explore the garden on his own….all speak to that moment of his life and my emotional tie to my first grandchild. This is the feeling that I hope to evoke when my clients view their children and grandchildren’s portraits that I have created. It’s amazing how our profession continues to change. With change come challenges, but it feels good to know that we have the unique opportunity to reinvent ourselves.
My photography friends are like family to me. I am eternally grateful to those who have helped me along my journey. Phil and Haroldine Aull: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you, and for teaching me the business and craft of photography. Thanks, Phil, for the advice that I have remembered often when things were rough: “Just look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself – I can do this!” Tim Kelly: Thanks for the inspiring black and white portraiture that you do and that I discovered at a late night program at PPNC. And thanks for your wonderful critique when I took your class back in the 90’s “Your work is wonderful, but your presentation sucks”. That totally honest comment has helped me more than you will ever know. Joyce Wilson: Thanks for sharing your “One for Thee, One for Me” philosophy and the very wise advice to find my own artistic voice. Jay Stock: Thank you for laying a foundation that has helped me come to believe I am an artist – to continue on the journey – to realize the importance of simply doing. Nancy and Jack Holowitz: Thanks so much for your friendship and inspiration – I treasure the time I spent traveling with and learning from both of you. Randy McNeilly: Thank you for good times and the patient support you gave while I struggled through a period of growth in my work. I would not have the confidence to judge or try for my Fellowship if not for your encouragement over the years. Karen Campbell, Sher Carroll, Nancy Emmerich, Jackie Patterson, Joan Genest, Dori Arnold, Jan Homan, Timmy Hord, Barbara Ellison, Tammie McGee: Girlfriends! ”A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to
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Boschker Continued from page 35
the meaning of life” (Isadora James said that) Thank you for being my chosen sisters! Rick Gibbons and Doug Peninger: Thank you for your undying support, and for seeing in me qualities that I never knew I had. You guys are a never ending source of inspiration! My Mom, my Grandma Norma and my Grandma Esther: Thanks for being the strong role models that you were and are. Seeing you overcome hardships made me know that I could survive anything that life gave me, good and bad. Leslie, Bob and Jennifer: My three wonderful children who gave me motivation to excel and supported me even when they doubted I knew what I was doing. You three are my heart. I love you dearly.
Biography
Janet Boschker began her career in professional photography in 1983 as wedding photographer at a leading studio in Charlotte. A single mom of three, she juggled career and family for 11 years
before starting her own NorthLight Photography in 1994, specializing in young children and their families. Her involvement on state and national levels led to the PPA Master of Photography in 1995 and the Craftsman in 2000. 2006 brought the PPA International Affiliate Juror status and led to judging engagements on the state, regional, national and international levels. She earned the PPA Imaging Excellence Award in 2013. Janet has been actively involved in Professional Photographers of North Carolina her entire career. She is a Past President of PPNC and served on its board for many years, presently as a PPA Councilor. She was director of East Coast School Photographic Workshops, a PPA Affiliate School, from 2008 – 2010, having served on that board for 10 years prior. It continues to be her pleasure to be invited to judge, speak and share her experience in the hope that it will be helpful to another’s journey in the incredible
field of professional photography.
Recent Accomplishments
2005: 1st Place Children, SEPPA, Kodak Gallery Award 2007: 1st and 2nd Place Children, 1st Place Women, 2nd Place Groups, N.C. Photographer of the Year, Kodak Gallery Award, Fuji Award 2008: SEPPA Distinguished Award, N.C. 2nd Place Children 2010: Canon Par Excellence Award, Kodak Gallery Award x 2 2011: 1st Place Bridal portrait, 1st and 2nd Place Commercial Photojournalism PPA Photographer of the Year: 2006 – Silver, 2007 – Platinum, 2008 – Silver, 2009 – Gold, 2010 – Gold, 2011: Bronze 2013: PPA Imaging Excellence 2009: PPA National Award 2011: SEPPA Award
President’s Message By BRUCE WILLIAMSON, F. Ph.
Reflections and change Wow! I can’t believe it. Another year is rapidly coming to an end. Christmas decorations began going up immediately after Halloween, rather than after Thanksgiving. Black Friday sales began way before the traditional day after Thanksgiving. And “Cyber Monday Special Deals” have become an everyday occurrence. Surveys indicate that more and more shoppers are shopping online and avoiding the “door buster sales.” The “camping out strategies” that were anticipated for “great deals” just a few years ago will soon be a thing of the past. Technology has certainly changed the way that photographers do business today. I, along with other PPNC members, recall the labs’ “deadline dates” for Christmas delivery of photos and photographic products. It was generally within the first week of December to “guarantee delivery” by Christmas. I know that this may sound insane to those of you that have been in business 10 years or less, but that is the truth. Furthermore, the real “film negatives” had to be carded and you requested the lab to do “your retouching.” Now, most orders sent electronically are back within 24 hours. The bottom line is that we now live in a “I got to have it NOW society.” I want it now, you want it now and your customers “want it now.” So, we make the necessary changes and adaptations to be successful in our chosen profession. Among those changes is the way we communicate. All of you have email accounts and most use it regularly to send messages, letters, documents and even “proofs” to our families, friends and clients. Everyone has a cell phone today and most of the phones are “smart.” Now, we do many of the tasks with our phones that we once did with our computers. A large number of you communicate regularly via Facebook. I was slow to get started with Facebook but I certainly appreciate how easy it is to post a message and an image to PPNC members, friends and family.
His reply was “to personally visit some former clients.” While he was making that statement, he began passing out airline tickets to all of his staff members. That powerful message has stuck in my mind for many years. In closing, I just received our first “mailed” Christmas card of the year. Having no return address, I was anxious to learn who sent the first card of the season. So I eagerly tore open the envelope. It was signed with a return address label! What has happened to the “personal touch?” Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my PPNC Family. BTW, I am waiting for my next Amazon order to be delivered by a “flying drone.”
In fact, during the recent PPNC membership drive, it was exciting to see and read the post from this team. Great job Adrian Henson and the membership recruitment team. And don’t forget “texting.” Honestly, my own kids will respond to a text message from me before they will answer the phone. So Bruce, where are you going with this? The bottom line is that we as sole proprietors of our businesses and members of Professional Photographers of North Carolina must adapt to changing times. In one of my President’s Messages, I mentioned that “A Change is Going to Come.” Changes will continue, we will adapt and we will be successful in our business and in PPNC. However, don’t overlook the power of developing personal relationships with your clients. Try sending a “handwritten” personal note thanking them for their business and friendship. It is more powerful and meaningful than any email, text or post that you can make. I recall an old Smith Barney commercial where the older CEO was asked by his subordinates “Where are you going?”
New Member Benefit in PPA PPA has announced a new member benefit. Effective Nov. 1, PPA switched from FedEx to UPS. “Shipping are logistics are a vital component to every business, so we know this discount is important to you. Rest assured, the new discount from UPS is the best we have ever been able to offer. “As a PPA member, you’ll save up to 34 pwrcent on a broad portfolio of services, including air, international and ground services. Plus, savings begin at 70 percent on UPS Freight shipments over 150 lbs. UPS understands how important reliability, speed and cost are to meeting your business goals and your customers’ needs. Put the power of logistics to work for you. (For the details, log into PPA.com!) What makes these even better - the discount with UPS will not only offer great rates, but also host a user-friendly interface, saving you money and time. Remember to visit the Year-Round Discounts page to see other companies PPA has partnered with to help lower your costs of doing business! Not a PPA member? Join today to take advantage of this discount, along with the rest of the PPA member benefits
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Secretary’s Message
By Adrian Henson, CPP, M. Photo. Cr., MEI, F. Ph. As the Secretary for PPNC, one of my designated responsibilities is membership. During a late night brainstorming session with some fellow PPNC members, my good friend Amy Ward mentioned that she had recently participated in a membership drive for her local Chamber of Commerce and that they had picked up about 50 new members. I immediately new what we had to do and the first-ever PPNC membership drive was born. I set a date and began recruiting people, looking specifically for people who had participated in membership drives before, but welcomed all. We ended up with 16 volunteers – Cindy Smith, Chuck Hill, Loretta Byrd, Amy Woolard, George Joel, Jim Woltjen, Gregg Ward, Adrian Henson, Heather Henson, Amy Ward, Tim Jacobs, Eabby Jacobs, Bruce Williamson, Misty Felde, Allen Hinnant and Sheleria Cushman. Cindy Smith procured us a temporary call center. NCTriColor sponsored a fantastic lunch. A list was compiled of any potential members the volunteers could think of as well as names given by PPNC Face-
book group members. We began calling about 11 a.m. and almost immediately began seeing success. By lunch, we had 10 brand new shiny PPNC members. While all of our volunteers did an amazing job, Amy Woolard (a new PPNC member in her own right) was the star of the day by recruiting an amazing 13 new members. By the end of the day, our membership drive picked up about 30 new members
but it did not stop there. In the days following, we ended up with 38 new members. It was a great move forward for the association. I would like to welcome all of the new members that joined as a part of the 2013 membership drive and am excited to meet all of you. PPNC is growing and is quickly evolving to meet the needs of a new generation of wonderful photographers. These new members are the future of this great organization so be sure to welcome them on Facebook and at all of our events. The 2013 membership drive can absolutely be marked down as a success. We learned a lot in doing this first membership drive and look forward to applying what we learned for our 2014 membership drive. The 2014 membership drive will be in the spring and a date/location will be announced soon. I hope to see you there. I would like to thank all of those that volunteered on site and off, you guys were great and your hard work and dedication are much appreciated, this organization is better because of you.
Be more inspired at Imaging USA Seeing is believing, especially when it comes to award-winning images. And at Imaging USA, there will be PLENTY!!! That’s because there will be exhibits all convention long--including the International Photographic Exhibit, the ASP new fellows exhibit and a special exhibit from honorary master of photography recipient, Kenny Rogers. Yes, that Kenny Rogers. If you’re interesting in entering photographic competition in the future, the International Photographic Exhibit is the perfect way to see winning images. Many
of the image creators will be on-hand in Phoenix and will be more than happy to discuss their photos with you. The adjoining ASP new fellows exhibit will showcase work from master photographers newly inducted into the prestigious American Society of Photographers. The best opportunity to learn what goes into a winning image is at the Grand Imaging Awards. These photographers and images are the best of the best! Don’t miss this opportunity to chat with them and see their work--you’ll gain insider access you won’t find anywhere else, until
you actually enter competition yourself ! The exhibition schedule is as follows:
Inside the Imaging Expo
Sunday, Jan. 12 ... 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13 ... 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14 ... 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Grand Imaging Awards
Phoenix Convention Center, West Building, Room 301A, Third Floor Monday, Jan. 13, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. The Kenny Rogers and ASP new fellow exhibits will be on display all convention long.
October PPNC Board Minutes The Professional Photographers of North Carolina Board of Directors met on Oct. 13 at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, Officers present were: Bruce Williamson, president; Ellis Williamson, president-elect; Rose Mary Cheek, vicepresident; Ned Winn, treasurer; Adrian Henson, secretary; and Loretta Byrd, executive director. Directors present were: Craig York – proxy for Misty Felde; Linda Williamson – proxy for Dannie Daniel; Cathy Anderson; Tim Hester; Bob Henderson; Mardy Murphy; Janet Boschker and Joy Batchelor King. Not present were: Brian Allen; Bill Goode; Cassie Stone; Robert Yarborough and Willis Brown. Bruce called the meeting to order. Ellis led the invocation. Bruce welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending the meeting. He congratulated Cathy Anderson on a successful seminar. An agenda addition was the 2014 Print Judging. Adrian determined a quorum was present. Rose Mary moved to adopt the consent agenda. Tim seconded. The motion carried. Minutes – June 2, 2013 Charter & By-Laws – No report Legal & Legislative – No report Degrees – No report History & Archives – No report Nominating – No report Long Range Planning Report – No Report Unethical Practices - No Report Carolina Photographic Foundation – No report Member Benefits – No report Ned presented the financial report. He reported an income of $111,291.80 and expenses of $121,735.42. Ned stated expenses were under budget and that PPNC’s biggest issue is “not enough income.” He reported that to raise income, PPNC must continue recruiting new members. PPNC needs 100 members to get “back in the black.” PPNC also needs to push vendor sales in the Trade Show. Rosemary moved to accept the presented financial report. Bob seconded. The motion carried. Bruce issued his president’s report. “Our 2014 PPNC Carolina Photo Expo is only 307 days away and I want to bring you up to date. I realize that we have been in a ‘holding’ pattern since mid-June when we discovered that WPPI had taken
our regular convention dates in March 2014 and 2015. “As you already know, it took several weeks for Loretta to work with the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, where we are currently under contract for 2014 and 2015, to find a date – Aug. 15-19, 2014 – that would work for our convention – the Carolina Photo Expo – and not conflict with any other state photography events in the Southeast region of the United States. “Once that date was approved by the board in a called PPNC Board meeting in July, I decided that I would visit some photography events in other states to seek potential speakers and to visit current, former and more importantly, new vendors for the expo next August. “Armed with new PPNC business cards designed by Michael Taylor from the new Carolina Photo Expo logo created by Fuller Royal, I hit the road running hard. “As president of PPNC, I feel that I should be the association’s number one cheerleader and convince vendors that our event, Carolina Photo Expo, next August will be the best ever and we will do everything that we can to promote this event and encourage non PPNC members to attend. “Selling out our vendor spaces for the expo is a top priority along with heavy traffic flow during the two days with ‘qualified’ shoppers; both amateur and professional photographers. “Great news! The vendors who I have spoken with like the changes that we are making in North Carolina and are willing to support us! I heard many compliments from vendors on how great PPNC treats them and they look forward to visiting each year. “Those that have not been in a while look forward to returning and new vendors are excited about coming to our Carolina Photo Expo.” Loretta presented the October staff report. She worked with Cathy Yount on Fall Seminar and is working with Bob Henderson on Winter Seminar as well as Michael Taylor on Spring Seminar. She has been working on the convention and PPNC’s accounting and its dayto-day operations. She reported her plans to attend Imaging USA in January and to serve on the Convention Committee Standard Operating Guide.
East Coast School
Janet moved to accept the PPA Principles of Affiliation for 2014. Rose Mary seconded. The motion carried.
Committee Reports
Adrian moved to accept the following new members: Earl Black, Roderick Charles, Deric Cook, Dawn Downey, John Golden, Charlie Jarman, Olen Kelley III, Alvin Keyes, Isabel Mangirati, Jeff McClure, Donald McFarlin, Gina McLean, Mithun Oorath, Warren Pittman, Margo Sears, Allen Thornburgh and Catherine Whaley. Rose Mary seconded. The motion carried. Adrian discussed the following ideas: •The need to figure out ways to be part of camera clubs and “meet-up” groups. •The need to market PPNC’s Trade Show as one of the largest in the Southeast. •The need of at least 100 new members and the need to retain the current members in order for PPNC to grow and survive. Marketing/Communications – No report Focus on Carolina – No report from Fuller Royal. The board congratulated him on a job well done. Discussion was held about going back to a printed newsletter. It was suggested we send out a postcard to let the members to check their email and on the website for the newsletters. 2014 Convention – It was reported the dates of the 2014 Carolina Photo Expo had to be changed to Aug. 15-19, 2013 due to WPPI scheduling on top of us. The committee is working on speakers. Bruce has been traveling to visit other states and has been talking with vendors about attending our convention. Standard Operating Guide – Loretta Byrd reported the Manual will be sent to the rest of the committee for review. Memorials - Loretta Byrd reported for Cindy Smith the following deaths: Cindy Smith’s Great Aunt Dorothy; Cindy Smith’s Aunt Betty (her father’s’s sister); Paul Wingler’s sister; and Victoria Kelly’s mother-in-law. PPA – Bill said Imaging USA will be in Phoenix, Jan. 12 -14. The schedules are coming together and he encouraged everyone to take advantage of the Loop on the PPA website. Rose Mary will be Adrian’s proxy at the council meeting. SEPPA – Janet said SEPPA is going through some changes. PPA is going to take over the Regional Judging in the Southeast. The next SEPPA board meeting will be in March of 2014. There will be a meeting of the Executive Directors
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By FULLER ROYAL, M. Photog. Cr., F. Ph.
What is a professional? While reading the latest issue of PPA’s Professional Photographer magazine, I saw a batch of angry letters to the editor, written by folks who were upset with a columnist who had written that part-time photographers essentially were not professional photographers. The columnist stirred up a lot of full-time and part-time photographers on both sides of the argument – an argument that is ultimately moot. Read on. I think she may have used too small a brush in painting who she considers a professional photographer. Her column was published under the regular feature “Profit Center” and titled “No Hijacking Allowed” and subtitled “Putting Some Skin in the Game.” I think she intended to aim her column at the growing numbers of photographers who grab photo jobs on the cheap and put little elbow grease or capital into their efforts, all in the name of “a little extra spending cash.” Here’s where I think the columnist went wrong and it’s where I take a different road. She writes: “Here’s what I don’t like: parttime photographers who get paid to work another job all week long then hijack work from a full-time professional when it suits them. By definition, a professional photographer is someone who works as a photographer 24-7, who has made a sizable monetary investment and more important, a sizeable investment of time. Our full-time commitment is all day, every day, not just in our free time.” First of all, there is no definition of what a professional anything is. I know full-time photographers who are anything but professional and I know part-time photographers who exemplify everything a professional should be. I know – and have known – full-time photographers whose photography ached for improvement.
And, conversely, I know part-time photographers whose work puts mine to shame. Does hijacking exist? Sure. I can cite dozens of potential clients I “almost had” who went with someone charging 10 percent of what I charge. Truth is, I never “almost had” them. I was too expensive and they were too cheap. Not my customers to begin with. The columnist doesn’t think you can hold down another job and still be a professional photographer. Welcome to 2014. We live in an age where people will not only change jobs six to eight times in their lifetimes, many will also completely change careers at least twice. In the past, there were basically three ways into a career as a professional portrait and/or wedding photographer. •You followed mom or dad into the family business and later inherited or bought the business from them. •You developed an interest in photography in high school and pursued a degree in college or went straight into the business as a high school graduate. •You gradually drifted into the business from another line of work or career. This is the most popular route and accounts for the majority of professionals today. There was a time when it was expected of anyone joining PPA or PPNC that they would work their way into a full-time career. PPNC gave you only so long to accomplish this, otherwise, you couldn’t be a full member. That was before my time. And, that hoary notion no longer fits. Today, the odds are stacked against any new full-time photographer. The odds have always been against new businesses. Technology and the economy have made it worse for photographers. I discovered this 16 years ago when our county’s economy “tanked” a fulldecade ahead of the rest of the nation. In just a seven-year span, we lost 7,500 well-paying textile jobs; we lost our tobacco industry; and we lost United Carolina Bank – we were the headquar-
ters until it was purchased by BB&T. With 4-year-old triplets at the time and Janet working part-time, we lost the bulk of our “white-collar” clientele. I returned to teaching while maintaining my studio. Three years later, I would be hired as a staff writer, photographer and layout editor at our local newspaper. Since becoming “part-time,” 30-45 percent of my annual income has come from photography. Some quarters, it’s actually the majority of my income. Now, I am not the only one on this part-time journey. There are many photographers who are supplementing their photography incomes with other jobs. They are selling real estate. Or they are radio disc jockeys. Or they are tutoring students. Or they are teaching school. In the case of the columnist, she helps her husband run a vineyard. Since the columnist doesn’t consider me a professional – I don’t do photography 24/7 – I guess my employers at the newspaper where I work don’t consider me a professional either from their end of the spectrum. Hey, if you are doing photography 24/7, they you have no life and clearly aren’t charging enough. I will not apologize for possessing a skill set that allows me to also teach school, write for a newspaper and create portraits. Twice, over the past decade, I have been confronted by “professional photographers” who said I had no right to call myself a professional photographer because I don’t depend on photography 100 percent for my income. That’s a crock. I market and promote and sell just as hard as any full-timer. I have to. By the way, both individuals who confronted me are out of business. I can give up neither of my jobs – writer or photographer – if I want to make ends meet and send my kids through college. During a break at the Western Guild, several other photographers and I sat around talking about this very thing.
PPNC Minutes Continued from page 39 at SEPPA as well. Rick Gibbons has been hired as the executive director. Victoria Kelly is the magazine editor and the website manager. Janet said SEPPA may move its 2015 Convention to Charlotte. More information will be available at a later date. Keep checking the website. www.seppaonline.com East Coast School – Rex Truell presented the 2013 ECS Session Report. The school had a net income of $2,914.25. He thanked everyone for their hard work. Classes for 2014 will be March 9-12, 2013 at the Clarion Hotel. Instructors are: Fuller Royal, Adrian Henson, Al Audelman and Richard Sturdevant.
Seminar Reports
2013 Spring Seminar Tim Hester, Chairman Johnston Community College Income Paid Registrations ... $1,248.00 82 members @ $30.00 ... $2,460.00 Vendors ... $500.00 Reimbursement forSunday Night Meal ... $94.00 Total ... $4,302.00
Expenses Brochures & Mailing ... $511.54 Drinks ... $42.24 Howell Woods Rental (Sunday Night) $160.00 Speaker Hotel Rooms ... $670.32 Seminar Chairman Room ... $167.58 Speaker Fees ... $500.00 Schedules ... $15.12 Sunday Night Dinner ... $940.00 Total ... $3,006.80 Profit ... $1,295.20 2013 Western Fall Seminar Cathy Yount reported the seminar was going great! She thanked everyone for their help and support. 2014 Central Winter Seminar Bob Henderson reported the seminar will be held at the Haw River State Park. It is a full-service park with four dormitories and two full serve conference centers. If PPNC rents 10 or more rooms, the meeting space will be free. Cost of the rooms includes three meals per day. $90 – One person in a room $70 – two people per room $60 – three people per room Those that drive in for the day will pay $8 for food. There will be a social media program Sunday morning, Pete Wright on weddings and Mark Barnette on Lightroom
on Sunday afternoon. On Monday Bill Goode will present a day long program on studio operation from top to bottom. 2014 Spring Seminar Michael Taylor presented a written report. He reported the scheduled dates for the 2014 PPNC Spring seminar are June 1-2, 2014. It will be held at the Cartaret Community College in Morehead City.
Old Business
2014 Carolina Click Expo Report – Adrian and Bruce reported they had signed up two new members. They are not sure if we should attend again. The display looked great and they made some good contacts with potential members and vendors.
New Business
Discussion was held about the annual PPNC Print judging. After much discussion, Rose Mary Cheek moved to hold the 2014 Print Judging at the 2014 Carolina Photo Expo. Ellis Williamson seconded. The motion carried. The next meeting will be Jan. 19, 2014 at the Winter Seminar which will be held at Haw River State Park. There being no further business, the meeting then adjourned. Respectfully submitted, Loretta Byrd, executive director
f/’s stop Continued from page 40 We tried to make a list of photographers within PPNC who are 100 percent photography without a second job or a spouse employed somewhere else. It was a very short list. Most of the full-time studios have been established a long time and continue to lead their communities in quality and service. And while the technology makes it easier for people to become “photographers,” it’s now tougher than ever to start a new, full-time studio from scratch. I understand what the columnist was trying to say, but she let some frustrations color her logic. To broadly paint all part-time photographers as being less than professional was a bad move. Instead, she should have targeted the part-time and some full-time photographers, who grossly under-rate their
product, undercharge for their work and undercut other photographers. She did take aim, and rightly so, at the photographers who fail to become properly licensed. She correctly took aim at the photographers who don’t constantly work to improve their product, their service or their business practices. The real harm to the photography industry have been the photographers who have more “passion” for photography than business sense. They take any job whether they have the needed skills or not. It’s dangerous to lump folks in any one category. A lot of variables go into the success or failure of a studio. Those factors include the photographers’ natural talents or learned abilities with cameras, lights and computers. They include photographers’ busi-
ness, marketing and sales skills. They include photographers’ abilities to connect with clients and create memorable experiences in addition to memorable portraits. A variable that is often overlooked is the economic environment. A low-wealth area will be a tough area and will require sharper skills. Too often, we want to blame those around us for our business failures when the buck really stops with us. Truth is, despite all of the photographers surrounding me, my net income is a little better this year than last. It took a lot of work and creativity to pull that off. I guess that isn’t too shabby for a “non-professional part-timer.”
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Images from the 2013 We
estern Seminar in Hickory