Education is the key to PPW!

We have several events yearly that offer incredible speakers on various topics to help the professional photographer.

The Spring Educational Conference is around April and provides the association's members an event to come together to enjoy old and new friends. The day before this event our Annual Image Competition takes place. Hired judges are brought in to judge and critique our images with the 12 Elements of Merited Print as a guide.

We hold a Fall Event around October to give a stimulating break from the photographer's busy season of High School seniors and families, for example.

During the year, each PPW District holds meetings four times a year in the their area. To learn about these events besides here on our website, The Washington Photographer Journal comes out four times a year. Within the pages of the journal, you will also learn about the workings of PPW and informational articles about our industry.

Involvement improves your business. Here are a few ways to do this:

Coming Events

Upcoming events

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East District: Palouse Photo Tour

When
16 Jun 2023

1:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Location
The PNW Bus, HWY 26 & HWY 261 in Washtucna, WA.

Register

Eastern District: Palouse Photo Tour

Friday, June 16 @ 1pm - Sunset -

Come on a road trip adventure with the Eastern District as we adventure around the Palouse region.

We will be starting our trip at the PNW Bus in Washtucna, Wa and continuing on with stops at Palouse Falls and some beautiful fields and abandoned buildings, ending with Steptoe Butte at sunset.

Please plan for a whole day of photo fun. There is not a lot of places to stop for food and drink so please bring enough to make it through the day. Also, we will be going to a few places that will require a Washington State Discover Pass. I know a few of us have those and we can park and go in groups.

Please reach out to Chris Wood 509-232-9071 / chris.intothewoodsphotography@gmail.com if you have any questions.

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ONLINE (zoom) Learning the Chain Links of Photography Success w/ Jeff Lubin

When
22 Jun 2023

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Location
via Zoom

Register

Learning the Chain Links of Photography Success w/ Jeff Lubin

PPW Education Online - Thursday, June 22nd beginning at 6pm

Fee: Free

Questions: Contact Chris Wooley

Since he began his career in 1983, to continue to be successful, Jeff Lubin, M.Photog, Cr. had to evolve with the times to stay relevant.

We all know that a chain breaks at its weakest link. If you want to be competitive in today’s world of portrait photography, you have all the links of the chain operating seamlessly.

Although you could break this down in a micro sense, in the macro view of the links are as follows:

⦁ Photography
⦁ Branding
⦁ Website, Facebook, and other social media
⦁ Your image both personally and in your studio
⦁ Pricing
⦁ Marketing
⦁ Sales presentation

Jeff will go over how each of these links must be learned and incorporated in your studio as a whole to produce the highest level of profits and overall success. You will come away with a clear picture of how these links work together and where you need to concentrate your efforts to shore up your weakest links.

www.jefflubin.com

Jeff's sensitive and unique style has won him many national and state awards. He earned the coveted Master of Photography Degree from the Professional Photographers of America in 1992, after only three years of competition. The following year, Jeff received the Craftsman Degree. Jeff twice won the Grand Photographic Award from the Virginia Professional Photographers Association, designating him as a top photographer in Virginia. He also has twice been named Portrait Photographer of the Year by the Maryland Professional Photographers.

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Summer Board Retreat – Burien

Start
24 Jun 2023

12:00 PM

End
25 Jun 2023

12:00 PM

Location
Location TBA later - Burien

Register

We will be meeting in Burien for the Summer board Retreat

Reports and motions were due on June 4th.

Board meetings are open to all members. Board members, please, register so we know you are attending.

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SW District Zoom: Coffee, Cameras and Conversation

When
27 Jun 2023

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Location
on Zoom

Register

for the

'Coffee, Cameras and Conversation'

Here in the Southwest District, we believe it is our mission to become better creatives. Join us for a monthly SW PPW (virtual) gathering, ‘Coffee, Cameras and Conversation’ where we can connect and get to know our other PPW members and share on the journey to better. Normally, we meet every fourth Tuesday morning at 9am.

No pressure to attend, the cost is free – just your time. Plan to join in the fun with Joni Atkinson (simply_statedphotography@wavecable.com) or Johnny Walker (johnny@almostcandid.net) and we will send you the link to join.

Everything is better fully caffeinated!

A confirmation email will be sent with the Zoom Link after you register.

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PPA Edu: Modern Family Portraiture with Jessica Vallia

When
09 Jul 2023

11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

Location
Studio K - 4438 Fir Tree Rd SE, Olympia WA 98501

Spaces left
20

Register

PPA Edu: Modern Family Portraiture with Jessica Vallia

Date: Saturday, July 9, 2023 -11am to 7:00pm

PPW/PPA Member Price $139 (Merited class) (Limited Seating!)
Non-Member Price $199

Questions: Contact Kari Stuckey or Chris Wooley

This course will be a deep dive into creating an heirloom portrait session for the modern family. Your instructor, Jessica, works not only at providing clients with posed images, but also pairing that with authentic moments. Her families are well posed and engaged along with laughing and real moments of happiness & closeness to cherish for a lifetime. Moms and dads alike often cry during their reveal watching an emotionally driven video of the in between moments of their video paired with their perfect posed images. These family stories are perfect for selling albums and wall prints which boosts sales for the modern family photographer.

Her clients have a full experience from style guides for their session (so their images look like they were crafted for their home) to helping choose their location based on their family style. Each family session is truly unique and tells a story of who they are.

She will dive into what style portraits are best paired with different products as well as easy ways to prep and bond with your clients for a successful portrait session.

Jessica is known for shooting on location during golden & blue hour with natural light, but this course is about building a successful session for any type of lighting situation. There will be hands on posing tips & an opportunity for hands on portfolio building.

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East District: Come shoot The stars

When
15 Jul 2023

7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Location
31136 Church Rd E, Davenport, WA 99122

Register

Eastern District: Come Shoot The Stars

Saturday, July 15 @ 7pm - 11pm - 31136 Church Rd E, Davenport, WA 99122

Come Join Mike Busby and Chris Wood at one of their favorite places to shoot the stars or maybe even the Milky Way. We will be meeting at 7 pm in the Grocery Outlet parking lot on the corner of 3rd & Ash. From there, we will head out to the Rocklyn Zion Methodist church near Harrington Wa and set up for Sunset and night shots. Mike and Chris will be there to help you if you need help with Composition or Just finding focus. This should be a great time of shooting the star but remember to bring a jacket it can get cold as the night progresses.

Contact: Chris Wood, E Dist Rep

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PPA Edu: Landscape Photography at Mt St Helens

When
22 Jul 2023

1:00 PM - 9:30 PM

Location
On location - Mt St Helens / Eco Park Resort 14000 Spirit Lake Hwy, Toutle, WA 98649

Spaces left
17

PPA Edu: Landscape Photography at Mt St Helens CANCELLED due major mudslide that wiped out the road

Date: Saturday, July 22, 2023 -1pm to 9:30pm

Fee: $299.00 for PPA/PPW members / $399 for non-members and does not include meals or lodging. (Min. number of participants is four, and the max. is 12. )
Questions? Contact: Chris Wooley

PPW/PPA Member Price $299 (Merited class) (Limited Seating!)
Non-Member Price $399

Join us for an intensive landscape photography workshop at Mt St Helens. The workshop includes two 4-hour inside sessions on landscape photography and post-processing, two 4-hour field sessions and an optional third field session. We’ll be based at the Eco Park Resort where the classroom portions of the workshop will be conducted.

The field sessions will be held on the way to and around the Johnston Ridge Observatory on the northwest side of the volcano. It’s be a great photographic adventure. You’ll come back with great images, new friends and enriched skills and knowledge.

Saturday, July 22

1:00 pm – 5pm Landscape Photography program

5:30pm – 9:30pm – sunset photo session

Sunday, July 23

5:00am-8am – sunrise photo session

9:00am – 1pm – post-processing demos

5:30pm – 9:30pm – optional sunset photo session

Once registered, participants will be sent a suggested equipment list and more detailed information.

Workshop Basecamp, Meals & Lodging

The workshop will be based out of the Eco Park Resort, a rustic facility that includes cabins, camping, RV sites, and a cafe. It offers the closest lodging to Mt St Helens and is about 35 minutes to the Johnston Ridge Observatory above Spirit Lake. The café offers breakfast and dinner. Lunch will be on your own. We’ll meet at Eco Park for the indoor sessions. Additional lodging is available at the Seaquest State Park and at the Timberland Inn & Suites in Castle Rock, WA.

You’ll need to book your own lodging and provide your own meals. We’ll eat dinner at Eco Park’s Café before the sunset photo sessions, and eat breakfast after our sunrise photo session. However, you can make your own arrangements for meals.

Eco Park books up early in the season. So we’ll reserve some cabins and/or yurts that you can then book before the workshop. If you stay for the optional sunset photo session on Sunday, you’ll need to book lodging for Sunday night. For more info on Eco Park: https://www.ecoparkresort.com/.

Bonus Friday Night Shootout available too. Register for more information

About Mark Gardner, FP - Mark is an artist with cameras, first as a serious amateur since 1991, and a professional since 2006. He combines passion, creativity and technical skill to make artistic images for client and personal projects. Mark is winding down his client work and is now ar photographer, meaning it's just about his passion for creating personally artful images.

Mark creates fine-art images that celebrate nature, people and culture. Following in a long tradition of fine-art photographers, he uses both the camera and the darkroom to make creative images. He tends to photograph whatever, he's curious about, and he's curious about a lot things. Thus, his subjects range across a wide spectrum, and tend to center around themes more than places and things. He works in both color and black & white, choosing one or the other depending on which best fits his vision and emotion.

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SW District Zoom: Coffee, Cameras and Conversation

When
25 Jul 2023

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Location
on Zoom

Register

for the

'Coffee, Cameras and Conversation'

Here in the Southwest District, we believe it is our mission to become better creatives. Join us for a monthly SW PPW (virtual) gathering, ‘Coffee, Cameras and Conversation’ where we can connect and get to know our other PPW members and share on the journey to better. Normally, we meet every fourth Tuesday morning at 9am.

No pressure to attend, the cost is free – just your time. Plan to join in the fun with Joni Atkinson (simply_statedphotography@wavecable.com) or Johnny Walker (johnny@almostcandid.net) and we will send you the link to join.

Everything is better fully caffeinated!

A confirmation email will be sent with the Zoom Link after you register.

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Statewide Meeting - Working with a Partner: When, Why, and How

When
26 Jul 2023

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Location
2127 Commerce St Tacoma, WA

Register

Working with a Partner: When, Why, and How

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to grow your photography business while constantly juggling the neverending demands? It may be time to consider bringing on a partner!

Join Amber and Scotti Ezell-Bisiaux as they share their personal experience of partnering up to allow Amber to focus on her priority tasks: finding clients, photographing, and selling. Discover WHEN it's the right time to introduce a partner, WHY it may or may not be the best decision for your business and HOW to find the perfect match to complement your skills. Say goodbye to spinning your wheels and hello to focused growth!

Hosted by Tamara Hudson / Chris Wooley

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Speaker Circle - Phase 2 (2 day in-person class)

Start
29 Jul 2023

9:00 AM

End
30 Jul 2023

5:00 PM

Location
TBD

Register

This event is for graduates of the Speaker Circle Phase 1.

The Phase 2 of the Speakers’ Circle is finally here! If you've completed Phase 1 of the Speakers' Circle program then you are officially invited...

Polish your speaking techniques and make yourself more appealing for event planners to hire. Mark your calendar for July 29-30 and join us for this 2-day Speakers’ Circle workshop! Our exact location is still in the works, but we will be in the Seattle / Tacoma area.

During this weekend workshop, you’ll rehearse your content, get direction from your peers, and implement improvements so your presentation is professional and engaging. Plus, you’ll assemble a media kit to make event coordinators happy they hired you.

To prepare for this workshop:

1. gather a list of your professional accomplishments

2. pack clothes for new headshots and video clips of your performance

3. bring what you have for a script / outline that will be your 20-minute presentation (roughly 3000 words)

If your presentation includes any important props or wardrobe items, bring those too.

Class Fee: $75 for all 2 day in-person session

Closed Registration for only Phase 1 graduates - To Register

Questions - connect with Lara Grauer

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PPA Edu: Confidence, Mindset, and Connecting with Clients

When
19 Aug 2023

9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Location
28 W Indiana Ave, STE C, Spokane WA 99205

Register

Confidence, Mindset, and Connecting with Clients

Overcome imposter syndrome and know that you have what it takes to be a successful business owner! If you’re like most photographers, you didn't go into business because of your obsession with building a money machine. You discovered your love for this artform, and the business just got tossed in with it. You didn’t ask for this, but it’s what you’ve got - so let’s make it work for you. This day-long retreat will help you re-charge while you learn practical tips and techniques for building confidence and connecting with people out there who are thrilled to be your clients. Don’t let the nay-saying voice in your head dictate your moves any longer.

PPW/PPA Member: $79
Non-Member: $129
Location: 28 W Indiana Ave, STE C, Spokane WA 99205
Contact: Chris Wooley

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ONLINE (zoom) Getting Started in Fine Art Portraits w/ Leon Johnson

When
24 Aug 2023

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

Location
via Zoom

Getting Started in Fine Art Portraits w/ Leon Johnson

PPW Education Online - Thursday, August 24th beginning at 6pm

Fee: Free

Questions: Contact Chris Wooley

Leon Johnson is a portrait photographer who draws inspiration from paintings, sculptures, and popular culture to create portraits that resemble fine art paintings from another time and place. Leon is coming to share with how he analyzes his inspirations and extracts components of original works to then incorporate into his portraits and how he leads his clients from his fine art inspirations to the final product. He will discuss the tools and styling he uses to create his artworks and the techniques he has found successful in marketing his work to potential clients around the US. An extremely prolific photographer, Leon will discuss how he allows his passions and love of art to drive his development as a photographer and an artist.

Bio:
Leon Johnson is an award-winning portrait and fine art photographer based in Augusta, Georgia. He specializes in painterly portraits inspired by paintings of the Neoclassical and Impressionist periods of art, fantasy literature, and vintage BNW Portraits. His love of photography began earnestly while living in Europe and falling in love with the landscapes and architecture of the region. He has been photographing portraits since 2015 and has worked as a part time professional photographer since 2017.

Leon’s art-inspired portraits are intimately composed and are immediately recognizable by the classical and timelessly styled simple garments and the resemblance to oil paintings. Despite his engineering and military background, Leon has evolved as an artist whose work reflects his love of times gone by and lands far away. He aims to give the viewer of his portraiture an intimate look into his subject, a snapshot into a moment of their life. He reinforces the timelessness of his scene with jewelry, period-appropriate hair and makeup and custom-made garments made mostly of coarse linens and cottons. With every portrait, Leon wishes to transport and transform his subject to a different time and place and allow them to see themselves in an artistic and alluring light.

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PPW Educational Workshop - Fall Event 2023

When
07 Oct 2023

9:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Location
Kittitas Valley Event Center & Fairgrounds 901 E 7th Ave, Ellensburg, WA 98926

Spaces left
30

Registration is closed

PPW Educational Workshop - Fall Event 2023

Register today and plan to join PPW in Ellensburg on Saturday, October 7th.

Class begins at 9am goes to 5:30pm at the Kittitas Valley Event Center & Fairgrounds 901 E 7th Ave, Naneum Room, Ellensburg.

Registration: PPW/PPA Member: $99 Non Member: $129

Event Host: Julie Fitzpatrick and Marie Sandberg

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Fall Board Meeting

When
08 Oct 2023

9:00 AM

Location
Ellensburg Fairgrounds

Register

We will be meeting in Ellensburg after the Fall Event.

Reports and motions were due on Sept 24th.

Board meetings are open to all members. Board members, please, register so we know you are attending.

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PPW Annual Educational Conference

Every year PPW hosts an Annual Educational Conference and Image Competition. In addition to learning from the masters, we provide fun and fellowship with our Fun Party Auction which raises money to allow PPW to give out scholarships every year. To honor those who earned enough merits, we present them with Membership Medallions at our President's Banquet. At this event we also reveal who won trophies from the Image Competition. Good times and definitely something to not miss! Keep checking back to learn about our upcoming Spring Conference.

PPW Image Competition

If photography is an important part of your life, don't miss the biggest PPW event of the year!

Entering your state competition is one of the best ways to push yourself to be more. You'll learn where you stand—how your photography matches up with your peers. You'll learn about the 12 Elements of a Merit Image, and start incorporating them into your daily photography. You'll learn what it takes to create a merit image and if you stick with it, you may be a Trophy or Award Winner. To see what they are check them out on Trophy & Award Goals.

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The Professional Photographers of Washington, Inc. • 27088 Ohio Ave NE • Kingston, WA 98346 • (360) 818-4348 • Contact Us