Latest News

"Chicks Who Click" Set for June 24-27 So Sign Up Now!

Yes, It's Back! Brought to you this year by PPA Charities, the Chicks Who Click Conference is still being talked about by the hundreds of women (and a few male stalwarts) who have attended this unique education opportunity.

On June 24-27 you'll have a chance to learn from some of the industry's top mentors, connect with other photographers and enjoy some girlfriend time in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, at the fabulous Firesky Resort & Spa. This boutique hotel features an incredible spa, and all attendees will receive specials and discounts!

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Space is limited to 300, so don't be disappointed . . .

Sign up Now for Chicks Who Click!

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Get The Whole Scoop!
Go To The "Chicks Who Click" Website

Click Here

Whether you are a seasoned pro or brand new to the industry, this conference offers something for everyone. We will feature many topics including Boudoir, Marketing, Sales, Seniors, Children, Posing & Lighting, Weddings, Photoshop, and much, much more. The fabulous speaker lineup features Kay Eskridge, Mary Fisk-Taylor, Beth Forester, Jen Hillenga, Julie Klaasmeyer, Julieanne Kost, and Lori Nordstrom.

Early registration is only $249 for PPA members and $279 for non-members; after April 30 pay $299 for PPA members and $329 for non-members. Registration includes top-notch programs, social events, mentoring opportunities, some meals, boutique shopping and plenty of great girlfriend gifts.

Being a part of the 2010 Chicks Who Click Conference will give you the chance to learn, grow and connect with friends--old and new. Plus, you'll be helping PPA Charities and Operation Smile to change children's lives . . . one smile at a time.

For more information, contact Bert Behnke at bbehnke@ppa.com for immediate registration; or go to www.ppacharities.com and register online. For hotel reservations,

For hotel reservations, call 480-945-7666, ask for reservations, and tell them you are with PPA Charities to receive the discounted rate. Or you can register online by clicking here.

Webinar :: Things I Learned from My Mother

Things I Learned from My Mother: Guide to a Successful Photography Business in the Digital Age

With Mara Blom Schantz, Cr.Photog.
June 7, 12pm ET
$39 for PPA Members
Click here to register

Or, attend this and all PPA webinars with an Online Learning Pass
A year of unlimited access to PPA webinars for just $149!
Click here to register

NOTE: This webinar is free to anyone who has registered for the PPA Charities' Chicks Who Click conference. If you are already registered for the conference, you do not need to register here. You will get a separate invite to this webinar.

More and more it seems that personal and meaningful contact is missing from this age of digital. But if you slow down and actually connect with your clients--actually meet and spend time with them--it can translate into both bigger sales and a personal gratification that will make your life more fulfilling.

Mara Blom Schantz, Cr.Photog., knows this for a fact. That's why she's sharing this webinar, based upon the life and business lessons she learned from her wonderful mother, Chloe Beeson Blom, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, a photographic innovator who died June 19, 2009.

From presentation and customer service to the art of the sale, preserving client relations and being an overall better person, this heartfelt, down-to-earth program will inspire and help you reconnect for success in your business and life.

About Mara Blom Schantz, Cr.Photog.

Mara owns and operates the successful studio, Artistic Impressions by Mara, in Phoenix, Ariz, and Mara Blom Schantz specializes in photographing children and families in black and white. She strives to create images that are emotionally evocative and connect with the viewer. In addition to speaking at both PPA and Arizona Professional Photographers Association events, she has taught PPA's Super Monday seminars as well as her own private seminars. Besides photographing and teaching, Mara loves to spend time with her family, practice yoga, surf, run and read. To view Mara's work and read more about her, please visit www.artisticimpressionsbymara.com.

*If you have registered for the 2010 Chicks Who Click conference you will get a special invitation email to participate in this webinar for free.

PPACH Sets $120,000 Operation Smile Donation Goal

In each of the five years since PPA Charities named Operation Smile to be it's charitable partner, PPA members have increased their donations. For 2010 the PPACH Trustees have established a record-setting goal of $120,000 to be raised through activities in direct support of Operation Smile. This goal represents a $50,000 increase over the 2009 goal of $70,000! PPA Charities President Mary Fisk-Taylor explains:

"Last year represented an amazing turning point in our fundraising activities for PPA Charities. Because so many caring photographers and industry vendors recognized what could be accomplished for Operation Smile when we all stand together, we topped our $70,000 goal by $30,000! This allowed us to present Operation Smile with a check for $100,000 at our PPACH Celebration at ImagingUSA in January. This means that the smiles of more than 400 children will be saved through of the generosity of our industry.

"Because of this outstanding performance in 2009, the PPACH Trustees feel confident that our goal of $120,000 can be reached in 2010. Just imagine how we will feel about our great industry if this time next year we know that the lives of 500 children will be changed forever because more and more photographers participated in this great effort! It is within our reach if we start our fundraising efforts now, and if we spread the word about what we are doing to our industry colleagues!

"Thank you again for opening your hearts to children around the world and to the fabulous volunteer professionals at Operation Smile. Take a moment now to mark your 2011 calendar so that you can take part in the PPA Charities Celebration on the evening of Saturday, January 15, at Imaging USA in San Antonio!"

To learn how you can support Operation Smile, click here.

PPA Charities Celebrates Success at Imaging USA!

To say that the January 2010 PPA Charities Celebration at PPA's ImagingUSA national convention in Nashville was a success is truly an understatement! The event was packed with over 500 members eager to kick off the convention and celebrate PPA Charities' accomplishments for 2009.

The Big News: PPA Photographers

Raise $100,000 for Operation Smile!

The evening's high point was the presentation of a check for $100,000, which represents funds raised by photographers for PPACH's charitable partner, Operation Smile, in 2009. In the photo below, members of the PPA Charities Trustees and other well-wishers surround PPACH president Mary Fisk-Taylor (center right) as she presents the check to Beth Marshall, director of Operation Smile's Southeast Region and senior executive advisor for Latin America. Beth is the sister of Kathy Magee, cofounder of Operation Smile.

The $100,000 donation represents a major milestone for PPA Charities, as it nearly doubled the $50,635 contribution presented at IUSA in 2009. According to PPACH Executive Director Bert Behnke, "This outstanding result would not have been possible without the incredible participation of many new individual and corporate donors who have recognized that Operation Smile is such a worthy organization and a perfect fit for photographers." To date, PPA photographers have raised a total of $250,000 for Operation Smile. That translates into well over 1,000 smiles that have been saved through the generosity of PPA members. For a complete listing of PPACH 2009 contributors, click here.

The check ceremony followed a narrated slide presentation by Bert Behnke, who documented an Operation Smile mission to Paraguay in November, and a presentation by Dr. Rafael Gottenger, who spoke from the heart about the impact of Operation Smile and the importance of photography in telling the story of Operation Smile's world-wide missions. Dr. Gottenger's work was documented by PPA member and PPACH Board member Graham Wilson, who accompanied a November mission to Vietnam.

Graham Wilson and members of his studio staff are shown below along with Gottenger, Beth Marshall and Bert Behnke.

Demonstrating The Power of ONE

"The Ronald" fundraiser, which took place during the Celebration, was a light-hearted spoof on Donald Trump's reality show with PPA President's Ron Nichols and two other judges, determining the winning team, shown below, which consisted of Kay Eskridge, Trey and Elizabeth Homan, Lori Nordstrom, and Dan Pfeffer.

Team leader Kay Eskridge explains their "Power of ONE" fund-raising strategy: "Our goal was to enlist the support of socially responsible photographers by sharing how simple the power of one really is: These are tough times for fundraising but we know that people still want to help. They just feel like the small amount they may have to give couldn't possibly make a difference. Our campaign was designed to show them it is not true. Small amounts could count. And, by spreading the word about the Power of One, they would become a part of a campaign that was making a dramatic difference in so many little lives. So we twittered, facebooked, blogged, emailed, e-newslettered . . . and worked tirelessly at spreading the word and asking for small amounts. "Standing as ONE, professional photographers across the country can make a difference in the lives of children all over the world through the PPA Charities Operation Smile Campaign."

Rick Gibbons Honored With PPA Charities Legacy Award

During the Awards Ceremony on the last evening of ImagingUSA, Rick Gibbons received The PPA Charities Legacy Award, which recognizes outstanding service and commitment to PPA Charities and philanthropic endeavors. Rick was honored for his pioneering work with Operation Smile, through the North Carolina Professional Photographers Association and the Southeastern Professional Photographers Association (SEPPA), which resulted in the ongoing relationship between PPA Charities and Operation Smile. Rick is a past president of both organizations. Rick's award was acknowledged by Mary Fisk-Taylor during the Celebration event.

Because of the size of the crowd in Nashville, PPA has reserved a much larger room for the 2011 Celebration event at at IUSA in San Antonio. We're going to need it, as Texas School has contacted us to help sponsor the Celebration as the unofficial welcome party to IUSA 2011. Wow!

To relive the sights and fun of the 2010 PPACH Celebration, click here.

Mark your calendar NOW for January 15, 2011. SEE YOU IN SAN ANTONIO!

How Many Smiles Can You Save?