Education - Seminars - Convention
AZPPA Education 2012
February 16-23 - WPPI Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada
March 5 AZPPA Monthly Meeting - The Business of Family & Children Photography - Allison Tyler Jones
April 2 - 8x10 Print Critique
April 15 -AZPPA Studio Tour - Melinda Kolker - Home Studio
May 6 - Urban Brides - Art Suwansang, Wedding 64 and Rule of 3rds,
A hands-on workshop in downtown Phoenix, spaces limited
May 7 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting -Lightroom Workflow - Art Suwansang, Wedding 64 and Rule of 3rds
June 4 -AZPPA Monthly Meeting - American Society of Media Photographers- Joint meeting
No July Meeting -
Summer Break
August 6 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - ProSelect and Photoshop Tips and Techniques
September 9 - Boudoir Training, Learn How to Take Sexy Photos - Danny Rabalais, - A hands-on workshop at Studio ADT, spaces limited.
September 10 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - Live Boudoir Shoot - Danny Rabalais
October 1 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - Business Roundtable - “Selling Digital Images” and “SEO & Social Marketing” - Bob Zimmerlich, ClickChick Photography and Amy Fraughton of Photo Business Tools
October 21, 22 - AZPPA Fall Fest - Prescott, AZ - Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
November 5 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - 8x10 Print Critique
November 18 - AZPPA Studio Tour - PG Photography - Home Studio
December 2 - High School Seniors - Posing, Lighting, and Workflow - Kirk Voclain
December 3 - High School Seniors - Kirk Voclain
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Education 2012
February 16-23 - WPPI Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada
Wedding & Portrait Photogrphers International convention is held at the MGM Grand Hotl in las Vegas Nevada. Last year, WPPI attracted over 16,000 attendees. This year, they are expecting WPPI to be the biggest and best event in their history. With an all-star speaker lineup and a diverse and unparalleled menu of special events, WPPI 2012 is primed for another banner year. Winning programs like WPPI University, Photographers Ignite and the Awards Night extravaganza, as well as helpful features like Pre-Board, will make WPPI 2012 their best show ever. And don't forget about the amazing WPPI Trade Show, where you'll find amazing product offers.
As always, WPPI have a great line-up of PLUS Class speakers on Thursday and Friday, February 16th and 17th, open to members only. With 8 classes to choose from, you will be able to find a topic that will elevate your business to the next level. And the cost of these 2-day classes is only $395.
Don't forget about our amazing list of MasterClasses for only $55 a class (early bird special). WPPI are offering 50 classes covering everything from wedding, portrait, postproduction, business marketing and lighting and posing, but don't wait too long to sign up, as these classes fill up quickly!
Want to receive information about WPPI 2012 click here.
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March 5 AZPPA Monthly Meeting - The Business of Family & Children Photography - Allison Tyler Jones
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
The Business of Families and Children
The Big and (small) Picture
By Allison Tyler Jones
The key to success in any business is how you, the owner, think about your work, yourself and your clientele. Are you limiting yourself by blaming your lack of sales on the economy? Are you working yourself into the ground on nickel and dime sessions when you could be doing less for more if you structured your pricing better and developed a little confidence in yourself? Are you limiting yourself with overly restrictive policies and procedures that put your clients off? Are you spending so much time working in your business that you don't have time to think ahead to the future of where you want the business to go?
Keeping the Big (and small) Picture in mind in the most important areas can change the way you run your business giving you a bigger return for less effort. Changing the way you think about your market, your competition and the photography business as a whole will allow you to keep the BIG picture in mind while paying attention to those little things that make all the difference to your clients AND your bottom line.
Allison Tyler Jones is the owner of the successful boutique portrait studio Allison Tyler Jones Photography, Inc. located in Historic Downtown Mesa, Arizona.
Allison specializes in portraits of families and children for both retail and commercial clients. Allison’s studio ranked as one of PPA’s Top Performing Studios in their 2008 PPA Benchmark Study. An author of three photography books, Allison also teaches photography and business workshops nationally and internationally.
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
April 2 AZPPA Monthly Meeting- 8x10 Print Critique
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
7 PM - It's 8x10 Print Critique time. The Semiannual 8x10 Print Critique is open to anyone! AzPPA members can enter for free, $20 entry fee for non-members
Please review the RULES to speed the Check-in process. Areas highlighted in red are specific rules you need to look for.
It's 8x10 Print Competition time. The Semiannual 8x10 Print Critique is open to anyone! AzPPA members can enter for free. There is a $20 entry fee for non-members.
Entries are accepted from 6:00pm to 6:30pm! the evening of the print competition.
We will have an expert panel of judges that will critique your images, and your images will be projected on the screen for the benefit of the audience.
The main purpose of print critique is to help our members select their best images and give guidance on preparing a print case to enter at our annual state print competition, a PPA Regional, or PPA National Print Competition. As such, some of our rules are a little more relaxed than at a formal competition. Before entering a print into State or National level competitions, be sure the print meets their specific requirements! At the Print Critique, our main goal is to encourage photographers to enter competition and receive the valuable learning experience that is gained by competing. Print critique will help members improve their photography and Photoshop skills, and allow members to earn merits for the AZPPA Distinguished Photographer’s Award.
Prints will be judged under AZPPA State and PPA NAtional lighting conditions ie the light on prints will be f16 at 100 ISO for 1 second. Your Prints should be printed 15 to 25% darker than you would for a client depending on subject matter.
Qualifications For Print Entry
1. Members of the Arizona Professional Photographers Association may enter the print critique for free. A $20 entry fee is required for non-members.
2. Members must be present at the meeting at which they enter prints, and prints must be entered by deadline time. The ‘must-be-present’ rule is to ensure the critique serves it’s educational purpose primarily, and provide awards as a secondary benefit.
3. Entrants must be present to sign the release at registration to permit AZPPA to display meriting images at this and other events, and to use meriting images in AZPPA promotional material (online and/or in print)
.
4. Entries are accepted from 6:00pm until 6:30pm on the day of the meeting. The 6:30pm cut-off will be enforced even if you are waiting in line to check-in, to ensure the meeting starts on time.
Print Critique Rules
1. Only 8x10” photographs or any sized albums may be entered. Prints can be traditional photographs or inkjet prints, but to be fair to other entrants, no other print size (eg. 8.5x11”) is allowed. Prints do not need to be mounted or sprayed. (This rule is drastically different to PPA's and AzPPA's Annual Print Competition rules.)
2. The prints brought for judging must be clearly marked with the maker’s name and image title on the reverse, along with the category to which they belong. Illegible handwriting or unreadable fonts are common cause for print rejection! All prints may be entered in the same category.
a. Portrait
b. Commercial/Industrial (Tear sheets may be included to assist judges)
c. Illustrative
d. Wedding Photograph
e. Wedding Album (Social Events) - Any size album accepted
3. A digital jpeg file of the image MUST be submitted along with any photograph entered. It must be sized to 800 by 1000 pixels and be in the sRGB color space. If you have an 8x10 file, an easy way to size your image in Photoshop is to go to File>Automate>Fit Image and enter 1000 for both height and width. Please use this format to title your file - Last Name_Title-Of_Print, eg. “WALLS_Sleeping-Beauty.jpg”. No other file formats will be accepted. If possible, also embed your (maker’s) name in the metadata to assist the Print Critique Chairperson.
3a. Your digital files (up to 4) MUST be supplied on a single CD. Flash drives, memory cards, or portable hard-drives are not permitted because they slow down the check-in process.
3a1. Ensure the ONLY files on the CD are your competition entries. The presence of additional files or folders will confuse the loader at check-in.
3a2. Ensure that your CD-R or CD-RW is ‘finalized’ or ‘closed’. Packet-writing CD-burning software (eg Roxio, Nero, Toast) is often proprietary, and CDs written in this incremental fashion, and not properly closed, may not be readable on other machines that do not have the same software.
3b. For albums, a digital jpeg file of ONE page of the album must be submitted with each album entered, and sized to 800 pixels on the shorter side. Please pick your favorite image to be displayed on screen.
4. The maximum number of prints/albums that a member can enter at each meeting for judging is four.
5. All Photographs and albums must be titled. "No title" or "untitled" is not an acceptable title, and will cause your entry to be rejected.
6. A subject may be entered more than once at the Print Critique. For example, if you photograph a family, you can enter any member in that family in another print. Also, a photograph that was contained in wedding album may be entered in the wedding photograph category. This is drastically different from the State, Regional and National print competition rules. Our goal is to help you select the strongest of your images to enter at State, Regional and National competitions.
6. Prints and Albums will be judged on a thumbs up/down method and will need a majority of thumbs up to receive a merit towards the Distinguished Photographer’s Award. See the table below for merit qualification:
2 judges will require 2 thumbs up.
3 judges will require at least 2 thumbs up.
4 judges will require at least 3 thumbs up.
5 judges will require at least 3 thumbs up.
6 judges will require at least 4 thumbs up.
7. The Distinguished Photographer’s Award is an award that was originally created by the Phoenix Professional Photographers Association. If you established your AzPPA membership by April 30, 2006, your local PPPA print merits have been transferred. If you did not renew by April 30, 2006, any past merits from PPPA were forfeited.
8. You must receive 25 “Print Critique Print Merits” to earn the Distinguished Photographer’s Award. There is no monetary value associated with the award.
9. Judges will be Master Photographers, or have received the APPLE Award from the AzPPA, or have completed a national judging class. In the event that a judge doesn't meet any of the three requirements, they will only be selected upon the approval of the Print Critique Chairperson. Judges may choose not to score prints in which they know the maker of the image, if they feel that it may affect their judgment. Judges may not score, challenge or make comments about their own images, a spouse's image or images made by someone that works for the same studio.
9b. If a judge feels unable to judge and score a print for any reason, they may request an alternate judge, or exceptionally, the Print Critique Chairperson, to vote on their behalf.
10. Prints or albums may only be entered once. Even if you make changes to a print/album, they still may not be entered again in our Print Critique. You are encouraged to send the new print/album to State, Regional and National competitions.
11. The AzPPA Print Critique Chairperson has the full authority to answer any questions not specifically covered by these rules. They may also disqualify entries and remove members from the print competition room if any member acts in an unprofessional manner during or after the print competition.
12. If you would like your photographs back after the competition, please collect them at the end as they will not be stored. CDs will not be returned.
13. The judge’s decision will be final.
AZPPA Semi-Annual Print Critique Rules Revised: DATE 1/25/2012
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
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April 15 -AZPPA Studio Tour - Melinda Kolker - Home Studio
May 6 - Urban Brides - Art Suwansang, Wedding 64 and Rule of 3rds,
A hands-on workshop in downtown Phoenix, spaces limited
Members $59 - Non-member $79
Urban Brides - Available Light, High ISO Wedding Photography
It is one thing to turn the ISO up on your modern DSLR cameras. But it takes a totally different understanding to achieve amazing result at these settings. Learn about the capture methods and how to manipulate your camera exposure settings to get a good base image. Determine the high ISO comfort zone for your camera, and be informed about the different types of noise, its effect on your images and how to get rid of them. Discover the new postulated theory on how to get amazing usable images every time from a twilight and night photography session and see the amazing images with amazing colors and tonality that can only be achieved with nighttime high ISO photography. Find out the tips and trick of how to photograph using only available light during twilight hour, at night, and in banquet halls. Be inspired to push the boundaries of your photography once again to photographed with high ISO at night, create a distinction in your work and take your photography to places where you haven’t been before.
Art Suwansang Bio
“East is East and West is West..” and the two have met and melded successfully in Art Suwansang. Born in New York City, Art spent part of his formative years being educated in Thailand, returning to the United States to finish his education in Southern California. Growing up in two cultures has given Art the added dimension of opening up to choices and seeing through multiple perspectives. This duality has repeated itself in his choice of careers, giving him great insight and knowledge in the digital revolution and high proficiency in the world of artistic expression.
Originally majoring in Computer Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona, Art could not deny the calling of his muse and eventually left Cal Poly to pursue his true passion – photography. However, while at Cal Poly, Art was busy taking a leadership position on campus in student government and was elected a Senator, representing the Engineering Department, for two terms. Besides being steeped in the academic and political sides of the digital world, Art began his first entrepreneurial enterprise in computer servicing from which he has recently retired in order to give 500% of his time and energy to Wedding 64.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brooks Institute, Art Suwansang has become an award winning, international photographer and lecturer.
With a diverse background in photography that includes portraiture, events, commercial and architecture, Art’s enthusiasm for wedding photography has given him his true métier. Building Wedding 64 from the ground up has been a labor of love, and a unique opportunity to share his excitement for the visual image, intimately, with the bride, groom and their entourage every time they relive that special moment through their collection of pictures.
“As a wedding photographer, I get to see the literal translation of the words “love” and “passion” in the bride’s and groom’s emotional and physical connection – their new “raison d’ être”. This has made me realize that there is more to what I do than just “passionately” take images. What makes wedding imagery so important isn’t just taking great pictures, it’s that the images I capture document the histories of individuals, moments that may happen once in a lifetime for only fractions of a second.”
With a strong background in computer technology, and staying abreast of the latest innovations that continue to enhance the final product, Art is committed to bring that knowledge and experience to the photography field as a teacher and lecturer. His workshops and presentations are always full and in demand both in the United States and abroad. His professional affiliations include membership in the Professional Photographers of California, Wedding and Portrait Photographers International and Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers United Kingdom, three of the international associations that have made use of his teaching talents. Added to these successes, Art was recently awarded the Wedding Photojournalist of Year from the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers United Kingdom.
Art Suwansang’s work has been represented in two gallery shows and has been featured in several publications.
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May 7 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - Lightroom Workflow
Art Suwansang, Wedding 64 and Rule of 3rds
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
A new editing paradigm; Pixel vs Parametric image manipulation.
In the past few years we saw a distinction our image editing process. One is still valid today but is based on the older technology, while the other is a new technology that brings new light to image processing and organization. The two editing methods are pixel manipulation using Photoshop, and parametric image adjustment using Lightroom. How are they different; what are the pros and cons of each method; how does each process work with your images? These are some of the questions that will be answered in this enlightened class on digital photography. This class will also covers ways to organize your images better using the combine power of parametric image adjustment along with the great database backend of Lightroom, using virtual copy & collections.
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
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June 4 -AZPPA Monthly Meeting - American Society of Media Photographers - Joint meeting
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
August 6 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting
ProSelect and Photoshop Tips and Techniques
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
Photoshop and ProSelect - Best Tips and Hints
Join David Weingarten, of Golden Eye Photography, and Lisa Schaaf, of PG Photography, as they go over their favorite hints and tips in both Photoshop and ProSelect. David will go over his natural editing, that cleans up the skin, yet still keeps the skin’s texture. He also show some of his favorite tips using Photoshop. Lisa will quickly cover how ProSelect and in person viewing can benefit your studio, then she’ll delve into some of the more advance functions, such as using Creative Effects, creating your own Styles and Templates, and using Room View. Plus she’ll show how she uses her favorite tool in Photoshop, the Warp Tool. You’re sure to pick up something new at this meeting!
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
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September 9 - Boudoir Training, Learn How to Take Sexy Photos - Danny Rabalais, - A hands-on workshop at Studio ADT, spaces limited.
Member $99/Non-Member $149
Boudoir is back, baby!!!!
Kick *** modern boudoir. Gone are the days of fake rose peddles, candles and
mirrors, you will learn Maxim style, hard hitting sexy, fun and flirty boudoir
photography!
Join us with Danny & Dianne Rabalais of Boudoir Training.com as they show you how to pose and light the classic boudoir session. Next they’ll take it up a notch with different lighting and posing techniques that are simple to replicate in your own studio or on location. This hands-on boudoir photography workshop will show you how to use a variety of lighting styes that will separate you from the pack of typical boudoir photographers. Shooting in pods, with no more than 12 people per model, (and no shooting gaggle, each person will shoot every set up individually), you will leave this workshop with the skills and knowledge you will need to have a successful boudoir business.
You won’t find a more enthusiastic, dynamic, down to earth couple than Danny and Dianne. No more excuses that you can’t be a boudoir photographer because you’re a guy, they will show you how they relax their clients and make them feel comfortable and beautiful throughout their session. "We are very proud of what we do for women of all shapes and sizes, because we make them look, and most importantly FEEL, sexy and beautiful.”
Spaces are limited for this workshop and preference will be given to AZPPA members-only for early bird registration for $99. One month before the program we will open the registration to non-members for $149.
“Over the years I have purchased books on the topic of boudoir, but none of them fit
every need I had. I could see a great pose, but no lighting tips… good lighting instructions, but no pose… you get it, right? Our workshop and books cover just that!!!" Danny & Dianne
PS, we would like to offer our NEW Boudoir & Posing Guide to all AZPPA
members. Use the code "AZPPA" and get $20 off the downloadable book! Go to
www.boudoirtraining.com . This is a 48-page instructional guide with over 175 sample photos with posing and lighting set ups.
Studio ADT **New Location!** 2120 East Sixth Street, Suite 8 Tempe, Arizona 85281
Phone: (480) 967-4555 Directions
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September 10 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - Live Boudoir Shoot
Danny & Dianne Rabalais
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
Boudoir is back, baby!!!! Part Duex!
Watch Danny and Dianne, of Boudoir Training.com, demonstrate their “Maxim” style boudoir with a live boudoir shoot. This will be a new lighting set up from what they teach during their hands on workshop. Next, see how they edit their boudoir images to make their clients look their best. Finishing with a question and answer session, this is one monthly meeting, you don’t want to miss!!
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
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October 1 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - Business Roundtable - “Selling Digital Images” and “SEO & Social Marketing” - Bob Zimmerlich, ClickChick Photography and Amy Fraughton of Photo Business Tools
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
October 21, 22 - AZPPA Fall Fest - Prescott, AZ - Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
2012 AZPPA Fall Fest Outdoor Photography: Wanderings and Wonderings of Watson Lake
• 1:00 pm: AZPPA Fall Fest Begins!
• 1:15 – 3:00 pm: Presentation, “Going Beyond the Cliché: Seeing the Great Outdoors…Differently.” In this interactive presentation, learn techniques for creating unique photographs through pre-visualizing your pictures before snapping the shutter, engaging with your outdoor subjects, and successfully breaking composition and exposure rules to create more artistic photographs.
• 3:30 – 6:30 pm: Photo shoot along the Prescott Peavine National Recreation Trail. Putting the presentation techniques to immediate use, we’ll explore this historical Santa Fe-Prescott-Phoenix Railway route – part of the “Rails to Trails” national project – into the heart of the Granite Dells. A 2-mile roundtrip walk along the flat and easy trail along the southeastern shoreline will reveal sparkling blue waters, impressive jumbo rocks, and perhaps even waterfowl along Watson Lake.
• 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Dinner and Critique Session at Plaza Bonita. Submit up to two outdoor-related images at 10” on the long side at 100 dpi prior two weeks prior to the AZPPA Fall Fest for possible inclusion in tonight’s dinner critique slideshow. Colleen will select a sampling of images to review as the group enjoys a tasty Mexican dinner.
Monday, October 22
• 7:00 – 9:30 am: Photo shoot at Watson Lake Park. We’ll rise-and-shine at “0-dark-thrity” on Monday morning to catch pre-dawn light and the sunrise from a high vantage point above Watson Lake. Expansive views and granite boulders abound! As the sun gets higher in the sky, we’ll focus on capturing more intimate scenes of mirror-like reflections and artistic patterns along the western shoreline. Though the terrain is rocky, easy drive-up access means little hiking.
• 10:00 – 11:30 am: Presentation: “Clowns, Snowballs, & Boats: Surviving as a Freelance Photographer.” Based on Colleen’s experience in jumping the Corporate America ship to join the freelance “circus,” learn tips for selling your work without selling your soul and how to create your own opportunities in the highly competitive outdoor photography industry.
• 11:30 – 1:30 pm: Lunch at Prescott Brewing Company OR box lunches enjoyed outside during afternoon shoot?
• 1:30 – 4:00 pm: Photo shoot along the Constellation Trails. Outdoor photography during the mid-day hours? You bet! As we explore this new trail system in the heart of the Granite Dells, we’ll focus on “Managing Mid-Day Light.” We’ll use our keen eyes to pick out effective natural lighting situations for more intimate, isolated compositions and learn techniques for improving upon the natural light through the use of reflectors, diffusers, and off-camera flash.
• 4:30 pm: Wrap-up/AZPPA Fall Fest Concludes © 2011 Colleen Miniuk-Sperry / CMS Photography
Colleen Miniuk-Sperry
As an award-winning, internationally published outdoor photographer and writer, Colleen supports a wide range of assignments for editorial clients, fine art, and stock, specializing in outdoor recreation, nature, conservation, and travel. Her work has been published in National Geographic calendars, the Arizona Highways magazine, books, and calendars, AAA Highroads, Mushing Magazine, Lighthouse Digest, Experience AZ, InsideOutside Southwest, Sonora Es, Smith-Southwestern calendars, and a broad variety of other publications.
In late 2011, she co-authored and published the book, “Wild in Arizona: Photographing Arizona’s Wildflowers.”
Colleen also leads photography workshops for the Arizona Highways Photography Workshops, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Through Each Others Eyes, and numerous private workshops. As an Associate of Through Each Other Eyes (TEOE), she has participated in cultural photographic exchanges and international exhibitions with Japan and Mexico. Colleen is also an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). In addition, she has been selected twice as an Artist-in-Residence with Acadia National Park in Maine. Armed with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan, Colleen Miniuk-Sperry moved to Phoenix to begin a 10-year project management career at Intel Corporation. As an outlet to corporate life, she began making photographs of the Western United States landscapes in late 2001. In early 2007, she left Intel to pursue a full-time career in photography. Originally hailing from Ohio, Arkansas, and Illinois, Colleen currently resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband, Craig and cat, Nolan. To learn more about Colleen’s work, book, and instructional opportunities, please visit www.cms-photo.com
• BEST WESTERN Prescottonian: 1317 E Gurley Street, Prescott, AZ (next door to Plaza Bonita), (928) 445-3096, http://bestwesternarizona.com/hotels/best-western-prescottonian • Hampton Inn Prescott: 3453 Ranch Drive, Prescott, AZ, 928-443-5500,
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November 5 - AZPPA Monthly Meeting - 8x10 Print Critique
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
7 PM - It's 8x10 Print Critique time. The Semiannual 8x10 Print Critique is open to anyone! AzPPA members can enter for free, $20 entry fee for non-members
Please review the RULES to speed the Check-in process. Areas highlighted in red are specific rules you need to look for.
It's 8x10 Print Competition time. The Semiannual 8x10 Print Critique is open to anyone! AzPPA members can enter for free. There is a $20 entry fee for non-members.
Entries are accepted from 6:00pm to 6:30pm! the evening of the print competition.
We will have an expert panel of judges that will critique your images, and your images will be projected on the screen for the benefit of the audience.
The main purpose of print critique is to help our members select their best images and give guidance on preparing a print case to enter at our annual state print competition, a PPA Regional, or PPA National Print Competition. As such, some of our rules are a little more relaxed than at a formal competition. Before entering a print into State or National level competitions, be sure the print meets their specific requirements! At the Print Critique, our main goal is to encourage photographers to enter competition and receive the valuable learning experience that is gained by competing. Print critique will help members improve their photography and Photoshop skills, and allow members to earn merits for the AZPPA Distinguished Photographer’s Award.
Prints will be judged under AZPPA State and PPA NAtional lighting conditions ie the light on prints will be f16 at 100 ISO for 1 second. Your Prints should be printed 15 to 25% darker than you would for a client depending on subject matter.
Qualifications For Print Entry
1. Members of the Arizona Professional Photographers Association may enter the print critique for free. A $20 entry fee is required for non-members.
2. Members must be present at the meeting at which they enter prints, and prints must be entered by deadline time. The ‘must-be-present’ rule is to ensure the critique serves it’s educational purpose primarily, and provide awards as a secondary benefit.
3. Entrants must be present to sign the release at registration to permit AZPPA to display meriting images at this and other events, and to use meriting images in AZPPA promotional material (online and/or in print)
.
4. Entries are accepted from 6:00pm until 6:30pm on the day of the meeting. The 6:30pm cut-off will be enforced even if you are waiting in line to check-in, to ensure the meeting starts on time.
Print Critique Rules
1. Only 8x10” photographs or any sized albums may be entered. Prints can be traditional photographs or inkjet prints, but to be fair to other entrants, no other print size (eg. 8.5x11”) is allowed. Prints do not need to be mounted or sprayed. (This rule is drastically different to PPA's and AzPPA's Annual Print Competition rules.)
2. The prints brought for judging must be clearly marked with the maker’s name and image title on the reverse, along with the category to which they belong. Illegible handwriting or unreadable fonts are common cause for print rejection! All prints may be entered in the same category.
a. Portrait
b. Commercial/Industrial (Tear sheets may be included to assist judges)
c. Illustrative
d. Wedding Photograph
e. Wedding Album (Social Events) - Any size album accepted
3. A digital jpeg file of the image MUST be submitted along with any photograph entered. It must be sized to 800 by 1000 pixels and be in the sRGB color space. If you have an 8x10 file, an easy way to size your image in Photoshop is to go to File>Automate>Fit Image and enter 1000 for both height and width. Please use this format to title your file - Last Name_Title-Of_Print, eg. “WALLS_Sleeping-Beauty.jpg”. No other file formats will be accepted. If possible, also embed your (maker’s) name in the metadata to assist the Print Critique Chairperson.
3a. Your digital files (up to 4) MUST be supplied on a single CD. Flash drives, memory cards, or portable hard-drives are not permitted because they slow down the check-in process.
3a1. Ensure the ONLY files on the CD are your competition entries. The presence of additional files or folders will confuse the loader at check-in.
3a2. Ensure that your CD-R or CD-RW is ‘finalized’ or ‘closed’. Packet-writing CD-burning software (eg Roxio, Nero, Toast) is often proprietary, and CDs written in this incremental fashion, and not properly closed, may not be readable on other machines that do not have the same software.
3b. For albums, a digital jpeg file of ONE page of the album must be submitted with each album entered, and sized to 800 pixels on the shorter side. Please pick your favorite image to be displayed on screen.
4. The maximum number of prints/albums that a member can enter at each meeting for judging is four.
5. All Photographs and albums must be titled. "No title" or "untitled" is not an acceptable title, and will cause your entry to be rejected.
6. A subject may be entered more than once at the Print Critique. For example, if you photograph a family, you can enter any member in that family in another print. Also, a photograph that was contained in wedding album may be entered in the wedding photograph category. This is drastically different from the State, Regional and National print competition rules. Our goal is to help you select the strongest of your images to enter at State, Regional and National competitions.
6. Prints and Albums will be judged on a thumbs up/down method and will need a majority of thumbs up to receive a merit towards the Distinguished Photographer’s Award. See the table below for merit qualification:
2 judges will require 2 thumbs up.
3 judges will require at least 2 thumbs up.
4 judges will require at least 3 thumbs up.
5 judges will require at least 3 thumbs up.
6 judges will require at least 4 thumbs up.
7. The Distinguished Photographer’s Award is an award that was originally created by the Phoenix Professional Photographers Association. If you established your AzPPA membership by April 30, 2006, your local PPPA print merits have been transferred. If you did not renew by April 30, 2006, any past merits from PPPA were forfeited.
8. You must receive 25 “Print Critique Print Merits” to earn the Distinguished Photographer’s Award. There is no monetary value associated with the award.
9. Judges will be Master Photographers, or have received the APPLE Award from the AzPPA, or have completed a national judging class. In the event that a judge doesn't meet any of the three requirements, they will only be selected upon the approval of the Print Critique Chairperson. Judges may choose not to score prints in which they know the maker of the image, if they feel that it may affect their judgment. Judges may not score, challenge or make comments about their own images, a spouse's image or images made by someone that works for the same studio.
9b. If a judge feels unable to judge and score a print for any reason, they may request an alternate judge, or exceptionally, the Print Critique Chairperson, to vote on their behalf.
10. Prints or albums may only be entered once. Even if you make changes to a print/album, they still may not be entered again in our Print Critique. You are encouraged to send the new print/album to State, Regional and National competitions.
11. The AzPPA Print Critique Chairperson has the full authority to answer any questions not specifically covered by these rules. They may also disqualify entries and remove members from the print competition room if any member acts in an unprofessional manner during or after the print competition.
12. If you would like your photographs back after the competition, please collect them at the end as they will not be stored. CDs will not be returned.
13. The judge’s decision will be final.
AZPPA Semi-Annual Print Critique Rules Revised: DATE 1/25/2012
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
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November 18 - AZPPA Studio Tour - PG Photography - Home Studio
December 2 - High School Seniors - Posing, Lighting, and Workflow Kirk Voclain
AZPPA Members only $59 Non-members welcome too only $79
This program centers on COOLNESS, or popularity, in the eyes of your seniors. Yes, seniors have an opinion, and if they don't think your studio is the COOLEST, then forget it, they won't come to you. This ain't your Momma's senior portraits. Get ready to learn, laugh, and love taking senior portraits. Kirk will show you all of his secrets to getting that $2000 average. The senior will love you, and the parents will not stop throwing money at you.
This program will help you look at your studio and your studio operations through the eyes of a 17 year old. It will show you some new posing, backgrounds, and marketing ideas. This program will help you open up your mind to look at things in a new way, a bizarro, backwards way of thinking that will have you running to the bank!
This is a fast paced, motivational program using slides and audience participation. This is a must see program for any who photograph seniors or young people.
Kirk Voclain was born on July 4, 1962. He has a love for photography that began when he got his first camera by saving box tops from a popular breakfast cereal when he was just 8 years old. He photographed his first wedding professionally at the age of only 15. He only charged $100. He learned the technical aspects of photography, marketing, and business by managing a camera store for 9 years.
He married his lovely wife Tammy on February 28, 1987, and opened Kirk Voclain Photography in April 1987. He then quickly grew into the area's most creative and innovative photographer. He became a member of the PPA in 1988 and has hung photographs in both national, state, and regional competitions every year since. He has received countless awards, including Photographer of the Year 1995, Best of Show/Masters Division, Best CPP entry, numerous Fuji Masterpiece Award, etc. He has also received numerous blue ribbons and distinguished print honors. He has had several photographs accepted into the Disney World Kodak EPCOT exhibit. He has had his work published in PPA affiliate magazines and nationally in the Professional Photographer Magazine. He received his Certified Professional Photographer status in 1990. He received his Masters Degree from the PPA in July of 1994 and his Craftsman's Degree in 1995. 2 weeks after his Masters Degree, he received his greatest award to date, his daughter Scarlett.
Kirk has been asked to speak to groups of photographers all over the United States & Canada. Kirk has a motivational style of speaking that will keep you on the edge of your seat. He is a very competent speaker who has won several awards for this teaching and speaking. His style of delivery is both easy to understand and enthusiastic. You will not be disappointed!!
Program held at AT Still University 5850 East Still Circle Mesa, AZ 85206 (480) 219-6000
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December 3 - High School Seniors - Kirk Voclain
6PM - 6:45 Networking and Speed Mentoring 6:45 Questions of the Month!
Kirk Voclain was born on July 4, 1962. He has a love for photography that began when he got his first camera by saving box tops from a popular breakfast cereal when he was just 8 years old. He photographed his first wedding professionally at the age of only 15. He only charged $100. He learned the technical aspects of photography, marketing, and business by managing a camera store for 9 years.
He married his lovely wife Tammy on February 28, 1987, and opened Kirk Voclain Photography in April 1987. He then quickly grew into the areasí most creative and innovative photographer. He became a member of the PPA in 1988 and has hung photographs in both national, state, and regional competitions every year since. He has received countless awards, including Photographer of the Year 1995, Best of Show/Masters Division, Best CPP entry, numerous Fuji Masterpiece Award, etc. He has also received numerous blue ribbons and distinguished print honors. He has had several photographs accepted into the Disney World Kodak EPCOT exhibit. He has had his work published in PPA affiliate magazines and nationally in the Professional Photographer Magazine. He received his Certified Professional Photographer status in 1990. He received his Masters Degree from the PPA in July of 1994 and his Craftsman's Degree in 1995. 2 weeks after his Masters Degree, he received his greatest award to date, his daughter Scarlett.
Kirk has been asked to speak to groups of photographers all over the United States & Canada. Kirk has a motivational style of speaking that will keep you on the edge of your seat. He is a very competent speaker who has won several awards for this teaching and speaking. His style of delivery is both easy to understand and enthusiastic. You will not be disappointed!!
Guests attend their first monthly meeting at no charge. AZPPA monthly meetings $45.
Held at HILTON PHOENIX AIRPORT HOTEL 2435 S. 47th Street ~ Phoenix, AZ 85034 Phone: 480-894-1600 Download Directions
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