Briana Graham will present a workshop entitled, “All About Children’s Portraiture” on Tuesday, Sept 20 at 7pm. This workshop is sponsored by the Detroit Professional Photographer’s Association.

Brianna Graham is an internationally recognized portrait artist, specializing in children, families, and high school seniors. Besides the magic of her eye for light and color, Brianna also emphasizes the concept of balancing the art and business of photography.

For the past 4 years, Brianna has taught workshops across the country in Australia. She has been featured in Professional Photographer Magazine, Rangefinder, and has given presentations at WPPI and Imaging USA.

This event is free to DPPA members or first-time guests. NEW: Register for the 6pm dinner here.  Non-members may also attend for $45 by registering here.

Brad Hawks will lead a program entitled “Capture and Create” on January 11, 2011 at 7pm at the next DPPA meeting at the Birmingham Conference Center. Sponsored by JD Photo Imaging, the program is free to DPPA members. Non members are welcome to attend by calling (248) 388-6947.

During the 3-hour program, Brad will show you how to use the same successful workflow he uses in his full-time studio business, as well as step-by-step examples for creating the effects that has made his senior portrait work so popular. This includes:

• Creative thought – setting a theme, telling a story
• Light balancing and styles, including the latest techniques and equipment
• RAW vs JPG facts in the real world
• Working with Light Room presets
• Creating the latest image effects in Photoshop, Nix, Alien Skin, AutoFX and Painter

If you are ready to take your images to the next level in the shortest amount of time, you should plan to attend this workshop. You do not need to bring your laptop.

The Detroit Professional Photographers Association will hold it’s annual Fall Print Competition on Tuesday, November 16 at 7pm at the Birmingham Conference Center. Contest rules and Entry forms are here.

If you have never entered a print competition, I have five reasons why you should make the commitment to get started this year:

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The 2010 Detroit Professional Photographer’s Folio Competition will be held at the DPPA’s April 20th meeting. The rules for the competition are the same as last year:

• Open to DPPA members only.
• Folios will be judged in four categories – wedding, senior, portrait, and illustrative. You can enter one folio in each category.
• One or two photographers from a studio can enter a single folio in each of the four categories, but you cannot enter both as a single photographer and as part of a team in the same category.
• Each folio must include 5-12 images from the same session, not including the base/background image.
• Finished prints must be 10×20” mounted on matte board, with any studio identification (like a logo) covered. You should tape your business card on the back of the folio, and submit it before 7:00pm the night of the competition.
• Note their must be at least three entrants in a category to qualify for an award.

Remember, when it comes to any competition: the biggest winners don’t bring home ribbons – they are the ones who become better photographers for trying. In other words, to compete is to win.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 810-239-8671 or e-mail me at tom@jdphotoimaging.com.

Tom Hicks
DPPA Print Competition Chair

The 2009 MTPPA Print Competition will be held Tuesday November 10th, and the DPPA Print Competition will be held Tuesday, November 17th. I strongly urge you to enter one or both of these print competitions. Here’s why:

• There is no better way to improve your skill and confidence as a photographer than to enter a print competition. Preparing to submit entries to the DPPA competition (selecting and tweaking images, discussing choices with peers) forces you to look deeper at your own photography.

• DPPA takes the time to bring in a juried panel of print judges – the same caliber of judges you would encounter at a regional or national competition. If your prints do well at DPPA, you can be assured that they will be competitive at the regional shows next year.

• Award-winning prints give you the confidence to pursue PPA’s Merits and Degrees program. With a PPA degree, you are not only recognized by your peers, but a degree can help you to justify higher prices for your work.

• No matter what kind of photography you specialize in, your style and subject matter is suitable for this competition. There is no excuse NOT to enter.

If all of this isn’t enough to motivate you, everyone who competes in the DPPA competition will get a chance to win a $250 dollar cash prize.

I hope we’ll have another good showing of entries like the recent DPPA album and folio competitions. If you had the opportunity to attend these events, you saw some wonderful work (Great job everyone who participated).

As always feel free to call or email me if you have any questions.

Tom Hicks
DPPA Print Competition Chair
810-252-4655