Jeff Dachowski

PPA President Jeff Dachowski and ISAP President Lisa Asp chat about the current industry, the things that photographers can do to get a step up, and how photographic organizations can help and uplift us as individuals.

About Jeff Dachowski, M.Photog.Cr., CPP:

In high school Jeff fell in love with photography and after pursuing  every photo-related class, he attended the Hallmark Institute of  Photography.

In 2003 Jeff and his wife Carolle opened their studio in Manchester, and have seen meteoric growth since opening. They have a  loyal following of children and family clients, a buzz in the wedding  industry, and a growing number of commercial portrait clients.

Jeff  has photographed events throughout North America, The Caribbean and  Europe since 1992. His work has been featured in Seacoast Bride, New  Hampshire Bride, Woman Engineer, Woman’s World and Rolling Stone. He has  12 images in the PPA Loan collection, 11 Kodak Gallery,2 Lexjet  Awards,2 Fuji Masterpiece,2 Polaroid Prestige, 11 Court of honors, 5  Album of the Year, and an ASP Regional Medallion.

He has been a PPA Elite member since the Elite program was started and is a frequent contributor to Professional Photographer magazine. Jeff is also a PPA International Approved Juror, Certification Judge, a Vatican Approved Photographer, and the current president of Professional Photographers of America. Jeff and Carolle are members of the Society of  XXV.

www.dachowskiphotography.com 

Join master photographer and pet photography business coach Alex Cearns, OAM for 'Trend-Setting vs. Trend-Following: How to Think on Your Own and Create for Yourself'. There's so much pressure as a photographer to find your unique image style. How do you do this in a world where so many styles already exist, and how do you ensure you are staying true to yourself (and your images) when there are so many other photographers to reference? You want to lead, not follow, and Alex will share with you her tips and tricks to ensure you remain authentic in putting out work that is truly YOU.

About Alex Cearns:

Dogs Today Magazine UK called Alex Cearns “One of our greatest dog photographers in the world”.

This Australian  photographer has photographed more than 15,000 pets and is one of the  most successful and experienced pet photographers in the industry. Her clients include engaged pet lovers, leading corporate brands and animal charities and conservation organizations. Her images have been published  extensively in worldwide media, books, magazines and ad campaigns. 

An undisputed leader in her niche, Alex is the recipient of more than 350  awards for her photography, business and philanthropy. She is a Master Photographer with the Australian Institute of Professional Photography, and an Ambassador for Tamron, Profoto, BenQ, Studio Ninja, Ilford Imaging Australia, and Spider Camera Holster. She is also the patron for rescue organization No Pup Cleft Behind and adopted two of their puppies when she fell in love with them during their photo sessions.

Deeply committed to the wellbeing of all creatures great and small, Alex is considered one of Australia’s most passionate champions and voices for animal rescue and wildlife conservation. Her advocacy and philanthropy were distinguished with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) from the  Council for the Order of Australia for her service to the community through charitable organizations. 

An accomplished public speaker, Alex’s warmth, humor and uplifting visual storytelling engages her audience in her passions for business, photography and animals. After almost a decade of mentoring and coaching fellow photographers on how to achieve their business goals, Alex launched Black Cat Consulting and released her now sought after ‘Business Acceleration Program for Pet Photographers’ to clients all  over the world. 

The desire for happiness is one thing every human has in common and at times is the one thing we all lack. Kevin will present a brief overview of the functions of human emotions and how emotions can inform our decisions. He will provide information on the history of, “happiness,” as a concept and how the modern interpretation of happiness may be difficult to achieve. Walk away with ideas on how to harness emotions to improve your health and increase your happiness. 

About Kevin Asp, LICSW:

Kevin Asp is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, working in mental health and addiction recovery in various levels of care and clinical settings. Over the past several decades, Kevin has specialized in working with adults with mood disorders and/or addictions issues. Kevin has a Bachelors of Science from Minnesota State, Mankato and a Masters of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Michigan. Outside of work Kevin spends his time running or swimming and volunteering with a local pitbull rescue.

Photographers who use image competition as tool for personal challenge and growth have seen their work escalate.  Hear why this is an important aspect every photographer should embrace.

About Danica Barreau, M.Photog., M.Artist., Cr., CPP, APAI:

Danica Barreau lives in central Ohio with her four-legged menagerie and a very patient school teacher. Her childhood was spent in France and Germany and she moved to the US to attend her mother's alma mater, The Ohio State University. She dreamt of being a successful  architect until the reality of math and physics and her love of color  and fabrics drove her into the arms of Interior Design. That love affair  lasted until the rent was due and then she took a corporate gig and has been working as a business analyst for a top telecom company for almost  20 years. In her spare time she manages to keep her home in some semblance of order while raising adorable English Setters, cooking fine  meals, and pursuing her passion for photography. Her mother is a teacher and her father is a skilled gourmet cook which explains both her  expanding waistline and her thoughtful use of the Oxford comma.

Danica is the owner and artist of Pouka Art & Photography (www.pouka.com), dedicated to fine art animal portraiture since 1998. She is a member of  Professional Photographers of Ohio (PPO), Professional Photographers of  America (PPA), and a Certified Professional Photographer. She has both her Master of Photography and Master Artist degrees. Her dog photography (and her chili) has won a multitude of awards including at the prestigious International Photographic Competition, Prix Photographie de Paris, and "Setterly Yours" received a Silver Medal from the Independent Publishers.

Instagram and Facebook are flooded with bird and wildlife images from far-off places or exotic species. While those experiences are memorable, Amy is huge fan of sticking closer to home and finding the extraordinary in the familiar.

In this presentation, Amy will talk about three critical elements to consider when photographing birds and wildlife, none of which require an airplane ticket. 

We will look at examples of simple techniques that you can apply to photographing birds and wildlife that you may have overlooked. 

Finally, Amy will walk through her approach to learning new photography techniques in the field. 

About Amy Johnson:

With over 20 years of photography experience, Amy's obsession with the technical side of photography fuels her drive to make every shot better than the last. She enjoys sharing her strong technical skills and distinct visual voice with her students and clients.

As a dog sports photographer, she is the official show photographer for many of the premier dog agility events in the United States.

As a wildlife photographer, Amy has photographed diving Ospreys in Florida, Lesser Prairie Chickens dancing on a lek in Colorado, migrating Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska, and Eagles in Alaska. She doesn't ignore the smaller birds, photographing songbirds from Great Kiskadees to Black-capped Chickadees. She is also fortunate to live in Northern Minnesota, in habitat that the Great Gray Owl calls home. 

Amy lives in northern Minnesota with her dogs, Spy and Zorah, and her two college-age boys. She travels extensively for her dog events which gives her the opportunity to photograph local birds on her down time between events. 

As a photographer you have a talent that most other people don’t. You can tap into your unique ability to portray animals in a way that helps  others connect with them. By using your photography skills to give  outsiders a window into an animal's life, you can give that animal a voice - a chance to be noticed and the chance at a better life. In this presentation Cat and Michael will share some examples of their own  experiences using photography to help animals and dive into the unexpected benefits that organically arise from using photography in this way. 

About Cat Race & Michael Higginson

Cat and Michael are the dynamic duo at CatsDog Photography in Great Britain.  Their unique style is recognized world wide.  Through their expertise, Cat and Michael have been able to change the way people see pet photography.  From safe practices to customized shoots to showcase personality, their  business model is always to put the pets first. Cat has built a huge following on Instagram and is always looking to inspire and educate others. 

catsdog.co.uk

NOTE:  DUE TO ILLNESS, MARK WAS UNABLE TO JOIN THE LIVE EVENT.  RONAN RYLE OF 3XM FILLED IN FOR MARK.

In the absence of uniqueness the consumer shops for the lowest price. Discover how to differentiate yourself from the competition and promote your uniqueness through dynamic & strategic marketing.

About Mark Weber, M. Photog., M. Artist, Cr., CPP

Mark Weber is a professional photographer and marketing coach at Marathon Press in Norfolk, NE. He earned his B.F.A. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. His mission is to help small businesses become more profitable and efficient in order to have a more rewarding life.

He is a long time member of the Professional Photographers of America where he has earned his PPA Masters, Craftsman, and Master Artist Degrees as well as achieving the his PPA Certified Professional Photographer award. 

Mark has several Photographer of the Year titles and his prints have won numerous awards. He has givens hundreds of photography and marketing programs all over the US and was recently presented the Professional Photographers of America National Award, the highest honor given to people who have served the professional photography industry.

You can see more of his work on his website at www.markweber.me . You can also check out his blogs and podcasts at Marathon Press’s website at  http://blog.marathonpress.com. You can contact him at 800-228-0629 ext. 283 or markw@marathonpress.net.

When it comes to photographing dogs in the studio, props are a dog's best friend. Erica will share with attendees some of her favorite poses utilizing props, along with her strategy for not letting her studio become a storage unit. From chairs, to ottomans, to hats… she has it all and her pup Mabel has tested them all out for your enjoyment. Come for the posing tips, stay for the cute poodle pictures. This is a presentation not to be missed. Dog Training not included.

About Erica Lane Harvey, M. Photog., M. Artist, Cr., CPP    

Erica has been taking pictures for over 35 years, and the loveable pets in her life were always her models! Erica’s never-ending love affair with photography started when she was only 8 years old. Her mother had inherited a Canon AE-1 Program, and after a few months she realized that the camera was meant for her daughter, who went on to win her first photography contest that very year. Not a pet picture at the time, but wildlife! Her winning photo was of a baby deer..
 

That camera stayed with Erica until she graduated High School and moved to Santa Barbara, California to go to Brooks Institute of Photography where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Visual Journalism. Since graduation Erica has been running her own photography business in Rapid City, South Dakota since 2005. Her biggest passion was landscape and wildlife photography.
 

But pet portrait photography has always been a goal that she wished to accomplish. Erica recently found her dream studio space and went to work designing it to be pet friendly! Now, through her imagery and with her studio sessions, Erica hopes to instill the same love, passion, and desire she has for this amazing world into others. She aims for her pet portrait clients to enjoy the photography experience just as much as she does.

We spend considerable energy developing our Lighting, Posing, Sales, and Marketing skills but do we also spend the time we need on our internal development skills? With the challenges of re-engaging business and the uncertainty of day-to-day interactions, using these interpersonal skills may be the key to unlocking our growth. Comparison to others, listening to limiting beliefs, and lack of confidence can hold a person and a business back from thriving. Take a deeper dive with Bryan Welsh on developing your Soft Skills toolkit, so you are empowered to meet these challenges creatively and fearlessly.

In this program, Bryan will cover: 

• Tools to develop your Critical Thinking
• Creativity beyond Art
• The Dynamic duo of Listening and Empathy 

About Bryan Welsh, M. Photog., Cr., CPP, API. EA-ASP, FP-OR, HFP-OR:

Both his clients and peers recognize Bryan Welsh, a second-generation photographer, for his creative stylized photography.   He has received numerous merits and awards in image competitions on both a local and national level that include - PPA Loan Collections, Fuji MASTERPIECE awards, Kodak Gallery awards and the ASP State Elite award. His images and articles have appeared in Studio Photography and Professional Photographer magazine(s) as well as used in Nikon's National advertising. 

Bryan has the Master of Photography Degree & Photographic Craftsman Degree from Professional Photographers of America. He is a PPA Certified Professional Photographer and has both the Fellow of Photography Degree and Honorary Fellow of Photography Degree from the Oregon Professional Photographers Association. He also holds the Educational Associate Degree from the American Society of Photographers. Bryan is a national speaker with 275+ PPA Speaker Merits and is a PPA Approved International Juror. Additional honors include the PPA National Award and the PPA 2020 Directors Award.