January 2022

Dear Friends and Members:

To say that the last couple of years have been unprecedented is about as much of an understatement as ever. Covid-19 simply changed the world forever. The world has changed in terms of safety, economy, politics, family values, and respect towards other people. These changes have impacted each and every one of us differently, including the Professional Photographers of Orange County (PPOC) as an organization.

This change is unsettling for most of us. Many people would like to go back to the time before Covid-19 or are waiting for the ‘Ok things are normal again’ sign. Here is my belief, there is no going back to the ‘way things were’.  However, there are things we can most definitely do now to uplift and improve our circumstances, and then, there are things we can do by ‘play by ear’.  The choice is ours.  There is also a tremendous amount of good that has been sprung upon us.

First, many of us have seen more of our families over the past 2.5 years. Many of us have seen clients returning to our studios. These clients are valuing the work we produce for them more than ever! How do I know this? On a personal note, more and more of my customers at ‘Great American Portraits’ are seeking my advice on how and where to more artistically and professionally display their portraits – wall art – in their home remodeling projects. They want to make sure their portraits are distinctly captured and hung in the correct fashion for all to enjoy. Additionally, Millers Labs recently notified its account holders that 2021, despite all of its challenges, was a record year for them in terms of sales, delivery times and innovations.  This validates how customers do value our work as photographers.  Many of us are beginning to travel again, so, if you plan to attend Imaging USA 2022, please say ‘Hi’ to me.

For 2022, there are some changes that I want to highlight that will interest you.

First, in 2021 PPOC created a ‘Partnership’ with the Inland Empire Professional Photographers and Videographers (IEPPV) to share all programing.  This added value included access to the two agencies’ speakers, workshops and safari’s for the price of one membership.

Next, PPOC moved the Image Competitions to an On-Line Platform and created an ‘Upper Division Category’. This category made it more challenging for our experienced members and allowed a greater opportunity to our new and learning members to be rewarded for their efforts.

In 2022, PPOC will be moving to a mixed platform for our speakers. This is happening for two reasons:

1)   Safety is PPOC’s utmost concern for all of our members (you) and ourselves. We will be adjusting our speaking venue based on CDC Guidelines. We love photography, but we want to be sure that everybody is safe and stays healthy to continue capturing amazing images.

2)   Speakers: By using a combination of On-Line and Zoom-based meetings we can also continue to bring you world-class speakers from, well, all over the globe. For 2022 we have speakers from Florida (Jeanine Mcleod of Cloud-9 Studios), Ireland (Ronan Ryle PPA Board of Directors and 3XM) and Australia (Steve Saporito – Saporito Education – Headline Speaker from Imaging USA), we also will host 4 to 5 IN-PERSON programs so you can have dinner and talk to friends face-to-face.

3)   Image Share and Meet & Greet: Great American Portraits, located at the Santora Building that is also the home of the California Center for Digital Arts in Santa Ana CA will host, on the First Saturday of each month, PPOC’s Image Share and Meet & Greet gatherings. These gatherings are a great way to get feedback on your photographic skills and meet other PPOC Members.

4)   Website: The PPOC website will undergo a major upgrade that includes a clean fresh look, a mobile friendly format, easier access to PPOC’s Image Competition Merited Images, and Events Calendar.  Members will be able to host your own on-line photography portfolio. All of these features will be available through the on-line member account.

5)   Photography is all about SHARING.  Today’s society values sharing even more than ever. So think of PPOC as your first step towards becoming a better photographer by learning how to improve your photographic skills, in learning how to grow your business, and learning from experts in the wide range of specialties in photography. PPOC is your first steps into the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). We welcome you to join us, to bring a friend to PPOC, to share your photography with PPOC. We WANT YOU to use PPOC and its members to learn how to get better while having fun doing so!!

That is just a start. PPOC’s mission to providing continued education to new and professional photographers is now stronger than ever.  We are here to help you grow, and truly welcome you and your friends as members. We want to hear what is important to you and what you want from PPOC. We are simply better with you.

We encourage you to check out PPOC’s website at www.PPOC.org for the latest up-to-the-minute meeting location notices and the events calendar to stay up-to-date on what’s going on quite literally day-by-day.

Here is wishing you Sharp Images, Perfect Captures and Photographs, and Stories worth sharing!!

Your comments are always welcomed. You can always reach me at (714) 863.2126 or email me  at duane@shashinphotography.com

Regards,  Happy New Year

Duane Murphy

President PPOC 2022