PPAM Newsletter - member area home

PPAM Newsletter
professional photographers association of massachusetts
www.ppam.com
September 2013
On Monday, September 30, 2013 Kirk Voclain presents
“BECOME THE COOLEST STUDIO IN TOWN WITH SENIOR PORTRAITS”
at the Hampton Inn & Conference Center 319 Speen Street Natick MA, 01760
Doors open at 9 a.m. for Registration & Coffee ~ Program 10 a.m. ~ 4 p.m.
KIRK VOCLAIN, CPP, M.Photog.Cr.
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. It’s 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.
page 1
www.ppam.com
continued on page 2
continued from page 1
He married his lovely wife Tammy on
February 28, 1987, and opened Kirk
Voclain Photography in April 1987. He
then quickly grew into the areas’ most
creative and innovative photographer.
Kirk became a member of PPA in 1988
and has hung photographs in 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 Awards, 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. Kirk had his work published in PPA affiliate magazines and nationally
in the Professional Photographer Magazine. He received his Certified Professional Photographer status in 1990,
his Master’s Degree from PPA in July of 1994 and his Craftsman’s Degree in 1995. Two weeks after his
Master’s 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.
He has a motivational style of speaking that will keep you on the edge of your seat and is a very competent
speaker who has won several awards for his teaching and speaking. His style of delivery is both easy to understand and enthusiastic. You will not be disappointed!!
more of Kirk’s images on page 3
page 2
www.ppam.com
Kirk is being sponsored by H&H Color Lab and Pro4um.
ck
Cli
fo!
n
i
r
fo
Cli
ck
page 3
www.ppam.com
for
inf
o!
2013 - 2014
PPAM Officers
President
Randy Brogen, CPP
Brogen Photography
11 Bedford Street
Burlington, MA 01803
781-209-5888
[email protected]
Vice President of Programs
Warner Smith, CPP
The Photography Smith
15 Main Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748
978-618-2296
[email protected]
Vice President Membership
& Records
Joyce Holt
A Unique Creation
Revere, MA 02151
617-287-9117
[email protected]
Vice President of Finance
Courtney Trembler, CPP
Soul Focus Photography
221 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970
978-697-8164
[email protected]
Vice President of
Communications
Susan Asaro
Susan Asaro Photography
688 Main Street
Wareham, MA 02571
508-291-7926
[email protected]
Vice President of Technology
Patrick Brosnan
Patrick Brosnan Photography
67 Valley Road
Ashland, MA 01721
508-395-9389
[email protected]
page 4
President’s Message from Randy
State of the Organization
Wow! Can you believe that it has
already been 4 months since we
started our new year and
embarked on a fantastic journey
to push ourselves to learn and
experience new things. Well, I
can tell you first hand that there
are always new things to learn
about ourselves, our craft and
those around us. We really have
some great people in our organization working together to bring our organization to
a whole new level!
In my first message I told you that our Board had a lot of challenges in front of us so
I wanted to update you on what we’ve accomplished so far and give you a status on
where some of the other projects are:
By-Laws Revisions: This is the core document that outlines how we function as
an organization and it hadn’t been updated in many years. We all knew this was
going to be a challenge but our Board members stepped up and we scheduled a
special meeting dedicated to discussing all of the changes that needed to be made.
You know what … we got everything done. Now it’s just a matter of pulling all
of the changes into a final document for one last review and then presenting it to
you, the membership for final approval. Some special recognition goes out to Tony
Colella who arranged for the venue at Wellesley Community Center and to Dan Bitar
along with Joyce Holt for spearheading this massive project!
Group Discount Rate On Seminars: To further leverage the value of the
pricing change for our seminars that was instituted beginning this year, the Board
decided to put in place a group discount plan that gives a discount based on the
number of attendees in a group that are signing up for a seminar. By opening up this
tiered pricing, it further validates the value of the cost of the program while putting
monies back into our coffers to offset the cost of putting on world class seminars.
Record Breaking Seminar: As you may already be aware we had a hugely
successful seminar in June with Jerry Ghionis. We had over 140 attendees and half
of those were non-members. This was also the first seminar where we tested out our
new “Group Discount Program” and it was very successful. A special thanks to Dan
Doke for not only hooking us up with Jerry and Melissa Ghionis, but also the great
venue at the Haverhill Country Club! Thanks also to EVERYONE that pitched in to
help out from the registration desk to the technology to the Dunkin Donuts! It was
really great to see the teamwork and how well things came together.
Image Competition Program: GET READY TO COMPETE!!!! Specific
details are coming soon but our Board approved the implementation of a fantastic
www.ppam.com
continued on page 5
2013 - 2014
PPAM Officers
PPAM MEMBERS AT
LARGE
Joanne Aleo
J & Co Photography
626 Chandler Street
Tewskbury, MA 01876
781-389-9869
[email protected]
Tony Colella
Richter - Colella Studios
555 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA, 02482
781-431-1658
[email protected]
Keitha Hassell
KLH Photography
17 Schuyler Street
Boston, MA 02121
617-442-6575
[email protected]
Andreia Lima Makkas
Unique Studio of Photography
85 Pleasant Street
Weymouth, MA 02190
781-331-7400
[email protected]
Susan Ogar
Just So Designs ~ Susan Ogar
Photography
9 Wheelwright Drive
Northborough, MA 01532
508-277-6140
[email protected]
Patricia Walsh, CPP
Patricia Walsh Photography
612 Broadway
Hanover, MA 02339
781-724-4015
continued form page 4
new image competition system that has awesome features. You definitely don’t want
to miss out on this so get your images ready and keep your eyes peeled for specific
details from our Print Co-Chairs Paula Swift and Cathy Broderick; this is going to be
exciting.
PPAM Degree Program: As you may be aware, we have 2 degree programs
that are designed to recognize service to our organization as well as photographic
excellence. The system that is currently in place is manual and labor intensive to say
the least. Our Degree Chairperson, Gail Lucozzi, along with our VP of Technology,
Patrick Brosnan, have been tasked with creating an on-line version with many great
features that will allow members to see how many merits they have so they can work
towards their degrees.
Member IDs: The Board has voted to go back to the plastic name badges and to
provide each member with one as part of their membership. There will be a couple of
different types of badges and the Officers badges will be a different color. Specifics
will be coming soon from our VP of Membership, Joyce Holt that will explain everything you’ll need to know.
New Website Design: As we evolve as an organization, so does our virtual
presence. In today’s connected world, the first impression that potential members have
of us who are surfing the web is our website. Along with an updated design, with new
color schemes, there is a lot more information available. You can now see who all of
the awesome volunteers are who keep this great organization running on a day-to-day
basis. You can also find the names of resources like PPA Counselors and CPP Liaisons
as well as all of the Chairpersons who connect the dots to pull off all of our events and
programs. Don’t forget that each member can submit 1 image per genre for display in
the Members’ Gallery area!
Member Mini Seminars: We are working on providing more mini seminars with
an even wider variety of subject matter. This includes the potential for on-location
seminars that have photo safaris as part of the programs. If you are interested in
sharing your knowledge contact the VP of Programs, Warner Smith, to get more
details.
As you can see, your Board has been very busy in the first 4 months putting the pieces
in place that are necessary to bring our members the most value possible. We have a
lot more that we want to accomplish but we must make sure that we give each idea its
due process and get everyone’s input so we can have the best possible results. There
may be times when we will send surveys out and request input from all of our
members so I ask that you please take 5 minutes of your time and respond to those
requests so we can have the best possible result!
I am looking forward to the challenges ahead and am confident that our Board will rise
to the occasion and continue moving forward.
Best,
[email protected]
Randy Brogen, CPP
page 5
www.ppam.com
CREATIVE THEME for 2014 PPAM Photographic Competition
Andrea Joliat, M.Photog., CPP, 2013 winner has chosen the 2014 Creative Theme:
WILD
What wild image does that conjure up in your mind? Start planning your entry now!
It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be
a painter because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary;
it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.
David Bailey
Side note from Susan
Wow, this newsletter is chock full of information and photographs with a competitive theme. As I was gathering
all of this I noticed the trend on education, qualifications and competition. I got to thinking that competition can
be a healthy, good thing but I feel it is not the competition against each other that should drive us but the competition from within to keep learning and evolving. It is that spirit that drives me to continue to do better for my
family, my clients and myself.
Hope you’ll take note of some of the new articles in this issue, especially the Member Spotlight! In each issue,
one or two people from our PPAM family will be highlighted as a way to get to know our members a bit more.
So don’t be shy if you get an email from me– we want to learn more about you!
An important question for you, do you have some news? Do you like to share stories, have helpful hints or
tips? Did you recently earn your CPP, Masters, Craftsman or win an award at a local show? Would you like
to try your hand at writing an article? Well, I’m always looking for news to fill these pages and share with the
membership. If you’d like to write an article, submit a tip, or just have some neat information that you’d like to
share then please contact me at [email protected].
Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter!
See you at the September seminar!
Susan Asaro, Vice President of Communications
page 6
www.ppam.com
CPP CORNER
Sign up for “Secrets to Earning your CPP” with Warner Smith on October 7, 2013 at his Hopkinton, MA
studio. He’ll break down the myths and arguments against earning your certification and offer you his own
secrets to earning your CPP. Space is limited - to register visit, Secrets To Earning Your CPP.
Studies show that certification is the most widely recognized consumer credential. It is a sign that one is an
authority in the field. Consumers may not know a lot about professional photography, but they know that
certification should ensure professional quality goods and services.
That’s why clients in every industry seek out professionals with credentials. A Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) designation offers clients an assurance of quality, technical skill and artistic expertise. For
more information on becoming a certified photographer, please visit: www.certifiedphotographer.com
Have you declared your CPP candidacy yet? After declaring candidacy, your next step is to pass the CPP
exam.
Are you interested in becoming a Certified Professional Photographer? Immediate-Past President Cathy
Broderick will be proctoring the CPP exam at her studio in Whitman on November 17, 2013 at 11am. If
you are ready to take the exam and have declared your Candidacy with the CPP Commission, register NOW
by contacting PPA. You can register here.
PPAM CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September 7 - 9, 2013 .............. PPANE Convention ~ Nashua, NH
September 30, 2013 ................. KIRK VOCLAIN ~ PPAM Quarterly Seminar
September 30, 2013 ................. PPAM Board Meeting following the seminar
October 7, 2013 ........................ “Secrets to Earning your CPP” with Warner Smith, Hopkinton, MA
November 17, 2013 .................. CPP exam at Cathy Broderick’s studio, Whitman, MA
January 12 - 14, 2014 .............. Imaging USA ~ Phoenix, AZ
February 21 - 24, 2014 ............ PPAM Convention ~ Plymouth, MA
March 30 - April 3, 2014 .......... NEIPP ~ Hyannis, MA
page 7
www.ppam.com
A trip down memory lane from our June seminar with Jerry Ghionis!
Thank you to everyone involved in putting the day together. It was a full house
of eager photographers ready to have a very educational, fun, information packed
day with Jerry and Melissa Ghionis! Thank you to Tracy Gilford for the images.
page 8
www.ppam.com
I P C Competition Results
The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) recently announced the results of the 2013 International
Photographic Competition (IPC). A panel of 43 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the
top photographs from nearly 5,000 total submitted entries at Gwinnett Technical College in Georgia. Judged
against a standard of excellence, just over 1,800 images were selected for the General Collection and just
682 (about 7 percent) were selected for the esteemed Loan Collection—the best of the best. The Loan
Collection images will all be published in the much-anticipated “Loan Collection” book, and over 200
selected General Collection images will be published in the “Showcase” book by Marathon Press.
Congratulations to the following PPAM members who had one or more images accepted:
Jeff Baker, Worcester – 2 General
Cathy Broderick, Bridgewater – 3 General
Randy Brogen, Burlington – 1 Loan, 1 General
Ella Carlson, Dunstable – 2 Loans, 4 General
Jack Foley, Hanover – 1 General (Showcase book)
Nancy Green, Carver – 1 General
Andrea Joliat, Lexington – 2 Loans, 1 General
Yedi Koeshendi, Nashua, NH – 1 General
John Lenis – 1 General
Mark Maiden, Wellesley – 1 General
Ed Pedi, North Andover – 2 General
Stephen Sedman, Braintree – 2 General
Warner Smith, Framingham – 2 General
Jacquie Spector, Beverly – 2 General (Showcase Book), 2 General
Cassandra Sullivan, Sagamore Beach – 1 General (Showcase Book), 2 General
Mark Sweeney, Swanton, VT – 1 General (Showcase Book)
Paula Swift, Framingham – 1 Loan
The accepted images will be on display at the Phoenix Convention Center, January 12-14, 2014, in Phoenix,
AZ. This International Photographic Exhibition is held in conjunction with Imaging USA.
To download a complete list of accepted images, click here.
A selection of accepted images may be found throughout this newsletter.
“There is only one success - to be able to spend life in your own way.”
Christopher Morley
page 9
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Mark Maiden
“Sunset Shooters”
During a wonderful trip to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park, my wife and I had earlier in
the day visited the very scenic and popular Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, along with a handful of other
tourists and under the not so scenic midday sun. Later, after a lovely dinner, and with a great sunset brewing, I suggested that we return to see what might await our cameras. I should not have been so surprised
to find the parking lot packed, and the rocks below crawling with people, including photographers of
all shapes and sizes! The tourists and hobbyists were all vying for “The Shot” trying to avoid all those
annoying other people from getting in the picture, maybe not realizing that to a photographer they themselves were the missing special ingredient that turned ‘just another beautiful sunset’ into a more interesting image. I also liked to see the range of equipment being used, from DSLR through prosumer cameras
to compacts and, of course, cell phones. Afterwards I had a nice chat with the gentleman with the tripod
about the pros and cons of HDR. Having scored an 80 at the PPAM competition, but just a 79 at the NE
District competition, I was thrilled that with the aid of some very helpful judges’ feedback this image was
able to ‘get over the line’ at the IPC!
Did you know?
Best known for his development of electromagnetic theory, Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell dabbled
in color theory throughout his life, eventually producing the first color photograph in 1861. Maxwell created
the image of the tartan ribbon by photographing it three times through red, blue, and yellow filters,
then recombining the images into one color composite.
~ National Geographic.com
page 10
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Jacquie Spector
“Ayla”, “Childhood Memories”,
“In The Moment” & “Grace Under
Pressure”
I’m always nervous when I go
through the selection process and
of course feel like none of my work
is good enough. It takes a while
to really shift through and find the
ones that move me. I look more
for feeling then technique. (I’m not
the most technical photographer). I
always select images I shoot during
client sessions. They were all shot
either in the studio or around my
area on the North Shore –
beautiful beaches!! Knowing I
have to select from what I shoot for
my clients keeps me focused and
creative. This is my third year submitting (my first year I got a loan
collection print so that was pretty
exciting). I loved all these images
because they seem to really capture
a subtle mood and/or evoke a
memory like feel...I did have
Jonathan Penny work his magic on
them... He’s wonderful!
page 11
www.ppam.com
A Thank You from Tim & Mitzi Kelly
Recently PPAM organized a fundraiser in an effort to help Tim Kelly and his family (through a difficult time
of health challenges) with their medical expenses while providing donors with an opportunity to win some
fantastic prizes. Below you’ll find a copy of the note sent by his family.
“Dear Courtney,
Thank you so much for delivering that wonderful gift to us from the members of PPAM.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of our peers. You have no idea how each and every gift has made a
difference in our survival of this battle.
God is great and is delivering victory to us. And we hope you will share in that as part of our support system.
With deepest gratitude,
Tim & Mitzi Kelly”
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Mark Sweeney
“The Pair”
This is my 4th year entering IPC with this
image being my first Showcase
image. The image was captured while
visiting friends and having dinner. I
noticed the two fruit sitting on a plate on
top of a buffet with a beautiful space of
light coming through a window. I reached
over on the counter, grabbed my camera
that I had with me to take a portrait of my
friend and snapped off a shot. I put some
texture to the plain white wall and otherwise left the image alone. The empty top
half of the frame just seemed to work very
well with color tone and definition of the
lower half.
page 12
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Paula Swift
“Who’s Walking Who”
I was so thrilled to get that text from IPC that my image titled “Who’s Walking Who” merited. Then I waited
another 24 hours to receive another exciting text that it was accepted into the coveted Loan Collection. This
was one of my favorite client images I had taken in late 2011 of a 1.5 year old boy named Nate with his
brother Franklin. Franklin just happens to be a dog. I had taken a whole series of this little boy attempting
to walk his dog during their family holiday session. This was one of my favorite moments in the series as
Franklin proceeded to grab the leash out of Nate’s hands and take himself for a walk. This image was also
awarded the Kodak Gallery Award at the 2013 PPAM Print Competition and a Judges Choice Ribbon.
Technical aspects: Canon Mark II using the 70-200 2.8 II at 155mm ISO 250 at 3.5
I decided to make the image black and white to have a bit more impact and not have competing aspects the
color version had with the late fall colors, clothing on the boy and leaves on the path. I cropped the image
in to bring the viewer’s eyes right into the action. This image is my style of photography, as a former photojournalist it’s great to see IPC is awarding story-telling spontaneous client images like these. I want to thank
my fellow friend and PPAM member, Cathy Broderick for coming up with the perfect title for the image
“Who’s Walking Who?” It told the story right away.
This was my 4th year entering IPC and my 3rd Loan image, which have all been client work.
page 13
www.ppam.com
The F-Stops Here
Congratulations to Dorene Sykes, CPP for being awarded
“Best in Show” for her “Pilgrim Wife” portrait in the annual
Falmouth Artists Guild’s Juried Photography Exhibit at the
Falmouth Art Center. The image was captured at Plimoth
Plantation in Plymouth, MA.
Doreen was also awarded “Second Place Photography” at
the Cape Cod Art Association’s Juried National Exhibit for
her “Quissett Reflections” image!
Congratulations to Andreia Makkas who recently passed the
Certified Professional Photographer examination!
Congratulations are also in order for Nancy Green who is
moving in to a new location in Carver, MA – same town as
she has been for quite some time but new location!
Congratulations to Lauren Cloutier for accepting the position of PPAM’s Convention Chair for the upcoming February 2014 convention. Not only is Lauren busy readying a great lineup of speakers for the convention she is also
renovating and moving to a new studio location in Hingham!
Susan White and Mark O’Connell will be relocating their studio to Pembroke next spring and have LOTS of extra
backgrounds, props and lighting equipment they won’t have room for. Anyone interested in a list of items for sale,
please email them at [email protected] or call at 781.826.8189.
Looking for more education? Two of our very own PPAM members are giving PPA Super Monday classes October 14, 2013. Join John Lenis for his Super Monday class on “Photography Bar and Bat Mitzvahs” at his studio in
Worcester, MA. Or join Andreia Makkas for her class on “Creating Classy Boudoir” at her South Weymouth, MA
studio. For more information and to register visit PPA website.
The PPAM website has recently added new information such as a “For Sale Forum” section, along with more information under the Information and Leadership tabs. Take a moment to check out what’s new here.
I Passed My CPP Exam!
by Andreia Makkas
I started learning photography at the New England School of Photography (NESOP) in 2005 and soon after
opened an unassuming studio and thought I was ready for business! It was then that I came across all the obstacles and challenges. So, I started attending PPAM which forced me to learn more and with respect for my
clients, gave me the motivation to produce quality images for them. As I became more involved with PPAM
and also with PPA, I learned about the great benefit of becoming certified as a professional photographer.
Combining my acquired knowledge from the associations, along with many readings on my own to enhance
my work, I thought I should take risks and face the test to obtain my credentials. Plus I felt the need to know
more since I was interested in teaching. Being qualified as well as certified as a professional photographer
was important to me in order to teach those who are aspiring to be in the photography profession.
Hooray! I passed! The test is pretty intense but if you do not try, you will not know if you’re ready.
It was with this thought that I got it!
page 14
www.ppam.com
PPAM Member Spotlight
Starting with this newsletter a PPAM member (or two) will be “spotlighted” where they’ll be asked a few questions and include one of their favorite photographs. It’s true we see each other at events but we often don’t
really know much about our fellow members – so here’s hoping for new conversations to start!
Meet Jacquie Spector of Spector Photography, Beverly Farms, MA Specializing
in Fine Art Maternity, Newborn, Child and Family Portraits
1.
How many years in business? “I’ve been doing this for 7 years.”
2.
Why photography? “It’s the only thing I truly love to do and keeps
my interest. I love working one on one with people and families. I also love the
immediate results both photographically and with the client’s reactions.”
3.
Favorite piece of equipment? “My Nikon 105mm f2 lens. I’ve owned it
for a while but just started using it for portraits. It’s wonderful.”
4.
Worst moment in the job? “A little boy I’ve been photographing for 6
years died tragically this summer – it was heart breaking. I was asked to
photograph the memorial service. Something I never want to have to do again.”
5.
Best moment… “Every time a client contacts me to share happy news:
new baby, new home, new job. I’m touched that they want to share it with me –
that’s priceless!”
6.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself – “I lived in London for 15
years where I got my masters in Anthropology and worked as a producer/
director in television for 10 years.”
VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS WANTED
Our PPAM organization is run by volunteers – Photographers with a full-time
business, those who have a regular ‘day job’ AND run a photography business, photography students, aspiring
photographers, stay-at-home moms and dads, and everything in-between. They specialize in portraits,
weddings, photojournalism, sports, events, architecture, food, commercial photography, landscapes and
fine art. They have families and they work hard. They are just like YOU.
We encourage you to become an involved member – it is the best way to learn and make new friends! If you
would like to join the Volunteer Committee, email Lisa Tommaney ([email protected]). We look forward
to getting to know you during this membership year and in the years to come. Please do not hesitate to call any
member for assistance or information. This is one of the many reasons we are in existence!
We look forward to seeing you at the September Seminar!
page 15
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Cassandra Sullivan
“Sunrise Mission”, “Palette of the Canyon” & “Honeymoon Cruise”
“Sunrise Mission” - this is a photo of the “Mission San Xavier del
Bac”, a Catholic Church just outside of Tucson, Arizona built in 1797.
It’s currently undergoing major restoration which is why part of it looks
old and part new. I photographed it at sunrise on a cold clear day. I did
a lot of digital ‘clean up’ removing stuff such as ugly halogen lights on
the building, trash cans, and some people arriving for 7AM Mass. I
also brought a bit of Cape Cod to it by dropping in a sunset sky taken at
one of my beach portrait sessions to replace the plain blue Arizona sky.
“Palette of the Canyon” - This was originally titled “Getting the Last
Shot of the Day” because my fiancee Dave was sitting out on the ledge
taking a photo of the sunset over the Grand Canyon. (I was actually
precariously perched on a ledge I shouldn’t have been on, too.) A judge
at the PPAM convention suggested taking him out of the image and
renaming it. I struggled with a title as I couldn’t figure out what the
subject of the image was - aside from the colors - and that was my inspiration for the title. This image will also be included in the Showcase
Book.
“Honeymoon Cruise” - a Bride & Groom take a ride in a gondola - not
in Venice, Italy - but in Providence, RI. I was assistant/2nd shooter for
Nancy Green on an “epic” wedding. The bride & groom took a little
cruise on the Providence River before heading to their reception. The
trick in processing this image was to strike a balance between toning
down the highlights and preserving the shadows enough to see some
detail in the silhouette.
page 16
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Andrea Joliat
“My Cherished Green Card”, “The Secret of
Tulips”, & “Downton Tabby”
“My Cherished Green Card” was a portrait that
was inspired by my feelings for the subject. He
is a young man whom I met when I volunteered
to tutor him for his high school English class. I
admire him tremendously for his appreciation
for all he has been given and all he has achieved
through his hard work since moving to this country. The print scored blue at state and regional competitions
and was a Loan Collection at PPA.
“The Secret of Tulips” is a print that I created when I decided to venture into subject matter that was outside
the box of my usual portrait work. It won a Court of Honor at the state level and was a Loan Collection print
at PPA.
“Downton Tabby” is a portrait of a cat that I met when I was in London last winter. I enjoyed the title I came
up with, which came to mind when I made the connection to his living in the UK and the television program
I was watching. It won a blue ribbon at state and at PPA and also received an honorable mention when I
entered it, on a whim, in the Santa Fe Workshops animal photography competition. It was fun to enter a
domestic cat into a competition to compete alongside the images taken by more adventurous photographers
who venture out into the wild!
page 17
www.ppam.com
PPAM Convention 2014 - Save the Date
Mark your calendars for
The 2014 PPAM Convention scheduled for Friday, February 21 – Monday February 24, 2014
At the Radisson Hotel, Plymouth, MA
Blair Phillips – “Become the Coolest Kid in School”
Blair Phillips started photographing high school seniors nearly 6 years ago and it has absolutely changed
his North Carolina based studio. Armed with a truck load of determination, unique lighting and bullet-proof
marketing, Blair has become the go-to place in his area for senior portraits. Join Blair as he shares his versatile off camera lighting, fashion forward posing, unique set & location ideas, and more in this 3 hour, tell-all
program. There’s no better time than now to implement improvements to your senior business, making you
become the coolest kid in school.
Walter van Dusen - “Weddings, Lighting, & Workflow”
Join Connecticut based Photographer Walter van Dusen M.Photog.Cr.,CPP as he explores the relevance of
what, why and how he captures distinctive moments and situations on a wedding day. Walter is very high
energy and will pack a lot of content into the three - hour program. Walter will share his complete A - Z
wedding process: tips for blogging, wedding day coverage including off camera lighting with video lights
and radio triggers, Adobe Lightroom workflow from downloading through processing, and album designing
will be discussed.
Dave Brosha – “Mastering Creative Light”
Dave will teach you how to assess and mix any form of ambient light with your off camera flash and/or studio lighting to stunning effect.
Jim Broderick – “Pricing for Profit”
The primary goal of this program is to give you a basic foundation in pricing that will give you the confidence to set your prices accurately, and keep your business profitable. Jim Broderick will walk you through
his pricing strategy for small business that he calls The Pricing Table. He’ll not only break down business
concepts he has learned over his 20+ years in corporate America in an easy to understand way; he will give
you insight into what you should be considering when setting prices and will teach you easy tricks that will
help you maximize profitability.
More information to follow in the upcoming months
Financial information for the Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts
is available upon request.
Contact VP of Finance, Courtney Trembler at 978-697-8164 or [email protected].
page 18
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Jeff Baker
“Dangerous Gams” & “Excuse Me Do You Have a Light?”
Both images were created during creative days at my studio in
downtown Worcester, MA. Though these images were not done
for clients, they were not created specifically for competition
either. I set aside a day, typically monthly, to experiment on
techniques I do not usually get the opportunity to do in my
normal client material. Both of these images scored well in
our State competition. However, speaking one on one with the
judges really helped me to tweak little things that made my
images better. Even though neither of these did well during the
district competition having the judges video reviews helped me
to understand just what they were looking for. Competition
makes everyone work harder and get better. It is important to
remember not to give up. The more you believe in yourself, the
stronger your images become.
Jack Foley
“The Wedding”
This merit image was actually a wedding I shot about 10 years
ago and the customer asked for something artsy from her day.
So I made this image for her. This was my first and only attempt at the program painter. So this made it into the book –
yes! I made the book before and I have been accepted into loan
collections before…My biggest accomplishment in PPA print
competitions was making the front cover of the loan collection
book.
page 19
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
(Original)
Ella Carlson
“Ready…Set…” & “Defiant”
PPA competition was a different experience this year. I’ve entered, merited and loaned in both the
photographic open and the master artist categories before, but this year I happened to be attending the judges
workshop in Atlanta as the image competition was happening. In addition to learning more about the
judging process, I also got to watch some of this year’s judging as it happened and listen to the judges
critiquing images for PPA. I work primarily as a photographer artist, Photoshop/Painter consultant and
educator. The work I submit for competition is my art work, and work that demonstrates my ability to teach
others or to work with images, so it’s very important that it is work that is challenging, original and as unique
as I can make it.
Over my previous five years of competition, I seem to have developed a recognizable style, so one of my
goals this year was to present images that were a departure from my previous competition image style. I
chose different subjects as well as different techniques for many of my images this year. I also entered my
first two competition albums this year: one for photographic open of birds, and the other, the first ever album
entered in the master artist category of flowers.
The first loan image was of a blue jay. It was taken in the mid-day sun so that the original image was blown
out in spots. In addition, one of the bird’s feet wasn’t visible, but I really liked the intensity of the bird’s
position and attitude so I felt it was worth the effort of painting it. I used Photoshop’s relatively new painting
tools to paint in the missing foot and the missing highlights as well as painting the whole scene to enhance it.
The second image was a take on the very
old technique of cutting an image in half
and flipping it to make a perfectly symmetrical portrait. And then because I was having fun with it, I decided to make the subject into an angel with a black eye. There
was a lot of painting in it... and humor. I
honestly didn’t think it was my best entry
this year, but it loaned in the master artist
category. There’s no predicting the judging.
Regardless of the outcome, entering print
competition is a great learning experience.
page 20
www.ppam.com
PPA 2013 International Print Competition
Cathy Broderick
“Reminiscing”, “Summer Curls”, & “La Fontana
di Trevi”
This was only my second year entering IPC and 3
out of my 4 images were accepted into the General
Collection. The first, “Reminiscing” was from a
recent senior portrait session in my new studio,
using natural light. I had found the dress in a vintage clothing store and knew it would be
perfect for the senior coming in the following
week. I entered this digitally, but will have it
printed on giclee paper. I played around with some
painting techniques in Photoshop and I love the
feel of this.
The next image, “Summer Curls” was also a client
session. I received the “Special Masters Award”
for this at PPAM in Feb 2013. Although some had
told me it wouldn’t Merit because of her finger, I
had faith! I added some texture and played with the
coloring in Photoshop to give it more of a vintage
feel. This is printed on giclee paper although
entered digitally to IPC.
The 3rd Merit image entitled “La Fontana di Trevi”
was taken while on vacation in Italy in the early
morning before the crazy crowds populated this
tourist attraction in Rome. This received a blue ribbon
at PPAM in 2013.
With these Merits I now have more than 1/2 of my
Exhibition Merits needed for my Master of
Photography degree. I absolutely LOVE Image Comp
and know I have truly improved my photography and
business since I started competing.
page 21
www.ppam.com
by Warner Smith, CPP
Tangible Moments
Journey to Competition
Are you getting geared up for our next competition in February! I know I am! And I’m out to recruit the entire
membership to get involved and participate in this year’s upcoming competition. There is nothing more exciting than print competition as a professional photographer and once you are bitten with the bug, there is no turning back!
Now, I know there are a lot of you out there with a bit of trepidation on whether or not to participate for a number of reasons; could be fear of rejection, unable to receive constructive criticism, lack of motivation or confidence to hang with the big guns or just not able to commit to the process. But, do you know what all of these
excuses have in common: they prevent you from growing as a professional photographer!
So, you’ve got to ask yourself one question, do you feel lucky? Because if the reasons you’re not going to submit into competition has anything to do with what I just mentioned, then you’re riding a train to a creative void.
And the only thing left in your growth as a
photographer is a bit of luck.
This year’s theme as an organization is,
“Accept the Challenge”. So here is a
challenge to you, the membership; if you are
a first time entrant and you receive a Blue or
Red ribbon on 4 or more prints, I will buy
you lunch or dinner! I went with 4, because
that is what I achieved during my first time
out of the gate.
In addition, if the Print Committee reports
back to me that we have received 20 or
more entries above and beyond last year’s numbers, then I will request the committee and board to approve a
raffle that will include all the names of photographers who have entered and did not receive an award at the
Awards Banquet; a drawing of names to issue prizes. Now here is the catch, to be eligible for the drawing and
receive a prize, you MUST attend the Awards Banquet!
I’ll probably get a little kick back on the idea, but I am challenging everyone involved to think outside the box,
engage the process and most of all have fun. Think about this for a second, the more people who participate,
the grandeur the experience, the more exciting the party! And where there is a party, there is energy, music,
laughter, and people bumping and moving on the dance floor!
So, do you accept the challenge? Remember one thing, look around at all the photographers who are quite
successful and have amazing portfolios. Do you know what they have in common? Credentials and they have
earned most of them through competition.
My own experience with competition has been nothing short of wonderfully exciting. Yes, I was prepared to
take it on the chin and after going through the certification process, I had a pretty tough chin! Where did it all
begin? Well, for the first two years during my membership I sat back and watched the process, learned what
was involved and kept on eye on the “big guns” entering competition; you know the names, Ella Carson, Jack
Foley, Dan Doke and Ed Pedi to name just a few. The first thing I took away was that every single one of
these photographers was on top of their game, their imagery inspiring and more importantly consistent! Then I
discovered that all these photographers had a bunch of letters after their names, like M. Photog, Cr. Photog and
continued on page 23
page 22
www.ppam.com
continued from page 22
CPP. That was my “Ah-Ha” moment!
Being a professional photographer was more than just belonging to a professional organization, it was engaging
the organization and working on the craft through competition and establishing legitimate credentials.
I immediately set out to obtain my CPP; and boy what a difference that made in my photography! Once I
achieved my CPP, I geared up to enter my first state competition this last February. I entered 4 prints only, but
was quite happy with the results; 3 of the four prints blued while the remaining print received a red ribbon. I
even was rewarded with the First Time Entrant award for my print “Attitude”.
Move the clock forward to the 2013 International Photographic Competition last month. It would be my first
time entering into this competition and I went in cold turkey! No critiques, no nothing, just instinct and a strong
desire to see where my artistic talents; unrefined and raw as they were, fall on the national front among thousands of professionals. I did this with a purpose; I wanted to know whether or not I had more than just the technical know-how in producing a quality image. I wanted to validate my own artistic abilities as an artist behind
the lens.
With four images submitted, two were accepted into the General Collection and received merit of award. That
is not a bad take away in my first year of competition; and more importantly for me, it validated an internal faith
and belief that I had the raw talent, artistic building blocks, to compete with the very best! Now that I have
been bitten by the competition bug and have an unyielding desire to improve my game, you can bet that I will
be going all out next year and asking the experts for advice!
My hope will be for each and every one of you, a member of PPAM, to become bitten by the competition craze
as I was. Because once you do, I’ll guarantee you will not only see a huge improvement in your own photography, but you will be helping to raise the industry standard for all photographers and you’ll be happy you did!
Good luck!
A Big PPAM Thank You
to our 2013 Convention Sponsors & Vendors*
Support the Vendors that support you!
LustreColor Professional Imaging
Natural Color Lab
EP Levine
KEH.com
Hunt’s Photo & Video
NoblePay
Photo Oil Art
Lenzart Professional Lab
LensPro to Go
White House Custom Color
*click each for more info
page 23
www.ppam.com
Image Competition Update - PPAM 2014
by Paula Swift, Image Competition Co-Chair
There’s BIG NEWS for the Image Competition that will be happening at the PPAM 2014 Convention in
Plymouth next February. Cathy Broderick and I will be co-chairing the Image Competition and we are
excited with some changes that will be happening to the competition.
The first announcement is the name: “PPAM Print Competition” has changed to the “PPAM Image
Competition”. Because it’s possible to enter digital files now as well as prints, the board felt “Image” was
more appropriate. We still hope those who enter, enter prints, as we are photographers and would much
rather see your blue ribbons hanging on your prints rather than a digital file!
The next big news is we will be introducing a new way of entering the Image Competition by using a new
software and online submission process called “Printcompetition.com”. For those of you who have entered
North East Districts and IPC previously, you will be familiar with this online submission process. It’s easy
to upload your images and pay right online.
So what is “Printcompetition.com”? This is an online management system for image judging and scoring
for image competitions that is being used in many state and regional competitions. They partner with
photographic associations like ours to automate the online registration and print salon activities.
Participants submit their entries online and pay online. Those of you who are entering prints will still send
or deliver your print case to the Image Competition Chairs by the deadline, however you will need to enter
all your images digitally online as well. We hope many of you will still enter prints so we can see all those
ribbons hanging at the convention.
Here is a bit more information about Printcompetion.com…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Participants find it very easy submit their entries and pay their image or case fees on-line.
Participants also love getting text messages and emails when their print or image is scored.
Organizers of photography competitions find it easy to manage the event, collect fees, import digital files and print out results.
Judges find it easy to enter their scores using an iPod Touch or iPhone eliminating those pesky wires.
Jury Chairpersons love the personal real-time score information delivered to them on their iPad
showing the last 4 images judged.
Premium subscribers to PrintCompetition.com love being able to access their image history, scores and audio of judges commentary (if available).
Premium subscribers love being able to research over 4000 images from the past 3 years with score and audio commentary (if available).
Cathy and I invite you to visit www.Printcompetition.com and check out the new program PPAM will be
using. You can register for free and get a feel of the process.
Don’t forget Image Competition cannot be successful without you entering. If you have never entered and
don’t know how to begin, we hope to have a mini session later this fall to go over the process and steps on
how to enter, select images and have those 12 Elements of a merit image. Lastly we are always looking for
volunteers to help with behind the scenes with the Image Competition and that is another amazing way to
learn the process.
page 24
www.ppam.com
Understanding What You Are Selling In A Digital Image
by Warner Smith, CPP
This writing originated from a three part series I published online a while back on my personal blog:
www.ThePhotographyInsider.com. In the first part of that series, I wanted to reach out to photographers of all
types and challenge them to think about what it is that they are selling when providing their clients with digital
images versus a tangible product.
Now, you’re probably thinking I’m selling digital images; what is there to understand about a digital image?
Well, plenty. To begin, most photographers who are inexperienced in the “business of photography” wrongly
price their digital products on two simple factors: 1) Cost of Goods [COG]; the device to store the digital
images on, and 2) Improperly researching online what other photographers in the area are selling their digital
images for.
With this sort of criteria in place, the photographer has pretty much established a value on their work based on
another photographer’s interpretation of value; a formula for failure! Nowhere in this criteria has the
photographer established a price based on their own talents or business practices. Not good! Can you say, out
of business in less than 3 years?
So let’s think about this for a minute; let’s make pretend that you truly want to sell your “digital image”. First
we must understand completely one very important factor about digital imagery. Because of its very make up,
when you provide a client with a digital image, you are no longer providing a unique piece of artwork or
signature work; you are in fact selling a commodity! That’s right, and I will argue this point up and down with
any photographer who wants to go toe to toe on this point! Because, once you release your work into the ever
ubiquitous “CLOUD”, your image has just become universal and free play for everyone – everywhere! It will
become common place and eligible for others to manipulate and use in whatever form they can imagine. And
there isn’t a copyright policy in the world that can prevent another person from accessing and/or manipulating
your image.
Now that I’ve driven that point home, what exactly is the physical make-up of your digital image? Scientifically
speaking, it is made up of bits; 0’s and 1’s. But it is so much more than that! And, as a side note, what if you are
selling your digital images via electronic download? The price of your imagery just got cheaper based on the
criteria I talked about previously, as there is no COG associated with the purchase. Have you a few ideas?
I’ll tell you what makes up your digital image; here are a few of my own ingredients:
1) MY TIME is infused into the imagery. My time consists of the moment I book the session, bill the client,
consult with the client, pick up the camera, the photo session to include set up and striking, drive to a location
and post process the images. Phew...that’s a lot right there. How much is your time worth per hour?
2) TYPE OF DIGITAL FILE is another significant factor to consider when pricing your digital images. Are
you simply selling a web image (low resolution file)? Or both a low resolution and high resolution file
specifically for print? Are you selling “digital negatives”? A digital negative in this case would be a jpeg file as
shot right out of the camera with no post processing production. Or are you selling your images professionally
finished? There is a lot to consider here don’t you think?
3) CREATIVE TALENT/BRANDING are the most overlooked categories by photographers as criteria to
pricing their work. Your branding is what makes you unique in an overly saturated sea of photographers. You
are selling your vision, your image, your artistry, your creative genius! You are selling your passion for the
continued on page 26
page 25
www.ppam.com
continued from page 25
image you create and there is no other person in the world that can create what you have just created in that
moment of time. That’s pretty special wouldn’t you agree?
4) EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS are the biography to the images we produce as photographers.
We are not able to create sale-able images without the education we invest in and the credentials we achieve
throughout our journey as a photographer. Many photographers will argue that credentials are insignificant;
particularly to the client. After all, in the end, a majority of our clients go with us based on two things; type of
imagery we produce and price. But I’m here to tell you that credentials have a very significant and important
role in your imagery. First, you have achieved a recognized standard by a community of photographers.
Secondly, you have improved your craft as a result of credentials and finally, the most important factor is this:
you are able to consistently produce the imagery you showcase to your clients.
What clients don’t know is that there is a risk with going with a photographer who has no credentials. Can that
photographer consistently produce the imagery that he or she has showcased to the client? Is the imagery that
the photographer is selling you legitimate? In today’s digital era, many images are stolen and represented
under false pretenses. Credentials mitigate the risk to the client and frankly, make you a better photographer.
Your investment in education and obtaining legitimate industry standard credentials is huge in this business
and needs to be considered as an integral ingredient to your pricing. If you are not of this mindset, you are
only hurting yourself and your ability to grow as an artist!
5) OVERHEAD COSTS are important to your overall pricing schema. Yes, clients don’t care what you own
or have invested in; and they shouldn’t. However, the fact of the matter is, every successful business always
considers a fraction of overhead costs to their overall pricing. When you buy an iPad from Apple, overhead
costs, COG, labor and the CEO’s salary are all considered in the overall pricing of their product. Your rent,
your investment in software, investment in lighting, lenses, camera bodies etc., are all part of the equation.
If you don’t consider these factors, you definitely should.
In the end, all 5 of these points go into the making of a digital image. So, I ask again, what are you selling,
just a thumb drive? Some other photographer’s perceived value of an entire session of digital imagery on DVD?
No, you are selling the five points above. If you want to stay in the business of photography, then you MUST
consider ALL 5 factors as the underlying make-up to your digital imagery. That is what you are selling! And
remember, you can only sell your digital image once! Once you sell it to the “CLOUD”, it has become a
commodity for others to produce at will regardless of US Copyright policy or the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act of 1998.
News from Professional Photographer’s Anti Trust Group
by Paul Robinson
In Massachusetts there is a procurement law that requires a bid process in order to conduct business with
any town, city or municipality. For instance, if the town of Hanson wants to build a snack shack at the
town’s recreational fields they are required to place the project out for public bid. In most cases the lowest
bidder is awarded the contract for that project. This is not the case where public school photography contracts are concerned. In fact, the Massachusetts public schools are exempt from this law. The public schools
have carte blanche in what they can ask for and yes even require from a photography company or studio
when entering into a contract. There is no oversight or restrictions placed on what the schools are allowed
to do. In one contract I have been able to acquire the contracted studio has agreed to give ten digital camerpage 26
www.ppam.com
continued on page 27
continued from page 26
as, four complete computer systems loaded with photo editing software, four iPads and the training on how
to use the cameras and editing software. One would think that would be enough, but, there is more. In this
same contract are the usual free services and goods which include all of the sports action and team photography, superlatives, prom, dance events, plays and concerts to be photographed for inclusion in the yearbook
at no cost to the school. Wait there’s more. Twenty percent of the senior portrait gross sales profit and thirty
percent of the gross sales profit from the lower grades is to be given back to the school. What a sweet deal
that is. These types of contracts prohibit smaller studios from competing for this work.
On top of all of this, many public schools tell their senior class students that they are required to use the
school’s contracted studio for their yearbook portrait. This confuses many of the students and leads them
to believe they don’t have a choice in who takes their senior portraits. The reason the schools do this is to
ensure the maximum amount of money received from the profit share that is written in the contract. The
public schools in Massachusetts are openly and willingly misleading both the students and parents and most
parents don’t know this is going on. Parents and photographers should be asking school boards, superintendents and school principals the following questions:
1.
What happens to the money received from the profit sharing?
2.
Is that money recorded and reported to the state or town?
3.
Why are the schools allowed to enter into a contract that does not put the student’s best interest first?
4.
Why are the schools allowed to force the students and their parent to do business with a company
they may not want to do business with?
5.
Why are the schools allowed to require free goods and services as well as large sums of money from
the profit share?
This clearly is arm twisting and a form of extortion and should be confronted.
This issue goes much deeper than this but unfortunately I don’t have the space to go deeper into this. The
one thing I will tell you all is there is a Bill in the State House of Representatives filed by State Rep. Kevin
Kuros that if passed will change the procurement laws in our behalf. It does not address the free services
and goods or profit sharing portion of this issue. The House Bill is H2848 and is pending a hearing maybe
in September. When the hearing is scheduled I will post the date, time and location on www.facebook.com/
professionalphotographersantitrustgroup. I encourage you all to support this bill by calling your State Senators and Representatives and ask them to support H2848. If you can attend the hearing it would show we
are serious about changing the procurement laws. We have a strong showing at this hearing because the opposition will be strong and you can bet your bottom dollar they will have a strong lobby against this bill.
Finally I ask that you do all you can to obtain copies of the school photography contracts. We need those to
show there is a pattern and that it isn’t just a few schools but many schools that use these tactics.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this article. If you have any questions I can be reached by phone or
e-mail.
Paul S. Robinson
Paul S. Robinson Photography
508-278-5530
[email protected]
Your PPAM Newsletter is now interactive. Just click on a highlighted link or email address.
page 27
www.ppam.com
NEIPP ~ March 30 - April 3, 2014
It’s never too early to start thinking about your education for next year. Full time instructors are Suzette Allen, Doug Box with Randy Kerr, Jim Churchill with David Deutsch, Darton Drake and our own Ed Pedi.
Mark your calendar with these dates March 30 to April 3, 2014 for some
excellent education. BONUS - To all those that attended NEIPP 2013
for every person you bring to NEIPP 2014 you will receive a discount on
your tuition. There is also an incentive for all that sign up now to bring
someone along with them. Call Fred Stiteler at (603) 868-2970 for more
information or visit the NEIPP website.
Want to make monthly payments?
Call Fred to make your arrangements with the new NEIPP Easy Payment Plan at (603) 868-2970.
Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts Application for Membership
Name ____________________________________________________________________
Studio or Firm _____________________________________________________________
Mailing Address ___________________________________________________________
City or Town _________________________ Zip _____________ PPA _______________
Phone: (Day) (
) ________________________ (Evening) (
) ___________________
E-mail _____________________________ Web Page _____________________________
Photographic Degrees: Master ____ Craftsman ____ PPA Certified _____ Other ________
Category: Professional ($185.00) ____ Sustaining ($185.00) ____ Student ($90.00) _____
Student seeking membership must submit a copy of student I. D. with application
How did you hear about PPAM? ______________________________________________
Please mail this application and dues to:
Joyce Holt, Vice President, Membership & Records
Revere, MA 02151
(617) 516-8722 or (617) 287-9117
or click here
All membership applications are subject to PPAM Board approval. Annual membership begins January 1 and ends December
31. *Sustaining membership is extended to any photographic supplier or service organization with an interest in professional
photography in Massachusetts, but does not include voting privileges or the right to hold office in PPAM. All new members’
names and location will be published in an upcoming issue of this newsletter. Membership dues provide admission to all
programs sponsored by PPAM including the annual convention.
page 28
www.ppam.com