PPANI Feb 08 Message

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February 2008 President's Message

Sheila Rutledge Certified Professional Photographer F-PPANI
Greetings Friends, It’s nice to have some time to breathe these days. Even though the days are not jammed with sessions with the phone ringing off the hook it is busy none the less. It’s time to evaluate your business for the coming year, time to see how your market has changed. Was last year a good year or could things be tweaked to make 2008 a better year? In order to make the phone ring and the clients come we all should be making a plan to bring them to us. I also think we need to market this wonderful opportunity for learning what our group offers. Just like your studio we need to let potential members know we are here. There is much competition these days for educational opportunities for photographers. In order to maintain the quality of our group we can no longer just expect that new members will come. We need to make new photographers, as well as established studios looking for an edge aware that we can help. Most of us would agree that word of mouth brings us some of our best customers. Just like encouraging our clients to spread the word I’d like to encourage our membership to spread the word of the learning opportunity that is PPANI. If all of our members used our powers of positive recommendations we could add to our growing family here, to learn how they make their businesses successful and to be around for the next generation of photographers. It is also important to increase our membership to continue to draw the wonderful talent willing to share and to be able to share in places that we all want to visit. Just like marketing to draw new customers to our businesses, it is important to market the wonderful learning opportunity of Northern. Has competition moved into your area? If they have it is a benefit to our organization as well as to you to reach out to those new studio owners and make them aware of what we have to offer. You get to keep an eye on your competition; they get to learn from the wealth of talent in our group so that we all can raise the level of our profession and increase our standard of living. Help us spread the word.

Print Challenge for 2009 - "Loose Ends "

1. The Challenge will have a new theme every year. The theme is also the title for all entries. A large part of the judge’s score should include how well the entry fits the theme.
2. The entry must be based on and include an original photograph created by the maker. The size is not limited except by rule 3, and using more than the usual two dimensions is encouraged.
3. The entry must be self-contained and able to be brought before the judges by the print committee. Nothing external to the entry (except the judging lights) should be required for viewing and judging.
4. The entry must be repeatable, meaning that the entry should be able to be brought back before the judges later for judging of Best Challenge and be exactly as it was initially.
5. The entry may contain other photographic images and non-photographic images, may contain moving parts, sound effects, or be battery operated. The Print Chairman (along with any consultants of his choice) will decide any question of eligibility.

Supporting Professional Photographers for more than 50 years as a PPA Affiliate

Professional Photographers Association of Northern Illinois, Inc.