january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

Gary Meek was in the
wedding business long
before he was in the
photography business.
Meek’s mother worked as a
wedding caterer while he was
growing up. He got to see the
wild world of weddings from the inside, long before he ever picked
up a camera to photograph an event.
After earning a college degree in mathematics and starting a
career as a materials scientist, Meek realized that he was missing
the personal element in his work. Thinking back to his younger
days of watching weddings, he recalled the highly personal
interactions between photographer and subject. Meek’s father was
an avid photo enthusiast, so Meek not only knew his way around a
camera, he had an appreciation for the photographic art form. It
didn’t take him too long to piece all of these influences together to
launch a career in professional photography.
p2
Today
Association News for Members of Professional Photographers of America
BOARD MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Gary A. Meek
M.Photog.Cr., API
PPA Member since 1984
Shoots: Weddings and Portraits
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
News & Notes
During the first couple years of running their young studio, Meek
and his wife, Kathy, plugged along just fine, picking up jobs here
and there and making a go of it. Business was okay, but certainly
not booming. Then a friend asked Meek if he’d ever heard of the
Arkansas Professional Photographers Association. He hadn’t, but
he joined right away. That association led Meek into the PPA
national organization, to advanced photographic schooling at the
Winona School, and on to years of service with association
committees, specialty groups and now the PPA Board of Directors.
“If it wasn’t for my association with the associations, I wouldn’t be
in business today,” says Meek matter-of-factly. “The education that
Kathy and I received through the national, regional and state
associations has given us the knowledge we needed to stay in
business. Those seminars and courses taught us how to be more
than just photographers; they taught us how to be professional
photographers.”
VISIT HTTP://BOARD.PPA.COM TO READ ABOUT OTHER MEMBERS OF PPA’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
GET CERTIFIED IN 2007
If you are planning on getting your certification this year, then you have been waiting for Imaging USA. Certification exam sessions will be
available every day at Imaging USA. These custom exams help land a photographer the Certified Professional Photographer
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As the leading certifying agency for imaging professionals, the Professional Photographic Certification Commission is recognized
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the paperwork needed to become certified. A study guide, known as Test Specifications, is included and is a comprehensive overview
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Remember, you must submit an application and pre-register for the examinations at least five business days in advance of Imaging USA.
Only those who have completed the application process will be permitted to take the certification exam.
To order the certification candidate bulletin, give us a call at 800-786-6277 or send us an e-mail at csc@ppa.com.
www.ppa.com