FOCUS Oregon V2 I1

From April Kroenke:
Wrap Up
From Kolu Westcott:
I can't wait for Imaging USA 2020!
My first Imaging was an amazing experience. The speakers were educational and
inspirational. At the trade show, I was able to speak to vendors and view their products.
My favorite part of Imaging was connecting with other photographers from across the
country. Everyone was so friendly! I gained a lot of knowledge about the business of
photography and how to better serve my clients. I left Imaging inspired and excited
about my business. I can't wait for next year!
From Aaron Hockley:
OPPA at
IUSA
Imaging USA was a fun experience again this year, and I feel like PPA really stepped up
its education game with the new “Closing the Gap” programming - great speakers with
a lot of great material. As a returning attendee, Imaging is partially about education
but also about networking and catching up with old friends from the photography
world across the country.
One highlight every year is seeing the great photography at the Grand Imaging Awards,
and being there to see friends recognized for earning PPA degrees. I was proud to
receive my Master of Photography medal this year, presented by my wife and PPA
President Stephen Thetford. It’s nice to be recognized (along with a couple other OPPA
folks) for an achievement representing several years of imaging work, refinement, and
improvement.
You Never Know What You Have Until It’s Gone!
As many of you know this past summer, because my husband is on Active Duty with
the US Army, my family and I had to relocate from Oregon to El Paso, TX. I was sad to
leave everyone in Oregon behind, but I was looking forward to being near an Army
Post again. I was also looking forward to starting my membership back up with Texas
PPA and getting to know other photographers in the El Paso area and joining the local
guild. Once I arrived, however, I quickly learned a few things.
1. The cultures in Oregon and Texas are very different, yet the still same
because of the friendly people in both locations.
2. We have over 300+ days of sunshine, which I have enjoyed and yet
surprisingly I have missed the rain of the PNW sometimes.
3. There is not a single camera shop in El Paso. The closest one is in
Albuquerque, NM which is over 4.5 hours away. Needless to say Amazon,
Adorama, and B&H have become my best friends for camera equipment
and supplies.
4. There is no local guild (local PPA affiliate). The one in El Paso closed
several years ago. So now, the closest guild for me is in Albuquerque, NM
which is 4.5 hours away or in Lubbock, TX which is about 6 hours away.
I would do anything to spend 30-45 minutes (even in terrible Portland
traffic!) driving across the metro to have an organization like OPPA in my
area. This is the biggest thing that I have missed so far. There is nothing
like OPPA for the like-mindedness of other photographers and to have
quality education at a reasonable price. For education I will have to
budget at least $1,000/workshop, which will have to cover travel, food,
hotel, and the workshop. Because of that, instead of attending several
workshops a year, I am planning to attend only 2 workshops/events due
to the dramatically increased costs. This is why I decided to apply for one
of the OPPA Scholarships and was awarded one at this past banquet.
Thank you OPPA for that and allowing me to attend Imaging USA so I
could hear all of the Bridging the Gap Speakers, and see so many of my
OPPA friends that I hold dear. So, please hear me when I say do not take
what resources and educations you have right in your area for granted.
Hop in the car and take the commute every now and again to one of the
OPPA’s events this year. You will be so glad you did and being in traffic
will be so worth it!
20 • FOCUS OREGON
WINTER 2019 FOCUS OREGON • 21