Professional Photographers of Idaho

Spring Quarterly

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:40:22 +0000

Mike and his wife and business partner Jessica run a 8000 sq. ft. studio in Lewiston, Idaho. They have two sons, Keaton and Cade. Their main studio, Ridinger’s, the Art of Photography, is a third owner studio that has been in business since 1917, and specializes in relationship portraits.

Mike is like a kid in a candy store when it comes to his camera room and all the tools he uses to create his images. While being a firm believer in the traditional lighting and posing that has paid the bills for years, he is constantly growing in his art and bringing new and edgy styles to mix it up. And if you know Mike, that’s the only way he can stay somewhat focused at work. After 28 years he has been fortunate enough to collected all different photography toys to play with (just ask Jess) … which result in an amazing variety of images for his clients.

My has life changed… in a portrait studio in the last 10 years… from going to digital to our country going into a recession… Mike and Jess have figured out how to role with the punches and still come out as the leading photography studio in their area. “Team Ridinger” has worked!!! Mike taking care of the photography while keeping his skills honed and fresh (this makes it super easy for his staff to sell him and the images he creates) to Jess focusing on the business and the ever so important “client experience”. Separating themselves from novelists has been the focus in their studio. Being open minded to change is the key to their success.

Both are firm believers in the “Pay It Forward” concept, and are actively involved in photographing terminal children in conjunction with the Jackson Baldwin Pay It Forward Foundation. Jackson was Keaton’s best friend from kindergarten till Jackson passed away from cancer the day before his 10th birthday. Mike is also are involved with NILMDTS. As photographers, we all have a gift that goes beyond the obvious, that photography becomes a screaming need, not just a want. Mike recently returned from his second trip to Ecuador where he went with a team of photographers to photograph orphans to help give them a sense of history, and to help raise awareness to their needs. Out of that trip Dando Amor was born, a non-profit organization dedicated to immediate improvements in the lives of the orphans. These causes have blessed Mike and Jess’s lives more than they ever expected.

Mike was just awarded his craftsman Degree at Imaging USA. He is a past President of Professional Photographers of Idaho. After coaching at Light Pro Expo and speaking at several state & local affiliates along with being selected by PPA last year to be a speed shooter, Mike joined the team at After Dark, demonstrating his lighting and posing styles in a hands on environment. Mike has a knack for teaching in a way that is easy to comprehend and is a popular instructor everywhere he goes. He is regarded by many as one of the best mentors in the industry and loves to share his knowledge. His way of teaching is very easy to follow and understand, breaking things down to their basic element. Mike believes in getting it right in camera and using Photoshop to enhance, not fix. Lighting and posing are at the top of his list of things that are important to be successful.

Schedule of Events

June 10, 6:30pm

Meet at Triple Play Family Fun Park 175 Orchard Ave, Hayden, Idaho
Miniature golf scramble
Go carts, bowling, game, etc. etc etc…

June 11 9:00am Mike Ridinger

Great customer service!
Photographing Children
Lighting
Posing
Marketing

Noon: Lunch 1:30-5:00

Seniors
Lighting
Posing
Marketing

REGISTER NOW!!

Scavenger Hunt & Bonus Program!!

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:28:15 +0000

We’ve added 2 extra fun filled features to Convention! For those arriving in Boise on Saturday there is a Scavenger Hunt planned! Don’t forget your cameras!

And on Sunday night we have a Bonus program presented by Graphic Authority!

Don’t miss out, register today!

Convention Info!

admin — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:20:35 +0000

The 2012 Professional Photographers of Idaho Annual Convention is coming to Boise March 25th-28th at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel! Registration is now available online!

Join us to see amazing speakers and learn from industry leaders!

March 25th

8-10: CPP Exam
9-12: Print Competition
12-1:30: Lunch on your own
1:30-?: Print Competition
7 pm: President’s Reception & Hospitality

Print Competition is open to public!

March 26th

9-12: The Duncans
12-3: Lunch and Tradeshow
3-4:30: Steve Mackley
4:30-6: Heather Michelle
7-9: Dinner Auction
After 9: Hospitality

March 27th

8-12: Andre Amyot
12-3: Lunch & Tradeshow
3-6: The Grays
7-9: Awards Banquet
After 9: Hospitality

March 28th

10-12: The Grays

Are you ready to take the CPP Exam? There will be an CPP Exam scheduled for Sunday, March 25th at 8 am. For questions, please contactDennis Hammon. To register, please contact PPA.

Registration is available online now!

Registration fees:
Members – $249 (includes lunch and dinner on Monday & Tuesday)
Non-Members -$299 (includes lunch and dinner on Monday & Tuesday)
Students: $50 (no meals included)
Single Day Registration – $119 (includes lunch only)
Social Pass – $119

Room rates at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel are $79 or $65 at the Poolside Annex
For reservations please call 1-800-233-4611

Please view the blog for information regarding speakers!

Did you misplace your print competition forms? Find them here!

Convention Schedule of Events

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:13:00 +0000

March 25th

8-10: CPP Exam
9-12: Print Competition
12-1:30: Lunch on your own
1:30-?: Print Competition
7 pm: President’s Reception & Hospitality

Print Competition is open to public!

March 26th

9-12: The Duncans
12-3: Lunch and Tradeshow
3-4:30: Steve Mackley
4:30-6: Heather Michelle
7-9: Dinner Auction
After 9: Hospitality

March 27th

8-12: Andre Amyot
12-3: Lunch & Tradeshow
3-6: The Grays
7-9: Awards Banquet
After 9: Hospitality

March 28th

10-12: The Grays

Print Competition Rules & Forms

admin — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:26:25 +0000

Did you forget to keep your print competition forms? Or you can’t find them? Here’s the place you can find them!

2012 Print Rules

Print entry form_2012

2012 Print Competition Labels

Cris & Deanna Duncan – Convention 2012

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:02:48 +0000

©Cris j Duncan
“Becoming the Photographer your want to Be”
Empower yourself! Break free from the mundane and reignite the passion that called you into this photography profession. Cris and Deanna will be your guides, sharing practical, pertinent and positive ideas to help you propel your business forward, including the following:
Simple (and complex) lighting tips and tricks that will expand your skills and allow your work to shine (literally!)
A series of five-minute “kick-starts” that will reinvigorate your business
Simple strategies that will skyrocket your sales
Remember that success isn’t a simple formula. Rather, it’s a journey of expanding your knowledge and skills and learning to shape your thoughts. And Cris and Deanna’s class is a great start! They will help you define or redefine your view of yourself and your work as you become the photographer you want to be.

As a husband-and-wife team, Cris and Deanna Duncan operate a studio in Lubbock, Texas, and offer high-end commercial, portrait and wedding photography. It may sound cliché, yet they truly love what they do. Their greatest joy comes when they receive “thank you” notes from their clients.
Sometimes called the “MacGyver of Light,” Cris creates his signature style by redefining traditional and non-traditional lighting techniques.He is a Master Craftsman Photographer as well as a certified professional Photographer. Since turning pro in 2002, he has photographed presidents, vice presidents, dignitaries and countless others. Cris has also worked for such companies as Frito-Lay and Bayer CropScience and has been honored to photograph numerous weddings, portraits and commercial assignments for great people all over this land. He is the recipient of several awards and honors, including “The Carpenter’s Masterpiece,” which was awarded a perfect 100 as well as Album of the Year. Cris is also the Past President of the SPPPA and founder of “Find your Focus” photographic education.

Heather Michelle Bjoershol – Convention 2012

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:00:16 +0000

Heather Michelle Bjoershol was born with a paintbrush in hand. From early on she would paint anything with any medium within reach.
In 2004 at her first PPA competition Heather’s work won her top honors in her PPA state convention and a Loan Collection print later that Summer. Having worked in
high end studios for several years in production, marketing, and sales, Heather decided to create her own business, HeatherThePainter.com where she offered top of the line digital artistry wholesale to photographers and labs worldwide. In Decemeber, 2005, two of her Portraits, “Little Miss“ and “Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,“ were chosen for Ballistic Publishing’s “Painter“ book. Among thousands of entrants only a 135 artists were chosen to represent the world’s most talented
digital painters. In 2006 Corel has used Heather’s image “Little Miss” in their photography magazine ads in North America and Europe. In February of 2007,
Corel named Heather as one of their Painter Masters and has included several of Heather’s paintings in their advertising for Painter X and XI. Her painting, “Blue”
was featured on the back of the Painter X packaging and can be seen in various magazines as their ad image all around the world. Several of her paintings are featured in Painter XI’s advertising and within the program’s revolving gallery.
Heather has been interviewed and featured in various magazines such as After Capture, The Official Corel Painter Magazine, French Photography, and Digital Photo Pro UK. Many paintings of Heather’s are featured in PPA Loan Collection books over the last 6 years. In 2011 she taught an all day seminar at Imaging USA in San Antonio, TX on how to utilize Painter to create Impressions of John Singer
Sargent. Heather has been teaching Corel Painter at workshops and PPA affiliate schools for the last five years. In 2011, she completed her Masters Degree in Electronic Imaging. Her thorough and easy-to-follow Corel Painter tutorial DVDs series “Breaking Out of the Box” have received rave reviews. In 2012 Heather will receive her Master’s degree in Electronic Imaging from the PPA.

“Heather is a wonderful teacher. Any time you have a chance to either study with or purchase one of her videos, I highly recommend doing so. You will learn a lot.”
-William Branson III

Andre Amyot – Convention 2012

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:57:52 +0000

Andre Amyot, known world-wide as the PhotoCoach, has had a 45 year career as a professional photographer. He served his first 10 years as photographer in the Air Force before opening his own studio in 1974. After early struggles, his studio grew at a rapid pace, generating revenues nearing $ 2 million annually, making his studio one of the most successful in North America. In 1999, Andre sold his photography studio and began his new career as a speaker, coach and author, focusing on both personal and business performance issues for the professional photographer.
Some of his major speaking engagements have included: the 2000 & 2008 PPA Conventions- WPPI 2008 Business school, the PPOC Conventions in Toronto, Victoria, Ottawa and Calgary – and repeated engagements at the Texas School of Professional Photography and Florida School of Photography. Over the years in Europe, Andre delivered numerous technical photography seminars in France, and Luxembourg for several associations. He has been back in Europe more recently, starting in 2006 where he is now delivering his business programs with amazing success. Since 2009, Andre has delivered 6 – 3 day programs through the GNPP (National association in France) to more than 150 photographers. In January 2011, Andre delivered two programs at the SWPP convention in London, England.
The PhotoCoach System has been taught to over 750 photographers over the years and continues to evolve each time it is delivered due to constant research and experience. Even if Andre no longer owns a practicing studio, he is totally connected with the reality of the challenges facing photographers today. He takes his knowledge inside and outside the industry to bring fresh ideas to help photographers stand out from the increasing number of people entering the market.
Andre has quickly developed a strong reputation as a business performance coach. His services focus primarily on profit-building, cost-effective, high impact marketing strategies, and personal motivation – the key ingredients to optimum studio success. His ability to deliver outstanding results is becoming renowned, recently achieving a 360% profit growth for one of his clients.
Andre has written the book “From Passion to Profits – 7 sure fire ways to success”, in which he delivers his vision of what a successful studio is like. His first book, “The Art & Techniques of Business Portrait Photography” released and published by Amherst Media Inc. covers both the technical and marketing aspects of “business portraiture.” The 128 page book, including more than 100 full-color photos is currently available directly from Amherst Media (Amherst Media.com), and from major book retailers including Amazon.com. (ISBN: 1-58428-107-3). Andre has also written several articles, among them: “Adventures in Executive Portraiture” published in Professional Photographer magazine.
Andre served as president of the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC), among other positions held in various associations over the years; he is a fervent believer in the power of associations. He is also a nationally accredited juror for photography exhibitions and served as Chairman of the National Exhibition Committee for the PPOC from 2003 to 2005. Andre still dabbles in photography with his own personal projects – but his current mission is to help professional photographers achieve both personal and professional success.

Zach & Jody Gray – Convention 2012

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:54:46 +0000

Named as one of Nashville, Tennessee’s top wedding photographers in 2009, Zach and Jody Gray are a dynamic duo who have quickly and steadily gained local and national recognition for their work in the wedding photography industry. Over the past two years they have hosted numerous highly successful photography workshops in the states and overseas, and taught MasterClasses at WPPI and SWPP in the UK. Their images have appeared in various publications including People, Southern Bride, and PPA Magazine. This award-winning couple has also been named by Westcott as one of their Top Endorsed Pros and are a part of the exclusive SanDisk Extreme Team.

Zach and Jody specialize in weddings, bringing a blend of advanced off-camera lighting & photojournalism into their work giving their imagery a unique edge. They are recognized nationally for producing their distinct look entirely in-camera with minor post-processing.

Even more than just taking fantastic images, Zach and Jody have worked to build a successful photography business using innovative marketing techniques built around word-of-mouth and word-of mouse marketing.

Behind the heart of their business is the desire to see others succeed: clients in their marriages and photographers in their work. This has proven to be a foundational key to their work in the industry, and will continue to drive them in everything they do

Bootcamp!

admin — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:52:55 +0000

This year we’re adding a day of fun and education to the quarterly and offering a Portrait Buisness Bootcamp. We have 7 awesome instructors who have volunteered their time to prepare and present a class for you! Everyone will get to attend each program so don’t worry about having to pick and choose.

Meet our super awesome group of bootcamp instructors!

Terrell Moffett – Digital Capture
The best quality images are produced from the best captures. The how’s and why’s of getting your image right in the camera and why you shouldn’t rely on “just fix it in Photoshop.”

Kelly Zimmerman – Business
Am I running a business or getting paid to do what I love? An enthusiast or a pro? Any one of us can pick up a camera and be called a “photographer”… here’s what separates the hobbiest from the professional, and what you might need to take it up a notch.

Kim Critchfield – Classic Studio Lighting
Build a foundation, then make it simple while keeping it beautiful…

Tiffany Hix – Pricing
Knowing how to price yourself for profit is one of the most challenging aspects of business. Learn tips, techniques and strategies to help you know where to start and how to price yourself for profit!

Travis Gadsby -Posing 101
Whether you believe in active or passive posing, a photographer must know what to look for in a pose and how to correct it in order to portray your clients in the most pleasing way. We will be going over posing with a live model and discuss everything from constructing the pose to lighting it and adjusting for hair styles and body types. By the time we are finished, everyone should be confident in making women appear smaller and men appear larger than life.

Cyndee Wanyoni – Client Connections
One of the most important aspects of retaining clients is your relationship with them. Join me as I share techniques on how to connect with your client before, during and after your session to ensure lifelong followers.

Dennis Hammon – The Power of Print Competition
Print Competition is not only to compete against your fellow peers, but most importantly it is a gauge of how much your work is stacking up and a way to push yourself with print quality. Dennis is a big advocate of print competition, having served as an PPA approved print juror for over 20 year. He believes print comp is a valuable way to raise the bar for yourself and your studio’s quality. Dennis with nearly a 100 print merits, and most recently receiving the Fellow of Photography from the American Society of Photographers will guide you through the 12 elements of print competition, and encourage you to pursue the adventure of competition. Touching on the Certification program will round out the experience.