Early in August the annual Professional Photographers of Oklahoma (PPOK) Convention was held at Tulsa’s Hard Rock Casino. This is where Oklahoma’s best photographers get together to compete, learn and laugh together. PPOK has become a family for me. Some of my very favorite people I have met through this organization. This is my third year serving on the PPOK Board with my term expiring in November. The convention fell on the heels of my having a major unexpected surgery and I did my very best to sidestep all responsibilities that would involve any physical activity. This comes in complete conflict with everything I have come to believe about life. Most directly if you believe in something and want it to succeed you need to be involved in making it happen.
Photographic Competition
The fact that I have been in charge of the Indian Nations Professional Photographers Association (INPPA) photographic competition for six years now made it natural that I would assist my friend and mentor Vice President Leslie Hoyt in the Judges Room. The panel of judges was very qualified and included Cary Garrison, Cris Duncan, Gary Meek, Kathy Meek, Aileen Harding and Cindy Shaver.
The second day found me in the back of each class working away on the slide show for the banquet. The slide show is how we announce the awards so it is a big responsibility. I only had to call in the big guns (President Gary Box) a handful of times to make sure everything was working correctly. By time for the banquet it was complete.
Professional Photographers of Oklahoma Banquet
This year at the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma banquet, I was presented with a fellowship award by the Fellowship Chair Cary Garrison along side my friends Johnny and Carrie Holland.
The President of PPA Stephen Thetford from Fayetteville was on hand to present the National Award to Wayne Reese for a lifetime of service to the industry and he captured a photo of our PPOK Family.
As always I had a blast with my Professional Photographers of Oklahoma family, but boy was I tired!
