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Professional Photographers of America (PPA)

@ourppa

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Join us for Rock That 2026 on October 14 with @shawnleestudios at our Headquarters in Atlanta! 📸📍 Link in our bio. 🔗

For only $99, you’ll get access to sessions that include live demos on lighting and posing as well as marketing tips.

🎤: Terri Baskin, @terribaskin
🎤: Shawon Davis, @shawondavisandco
🎤: John Gress, @johngressmedia
🎤: Makayla Jade Harris, @mklajade
🎤: Larry Lourcey of @larryphoto
🎤: Anjana Olson of @anjportraitstudio

🤝 @millerslab + @westcottlighting taken in Professional Photographers of America by @ourppa

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a month ago

It’s time - registration for @imagingusa 2027 is now OPEN! Get your All-Access Pass today! 🎉🎊

Access learning, experts and innovation with us Charlotte - read more about this year’s show with the link in our bio. 🔗

Imaging USA 2027 will be held from January 31 – February 2, 2027 at the Charlotte Convention Center. 📸 taken in Charlotte Convention Center by @ourppa

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3 months ago

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a year ago

Motherhood is nuanced, says Norman, Oklahoma-based conceptual photographer @alexeischeid.

It’s beautiful, invigorating, challenging, exhausting, lonely. Her motherhood-themed conceptual self-portraits, which she creates in her home often with her own family members, seek to assure mothers they’re not alone in their experiences, she says. “We can celebrate motherhood and laugh at all the absurdities it holds, but we can also talk about how difficult and isolating it is,” she says. “All of it can be true at the same time.”

Read more with the article "The Maze of Motherhood" from the September 2026 issue of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 This image shows a person lying on a bed with eyes closed, connected to a device through a cable attached to their head. The bedside table has a lamp and some glassware. A glowing sign reads "System Updating..." The setting is dimly lit. Copyright Alex Eischeid. by @ourppa

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5 days ago

Leesburg, Virginia-based portrait photographer Sandy Williams of @s.k.williamsphotography offers tips for a successful toddler portrait session:

• Have the parents explain to their child what to expect before the session.
• If the child has a favorite time of day, work within that timeframe.
• Avoid snacks immediately before and during the shoot. No sugar highs!
• If the child has a favorite toy, the parents should bring it.
• Include time at the beginning of the session for toddlers to warm up to their surroundings.

Learn more about Sandy Williams newborn, maternity, child, and high school senior portrait work in the article “Fresh Faces” in the September 2026 edition of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 Two people walking hand in hand along a sandy beach, wearing white tops and flowing lavender skirts. The turquoise ocean is calm under a clear blue sky. Copyright Sandy Williams. by @ourppa

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6 days ago

@markedwardharrisphoto shares his World Cup experience and game day tips other types of photographers could take away for their own work.

➡️ Using a remote camera greatly increases the odds of capturing a goal. At a wedding, a remote camera can offer unique angle positions, such as above the altar.

PocketWizards are the industry standard when it comes to triggering remote cameras. Their latest version, the PocketWizard Plus Ve, works with an internal lithium-ion battery that lasts approximately 35 hours per charge.

➡️ For FIFA World Cup soccer, credentialed photographers are packed tightly together, especially on the goal sides of the pitch, so cooperation is a must. The first step to coexistence is removing or reversing lens hoods on longer lenses.

➡️ There are pathways to enter the professional sports photography arena. Covering high school, college, and minor league sports for local papers or news organizations, for instance, is great training to get a shot at covering major league teams.

Read more with the article "Pitch Fever" from the September 2026 issue of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 Two soccer players are jumping to head a ball during a match. One player is wearing a blue jersey, while the other is in a red and white striped jersey with "USA" on the shorts. The game is taking place in a stadium with a blurred background audience. Copyright Mark Edward Harris / ZUMA Press. by @ourppa

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8 days ago

All the pregnant women @ethanherrold of @coloradomaternity knew in Colorado engaged in outdoor sports. So, why were they always standing still in maternity photos?

Herrold, a maternity and commercial photographer, decided to create a photo series to reflect that reality. “Pregnant Athletes,” shows women trail running, climbing, skiing, etc., well into their third trimesters.

Read more about Herrold’s project in the article “Maternity in Motion” in the September 2026 issue of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 A person boxing in a dimly lit ring, with motion blur giving a sense of movement. The image is signed by Ethan Herrold. by @ourppa

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11 days ago

Photographer @dan_nelken’s new book “HeadStrong: The Women of Rural Uganda” is a collection of 52 portraits and 36 stories documenting female resilience in rural Uganda.

For the project, Nelken teamed up with Ugandan author Beatrice Lamwaka, who spoke with the women to earn their trust and gather their stories while Nelken set up his portable studio and captured their portraits.

Learn more about Nelken’s project in the article “Standing Tall” in the September 2026 issue of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 Two individuals sit at a sewing machine surrounded by colorful fabrics and clothing items. They both wear vibrant, patterned attire and look toward the camera. The setting appears lively and full of textiles. Copyright Dan Nelken. by @ourppa

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12 days ago

When creating portraits and actions shots of high school athletes during media day sessions, it helps to work from the ground up, so you’re not constantly readjusting your lights, says volume sports photographer Alison Carlino of @carlinosphotography / @alisonfaithfineart.

“We start with the tummy shots or on the back,” she explains. “Then we go to kneeling, and then we go to seated, and then we go to standing still, and then we go to action last. It’s from the floor up, so our lights stay low and then they go high.”

Learn more tips on volume sports photography in the article “Volume Up,” in the September 2026 edition our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 A person gracefully poses with raised arms against a dark background, wearing a gold top and purple pants. Pink light trails swirl around, enhancing the dynamic composition. Copyright Carlino's Photography. by @ourppa

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13 days ago

Talk about a dream job. 💭 @jon.soohoo’s longtime career as Los Angeles @dodgers team photographer has given him decades of enviable access to some of baseball’s most legendary moments.

He tells writer Mark Edward Harris the stories behind some of his all-time favorite images—from Kirk Gibson embracing his teammates after his walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series to Freddie Freeman finding his dad in the stands after hitting the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history in 2024.

Learn more about Jon SooHoo’s work in the article “Living the Story” from the September 2026 edition of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 A group of Los Angeles Dodgers players in uniforms are celebrating energetically on a baseball field, with one player prominently holding a helmet. A crowd is visible in the background, and an umpire stands nearby observing the scene. by @ourppa

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18 days ago

@tylerdrickenbach tests the high-resolution @sony a7R VI in the wild to see if the high speed and high resolution capabilities can come through in low light.

He captured a few frames in Yellowstone with the a7R VI and the Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G that stood out to him. The first is a mother bison with her head down in the grass, but her eyes are up and vigilant because her newborn calf is beside her. The light was soft, and the camera recognized the bison’s eyes immediately, even though her face was partially obscured by grass. Bison are some of the hardest animals to photograph well because they almost always have their head down, and they’re either chewing, walking, or lying down.

The second image is of a bull bison walking across the horizon. It stands on top of a small hill, and behind it is a soft magenta sky. With such a minimalist background, the camera locked on immediately.

With subjects like bison, it’s the little changes, the subtle movements, that make or break an image. The frame rate you choose plays directly into that. Having the ability to shoot at varied frame rates is extremely helpful.

Read more in the article “Achieving a New Level” in the September 2026 issue of our magazine, Professional Photographer with the link in our bio. 🔗 A black and white image of a bison grazing in a grassy field, captured in close-up from the side. The bison's textured fur and prominent horns are in focus. by @ourppa

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19 days ago

It took persistence for photographer Kevin Gilligan (@photosbykag) to earn the credentials to photograph Angel City FC, Los Angeles’s pro women’s soccer league. 📸⚽

He offers tips for breaking into pro sports photography:

➡️ Find an editorial sponsor. You won’t get access unless you’re making photos for a media outlet. So, pitch story ideas to local outlets.

➡️ Expect rejection, but don’t let it stop you. “Take no as a suggestion,” he says.
“Treat it as a learning process and keep trying.”

➡️ Consider a smaller market. Competition for credentials for pro games in major cities is tough. Start by gaining access to college games or to pro teams in smaller cities and build your portfolio from there.

Learn more in the article “Match Ready” in the September 2026 edition of our magazine, Professional Photographer. Link in our bio. 🔗 A soccer player wearing a jersey with "Thompson 20" kicks a ball in a stadium. The ball is mid-air, heading towards a goalkeeper who is positioned in front of the goal. The scene is in black and white, with a crowd in the background. ©Kevin Gilligan. by @ourppa

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20 days ago