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Annual Convention and Print Competition 2021
See Below For More Detailed Information
Our Raffle and Silent Auction has ended - thank you to all who participated!
Convention is included with Membership!
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CPP Exams
Interested in taking your CPP exam as part of the MDPPA Annual Convention?
Register directly at the PPA website, select VA as the state, and pick one of the
two sessions offered on April 11th or 18th.
Sign up here through PPA
Annual Print Competition Information
Early Deadline - 4/4/2021, 11pm
Late Deadline - 4/7/2021, 11pmCompetition Date - 4/14/2021 starting at 10am - will be live streamed
Please see the Print Competition page for details
Pre-Convention Program
Thursday, April 15th
David Cuerdon
9am-4:30pm
with one hour lunch break * pre-con is offered for an additional fee
"Sculpting Shadows and Light in Photoshop"
How to create, alter, and perfect your photographic lighting after capture
1) In camera is best, so why alter lighting in post?
a) Creating art not photojournalism
b) Previsualizing the final image
c) You may not have control of lighting at the scene
d) Want to add drama to your work
2) Retouching best practices:
a) Do all physical pixel retouching first i.e. noise reduction, cloning, healing, object removal, compositing,
filters, dodge & burn
b) Adding stylistic elements, overlays, hdr fx, etc. effects, etc.
c) Do color and tone work as adjustment layers, curves, levels, hue & saturation, LUTs
About David Cuerdon David is a digital evangelist; enthusiastically sharing his knowledge of digital photography and Photoshop worldwide through live and online training. He is author of the bestselling Photoshop training course, David Cuerdon’s Beauty and Portrait Retouching Kit, produced by KelbyOne. In 2010 David joined the Photoshop World Instructor Dream Team teaching classes on Photoshop, Lightroom, and photography. David currently works as a photographer, retoucher, and trainer living in Northwest Indiana with his wife, three children, and six cats.
Full Convention:
Mark McCall
6-9pm
"Volume Photography 101: How to Thrive Even in the Time of a Pandemic"
Why would a Master, Master Artist, print judge, specializing in portraiture and wedding out of a Broadway address studio ever consider shooting volume photography??? You have ONE GUESS.
Can you add volume to an already thriving studio?..without affecting your current clients. You certainly can! Want to make $1,000-$1,800 an hour? And be done by noon? We’ll show you how we do it.
About Mark McCall Mark's lifelong love affair with photography began in 1974 at the tender age of 8 when he spotted a calendar at the grocery store checkout. After begging for the calendar, full of beautifully captured landscapes, mountains and rivers, the die was cast. Mark’s Grandmother noticed his interest in photography almost immediately. She presented him with a plastic, 35mm camera that she’d received for a minimum purchase of mail order makeup.
Friday, April 16th
Gareth Rockliffe
9-11am
"The Importance of Personal Projects"
Self assignments are an integral part of creative growth. They offer photographers, and all creatives,the opportunity to experiment and grow their craft. This is especially important for working photographers who oftenget caught up and overwhelmed by producing work for their clients. Self assignments are also fun and can lead us into profesional directions we may have otherwise missed. www.garethrockliffe.com
About Gareth Rockliffe A native of Southport England with over thirty years of experience, Gareth Rockliffe has achieved international recognition for his soulful landscape photography and has exhibited widely throughout the United States and Europe.
Early in his career, the Kodak Company of the United Kingdom bought a number of his limited edition images to promote photography, as a true art form to it’s public, the success of which brought about the World Wildlife Fund’s interest in using his unique images of wildlife on postal stamps.
Gareth’s work has been featured in such publications as Naples Illustrated, Portfolio Magazine, Life in Naples, and Boston’s North Shore Life. A five times recipient of the title of “Honorary Color Master, Gareth received an international color award from the prestigious Photography Masters Cup in 2010 and 2013. In 2013, Gareth won an “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the International Kontinent Awards, and that same year Clyde Butcher presented him with an award at the Annual Rookery Bay Photographic Competition.
A partner with his wife Jan Soderquist, in Naples based Soderquist Photography, Inc., the couple was twice invited to Sir Richard Branson’s private island, Necker, which culminated in a wildlife publication and a highly sophisticated video production. Contracted by Clipper Cruise Line to produce images for advertizing and editorial usage, Gareth produced hundreds of stunning images gathered from the remote Kuril Islands in Russia and extending down the coast through Japan to Vietnam. Recently they embarked on a massive project called the Great American Coastline, which they funded through a Kickstarter campaign. They traveled from San Diego, Cal to Cape Flattery Washington state over a four-month period, capturing the majesty and beauty of the Pacific coastline.
Gareth likes to control the whole process of his art, from capturing the beauty that lays before his lens, to the actual printing and framing of his gorgeous limited edition museum prints. “Landscape photography became a passion for me after capturing a singular image. It was a pivotal photograph, as this particular day I recognized it was the beginning of developing my own signature look.
Recently Gareth has expanded his creative expression through a collection of short videos he has called “Contemplations” They represent the full spectrum of his creative skills from photography, video editing to the narration of his writings. Gareth says “It is one of my long held desires that as humans, we begin to recognize the things we have in common, and in our acceptance of this, begin to appreciate our connectivity, I hope that through discussion of my series “Contemplations” we can start that process and hopefully move a little closer together."
“There is a distinctive style that threads its way through Gareth’s work which is a mix of both beauty and emotion and invites the viewer to that exact spot…that suspended magical moment in time.” – Lifestyle Magazine.
John Harrington
12-4:30pm
"Real Business, Real Estimates, Real Life"
Join John Harrington, author of the best-selling ‘Best Business Practices for Photographers,' for an insightful and solutions-oriented presentation on how to generate more revenue from the assignments, through pricing examples and discussion, negotiation strategies, and demystifying licensing of your work. Unlock the mysteries surrounding how to price your work, and learn ways to negotiate from a position of strength. When it comes to licensing, how do you write a license that gives the client the permissions they paid for, without leaving loopholes you could drive a truck through?
Through a series of actual negotiated assignments, we will break down the negotiation and explain how to plan for the questions you'll get, and to know the best ways to answer them. When it comes to pricing, there seems to be a world of secrecy around rates. In addition, John will discuss his recent award-winning work covering the Capitol Insurrection.
About John Harrington For three decades, John Harrington, an award-winning photographer and best-selling author has covered the world of politics, traveled the globe, and run a successful business requiring the non creative but essential skills of contract negotiations and licensing agreements. John grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Washington, DC in the mid-80s for college. A 2007 recipient of the United Nations' Leadership Award in the field of photography, his work has appeared in Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone. His commercial clients have included Coca-Cola, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Lockheed Martin, and the National Geographic Society. John has produced three commissioned books for the Smithsonian and the third edition of his book, Best Business Practices for Photographers, remains a bestseller. In 2010, a retrospective of the first 20 years in the profession - Photographs from the Edge of Reality, was released and revisits highlights of his career. John has lectured across the United States for the American Society of Media Photographers, Advertising Photographers of America, Professional Photographers of America, and the NPPA.
Ron Risman
6-9pm
"Timelapse: Techniques, Apps, and Moving Beyond the Intervalometer"
In this session you'll discover what you need to know to create professional quality timelapses, from the basics of shooting a timelapse to more advanced techniques to avoid flicker, capturing "holy grail" sequences, and when & why to use motion control gear. You'll learn how to light your landscapes, use motion control heads and sliders to elevate your work, and the best software to use for scouting your locations before leaving your house.
- How to avoid flicker and pulsing in your time lapses
- How to scout locations from home (Best software & apps to use)
- Best techniques for capturing day time, day to night, and night sky timelapses
- How to inexpensively and effectively light your nightscapes
- How to use MOCO (motion control) gear to elevate your work
- Other capture tricks that make post production easier
About Ron Risman Ron has been a photographer for over 30 years, and has been shooting professionally for the last 13 years. As a photographer and timelapse specialist Ron quickly fell in love with night photography, and the feeling of magic it inspires. Ron been training and leading night-sky photography & timelapse workshops for photographers and cinematographers for the past 9 years. Professionally, his client list includes Land Rover, Revit'! Motorsports, Liberty Mutual, Restoration Hardware, IttQ Japan, as well as FOX CT News and WFTV-9 Orlando. His work has also been licensed for Sundance films, HBO films, PBS's Utah's Mighty Five National Parks, and in the Land Rover promotional film "Bridges to the Stars."
Saturday, April 17th
Keynote Speaker: Pete Souza
10-11am
"Eyewitness to History: Behind-the-Scenes Photographs from the White House and Beyond"
As the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan, Pete was in a unique position to spend rare and intimate moments in the Oval Office observing two transformative Presidents of the United States. He shares some of his iconic behind-the-scenes photographs, along with his poignant detailed stories, all leading to a bold and dynamic depiction of true leadership.
Pete's talk will be hosted using Zoom Webinar. Those who register through the Zoom webinar link and eschew the rest of the convention will pay through Paypal and receive the link automatically. People who register for other aspects of the convention through www.marylandppa.com will receive the link by Friday, April 16th at the latest.
The talk includes a Q&A period. Due to the potential size of registration and respect for Mr. Souza's time, the Q&A will be moderated by Maryland PPA to reduce the amount of duplication. Questions will be accepted prior and during the talk."
Any questions about payment, access or procedures may be directed to membership@marylandppa.com.
Current Webinar Limit: 500 (We will expand this as required. If it says registration closed, send an email to membership@marylandppa.com)
About Pete Souza Pete is a best-selling author, speaker and freelance photographer based in Madison, Wisconsin. He is also Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication at Ohio University. For all eight years of the Obama administration, Souza was the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and the Director of the White House photo office.
His book, "Obama: An Intimate Portrait," was published by Little, Brown & Company in 2017, and debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. It is one of the best-selling photography books of all time.
His latest book, "Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents," also debuted at #1 on The New York Times’bestseller list in October 2018. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Here, more than one hundred of Souza's unforgettable images of President Obama deliver new power and meaning when framed by the tweets, news headlines, and quotes that defined the first 500 days of the Trump White House.
Based on his bestsellers came a new documentary film in November 2020, The Way I See It. Directed and produced by Dawn Porter, it takes an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in American History, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through Souza’s eyes and camera. As Official White House Photographer for both Presidents, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on Earth. The movie reveals how Souza transforms from a respected photojournalist to a searing commentator on the importance of having someone with empathy and dignity in the office of the Presidency.
Pete has lectured many times on his photography including at the Smithsonian Museum of American History, Harvard University, Carnegie Hall, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including ABC’s 20-20. Dateline NBC, CBS Sunday Morning, NBC Nightly News, Fox News Sunday, and Fox & Friends.
Previously Souza worked as an Assistant Professor of Photojournalism at Ohio University, the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune based in their Washington bureau, a freelancer for National Geographic and other publications, and Official White House Photographer for President Reagan.
His book, "The Rise of Barack Obama," was published in July 2008 and includes exclusive photographs of Senator Obama's rise to power. The book was also on The New York Times bestseller list.
In addition to the national political scene, Souza has covered stories around the world. After 9/11, he was among the first journalists to cover the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan, after crossing the Hindu Kush mountains by horseback in three feet of snow.
Brooke Shaden
12-6:30pm
"Technical, Conceptual, and Inspirational"
Take a deep dive into how we tell stories visually and emotionally to best connect with your perfect audience. Watch as Brooke takes you through an honest look at her career over the past decade, and how she has created lasting images that truly impact viewers. From conceptualization to how to shoot and composite detailed imagery, Brooke will take you through everything you need to know to create expressive images that reflect your depth.
About Brooke Shaden Brooke explores the darkness and light in people, and her work looks at that juxtaposition. As a self-portrait artist, she photographs herself and becomes the characters of dreams inspired by a childhood of intense imagination and fear. Being the creator and the actor, Brooke controls her darkness and confronts those fears.
After studying films for years in college, she realized her love of storytelling was universal. She started photography then in 2008, excited to create in solitude and take on character roles herself. Brooke works from a place of theme, often gravitating toward death and rebirth or beauty and decay.
Ultimately, her process is more discovery than creation. She follows her curiosity into the unknown to see whom her characters might become. Brooke believes the greatest gift an artist has is the ability to channel fears, hopes and experience into a representation of one's potential.
