Let's Party at PPA!!

PPA president, Dennis Craft giving a very emotional speech about his years of being a photographer, board member, husband and father.






Again Ann wowed me with her acceptance speech of the PPA Lifetime Achievement Award.













Ann displaying her new degree! Congrats Ann!!


















Ann, Carol, and Jeff only SOME of the new degree holders from New England. We tried and tried to find everyone and failed.











John, Tammy, Linda and Ed enjoying the celebration provided by Kodak.













The MA group at the banquet!














CEO of PPA, David Trust taking a photograph of the new president.














Dennis Craft with me at the banquet. I took my affiliated judges class with Dennis. I have the utmost respect for him and his integrity.











Ed hanging with the Ladies. Hey, where is Linda?














The Zemba Brothers!!
















Nancy letting some stress out!! If you see Nancy ask her where a drugstore is in Phoenix. You will get a good story with MANY laughs.










Everyone congratulating Ann on her new degree!











Lynn and Jennifer. Lynn it was a treat to spend time with you!! We all missed you MUCH!


















It is friendships like these that I have formed from belonging to PPANE. Many know the detour Lynn's life took a few years back and I am sure she will tell you how much her photography family helped her get through the rough times.












I LOVE you ED!! You are such a great person and so much FUN to be around. Congrats on your nomination to be moved up on the PPANE EC board. You will be an excellent addition to this hard working team!











Ed Zemba catching up with Lynn and showing her photos on his itouch. Who do you think took them??
















Lynn, Bob and Ed for a family hug!














Sandwich kiss from the Zemba's












Robert Charles Photography team that came to speak at PPA.











Mary likes to hang out with the NE group. She is part of our extended family.








Many of you know this man as the FACE of PPA. This is Al Hopper's last convention as membership chair for PPA. I am convinced we will continue to see his face in the years to come. Al we at PPANE owe you much for you years of dedication to our profession. I know as a EC board member in the last 4 years your advice and willingness to help in leadership training has put us on a better path. Best wishes for your journey ahead and always remember your NE photo family is here for you!!

Ann Geddes

I have to admit I wasn't a fan of Ann Geddes. In fact I was at the convention a few years ago when she spoke and I chose not to attend then. This year PPA really plugged her being there and I still didn't have it on my list of to do's while there. Seeing 1000 people in line to get tickets, I thought ARE YOU NUTS?? Well it ended up that my friend Mary Mannix had some extra tickets and I went to spend time with her as opposed to going to hear Ann Geddes.

Here is where I was reminded no matter what the lecture is about, there is always something you can learn. Not only did I learn, but was inspired by Ann. Her lecture was heartfelt and humble. Her respect for portrait photographers and her true concern of our profession was touching.


I was glad I was convinced to attend Ann's lecture. It left a lasting impression on me and was certainly the best program I attended at Imaging USA.

My first LOAN!!!

I have been entering PPA print competition since 1993 and have NEVER missed a year. This year was my FIRST loan. Many years I have gone 4 for 4 and have had many general book prints but NEVER a loan. I was convinced there was some sort of curse on me. Well here it is! My first loan print!!


I am VERY happy to say that my 4 for 4 prints this year were a family portrait, a wedding image, a portrait album and my illustrative punch buggy that was taken at PPA in Texas when we got iced in with my point and shoot camera. This car image is the first I have ever entered that didn't have people in it and wasn't client work.








Here is Nancy with ONE of her MANY loan prints! You GO Girl!!

New England Council Members

New England PPA Council members were well represented and attended the 2009 meeting. In my 8 years of being on council this is the first time we did a group photo. It was nice to see New England does have some effect with the number of votes.


Ed Pedi checks in Wayne Tarr. Wayne was a proxy vote for Charlie Parker.










CT council members Harvey, Rene, Glen and Marie.






Wayne and I at his first council meeting. He was the proxy vote for Charlie Parker. I think he was impressed with how formal it was.








Alan, Bob, Joe, Paul and Ed.









NH members Skip and Gene with the ME representative Mark.

2009 PPANE Speakers

I think Nancy ran into almost all her speakers for the PPANE 2009 convention. Nancy found Joan Genest. Joan and Chris Beltrami will be teaching the "How to make a merit print" and judges workshop.




Nancy with Jim Churchill, one of our speaker/judges and Steve Abbott who will also be judging.







Joan showing Rick Avalos some of our New England love! Rick will be judging and speaking at 2009 PPANE convention.

He is EVERYWHERE!

If you were at PPA and didn't see Ed Pedi, I am not sure you were at the right convention! I made sure I was at his LabPrints presentation being I am a user of LabPrints and an Ed Pedi fan. I was excited to know another NE friend was there John Flaherty, he is an consultant for LabPrints.





Here is John with his wife Tammy! It was great fun to see them, they always have such a friendly welcoming smile!







Just around the corner I ran into my friend Mary T. Mannix working at the Canon booth. Mary was a judge last year at PPANE and was there to present the first Canon Par Excellence award.

Our Friends at PPA

Here are some fun photos of New Englanders at PPA as I traveled around the convention center!

PPA Volunteers from PPANE

Just like our state and regional associations, PPA DEPENDS on its volunteers. One big difference is the noticeable ORANGE shirts that these volunteers proudly wear. Here is Art Swenson and Skip Foisy .








I don't think I have ever been to PPA and not seen Skip as volunteer! Thank you Skip for all you do there!!!











Here is another famous NE volunteer, Gene Paltrineri from NH. I think I see a theme with the NH members!











Yet another NH member, Tim Cameron. It is nice to have familiar faces to ask for help or get the inside scoop from.







I am not sure if I saw all the PPA volunteers from NE but a BIG thank you goes out to all of you for your hard work and long hours!! You make PPANE proud!

PPANE goes to PPA

This years PPA convention was held in Phoenix, AZ. I think this is my 12th year attending. I went the year before I received my Craftsman degree to speak and every year since. I am a fan of the January convention in a warm place opposed to the July convention in a HOT place. Of course many would remind me of Texas a few years ago and say it wasn't very warm, and my answer to that is I took an image that hung loan this year from those extra days we spent there in the ice, so that wasn't too bad either! I have many reason's why I attended the PPA convention. Everything from the opportunity for education, my duties to serve on council to the ENORMOUS trade show, but most importantly the recharge it does for me and my business. For those of us who are heavily involved in planing and working on our state and regional conventions, it is nice to go somewhere to attend and not work. Sure I have obligations like council meeting, affiliated judges workshop, mentor booth and this year I attending the managers meeting for affiliates. This are a breeze being that I am just attending the meetings and not planning them.

Well it doesn't take you long there to run into our PPANE friends! Ed Pedi was the man to see t his year. He spoke in the Miller's Lab booth and in LabPrints. Above are some of the NE supporters listening to our very own!

If you would like to read about my first three days in AZ, check out my personal blog at http://www.thegoodhales.blogspot.com/

Wayne Tarr, Don Whipple and I went three days early for an adventure. And boy did we have one!!

Gillian's first newsletter!

Our first newsletter of the year is up and posted!! Check it out at..
http://www.ppane.com/nlfiles/Januaryppane2009.pdf

This is Gillian's first newsletter for PPANE. She has VERY big shoes to fill following Harvey Goldstein's many years of service as PPANE's editor. If you have any suggestions or anything you would like to see in the newsletter, please email Gillian at .. ppaneeditor@ppane.net

Also, if you are interested in being the editor of the PPANE newsletter watch in the June newsletter for request for resumes. The board will review and vote on applications each year

January PPANE board meeting

The January PPANE board meeting was a busy day for many. There were 5 or so committee meetings before our general board meeting. This year we had our first budget meeting in November so that the general board had more then 10 minutes to review the budget for the current year. It always seemed a little weird to vote on a budget in January that already started in November. With getting a head start on the budget this year, it allowed for more committee meetings. To the left is the communications committee, under the leadership of Diane Miller-Yeatman.


This is the membership committee reviewing suggestions from members to help grow our membership. In June this committee will present 3 suggestions for the general board to vote on. This committee is chaired by Nancy Holowitz and the state rep from each state is also on this committee.



This is the chairman of the bylaws committee, Gene Paltrineri. He is reviewing policy's with board members to receive input on updating our current policy's.





Here we go! After lunch the general board meeting took place. This is me with the president elect, Tom Hurlbut and my parliamentarian, Charlie Parker.





Here is Tod Margolis our Quartermaster and props chair ready to get down to business!






Here are two has beens, PPANE past presidents Bob Lizzari and Gillian Randall. Like many past presidents, they still serve on committee's.




Here is one of the newer members of the board, Debbie Calnan. She is our official sectary for 2009. If you ever see her in a program makes friends FAST and she might just pass along her AWESOME notes for you!!