This is my November/December President’s Message published in “The Photographer” magazine.

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What a year! Time flies when you are having fun! And when you are busy making yourself better! I truly hope you are better now than you were at the beginning of the year … better in whatever way you set out to be.

We have been through quite a ride. I have enjoyed writing to you this year, and I hope you came along with me and accepted all (or at least some of) the challenges I presented. I hope you achieved your personal and professional goals, and I hope you have congratulated yourself on a job well done. I challenged myself this year and accomplished my goals, too.

I am honored to have served as President of TPPA, and I hope I have made this organization better than it was when I joined the board. I have been privileged to serve with wonderful people who have only the best in mind for the future of the organization, and I feel confident we are in good hands going forward.

• Thank you to the 2025 TPPA Board for your support and all the work you put in to make this year remarkable.
• Thank you to Steve Kozak for keeping TPPA running smoothly and planning the details of our events.
• Thank you to Don Dickson for an amazing 50^th Texas School!
• Good luck to Cris Duncan as he leads Texas School into the future. The 2026 instructor line-up is terrific! (Mark your calendars for registration on January 3 at 11 p.m.!)
• Thank you to Bill Hedrick for creating this beautiful magazine year after year.
• Thank you to my husband, Josh, for always being my rock and biggest supporter.

One final thought: What challenges will you set for yourself next year?

Take the Challenge: Challenge Yourself

I cannot wait to see what you accomplish! Share with me at Shawna.Hinkel@gmail.com.

Shawna Hinkel, M.Photog., CPP
TPPA President

This is my September/October President’s Message published in “The Photographer” magazine.

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” ~Ayn Rand

What does the future hold? It is time to start thinking about it.

Goals

Where do you want to be in five or ten years? Owner of a successful high-volume studio? Creating custom high-fashion portraiture for a handful of clients a year? Photographing celebrities or U.S. presidents?  On the cover of Sports Illustrated or Time? On safari with National Geographic (take me with you!)? Selling fine art in galleries? Retired and capturing your family’s favorite moments with your trusty camera?

There is no wrong answer; I was just trying to jumpstart your imagination. Imagine the possibilities. There is a whole world out there. Nothing can stop you if you decide what you want and go after it. As we have already discussed, success is not guaranteed, but you learn from every journey (refer back to Jan./Feb. issue).

Perhaps we should start a little smaller. What do you want to accomplish in the next year? Do you want to increase your sales or join an organization’s board? Teach a class or be a wrangler at Texas School? Maybe earn a PPA degree or TPPA Fellowship? Try out a new technique? Write an article for this magazine?

Whatever the goal is, make the decision to do it, and then start planning to make it happen. You do not have to finish it tomorrow, but setting the goal and deciding to do it in the next calendar year is a good start. Some of these things take time … even years.

Determination

Let’s face it. We all have good intentions and want to do certain things. But life gets in the way. We get busy and procrastinate, and then one day we realize we never did what we set out to do. But, remember, people make time for the things that are most important to them. So set the goal and put it on your To Do list, write it on a Post-it note and stick it above your desk, write it on your hand, tell a friend to help keep you accountable … whatever works best for you. Be determined to reach your goal. Make it happen. The only one who can stop you is you.

Take the Challenge: Start Designing Your Future

I cannot wait to see what you accomplish! Share with me at Shawna.Hinkel@gmail.com.

Shawna Hinkel, M.Photog., CPP
TPPA President

This is my July/August President’s Message published in “The Photographer” magazine.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” ~Walt Disney

My favorite photography challenges are Personal Projects because they are vital to creativity. How do you get that spark back?

Do what you love

What are you passionate about? What do you love to photograph (regardless of what pays the bills)? What do you enjoy other than photography? I love to incorporate things I love into my photography. Like to eat? Try food photography. Like to ride horses? Photograph an equestrian event. Like cars? Learn Light Painting with John Hartman at Texas School! I love animals, and found a connection with primates.

Try something new

Alternatively, photograph something completely out of your comfort zone (no fear, remember? If not, refer back to the Jan./Feb. issue). One of my favorite days was a class at TPPA Photogenesis in 2015. In my business, I was doing portraits and weddings, but I was feeling a bit stifled creatively. I signed up for Mark McCall’s class photographing vintage airplanes and pin-up models … totally out of my wheelhouse! I was a bit nervous, but when we arrived at the aircraft hangar, the models were beautiful, and the planes were fantastic. Mark taught us about lighting and posing, and we all had a blast! I am not sure anyone ever saw the images I created that day (although I was thrilled with how they came out), but that was not the point. The point was to do something I enjoyed (photography) and do something different. I came away from that weekend refreshed with a new perspective and excited to create new images for my clients. Thanks, Mark!

Collaborate

Another good option is a collaborative photo shoot with other vendors, which worked well for me when I was photographing weddings. I would team up with a venue, a florist, a bridal shop, an invitation shop, etc., and we would stage a room for an event that I would photograph. I captured all the details of the place settings, flowers, and stationary. We would bring in a model to wear the gown and photograph her all over the venue. Everyone contributed to the project, and we all gained images for our portfolios. They also liked working with me because they knew my style and knew I would share images with them. Win-win.

Volunteer Your Skills

Do you have the heart of a volunteer? Do you want to share your talent with those who could benefit the most? There are many organizations that can use your help. Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep offers grieving families heirloom portraits to remember their precious babies who do not get to go home with them. National Adoption Day photographers celebrate newly created families. You can also volunteer to photograph animals at shelters for their websites to help them get adopted. Whatever touches your heart, there is a place for you to provide your services and make someone’s life better.

Do it regularly

Personal projects have different timelines. Remember, this is your project, and the goal is to make you happy, so you determine the rules. Think about how often you have to commit to it, how long you want it to take, and what is the final goal. A project could be defined as photographing the life of a bouquet of flowers over a week to create individual images, a series, or a composite image. It could also be photographing a national park and creating a book out of the images. Maybe you want to do a 365-day challenge and create something every day for social media! Go for it!

I challenge you to start thinking about a Personal Project. How will you revitalize your creativity?

Take the Challenge: Create Something for Yourself.

I cannot wait to see what you accomplish! Share with me at Shawna.Hinkel@gmail.com.

Shawna Hinkel, M.Photog., CPP

TPPA President

This is my May/June President’s Message published in “The Photographer” magazine.

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.”

~Thomas Jefferson

The old adage is true: you get out of an organization what you put into it. What are you getting out of TPPA? How are you interacting with the group? How are you giving back to your industry? There are many opportunities to engage with TPPA, and we would love to get to know you better. From the moment you join, you have the chance to be part of it all.

Events

• Did you feel the excitement of registering for Texas School at 11 p.m. on January 3? All around the world, like-minded photographers joined you in the anticipation of getting their primary class choice. Even if you missed that moment, I hope you attended Texas School with nearly 1,000 of your newest friends! And don’t forget to mark your calendar now for the next registration (same time, same place!). Texas School 2026 is April 25-May 1!
• Did you compete in the annual TPPA Image Competition? Or at least watch the live judging to cheer on your friends? The 2026 Image Competition will be here before you know it, so start preparing your images now!
• Have you attended any Webinars? White House photographer David Valdez was captivating, “What are the Judges Looking For” was inspiring, and Guy T. Philips provides great information about Lightroom every month! What a great way to interact with members all over the country! You can find the recordings in the TPPA365 library at https://tppa.org/welcome-tppa365. Keep an eye out for more webinars coming soon.
• Summerfest is coming June 20-22! Register at https://tppa.org/summerfest2025.  
• More events are in the works! Check out https://tppa.org/events for the latest information!

Volunteer

It takes a lot of people to make our events happen. We always need help, whether it is set-up or tear-down, manning booths and talking to people, wrangling for instructors, or driving speakers to and from the airport. Let us know if you want to help.

Educate

Are you working on your Photographic Craftsman degree or already a seasoned instructor with a program that would benefit other photographers? Let us know if you are interested in presenting a class. Speaker applications can be found at https://tppa.org/events-speaker-application.

Apply for the Board

Here is the big one. Are you interested in making TPPA the best organization possible? Do you have new ideas? Do you have the commitment to make things happen? This is where the future of TPPA is created. Apply to be a Director for 2026 at www.tppa.org/considerations-for-leadership. Deadline to apply is July 1.

Fellowship

What happens after you participate? You can earn your Associate Fellowship and Full Fellowship Degrees! You earn points for everything you do at TPPA. All the program details and Application Form can be found at www.tppa.org/fellowship.

I challenge you to get involved and make the most out of your membership in this organization.

Take the Challenge: Get Involved.

I cannot wait to see what you accomplish! Share with me at Shawna.Hinkel@gmail.com.

Shawna Hinkel, M.Photog., CPP

TPPA President

P.S. A special Thank You to Don Dickson and Cindy Romaguera for a fabulous 50^th Anniversary of Texas School! You have created something very special, and I know it will be in good hands going forward. Thank you for your enduring service to TPPA for so many years! We all wish you the best in retirement.

This is my Mar/Apr President’s Message published in “The Photographer” magazine.

“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know. ~Michel Legrand

There is always more to learn. I have been a photographer for more than 20 years, and there are so many things I still want to explore. In the last year, I have taken classes on Selling Fine Art, Photoshop, Lightroom, Wildlife, and Light Painting. I just attended my 11^th Imaging USA, and came home inspired for new things to come this year. Texas School is coming soon, so there are even more things to learn!

What about you? Did you enjoy Imaging USA? I attended for the first time in Nashville in 2015, and I knew I was hooked from the first day. So much energy in one place! So many photographers in one place! So many possibilities in one place!

More educational opportunities await you at TPPA throughout the year. Visit https://tppa.org/events, and mark your calendars now. Some registrations are already open!

• Register now for Texas School. There are 33 classes and seven pre-cons to choose from, and some are still available if you are ready to take the leap (no fear, remember?). Check out all the amazing classes at www.texasschool.org. Do you need a technical class such as lighting or Photoshop? Do you need a marketing class? Do you need a creative class like painting or compositing? There is a class for everyone! And so many new friends are waiting to meet you!
• TPPA spans a wide area, with members from across the United States. We have scheduled Webinars to bring more education directly to you. Check out “What’s New in Lightroom?” and keep an eye out for some fabulous full-day webinars coming soon.
• If you need some downtime this summer to rest from all the new things you have been working on, join TPPA in Kerrville for Summerfest. I hear Sabrina Casas and Dawn Muncy are wonderful speakers, and the pool is the best place to be in the evenings.
• There are also new events in the works, so follow the events page and social media for the latest news.

Print Competition is a different type of education. It is not a class in itself, although watching the live streaming of the judging will teach you many things, but preparing your images, having them evaluated, and receiving judges’ critiques will give you a better understanding of what makes an exceptional image. Print Competition changed my life and made me a much better photographer. Even on frustrating days, I knew I was learning and growing. Whether you are seeking to earn a PPA degree or just see how your images are received by your peers, I encourage you to try it.

• Need to know where to start? Reach out to me, and I would be happy to help you. So would any other Master Photographer or competition judge.
• Need a mentor or someone to take a look at your images before you are confident enough to enter? I know there are many judges that would be willing to talk to you.
• Need to know more about TPPA’s annual competition? All the details are here: https://tppa.org/annual-image-competition/

I challenge you to start or continue your learning journey this year. Make the investment in education to make you a better photographer! Enter your first print! What do you have to lose?!

Take the Challenge: Learn Something New.

I cannot wait to see what you accomplish! Share with me at Shawna.Hinkel@gmail.com.

Shawna Hinkel, M.Photog., CPP

TPPA President

This is my Jan/Feb President’s Message published in “The Photographer” magazine.

“What would you do if you could not fail?”

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2025! What a wonderful year it will be! Have you considered what you want to accomplish this year? I know we all get so busy in the last few months of the year that January seems to be the best time to relax and sleep. Of course, rest up while you have some down time so you can be ready to go come spring. But, while you are resting and rejuvenating your body and mind, it is time to look forward and set some goals.

“What would you do if you could not fail?” I heard this in a class several years ago, and it resonated with me. I wrote it down in my notebook. I repeated it to myself over the next few months when I considered my next steps. I even bought a paperweight with the words engraved on it to sit on my desk as a daily reminder. And I knew what I wanted to do.

Some of you know me, but many of you may not. I photographed weddings and portraits for more than a dozen years (and still do, occasionally). Families were nice, newborns were challenging, and weddings were my favorite. The beauty of the ceremony, the romance of the vows, the love between the bride and groom … and my reward for a job well done was always a slice of cake! It was great, but exhausting.

However, my passion has always been photographing places. My husband and I travel a lot, and my favorite thing to photograph has always been the places we visit. I have also always had a strong love for animals. It was only natural that all these things would come together, and I started photographing more landscapes and wildlife. During a class about fine art imagery, I had an epiphany. What if my work was shown in art galleries? What if I had my own gallery to display my work? And then doubt creeped in … what if I am not good enough?

I repeated my new mantra again. “What would you do if you could not fail?” And I jumped in to my newest photography adventure: Wanderlust Fine Artistry. I created a new brand, built a new website, decided what specific product I wanted to create for collectors, and the kinds of images I would sell. During the pandemic, I started sending my work to art galleries all over the world to be considered for their exhibitions. The response was very positive, and the work I am creating has never felt more rewarding.

I wanted to share this story to encourage you to have no fear this year. Maybe this quote can be your new mantra. Or maybe there is another quote that inspires you. Whatever is motivating you, I challenge you to listen to it and start acting on it. Think outside the box. Consider doing something you have always dreamed of doing. It is okay if it is scary, different, and challenging. It is okay if you fail. Failure is part of growth; you learn something from the journey, and you get back up to try again.

Take the Challenge: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone.

I cannot wait to see what you accomplish! Share with me at Shawna.Hinkel@gmail.com.

Shawna Hinkel, M.Photog., CPP
TPPA President

“Madam President” has a nice ring to it! 😊 I am honored and privileged to serve as President of Texas Professional Photographers Association in 2025. Bill Hedrick, editor of “The Photographer” magazine wrote a wonderful feature article to introduce me to the membership, and I am humbled by his kind words.

Read the article

See the Jan/Feb issue