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.