PPAM upcoming events

Distracted by Beauty: The Art of Seeing (and Capturing) Hidden Beauty (Sunday, October 18, 2026)

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Distracted by Beauty:The Art of Seeing (and Capturing) Hidden Beauty

Kimberly Olker | Master Photographer & 2026 Grand Imaging Award Winner

PPAM QUARTERLY SEMINAR

DATE: Sunday, October 18th, 10am - 4:30pm

Courtyard by Marriott Boston Woburn/Boston North 700 Unicorn Park Dr, Woburn, MA 01801

As photographers, it is dangerously easy to fall onto visual autopilot. We get caught up in the daily grind, rely on places and subjects we've "seen a million times before," and lose touch with our creative spark.

In this one-day experiential workshop, award-winning photographer Kimberly helps you hit the reset button. Moving past technical perfectionism, this program challenges you to strip away preconceptions and look at the world again with childlike wonder. Through a blend of inspiring concepts, live hands-on image-making breakouts (yes, even in places as ordinary as a hotel lobby or parking lot!), and collaborative group reviews, you will retrain your eyes to spot the extraordinary hiding in plain sight.

Whether you work with a professional camera system or simply your smartphone, Kimberly will guide you to transform how you interact with your environment, elevate your visual storytelling, and reignite your passion for creating images.

Key Takeaways for Attendees

Break Visual Autopilot: Learn practical techniques to quiet the "noise" of daily life and retrain your brain to actively notice subtle details, light, and texture.
Find Beauty Anywhere: Discover how to uncover compelling visual stories in mundane or overlooked environments (like parking lots, hallways, and everyday spaces).
Hands-On Application: Participate in live, on-the-spot image-making breakout sessions designed to push you out of your comfort zone immediately.
Collaborative Learning: Share your discoveries in real-time via a class Google Drive, seeing the same spaces through the diverse perspectives of your peers.
Bring It Home to Your Business: Translate your renewed sense of wonder into fresh artistic vision, enhancing both your personal creative fulfillment and your professional portfolio.

Students should bring:

note-taking materials, a camera with their favorite lens (or 2) - may even consider creative lenses, an open mind and creative attitude :)

Biography

Kimberly Olker | Master Photographer & 2026 Grand Imaging Award Winner bridges the gap between technical precision and artistic vision. Originally trained as a software engineer, Kimberly transitioned to professional photography in 2005, blending her analytical roots with a lifelong passion for the arts. Today, she is one of the industry's most distinguished creators, holding the title of Master Photographer, Craftsman and Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) through the PPA. Her commitment to excellence was cemented in 2026 when she was awarded the prestigious IPC Grand Imaging Award for Landscape and earned the coveted Diamond Photographer designation. Beyond the camera, Kimberly is a dedicated educator and advocate for the photographic community. Since 2015, she has mentored photographers through national and local organizations and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Photography. Kimberly is a frequent speaker known for her heart for service and her ability to help others master the delicate balance of technical skill and creative expression.

The Art of Brand Photography: Capturing the Essence of a Brand (Wednesday, October 28, 2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 14:00:00 GMT

PPAM Photopalooza 2026

The Art of Brand Photography: Capturing the Essence of a Brand

Shawon Davis, Cr.Photog., CPP

DATE: Wednesday, October 28, 2026

TIME: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm

LOCATION: 165 Main St. Suite 203 A Medway, MA 02053

As a Branding photographer, it’s important to understand the fundamentals of Branding. What a brand is, what it isn't, and why understanding a client's audience, message, and marketing goals matters before planning the images for a branding photography session. Shawon will explore the relationship between branding and marketing and how understanding both can help photographers create images that aren't simply beautiful, but have a clear purpose in a client's business.

Attendees will learn how brand strategy can inform the creative decisions behind a session, including planning, posing, and the types of images a client may need for their marketing. They will also explore their own photography brands, what differentiates them, and how becoming more intentional about what they want to be known for can help them stand out.

Bio: Shawon is a Brand Photographer and Visibility Coach based in Medway, Massachusetts, helping women entrepreneurs confidently show up as the face of their brands through intentional imagery and visibility strategy. She began her journey in 2011 as a professional photographer. She has built her career around creating meaningful images first as a wedding photographer and now through brand photography working with women business owners and founders. She helps her clients gain clarity around how they want to be seen, what they want to be known for, and how their message and visuals work together to connect them with the people they’re here to serve.

She is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), holds the Photographic Craftsman degree from Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and currently serves on PPA's Board of Directors. Her commitment to the photography industry extends beyond her own business through leadership, speaking, and education, with a focus on helping fellow photographers strengthen both their brands and the businesses behind their work.

Lunch: Local restaurants or bring your own

What to Bring: note taking materials

All PPA member attendees will receive 1 Merit.

PPA # Must be provided at time of registration.

Class limit: 10

DATE: October 28, 2026

Class Hours: 10:00 am– 4:30 pm

Payment must be made upon registration

Location:165 Main St. Suite 203 A Medway, MA *plenty of parking available

Creating Beautiful, Safe, and Profitable Newborn Portraits (Monday, November 02, 2026)

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

PPAM Photopalooza 2026

Creating Beautiful, Safe, and Profitable Newborn Portraits

Elaine Freitas, CPP

DATE: Monday, November 2, 2026

TIME: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm

LOCATION: 2352 Main Street, Suite 200, Concord, MA 01742

Newborn photography combines artistry with responsibility. Creating beautiful portraits begins long before picking up the camera and requires an understanding of newborn safety, baby behavior, lighting, posing, workflow, and client communication. In this educational program, Certified Professional Photographer Elaine Freitas will share the complete approach she uses to create a calm, efficient, and profitable newborn photography experience.

Attendees will learn how to prepare families before the session, create a studio environment that helps babies settle naturally, and build a posing workflow that minimizes handling while maximizing variety. Elaine will demonstrate safe posing techniques, discuss how to recognize a baby's comfort level, and explain how her experience as a birth doula has influenced her approach to newborn photography.

The class will also cover lighting techniques using both natural and studio light, camera settings, lens selection, composition, and the subtle details that elevate an image from good to exceptional. Participants will gain practical knowledge they can immediately apply to improve consistency and confidence during their own sessions.

In addition to the creative and technical aspects, Elaine will share the business strategies that have helped her build a successful newborn photography studio. Topics include creating an exceptional client experience, guiding parents through the process, presenting printed artwork, conducting in-person ordering appointments, and building lasting relationships that naturally lead to maternity, milestone, and family photography.

Whether photographers are new to newborn photography or looking to strengthen their skills, this presentation offers practical education, real-world experience, and proven techniques that will help them create timeless newborn portraits while building a business centered on safety, service, and lasting client relationships.

Bio: PPA and PPAM member, owns Elaine Freitas Photography, a portrait studio in Concord, Massachusetts, specializing in newborn, maternity, family, and women's portraiture. Her work is known for creating timeless images that celebrate connection, emotion, and the beginning of life's most meaningful chapters.

Originally from Brazil, Elaine has spent more than 17 years behind the camera. Her photography journey began with weddings before she discovered her passion for newborn and family portraiture. She also worked as a birth doula for 4 years, giving her a unique understanding of newborn safety, infant behavior, and the needs of growing families. That experience continues to shape her calm, baby-led approach and has become one of the foundations of her newborn photography.

As a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP), Elaine believes that mastering the technical side of photography is only part of creating an exceptional client experience. She is passionate about education, continuous learning, and helping photographers develop the confidence to create beautiful images while maintaining the highest standards of newborn safety.

Her studio serves families throughout New England and is known for providing a relaxed experience where parents feel cared for and babies are always the priority. Beyond creating portraits, Elaine is committed to preserving family legacies through printed artwork that will be enjoyed for generations.

When she is not in the studio, Elaine enjoys traveling, exploring nature, paddleboarding on Walden Pond, riding motorcycles with her husband, and skiing. She believes every photograph tells a story, and that the images we create today become the memories future generations will cherish.

Lunch: Bring your own or can participate in ordering takeout

What to Bring: Camera

All PPA member attendees will receive 1 Merit.

PPA # Must be provided at time of registration.

Class limit: 5

DATE: November 2, 2026

Class Hours: 10:00 am– 4:30 pm

Payment must be made upon registration

Location: 2352 Main Street, Suite 200, Concord, MA 01742

The Art of Imagination: A Playful, Interactive Dive into the Psychology of Creativity (Sunday, November 22, 2026)

Sun, 22 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

PPAM Photopalooza 2026

The Art of Imagination: A Playful, Interactive Dive into the Psychology of Creativity

Rachel Smook

DATE: Sunday, November 22, 2026

TIME: 10:00 am - 4:30 pm

LOCATION: Lucozzi Portraits, 71 Faulkner St #215, North Billerica, MA

This palooza offers a hands-on opportunity to explore how your thoughts, emotions, and environment shape the way you create. In this interactive workshop, you'll learn about different types of creativity and find new pathways to inspiration through interactive challenges that help you connect with your artistic voice. Bring your camera, your curiosity, and a spirit of play as we explore different ways to fuel your creative journey.

Bio: Rachel Smook is a licensed psychologist with graduate degrees in clinical psychology from Loyola University and William James College and a postdoctoral fellowship from Harvard University. She has been in the field for her entire adult life and has had a private practice for seventeen years. She is a co-author of the 2005 edition of Our Bodies, Ourselves, which now has over four million copies in print around the world. She is also the author of a chapter in the Handbook of Private Practice, published by Oxford University Press. Rachel has held leadership and governance roles in several divisions of the American Psychological Association and was a contributing editor for the APA's Psychotherapy Bulletin for several years. Her clinical work addresses a wide range of psychological concerns for adolescents and adults, and she spends much of her clinical time to providing care to doctors, nurses, and other therapists, as they navigate the challenges of frontline medical care. Rachel’s passion for the human story also has an artistic expression, through her work as a professional photographer. Rachel’s photography is oriented around portraiture and events, and she focuses on deep connection with her clients and their stories to create authentic and emotive imagery.

Lunch: order in from a local sandwich shop or bring your own

What to Bring: notebook, pen, and camera

All PPA member attendees will receive 1 Merit.

PPA # Must be provided at time of registration.

Class limit: 10

DATE: November 22, 2026

Class Hours: 10:00 am– 4:30 pm

Payment must be made upon registration

Location: Lucozzi Portraits, 71 Faulkner St #215, North Billerica, MA

PPAM Holiday Social 2026 (Sunday, December 06, 2026)

Sun, 06 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

PPAM Holiday Social

Sunday, December 6th, 2026

Location: Lucozzi Portraits
71 Faulkner Street, Suite 215
North Billerica, MA 01862

Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

‘Tis the Season’ of giving and celebrating together!
Join in the festivities, food and fun in a casual environment at PPAM’s Holiday Social!
(Spouses, significant others and friends are welcome)

More details to follow!!!!

In the spirit of the season...

Please bring a new, unwrapped gift to
benefit the Toys for Tots program.

Please be sure to register in advance, so we know how many to expect!

Creating Client Experiences That Change Lives (Sunday, January 10, 2027)

Sun, 10 Jan 2027 15:00:00 GMT

Creating Client Experiences That Change Lives

Steph Johnson, M.Photog.Cr.,CPP

PPAM QUARTERLY SEMINAR

DATE: Sunday, January 10th, 10am - 4:30pm

Natick Hampton Inn 319 Speen St, Natick, MA 01760

Creating Client Experiences That Change Lives is an interactive learning experience designed to help you craft and implement a better more meaningful, more client focused, experience for your client.

This is an opportunity to experience what your clients experience. Learn how many, maybe even your own, client journeys typically work. We will find opportunities to implement meaningful change either small or large with design and intention.

Let’s have some fun, maybe be a little vulnerable and create experiences that help your clients feel seen, heard, valued, confident, and empowered and most importantly tell their friends about you.

Biography

Steph Johnson, M.Photog.Cr.,CPP

After getting a BS in Business, Steph began in distribution and supply chain leadership and management, moving up the corporate ladder and around the country. She became a division Vice-President in one of the fastest growing national companies at the time, at only 27. With both field and corporate management and leadership experience, she completed an Executive MBA at the University of Denver.

Steph runs two small businesses, Quad J Farms and Steph J Photography. She also teaches photography, business or leadership skills within the photographic industry or leadership and mental healthcare/suicide prevention and advocacy to special interest groups.

Steph has earned the Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman Degrees and CPP (Certified Professional Photographer) degrees through Professional Photographers of America (PPA). She is completing the final phases of juror training and hopes to be an approved juror in 2027. Steph is an award winning, internationally published photographer and actively involved with both PPA, and VPPA (Virginia Professional Photographers) where she serves as an elected councilor for PPA, and Board member for VPPA.

EVOLVE 2027 - Photo Convention (Friday, March 05, 2027)

Fri, 05 Mar 2027 17:00:00 GMT

EVOLVE 2027

PPAM's Annual Photography Convention

Friday, March 5th - Sunday, March 7th, 2027

Join us for education and fun as we Evolve!

at the Hilton Boston/Woburn

2 Forbes Rd, Woburn, MA 01801

More to come on the Speakers and Events. Stay tuned!!!

Navigate The Light & Evolve The Portrait (Monday, March 08, 2027)

Mon, 08 Mar 2027 15:00:00 GMT

Navigate The Light & Evolve The Portrait

with Seth Miranda

Monday, 3/8/27

Registration starts at 9 AM

Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Hilton Boston/Woburn 2 Forbes Road, Woburn, MA 01801

Lighting is a feel as much as it’s a science. The technical aspect is one thing but what about the approach? Light is predictable so let’s get to a place where we aren’t guessing anymore. If you’ve seen photographer Seth Miranda you have probably only seen one hour at a time. What if he had all day to run through lighting set ups, why/when to use them and evolve the setups based on collaborating with you in attendance. No chat rooms. No comment sections. Just those in the room for a full day studio session.

Biography:

Seth Miranda's career in photography has been as unique as his images. Having publications under his belt at age 15, he sculpted his lighting technique day and night in the fast-action world of BMX and skateboarding. With experience running the spectrum of all formats of film, experimental/older forgotten processes all the way to today's digital medium, his versatile style has been featured in DigBMX, RideBMX, Juxtapoz, MakeUp Artist magainze and Transworld media publications as well as billboard and print ads for agencies like Deustch. He has assisted legend photographers like Joe McNally on set and also been featured in galleries covering subjects such as punk and alternative lifestyles.

Seth has brought his skill set and experience to the studio to masterfully capture every vision and concept thrown at his lens by the Special Effects MakeUp artists in attendance having worked for MUD MakeUp Designory, MakeUp For Ever, MakeUp Artist Magazine, IMATS, and many more facets of the industry. In his quest for mastery, Seth has also pushed his cinema still style docudrama images outside the realm of photography and into other mediums as stenciling, resin cast, and screen printing. Today Seth Miranda is a content producer, host, edcuator and tech for Adorama and their various platforms

This is a PPA Merit event. Provide your PPA number in the registration to earn.