Here are forms you may need to enter the 2010 MARC Print Competition

MARC Regional 2010 PO rules UPDATED 2/1/2010

MARC Entry Form

Print Labels

Regional PO CERTIFICATION UPDATED 2/4/2010

PEC Album Entry Label Regional

MARC Supplemental Information UPDATED 2/1/2010

Canon 2010 Eligibility

Canon Recipient Information Form

Kodak 2009-2010 Gallery Brochure

Kodak 2010 Gallery Award Winner Submission Form

Fuji Masterpiece Awards Criteria UPDATED 2/1/2010

The 2009 Convention Newsletter is now available.

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Scarcity or Abundance?

Do you think that you don’t possess enough?  Are you direct your thoughts towards that which you don’t have instead of what is available for your use?

People’s attitudes toward giving reflect whether they think about life in terms of abundance or in terms of scarcity.  All great achievers in life have been great givers.  Giving is the best way to demonstrate the message of abundance to others.

People who have a mentality of scarcity always hold onto things.  They feel the need to hoard and save.  They only think of themselves.  Those that think with an attitude of scarcity are afraid of losing what they have; and that is exactly what usually happens to them.    Givers have an attitude of “I have more than I could possibly use so let me share with others.”  Givers only attract positive things into their lives because they are people that uplift those around them.  Lao Tzu, a Chinese Philosopher and Sage, simply put it:  “To take, you must first give.”

Which mentality do you have: scarcity or abundance?  An abundance mentality tells you that everything in the universe comes from the same source and that there is an unlimited supply.  By the way Quantum Physics states this same principle in a scientific way.  WE could all become millionaires tomorrow and there would still be trillions of dollars left.  WE could all create the life of our dreams and it will not prevent anyone else from achieving a life of their dreams.  WE can be, do, and have everything that we want, and there would still be abundance plus more for everyone else on Earth.

Nothing is ever truly lost except opportunity!

With the knowledge that givers always receive more than they give let me ask you some questions.

1)      How can you give more in your professional life?  Think of ways to make a positive impact on your peers, your clients and your customers.  Think of some specific actions you will take to give to these people.

2)      How can you give more in your personal life to your family, your friends, your community and to yourself?  Again think of specific actions that you will take to make this happen.

Giving is one of the most powerful things that you can do for yourself.  Winston Churchill was quoted, “We make a living by what we get.  We make a LIFE by what we give.”

Even the poorest of Americans are still among the richest people in the world!  Mother Teresa did not want to stay in a homeless shelter when visiting Los Angeles one time….because she felt that a room with carpet was too luxurious!

I challenge you to adopt an attitude of abundance.  Then pour the overflow of your abundance upon those around you.  The Blessing already are.

STRANGE DREAMS

"Some said run, and others begun...I wonder for how many miles?" are the lyrics from a Grateful Dead song.

Yes, it was a strange dream but aren't most dreams?  In this dream I was on my way to an assignment on the East Coast.  Somehow, in addition to all the equipment that I normally require someone gave me an old plastic telephone that was need by a high school drama department in North Carolina, another person asked me to take an antique camera and "drop" it off at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., and yet another begged me to deliver a contra bass (a musical instrument that is very big and awkward to carry) that needed to "only" be delivered to someone in Virginia.  Now why I accepted to perform all of these tasks is a different subject but all of these people who were giving me these items had the thought process of "Since-you're-going-to-be-close-to-where-they-need-to-go-anyway”…  None of these additional tasks had anything to do with my assignment.

Because of having these items placed upon me for delivery I was, as the dream went on, late for the airport (even having left plenty early), missed the flight (even though the plane hadn't left the gate) and was then was told that the antique camera had silver residue which was now a banned substance (even though it had passed security) and that I was going to be detained.

Why do we agree to take on other people's baggage?  We are taught that it is a nice gesture and correct thing to help others when asked and needed.  I would agree with that thinking.  But at what point do we stop, and ask ourselves, "Where do I draw the line and say enough?"  Here I was in this dream with all this baggage that didn't belong to me and I was expected by others to carry out their agenda.  And to top it all off I was possibly going to be in legal trouble for doing a "favor"!

We become enslaved to other people's  “Since-you're-going-to-be-close-to-where-they-need-to-go" thinking that we forget our own agenda and become diverted from our own life purpose and goals does our kindness and generosity border on personal treason.

It is said that we have an average of 22,000 breaths in a day.  How many are used doing for others what they should be doing for themselves?  Now I am not advocating a totally self-centered and narcissistic approach to life, but rather a life of harmony.  Harmony is not balance as there are many times when we need to focus our attention and ignore other areas of our live.  Then after completion of that project our energies and attention are given to another area of our life.  Just as different instruments in an orchestra play louder or softer (or not at all for awhile) during a song does our life's composition require us to play differently from time to time, or perhaps even daily!

"I don't know but I've been told it's hard to run with the weight of gold;
 On the other hand, I've heard it said it's just as hard with the weight of lead."
continues the lyrics from New Speedway Boogie.

We must choose for ourselves what our agenda is to be.  We must decide for ourselves what our life purpose must be.  We must set our own goals and milestones so we have a roadmap and know when we've made significant achievements.  If we don't choose our own path in life and set our own goals others will impose theirs upon us.  That, my friends, is a fact of life.

So this week's life lesson that I am sharing is this:  Take personal responsibility for your thoughts, for your feelings, for your actions and for your creations.  Don't let others decide for you.

Dream Big...nothing will be denied.
Hold a Bold Vision...it will come to pass.
Maintain Personal Integrity...it is the most precious of all commodities.

 

Men-tor n. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

Looking for a way to help fellow photographers develop, grow, and improve their business? Would you like to do the same for yourself? If so, I would suggest that you try MENTORING. If ever there was a “win-win” process, this is it!

By definition, mentoring is a relationship between an experienced person and a less experienced person for the purpose of helping the individual with less experience learn and grow. Mentoring is a great way to serve your fellow photographers… and yourself. As our peers develop in both knowledge and skills, their performance naturally improves. When that happens, everyone wins. And you’ll find that YOU grow by mentoring, as well. As you reflect on your life experiences and distill them into nuggets to share with others, you “re-experience” the wisdom that’s inside of you. What’s wrong with that picture? NOTHING!

So, consider mentoring. And as you do, keep the following in mind: All mentoring relationships need to focus on the people being mentored. Remember that it’s not about you – it’s about them. Accept them for who they are. Help them advance at their own pace.

Remember that those you are mentoring are not incompetent or incapable. What they do lack is experience. And don’t forget where YOU came from. Earlier in your career, you didn’t know what you know now. Why should they?

Don’t criticize or belittle. Instead, help “mentorees” think through the consequences of their behavior and to identify more positive ways of handling difficult or troubling situations. And, by all means, hold the people you are mentoring responsible for their success. Be willing to give of yourself and your time, but insist that they do the same.

We are all responsible for each other’s success. We are students to those more knowledgeable than us and teachers to those less experienced. Share your knowledge, expertise and wisdom. Touching someone’s life now in a small way brings enormous rewards later when least expected.

NOW! DO SOMETHING!

When you look at your circumstance do you feel like you have no power to change things? Most people in these situations do one of two things….they either complain or do nothing. Complaining does nothing more than draw more of what you are railing against to you and doing nothing is decision by default….and it then becomes someone else’s choice on your fate not your own!

You may think that your actions don’t matter and you may feel that you can’t possibly make a difference. In fact, you may feel that it is pointless to try and improve anything. [Yikes! How depressing that is to me just writing it!] I’m here to tell you, however, that even though you are just one person you can make a difference by changing your attitude. I tell people and I’m telling you…. Change your thinking, change your attitude, change your behavior through action and your life will change just as certainly as day follows the night!

There are steps that can be taken every day to improve your life and I’m going to touch upon a couple. I would encourage you to each day compliment (instead of complaining to) a co-worker or a friend. Tell them what a good parent they are or how you appreciate their creative talents. Surprise your children with some positive acknowledgement for picking up their toys, cleaning their room, helping with the dishes, finishing their homework, etc, etc. I would emphatically suggest you do at least one (if not two) acts of kindness each day…..hold open a door for someone, pick up a piece of trash that is on the sidewalk, allow that person into your lane of traffic (and smile at them while you’re doing it), offer a bottle of water to a homeless person, etc, etc. One act of kindness a day creates 365 chances a year to make a positive impact on another person’s life. Let opportunities to be of service to your fellow humans become a guiding light in your life.

As we take tiny steps through our thinking, attitudes and actions we will find they become giant strides that set the wheels of change into motion. By doing what is right, standing up for our beliefs, and speaking out we make the world a better place. Be L.I.G.H.T. * for those around you so that they become inspired to improve the world around them.

When is TODAY a good time to start? Your life is being lived in each moment…. this moment. Not the moment that was yesterday or last year (or even the moment just finished) or the one that is coming later today or tomorrow. The time to start living your life is NOW…..not when you get that ideal lover or job. Your life is always lived moment by moment so start to enjoy it at this moment! Any power that you have to change, any energy that is available to you is only present in this exact moment. Don’t waste it. We have to start changing our thinking, attitudes and actions at some point so make it NOW!

I’ve learned that life has to be lived in the present tense….The Now. I sincerely would like to have more of my friends and colleagues live there with me.

NOW! DO SOMETHING!

** For those who did not hear my PPI Presidential acceptance speech I referred to our profession has having the opportunity to work with light and how wonderful it is to be able to use light to create images that our clients will cherish. However, I also said that we all should become bearers of L.I.G.H.T. – and that means Living In God’s Holy Thoughts.

Terry Bateman
PPI President

Shadows

Plato, the Greek Philosopher who lived from 427 BC to 347 BC, wrote about the Allegory of the Cave.  In this story Plato has his teacher, Socrates, in an imaginary discussion with his brother, Glaucon.

Socrates begins by describing a scenario in which what people take to be real would in fact be an illusion. He asks Glaucon to imagine a cave inhabited by prisoners who have been chained and held immobile since childhood: not only are their arms and legs held in place, but their heads are also fixed, compelled to gaze at a wall in front of them. Behind the prisoners is an enormous fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway, along which people walk carrying things on their heads "including figures of men and animals made of wood, stone and other materials" The prisoners can only watch the shadows cast by the men, not knowing they are shadows. There are also echoes off the wall from the noise produced from the walkway.

Socrates asks if it is not reasonable that the prisoners would take the shadows to be real things and the echoes to be real sounds, not just reflections of reality since they are all they had ever seen or heard. Wouldn't they praise as clever whoever could best guess which shadow would come next, as someone who understood the nature of the world? And wouldn't the whole of their society depend on the shadows on the wall?

Are we in our current society observing shadows on the wall and being awarded high honors for guessing which shadow is the "true" reality of life?  If someone broke free of their chains of illusion and was lead to see the fire and the walkway with men and animals what would happen?  Plato suggests that he might be "struck blind" and try to return to the shadows, the things that he is most comfortable with experiencing.  Would this person welcome it if someone forcibly took him upward out of the cave into the sunlight or would this person become irritated, disturbed and upset?  Perhaps so stressed that they would try to kill the person who is illuminating the path for them?

Are we so blind to our own dissatisfaction in our lives and our businesses that they have become our "shadows on the wall"?  If there were leaders that could show us the way out of the cave would we listen or would we call them names and try to discredit them?

Plato goes on to suggest that the freed cave prisoner does finally understand how sunlight is the source of "the seasons and the years" and that it is the cause of those things that he and his fellow prisoners had seen.  What a revelation it would be to this person!  When this person remembers his first home, the cave, and what passed for wisdom would he consider himself happy and feel pity for his former friends?  Would the honors, praise and prizes that were bestowed upon him and them for guessing what the shadows meant have any meaning?

He would be excited to share these insights with them and want to return promptly to the cave and help to lead his fellow prisoners away from the illusions.  This would certainly be a great, grand and noble gesture.  One that his fellow captives would welcome once they understood!

Moreover, when he returned to the cave, wouldn't he be rather bad at their game, no longer being accustomed to the darkness?  Wouldn't it be said of this person that he had gone up and came back with his eyes corrupted, and that it's not even worth trying to go up? And if they were somehow able to get their hands freed?  Wouldn't they attempt to kill the person who is trying to release them and lead up?

There is much information available to us at this time in our existence that illuminates the path to our higher self and our true calling.  If we could but open our eyes, see the brilliance of wisdom that surrounds us, apply what we have learned, and experience the rewards of correct thinking what a treasure that would become.  Many of us choose to still live in the cave, however, where shadows on the wall keep us bound through our negative thoughts and self-defeating attitudes.  When someone does appear that casts illumination into our darkness we disparage them, try to discredit them and have them vilified in public is possible.  We try to force them back into what we perceive to be the "true reality".

The first lesson that I am sharing is that we must accept that there is a greater reality to be accepted.  Once we accept that our lives are not controlled by what we were but by what we choose to become we have freed ourselves of the shackles of our cave and are able to start our journey towards the light of true knowledge and experience.  During this next week please think about what is illusion and what is the true source of life for you.

"You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.  You're always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past."

Richard Bach

"When you are awake the dream is gone...
When you are Enlightened the 'world of illusion' is gone...
...and the TRUTH will make you FREE."

Barefoot Windwalker

Setting the Standard

We have all witnessed the decline in what the general public is accepting from photographers. In today's society many are accepting mediocrity as the norm. Most of our customers wouldn't know a great photograph if it jumped out of the preview book wearing a tuxedo, top hat, carrying a cane and proceeded to do a song and dance in front of them. Why then should we care about providing them with a superior product and exemplary customer service?

Why? Because whatever we do, we should do it to the best of our ability. WE should set the standards for our profession. We need to educate our customers as to the value of our services and products! This is what will set us apart from our "competitors".

This brings me to the subject of the recent Winona School. This school is again setting the educational standards for photographers. There were about 50 very fortunate photographers and their families that recently choose to attend Winona School in the beautiful Brown County setting. This year's Winona School educators provided skills to the attendees that will place them several rungs up on the ladder of success by increasing their knowledge of lighting, posing and photoshop. The motivational program presented each morning was better than a cup of coffee because it awakened us to our true potential! The hospitality cabin was abuzz with ideas and enthusiastic discussions. The opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones is always a special time.

I would like to encourage you today and each day...stay focused, stay determined, stay committed to providing the best that you have to offer. Whatever you are doing do it to the highest standards possible. Keep a positive attitude and have gratitude for the blessings that are given to you. Miracles happen every day but most people are so self-absorbed that they fail to see them. Open your mind and your eyes, see and experience the beauty that surrounds us, and set an example that others will want to emulate. Try it and positive results will occur in your life. That is a guarantee from the Universe.

Then report back to me at next year's Winona School where fellowship and education co-mingle into what people have come to call "The Winona Experience". You will again become recharged, excited and vibrate with a renewed creative energy.

Terry D Bateman, PPI President

Hello everyone,

 As the website guru for PPI, one of the benifits is I get to hear about what people really want for the PPI site as well as theirs. Well I have listened. This week I officially announce the launch of 24/7 Designs. ( www.247designs.com )

 I will be offering economical website designs that you can manage the content on. Ideally most people will want a custom site just for them, but will also be offering special "Package Sites" that include all the features but have a site design alread created.

As a special offer to any PPI member 247Designs.com will offer:

$100 off of any "Package Designs" website

or

$200 off any "Basic Designs"  website

Please hop over and view our site and say hi. I look forward to seeing all of you on Monday for the Churchill Program.

Mike Stutler