Chairmen of the Board
Tim Walden
M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP
PPA Member since 1989
Shoots: Portraits
Location: Lexington, KY

• Read his bio.
• Read his Board Spotlight interview (May 2007), featured in Professional Photographer magazine.

Bio
Tim earned his Master of Photography Degree at the age of 25, with his Craftsman Degree following soon afterwards. In Kentucky, his home state, his work has won many awards, including Best of Show and Master Photographer of the Year several times. In Kentucky, Tim also scored a perfect 100 on his print “His Father’s Eyes,” breaking all previous records of combined point total. He also scored a 100 on his print “Hands of Time,” winning the top scoring print in at the Mid-East Regional Convention. His work can be seen in many Loan Collection publications and Kodak has recognized his work through Gallery Awards, a Gallery Elite, and publication in their Portrait Book.

Tim is a Kodak Mentor and has shared his ideas at Kodak Pro-Team meetings. In 2004, he received the Imaging Excellence Award, and in 2007, PPA awarded him the Gold Level Photographer of the Year Award for two entries being accepted into the Loan Collection. Tim is a member of the Society of XXV, a qualified National Juror, an accomplished lecturer, and most recently, he earned his ASP Fellowship Degree. At Imaging USA in 2007, both Tim and his wife Beverly were awarded the coveted Gerhard Bakker Award for outstanding photographic education. 

Board Spotlight, May 2007
A Growing Passion…
By Angela Wijesinghe

He knew he was hooked at age twelve. Standing in his father’s darkroom, watching magic happen as the film developed, Tim Walden knew he wanted to be in the world of photography. Perhaps he wanted to understand how his father could be so passionate about a job…he was soon to find out. We tend to remember our life in moments like snapshots, and Tim has an album full of memorable moments, tracing his passion for photography throughout his life.

When he was sixteen, he got his first chance to shoot a wedding. Well, that might stretch the truth a little…he was his father’s “grunt” and pushed his wheelchair. But at the reception, his father shoved a camera in his hands and told him to “look like you’re important.” That moment gave him a high he hasn’t come down from yet!

From that moment on, Tim and photography were inseparable. The passion that started in his father’s darkroom led him to PPA and state associations. He might have started in associations because of the importance his father placed on them, but he quickly found the value in the connections he made. He had best friends, people to call when he had questions or needed help covering a wedding.

And Tim needed all the help he could get to continue his passion when the photography business suddenly fell in his lap, due to his father’s illness and retirement. He still had the passion, but now he had to run a business, too! Luckily, his wife Beverly got into photography, challenging him in the creative realm and pushing his ideas to grow even more. It definitely worked because they went from barely surviving to being profitable in three years after stepping out of the box and applying a brand identity to their name.

Despite these powerful memory snapshots, Tim says that his most special moments are always the most recent. This year, he and Beverly received the Gerhard Bakker award, which holds special value for Tim. “Gerhard was a mentor of mine. Receiving this award validated a lifetime of service; it established the value of what we believe in and work for.”

What does he believe in for PPA? “It’s a fine-tuning issue,” he says. “The association is not broken, but we can’t settle for that.” He’s ready to kick it up a notch and share the enthusiasm he’s carried since he was twelve. And he wants all image makers to treasure what they have at their fingertips today, filling the moments with passion.