I’m thrilled to have made it through such an exciting spring as PPA president, and I’m looking forward to a productive summer visiting state photography conventions and traveling abroad to attend photography conferences and associations around the globe. It’s been an incredible honor to represent you this first quarter.
This spring I had the unique experience of traveling halfway around the world with my family and Team USA to experience the World Photographic Cup competition in Singapore. We were excited to celebrate Team USA’s third-place finish, with three medalists and eight placements in the top 10. Congratulations to medalists Laura Bennett, M.Photog.Cr., F-ASP, Andy Glogower, and Ben Shirk, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr. It was a joy to see their faces as their names were announced and then watch them walk onto the stage. These are moments I will never forget.
More sensational even than the competition was the experience of meeting photographers from different cultures and traditions, all bringing their unique perspectives and experiences to their work. Meeting so many talented artists reinforced my commitment to celebrate the pursuit of excellence in all that we do at PPA. We each have different backgrounds, but we are united by our common profession.
Our trip was full of inspiration from incredible artists, the chance to network with industry leaders, and the opportunity to learn more about how to improve our place in the world of photography. I left with a healthy amount of pressure on myself to make more time to learn and create.
While it was wonderful to meet people from other organizations, it became apparent that PPA and the many benefits we offer members is unbeatable. As a member, I feel fortunate to be part of such an association.
Kira Derryberry
I was also reminded about what a unique association we have here in the United States. While it was wonderful to meet people from other organizations, it became apparent that PPA and the many benefits we offer members is unbeatable. As a member, I feel fortunate to be part of such an association.
At the ceremony, the lobby was lined with rows and rows of large metal prints displaying medalists’ images, which were jaw-droppingly beautiful. I don’t know about you, but when I’m surrounded by beautiful photography, I go through two sets of emotions. The first set is awe and inspiration. There’s a part of me that sees the full potential of what can be done and wants to strive to advance my own skills. The second is almost always self-doubt and that feeling of imposter syndrome. Will I ever belong here among these giants? That’s the one that seeps in and wreaks so much havoc. I have to remind myself that while comparison is healthy and inevitable, I bring other things to the table that make my business and my work unique. For every beautiful image I see that I wish I’d created, there’s some other person out there looking at my work and feeling envy. Let the work of others inspire you and push you to be better. Your self-worth can only be measured by you.
Whether you’re working to meet the needs of your clients or spending some well deserved time with family and friends this summer, I hope you take a moment to reflect on how your one-of-a-kind perspective influences the work you do. Think about how your why impacts your work and business creatively. Create a new project based on this idea or even make a new self-portrait using your findings from this exercise as inspiration. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
Kira Derryberry is a studio owner and portrait and headshot photographer in Tallahassee, Florida.