I found an old box and several notebooks filled with documents, stories, and photographs while sorting thru some of my grandparents’ things a few months ago. Some of the stories were typed with a typewriter, some were handwritten, others were articles or pamphlets that included snip-its of past generations.  They all told stories.  A few of them I had heard, but most of them were tales I had never been aware of.  They gave me insight into my heritage.  There were stories of men who overcame great obstacles and thru hard work founded towns that are still standing today.  There were stories of war and overcoming adversity.  There were stories of love and passion. The main thing they had in common was after decades or centuries had passed: even direct lines of lineage had no idea what the past had accomplished.

The Professional Photographers of Oklahoma is and organization that is 87 years old, and I am constantly surprised to find seasoned Oklahoma based photographers who never knew we existed.

Honestly, I just thought there was a dying interest in the value of our organization.  
I thought we were starting to cater to a crowd who was more interested in the competition and awards until I recently had lunch and conversations with so many people who have never entered print competition, but truly come to our events for the education and relationships. I have loved getting to hear so many stories the past year or so from so many of our members!  

Whether you’ve been in the business for 30 years or are starting a business while still holding down a day job, we all have a story to tell.  No one is going to know about it unless we tell them.

Just like our organization and my families history;  No one is going to know about how great it is, unless we tell them.  

Our history is happening right now and I can’t wait for another great year of PPOK when we look at ways to Tell our Story.