About PPGF Miami-South Florida


About PPGF

PPGF, the Professional Photographers Guild of Florida (Miami- South Florida) is the South Florida affiliate of PPA (Professional Photographers of America and FPP(Florida Professional Photographers). We serve professional and aspiring photographers in Southeast Florida.

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS GUILD OF FLORIDA INC. is a not for profit South Florida association, established in 1955. Our goal is to provide quality educational programs, networking, positive public awareness of professional photography and promote professionalism in the photographic community.

Membership in the PPGF is the best way to network with other photographers, keep your skills sharp, and benefit from changes in our industry.

Benefits of Membership

- Monthly meetings, including regional and national speakers and instructors. Topics include issues and education relevant to the business and skill of professional photography.

-Professional Image competitions with PPA Judges to keep your talent evolving,

- Continuing education programs that keep your skills current.

- An infusion of new marketing strategies to help increase your income.

- A monthly email newsletter, A Meetup Web site. A Facebook Website.

A Brief History of PPGF from 1992

August 19th, 2015 was PPGF's 60th Anniversary.

Below is an excerpt of PPGF history from Past Life Director Robert M. Kelley published in the Gold Coast Exposure in 1992

Someyears back, a group of photographers with great foresight banded together to form what is known today as The Professional Photographers of Florida, Inc.

The Principals of this Incorporation, which was chartered on August 19, 1955 were Richard E. Hinman, Mel Victor, Olive Grose, Harvey Schapanski, Robert Kohn and Dade Thornton. The Charter was granted by the Hon. Judge J. Fritz Gordon in Dade County. Our first President was Richard E. Hinman with Mel Victor serving as Vice President and Olive Grose as Secretary-Treasurer.

This Association was relatively short lived, I believe because of some of the restrictive requirements. It then lay dormant for a period of years.In 1971 after much discussion and a few meetings as to the feasibility of resurrecting this Association, this mainly at the persistence and insistence of one Richard E.(Papy) Hinman we decided it was well worth the effort for our profession and the community.

We have originally called meetings at a Bank in North Miami and at a Public School in Miami Springs. The meetings were slim but there was the interest, so we continued. Mel Greene was elected to be our interim President until we could set our elections. By staggering the terms of the first elections for our Board of Directors to one, two and three years (i.e. - 3 @ 1 yr., 3 @ 2 yrs. and 3 @3yrs.) we determined that we could then have our annual elections in the future for three directors to serve a three year term each. Our first Board then voted the Officers. Our new President was Mel Greene, Vice President was Don Schwarm, Treasurer Howard Good and our Secretary was Courtney Kaye.

I am reminded of one program in particular at the Arrowhead Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale where our good member Harry Parker was putting on a lighting program. I believe we had about eighty or so Dinner Reservations in advance,and we were turning people away at the door, for the room only held about a hundred.

The sweet smell of success was great and in appreciation of what our good friend Richard E."Papy" Hinman had done for us he was given the utmost honor of our association, that being the position of "Life Director".

I remember at one of our Installation Banquets after Papy had gone up to the Carolinas to sit on a mountaintop and enjoy his golden years, we had the hotel make a special hook-up with the telephones so everyone could speak to him and he could be heard by all. I do believe that being very close to him, that I could say that this must have been one of the proudest moments of his life and one that he could reflect back on with warm feelings forever.

When you have done as much for our Profession and Humanity as this individual had we should always remember him and in particular on our thirty seventh Birthday as it might not have taken place without him.

Over the years we have had countless Seminars, Professional Photography Weeks and now today(August the Nineteenth), as well as our birthday, we will celebrate Professional Photographers Day. Also we have hosted a couple of Spring Conferences for the FPP. Our Charter and By-Laws have undergone several changes over the years and at this point are complete and should take us easily into the next Century.

Something great was started here and through good times and bad it is still here and is highly respected. The name of this game is "Group Effort", it always has been and always shall be United we shall Stand.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PPGF

RobertM.Kelley

LifeDirector


PPGF is a 501 (c) (3) non profit association, financial Information is always available to our members upon request.