BIG SKY IN FOCUS

April 3rd-5th at the Heritage Center at Fort Missoula

Missoula, Montana

We will be having speakers from Rocky Mountain School of Photography and Professional Photographers of America! We will also be hosting our Annual Awards Banquet for our Annual Print Competition which will be held virtually the week before convention. We hope you can join us!!

The Conference Features:

Big Sky in Focus is Montana's annual professional photography conference. Each year it is held in a different part of the Treasure State. The conference is a great time to network with other professional photographers, learn from experts in the field, party with old friends and make new ones.

Annual business meeting
Annual photographic print competition with guest judging
3 days of seminars with Master level photographers
Equipment swap and buy
Raffles, Drawings and Giveaways!
Annual Banquet and Awards

CONVENTION SCHEDULE

Thursday April 3, 2025

8 am Check-in/Registration

9:00 am - 4:00pm Chris Wooley

12 pm Lunch on your own

5:00 pm Social

Friday, April 4, 2025

9:00 - 4:00 Brad Barton

12 pm Annual Meeting

5 pm First Friday downtown Missoula (MPPA Members will have prints on display at a couple of locations)

Saturday, April 5, 2025

9 am-12 pm Forest and Sarah Chaput de Saintonge

12 pm-1 pm Lunch on your own

Lisa Dillon 1:00 - 4:00

6 pm Awards Banquet at First Interstate Bank Banquet Room

*All classes will be held at the Heritage Center at Fort Missoula

CHRIS WOOLEY

Chris Wooley, M. Photog., Cr., CPP, F-PPW

Chris Wooley is a photographer and educator based in Spokane, Washington, where he runs a successful retail portrait studio specializing in Vintage-Inspired and Commercial Business Portraits. With a Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman degree, as well as being a Certified Professional Photographer, Chris brings both expertise and a love of the craft to his workshops.

Known for his energetic, information-packed teaching style, Chris makes even the most technical topics engaging and approachable. Depending on the session, his workshops vary from dynamic presentations to hands-on learning experiences. He enjoys helping students understand complex concepts in a fun, practical way.

A past president of the Professional Photographers of Washington, Chris serves on the Board of the American Society of Photographers and is an accomplished photography competition judge. He has been recognized with numerous accolades, including Fuji Masterpieces, ACI’s Image Excellence, the ASP Elite Award, and the PPA National Award.

And of course, you’ll usually spot Chris sporting his signature bowtie, bringing a touch of vintage flair to every session.

Whether at a conference, meetup, or online seminar, Chris’s workshops are designed to inspire and equip photographers at all levels.

Visit Chris's Website

THE PIN-UP EXPERIENCE

Learn about adding boudoir’s classy cousin to your studio offerings. The pin-up lifestyle has a cult following with modern women - be it romance of an era past, the rockabilly revitalization, or flattering of poses for larger ladies. Pin-ups are here to stay! Learn the basics in this demonstrated workshop. We will look at pin-up styles, lighting, posing, and coaching for photographers. Learn what to look for in a make-up artist, as well as what you need to know to add pin-ups to your product line.

Bring Your Camera and walk away with the knowledge and portfolio to get started with pin-ups!

Key takeaways:

● History of Pin-up
● Why Clients Love it
● Themes and Styles
● Creating the Experience
● Pin-Up Lighting
● Posing and Coaching
● Hair & Make-up
● Clothing and Props
● Post-Production
● Previewing / Sales

BRAD BARTON

Brad Barton, M.Photog., M.Artist., Cr, CPP

Brad Barton is a North Texas based artist who tells people’s stories and captures their emotions in sometimes fantastical, sometimes bizarre, sometimes surreal ways. Using his imagination, camera, and digital tools, he has created work for clients big and small. He has published three books and has won numerous awards.

He is a Certified Professional Photographer and holds Master of Photography, Master Artist, and Photographic Craftsman degrees from Professional Photographers of America. He loves to teach and write about both art and photography. #ImaginationCaptured

Brad is proudly sponsored by Color, Inc.

Visit Brad's Website

MAKING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORK FOR YOU

Artificial Intelligence is here and it is not going away. So how do you navigate the new landscape without sacrificing everything to our new Robot Overlords?

Learn what AI is all about, how it got here, and how to leverage it to work for you without sacrificing your own creative vision
Learn about some of the copyright ramifications of AI
Learn how to use AI to enhance your creativity and

find inspiration
Learn how to enhance your own images using the

latest AI engines
Learn how AI can speed up your workflow and

increase your sales
Watch a live demonstration of an image being

created from the initial image through the finished, AI enhanced image

IMAGINATION CAPTURED

Offering something unique is the best way to win the best clients and you have one thing that none of your competitors have – your own imagination. This class explores the nature of creativity and imagination.

Explore your own creativity to start making the work you want to create and your clients will want to print for their walls.
Learn what it means to be creative
Learn that imagination is a skill, not a talent.
Watch an editing session taking an original image from

boring to creative.
When this class is complete, you will realize you are not a photographer, but an artist. When your passion is your work, your work is more genuine. Your clients will be attracted to that passion and you gain not just clients, but fans.

LISA DILLON

Lisa Dillon is a Master Craftsman Photographer and CPP from Portland Oregon. She is a Diamond Fellow of Photography in Oregon. She is in her 22st year of business and specializes in high school senior, executive headshots and family photography. She is a 3-time president of Oregon Professional Photographers of Oregon and past president of the Professional Photographers of Oregon as well as an approved PPA juror. In addition to judging, Lisa teaches classes on image competition and business. She also mentors young photographers. She is a mother and a grandmother and loves to travel the world. A long time competitor, Lisa uses Image Competition as a way to explore new ideas and build on personal projects.

Demystifying Image Competition

Does Image Competition or Merit Image Review mystify you? Do you really understand how it all works? What *is* the difference between Competition and Merit Image Review anyway? And what happened to IPC? These are just a few of the questions I’ll be answering in my program. I’ll explain how the programs work and why you should care about them in the first place. I’ll also teach you how images are judged so you’ll be able to participate with confidence. I’ll teach you a new way to look at the framework PPA uses to evaluate images. I’ll teach you how to look at your images with a judge’s eye so you can select the best images for competition and image review and get you on your way to your degree and competition success!

Visit Lisa's Website

SARAH & FOREST CHAPUT DE SAINTONGE

Instructors Sarah and Forest Chaput de Saintonge of the former Rocky Mountain School of Photography will be sharing the secret sauce for a photography website that actually converts clients. In three hours, they will walk through advanced topics like design, sales language and bio writing, SEO, landing pages, analytics, and more!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where is the conference?: Each year the conference is held in a different part of Montana. The 2025 Conference will be held in Missoula, MT.
What are the dates?: April 3rd-5th, 2025
How do I sign up?: Registration will open in February 1st, 2025.
Can I bring a spouse?: Yes! Spouses are welcome. All attendees of the conference educational sessions must pay the conference rate. Guests may purchase banquet only tickets on the website.
What are the hotel accommodations?: We have a block of rooms available to reserve at the following hotels:

The Sleep Inn Missoula

To book your room please call (406) 543-5883

Rooms are $90/night for a single queen or $110/night for a double queen plus taxes and fees..

Please reference Montana Professional Photographers Association Conference.

https://www.choicehotels.com/montana/missoula/sleep-inn-hotels/mt421?mc=llgoxxpx

Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula

We will be having our Annual Awards banquet at the First Interstate Bank building in downtown Missoula, if you want to reserve a room at the downtown Holiday Inn which is nearby. Rooms are $130 per room per night plus taxes and fees.

Guests may contact the front desk 24/7 at 406-721-8550 to make a reservation or ask questions they may have regarding their reservation. When contacting the front desk please have the following information available to provide the agent on the phone. Or you may click on the link below and use the code to book online.

Group Name:

MPPA 2025

Booking Link: MPPA 2025

Reservation Dates:

4/2/25-4/6/25 These dates are the dates the group rate is available.

Group Booking Code:

PPA
Do you have a cancellation policy?: Yes. We understand that life happens. If you need to cancel your registration please give at least 24-48 hours notice.

REGISTER TODAY

Pick the option that best suites your needs! Choose a Convention pass to cover all 3 days or if you can only attend one or two days pick a day pass. Each day includes a full day(6-8 hours) of class instruction and social time. High school and College students are encouraged and welcome to attend at a discounted rate.

*meals are not included in the cost of convention passes. Lunch will be provided at our Annual Member Luncheon on Friday afternoon and at our Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday evening. Coffee, tea, water and snacks will be available during classes.

BOZEMAN CAMERA RAFFLE

We are having a raffle!! Tickets will go on sale February 1st!! All funds will be used towards continuing to provide educational opportunities at our Annual Big Sky In Focus Convention and other educational events throughout the year.