Goodbye to 2012 - Looking Forward to 2013

So . . . as I prepare to say goodbye to 2012, I'm taking a few minutes to reflect on what an incredible year it was in so many ways.

January saw a trip to New Orleans for ImagingUSA; who knew Kirsten and I would find our rings in "The Big Easy"?

February marked the one year anniversary of surgery and a year of being cancer-free. I proposed to Kirsten and she said yes!

In March, my family and I celebrated my mother's 89th birthday. It was wonderful to have everyone together for dinner with her.

April opened another season at Target Field . . . love going to see the Twins, no matter what.

At the end of May, I said farewell to the students I'd been working with at Hill-Murray School. Some graduated and moved on to college while others would stay, but when Mr Sherman retired, it brought an end to 2 years of volunteering as a bw photography /  darkroom instructor (for now, anyway.)

June opened a new year of high school seniors through the studio. I just love working with you all throughout the summer!

Wedding bells rang at the American Swedish Institute in July. Kirsten and I exchanged vows on the 7th in front of an intimate gathering of family and our closest friends. We then moved on to a party at Republic in Minneapolis where we were joined by over 70 friends and family. We truly felt all of your love and support!

August marked a trip to Atlanta for the annual PPA Charities Board Meeting, along with a busy month photographing hs seniors before school began.

September opened with a Labor Day trip to Duluth, MN. We visited Kirsten's sister and her family, drove along the North Shore of Lake Superior for a day, then came back and celebrated my son Joseph's 21st birthday with his friends. (It's been a long time since I've been at a bar with 40+ college kids!) It was a great weekend.

The end of September and beginning of October was a bittersweet time as Mom lost her 8 year battle with cancer. There were lots of tears and laughs as we saw family and friends who came to pay their respects before we laid her to rest next to Dad.

November . . . Thanksgiving with a new twist as we celebrated with my family at my sisters' lake home, then headed west about 45 mins to do the same with Kirsten's family the next day. I love spending time with family. I also became involved with a BNI business networking group; I'm now connected to a wide range of talented professionals in a variety of fields.

Which brings us to December . . . We opened the month another year older for both Kirsten and myself (both of us have early  December birthdays.) We enjoyed Christmas with both of our families, missed my mother dearly, and began to look forward to the changes that 2013 will bring to our lives.

What will those changes be? If I told you that, it would spoil all the fun!

Stay tuned . . . 2013 promises to be busy, exciting and better than ever.

Happy New Year!

- David Grupa

PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 - Day 5

We’re over halfway through the PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 promotion launched on 12/12/12. I truly hope my stories will inspire you to participate; this is not only about recognizing those who helped me along the way, but doing something good for a great cause.

PPA Charities – the charitable arm of the Professional Photographers of America – was established back in 1997 at the urging of then-PPA President Bert Behnke. In 2005, PPA Charities teamed up with Operation Smile as its charitable partner. Since that time, PPA Charities has contributed $500,000 to the organization dedicated to repairing the cleft lips and palates of children in countries where this malady would otherwise go untreated.

At a time of year when gift-giving is appropriate, we invite you to give a gift of your own to help change a child’s life. Not only is this a great cause and excellent way to “pay it forward”, but also an awesome way to honor some of the very important people who helped to shape your photographic careers.

It’s time to add another name to my PPA Charities Photo Idol list. I was probably working print crew at the Northern Light Convention in 2005 when we first became acquainted. However, it was the 1998 NL gathering when this impression was first made. I was sitting in the trade show at one of the empty tables after the show had closed, writing a postcard to my sons. Bert Behnke walked into the room after the print judging and we began to chat. He smiled at the postcards on the table and said “I like to send a card to my son when I’m traveling, too.”

Later that year, when I was on stage receiving my Master and Craftsman Degrees, it was PPA President Bert Behnke who shook my hand after Helen Yancy had placed the ribbon around my neck.

When Bert called me in the fall of 2007 and asked if I would be interested in a position on the PPA Charities board, I was very flattered and humbled. The chance to “pay it forward” in this manner was an opportunity I welcomed. He has introduced me to so many people in the industry that have become good friends.

Bert and his wife Cindy have also spoken across the country helping photographers understand not only lighting and posing techniques, but sales skills and studio procedures.

Bert is also a big Chicago sports fan, which has made for some fun rivalries over the years.

My vote today for PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 is Bert Behnke. In Bert’s honor, please vote Chicago-style (that means vote early and often!)

Cast your vote at http://www.ppacharities.com/donate_now.html

PPA Charities Photo Idol - Day 4

I hope you’re enjoying the “Photo Idol” stories and thinking about your own mentors throughout your photographic career.

I’m posting these snippets as I make my nominations for the PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012. I truly want to encourage everyone to participate, not only because it’s a great cause and excellent way to “pay it forward”, but also because it’s an awesome way to honor some of the very important people who helped to shape your photographic careers.

So . . . here’s another of my own stories. Watch for them on my Facebook page as well as on my blogs. Of course, all the vote tallies will also be shown on the PPA Charities website and Facebook pages.

Now, it’s time to reveal my fourth PPA Charities Photo Idol.

I first joined the Professional Photographers of America back in 1977, but for a number of years I was what you might call a “checkbook member”. Although I paid my dues regularly, used the logo and told clients I was a member of PPA, I never really rolled up my sleeves and did anything with the association.

Until 1993. That was the year I first ventured onto the internet. I used this new software called “America Online” and after joining, ventured into a chat group called “PPA”. It was in that group where I met Helen Yancy for the first time. Helen was the PPA President and I was just starting to get a feel of what actually getting involved with PPA associations could do for me and my photographic career. Helen encouraged me to stop standing by as a spectator and take a more active role in the groups to which I belonged. It was scary – I didn’t know anyone . . . but I went to a few local meetings and liked what I saw. After one meeting, I swallowed hard and walked up to the President to ask if there was anything I could do to help out. The rest is history.

Helen Yancy is a talented photographic artist. Many of you have taken her classes on Painter and photographic enhancement. While we know of her talents within the industry, she’s also a very giving, caring woman. I’m proud to know her and call her a friend.

When I received my PPA degrees in 1998, I asked Helen to be my “sponsor”; the individual who would hang the medallions around my neck. It was a proud moment for so many reasons . . . (but you’ll have to come back to find out the rest of the story on a different day.)

Thank-you to my dear friend Helen Yancy. Without you, I’d have never enjoyed my PPA membership to the level I have. You put a face on what it means to serve other members in a leadership role and set an example for everyone you touch. I know you already know this, but you are truly one of my “Photo Idols.”

Please vote for your own Photo Idol. Go to http://www.ppacharities.com/donate_now.html

PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 - Day 3

It’s time to reveal the third of my “Photo Idol” votes. (We’ve got 12 days of voting . . . there are lots more to come!)

By now, you’ve probably seen the PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 promotion launched on 12/12/12. I want to encourage everyone to participate, not only because it’s a great cause and excellent way to “pay it forward”, but also because it’s an awesome way to honor some of the very important people who helped to shape your photographic careers.

I’m sharing my own stories so that you know where I came from and who’s important to me. Watch for them on my personal Facebook page as well as on the studio page. Of course, all the vote tallies will also be shown on the PPA Charities website and Facebook pages.

Have you ever noticed that there are some speakers you could hear over and over again, and each time you listen you learn something new? Hanson Fong is that individual for me. His classic style of wedding portraiture and ability to flawlessly pose couples is among the best I’ve ever seen. In an age where so many wedding photographers use a “spray and pray” mentality, Hanson Fong’s ability to capture elegant, timeless images is still second to none.

He’s also responsible for a philosophy I use when purchasing equipment. So many photographers go crazy buying every latest gadget only to find them collecting dust on a shelf in a short time. I remember sitting in one of his programs early in my career, agonizing over the thought of spending $125 on an accessory. There came a point in his program when he began talking about what was in his camera case (yes, we used cases rather than bags back in the film days!) and he was talking about buying new “toys”. He seemed to look straight at me in a crowd of over 400 people and said “It’s not expensive as long as you use it. Close your eyes and write the check.” To this day, those words go through my head with nearly every purchase of photographic equipment. “It’s not expensive if you use it.”

He was always approachable and willing to answer questions. I think by now I’ve heard him speak well over a dozen times . . . and I still take something away.

Number 3 on my list of people who influenced my career is Hanson Fong.

It’s time for YOU to vote for your Photo Idol. Do it at http://www.ppacharities.com/donate_now.html

PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 - Day 2

Yes, it’s David Grupa . . . many of you know me from involvement in PPA and affiliate groups, while others just know me from places like Facebook or networking groups. Perhaps I photographed your wedding or high school senior portraits!

I hope you’ve seen the PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 promotion launched on 12/12/12, and I want to encourage everyone to participate; not only because it’s a great cause and excellent way to “pay it forward”, but also because it’s an awesome way to honor some of the very important people who helped to shape your photographic careers. As someone who has a special place in my heart for PPA Charities, this is a great opportunity to do something really great for someone else during the holiday season.

So . . . I’d like to keep the coins jingling with my own stories. Watch for them on my personal Facebook page as well as on the Camp David Photo Facebook page and blog (CampDavidPhoto.com). Of course, all the vote tallies will also be shown on the PPA Charities website and Facebook pages.

The second of my “Photo Idol” votes goes to my father, Leo Grupa. He rarely touched a camera and sometimes grumbled about having to stop the car so mom could get out and take pictures during a family vacation. As a man who worked hard to support his family over the years, he really stressed that I go to college and get a great education so I could “get a good job and not have to worry about money.” When I started a photography business in 1976, he thought that was a fairly resourceful way to make a few dollars on the side to pay my college tuition by “snapping pictures”. When I got busier photographing weddings, the auditor side of him came out and he showed me how to keep accurate records so I’d be prepared at tax time. When I quit school 2 years later to open a photography studio, he thought I was crazy to want to own a business. Yet, he supported me through the entire effort. Even though he didn’t place a high value on photographs, there was a part of him that wanted to make sure my expenses and revenues were properly aligned so I would be profitable and successful. (Although he still thought I should get a “regular job.”)

Unfortunately, dad died over 23 years ago and never got to see me receive my degrees from PPA and MNPPA. Still, I like to think he looks down every once in a while and is proud that I’ve “made it” this far.Dad, even though you would have shied away from any public recognition, your support and examples make you one of my “Photo Idols.”

Who is your Photo Idol? Share it with the world and honor them with a donation to PPA Charities. CLICK HERE to vote.

PPA Charities Photo Idol - Vote Today!

Hi Gang, it’s David Grupa . . . many of you know me from involvement in PPA and affiliate groups, while others just know me from places like Facebook.

You’ve probably seen the PPA Charities Photo Idol 2012 promotion launched on 12/12/12, and I want to encourage everyone to participate; not only because it’s a great cause and excellent way to “pay it forward”, but also because it’s an awesome way to honor some of the very important people who helped to shape your photographic careers. 

So . . . I’d like to get the coins jingling with my own stories. Watch for them right here on the Camp David Photo blog, as well as on the Camp David Photo and my person Facebook pages. Of course, all the vote tallies will also be shown on the PPA Charities website and Facebook pages.

My very first “PPA Charities Photo Idol” is my mother, Gloria Grupa. She was an artist and photography hobbyist, and it was because of her that I first wet my fingers in Dektol and “developed” a fondness for the smell of fixer. While she never pushed me to get into photography, when I became interested back in high school she was there to help me dig her darkroom equipment out of storage at my grandmother's house and set it up in our basement. She often provided gentle (and sometimes pointed) critiques of my work; while we all want to hear praise and positive commentary, she was straightforward with me when I needed to hear those words as well. At a point when so many people sugar-coat their words to protect another's feelings, mom was honest without being harsh. She made me realize that I need to be serious about my work and the techniques I employed. Even as a hobbyist, she took pride in the pieces she created and wanted them to be finished properly. Today, it's something I keep in mind with every portrait session.

Mom died the past September 28^th after a long battle with cancer, but through it all she maintained a positive attitude and remained fiercely independent. 

My first vote goes to Gloria Grupa. Thanks, Mom, for all you did for me over the years. You are truly one of my “PPA Charities Photo Idols.”

To vote for your Photo Idol, go to http://www.ppacharities.com/donate_now.html