Professional Photographers of Iowa

Professional Photographers of Iowa A Professional Photographers of America state affiliate dedicated to the education of its members.

Professional Photographers of Iowa is an organization of creatives who work to uphold the standards of our industry through education and networking. Our members openly share expertise and ideas as well as support and encourage each other. We are the voice of our industry in the media and to the public and, most importantly, we like to have fun.

Let’s get the conversation going!
09/05/2026

Let’s get the conversation going!

🎉 WE ARE SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER! 🎉We are thrilled to welcome ANNIE MARIE to the stage! 🙌📸You won’t want...
09/03/2026

🎉 WE ARE SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEXT SPEAKER! 🎉

We are thrilled to welcome ANNIE MARIE to the stage! 🙌📸

You won’t want to miss the inspiration, education, and fresh ideas this amazing speaker will bring to Fast Forward!

📅 November 8, 2026
📍 The District | Ankeny, Iowa 10 am-1 pm

Annie Marie is an award-winning portrait photographer, educator, graphic artist, and mentor based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more than 30 years, she has been creating artful portraits that blend creativity, storytelling, and technical excellence.
Specializing in seniors, children, women, and fine art portraiture, Annie is known for
transforming simple ideas into striking imagery through thoughtful styling, intentional lighting, and creative vision. Her work has earned international recognition, including Minnesota Photographer of the Year four years i n a row, along with multiple Master and Fellow accreditations through some of the industry's leading organizations.
A passionate educator, Annie has taught photographers across the country through
conferences, workshops, and photography organizations. Whether she's teaching creativity, lighting, editing, styling, or business strategies, her goal is simple: help photographers create stronger images, build confidence, and discover their own artistic voice.
When she's not behind the camera, Annie designs branding, marketing tools, and educational resources for photographers and hosts her annual LUXE Workshop, where she helps artists elevate both their craft and their businesses.

ANNIE MARIE CREATING ARTFUL IMAGES + NO IPS, NO PROBLEM IN ANKENY IOWA NOVEMBER 8, 2026!! 10 am-1 pm.

🚀 Ready to Fast Forward? Sign up at the link below!

https://www.ppiowa.com/photography-conferences-and-workshops

https://www.ppiowa.com/event-6725370

We can’t wait to see you there!

PPI MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Lisa EllingworthLisa Ellingworth describes herself as a “late bloomer” in photography—and her jour...
09/01/2026

PPI MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Lisa Ellingworth
Lisa Ellingworth describes herself as a “late bloomer” in photography—and her journey proves that it’s never too late to take your creativity in a new direction.
At age 54, Lisa headed to Hawkeye Community College thinking she would take a few photography classes. Instead, she committed to the program, earned her degree, and began a whole new chapter in her life.
Her photography has taken her from creating landscapes for juried Fine Art Festivals to portrait photography and becoming a studio owner. Today, Lisa photographs portraits while continuing to create Fine Art landscapes.
For Lisa, education and connecting with other photographers have been an important part of building her business—which is also one of the reasons she values PPI.
“One thing that I love about PPI is how welcomed I felt when I first attended an event. This organization not only focuses on how to become a better photographer, but how to become a successful businessperson as well.”
Lisa says the friendships she has made through PPI have led to referrals, stronger technical skills, and opportunities to learn about other photography genres.
“I can’t imagine moving forward as a photographer without being a part of PPI.”
We’re happy to have Lisa as part of our PPI community!

08/23/2026

Today is the last day to save $150 on registration for Focus Forward '27 photography conference. Head over to www.ppiowa.com to sign up now!

Join us for Focus Forward March 5–8, 2027 where photographers from across Iowa and the Midwest will gather at Hotel Millwright in Amana, Iowa for four days of education, creativity, and connection.

Fair warning... these throwback photos might give you a serious case of FOMO. 😄📸We always have a blast getting together,...
08/21/2026

Fair warning... these throwback photos might give you a serious case of FOMO. 😄📸

We always have a blast getting together, and every event ends with new ideas, new friends, and way too many photos to sort through.

Tell us your favorite PPIowa memory in the comments!

And if you're ready for the next adventure, keep watching our page. We've got more events on the way!

Okay, Iowa photographers… this is a BIG one.Peter Hurley is coming to Iowa. And we’re giving you two ways to learn from ...
08/19/2026

Okay, Iowa photographers… this is a BIG one.

Peter Hurley is coming to Iowa. And we’re giving you two ways to learn from one of the most recognized names in headshot photography.

First up: FAST FORWARD featuring Annie Marie and Peter Hurley!

More on Annie Marie's course coming soon.

Peter's course: From Zero to SHABANG!

You know that moment when your lighting is perfect, your settings are perfect…and the human standing in front of your camera suddenly forgets how to be a human?

Yeah. That.

Peter is digging into the part of portrait photography that has nothing to do with your camera. And he won’t just be talking about it. Peter will be shooting LIVE, showing you exactly how he takes a subject from stiff and guarded to a SHABANG’n shot full of personality.

But we’re not stopping there.

🔥 THE NEXT DAY: The Headshot Crash Course (must register for each day separately)

This is the deep dive.

One full, intensive day with Peter covering the system that helped build his career—from lighting and posing to expression, directing, culling and finishing an image.

You’ll watch him work with real subjects.
You’ll see how he thinks through a shoot.
And then you’ll get behind the camera and put it into practice yourself.

The Crash Course includes hands-on shooting with multiple setups and live coaching from Peter, so you’re not just taking notes and hoping you remember everything when you get home.

Whether you photograph headshots, seniors, families, branding clients, athletes (or literally any other variety of humans) learning how to get more personality, confidence and LIFE out of the people in front of your camera changes everything.

Come for Fast Forward. Stay for the Crash Course. Do both and make a whole thing of it.

📍 Ankeny, Iowa
📸 Featuring Canon Explorer of Light Peter Hurley
🎟️ Fast Forward + The Headshot Crash Course

Registration + full details here>>> https://www.ppiowa.com/photography-conferences-and-workshops *Registration for each day is separate!

Tag the photographer who needs to come with you. This one is worth the road trip.

Focus Forward '27 Early Bird Price EXTENDED!Life is busy, especially in the summer time, so we decided to give you just ...
08/18/2026

Focus Forward '27 Early Bird Price EXTENDED!

Life is busy, especially in the summer time, so we decided to give you just a bit more time to register for Focus Forward 2027 at the early bird price. Registration fees will increase on Monday Aug 24th so sign up now and save $150!

On top of that, did you notice registration fees have been lowered? We (the board) are working hard to make sure event pricing is easier on your wallet but we can't do that without YOU! To keep pricing low, attendance need to stay high, and that's where you come in. Help spread the word about PPI and our events so more people can learn, grow and be inspired by our amazing community.

Join us for Focus Forward March 5–8, 2027 where photographers from across Iowa and the Midwest will gather at Hotel Millwright in Amana, Iowa for four days of education, creativity, and connection.

Here's what you can look forward to:
👉 Inspiring speakers and hands-on demonstrations
👉 Genuine networking with photographers who become lifelong friends
👉 Business and marketing strategies you can put into action immediately
👉 PPI's Annual Awards & Print Competition
👉 Vendor Meet & Greet
👉 Fun social events (yes... Dance Party is back!)

Whether you're a seasoned professional, just getting started, or somewhere in between, Focus Forward is a conference designed to help you grow your photography, your business, and your community.

Sign up here >>> https://www.ppiowa.com/PPI-Focus-Forward

🎉 Speaker Announcement!!! 🎉We are SO excited to announce that the wonderful and incredibly talented Anjana Olson will be...
08/13/2026

🎉 Speaker Announcement!!! 🎉

We are SO excited to announce that the wonderful and incredibly talented Anjana Olson will be speaking at the Professional Photographers of Iowa Focus Forward Conference 2027! 📸✨

Join us March 5–8, 2027, in the quaint and beautiful Amana Colonies Hotel Millwright for an unforgettable conference filled with inspiration, education, creativity, and connection!

Anj Olson is a Master Photographer, Master Craftsman, CPP Certified, Director on the Board at Professional Photographers of America, and award-winning portrait artist at Anj Portrait Studio.
Equally, she’s a mother, wife, and lifelong learner living in Ankeny, Iowa. Anj has been a portrait artist for 12 years and specializes in children and family fine art portraits and self-portraiture. Her work is influenced by her 3 amazing boys and experiencing the world - specifically fashion, fine art, cinematography, travel and literature. With a librarian as a mom and a biochemist as a father, photography was the perfect combination of storytelling and science - it’s a dream come true to be in this profession.

Unveiled: The Soul of Self‑Portraiture
A focused, practical session exploring self‑portrait techniques, strategies for using
self‑portraits in business, and methods to deepen creativity and emotional resonance. Participants will learn remote‑shooting and self‑directing approaches, ways to leverage self‑portraits for branding and portfolios, plus prompts and exercises to unlock authentic storytelling.

We can’t wait to welcome Anjana to Focus Forward! ❤️

👉 Register today at https://www.ppiowa.com/

Looking through photos from past PPIowa events has me smiling. 😊There's just something special about spending the day cr...
08/13/2026

Looking through photos from past PPIowa events has me smiling. 😊

There's just something special about spending the day creating, learning, and laughing with other photographers.

What's been your favorite PPIowa event so far? We'd love to hear!

Stay tuned... we've got more exciting events in the works.

Have you started working on your digital prints for competition yet?!Get those prints ready and join us for Fast Forward...
08/10/2026

Have you started working on your digital prints for competition yet?!

Get those prints ready and join us for Fast Forward Fall at the District in Ankeny, Iowa, November 8-9, 2026!

Come learn, connect, get inspired, and get those competition images ready to shine!

And...stay tuned! WE have some exciting speaker announcements coming SOON!

You're not going to want to miss this one!

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