From Behind the Lens to Center Stage: My Photographic Craftsman Journey

Let's be honest. When you work behind the camera for a living, you don't often pause long enough to step in front of it and say, "Hey, look what I did!"

But today, I'm doing just that.

In 2024, I earned my Photographic Craftsman degree from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA).

And I'm pretty darn proud of it!

So, What Is the Photographic Craftsman Degree?

Most people are probably more familiar with PPA's Master of Photography degree, which recognizes photographic excellence. The Photographic Craftsman degree is a little different.

It's earned through PPA's merit system and recognizes photographers who contribute to photographic education through activities such as speaking, teaching, and writing.

Which means that all those hours I've spent creating presentations, teaching classes, writing educational materials, and talking to other photographers have actually added up to something. Besides an impressive collection of PowerPoint files, that is.

I've been fortunate to have opportunities to speak at photography conferences, teach workshops, mentor photographers, and share what I've learned over the years. Some of that has been about equine photography, while other programs have covered business, marketing, image competition, and the various challenges that come with being a professional photographer.

And I genuinely enjoy doing it.

One of my favorite things about teaching is when someone asks a question, we talk through it, and suddenly something they've been struggling with makes sense. Especially when it's something they've been making much harder than it needs to be. We've all been there.

Of course, sometimes the questions lead to a completely different discussion than the one I had planned. That's usually when things get interesting.

But Wait, There's More (Cue Infomercial Voice)

Even though I earned my Photographic Craftsman degree in 2024, I decided not to walk across the stage at Imaging USA in Dallas in January 2025.

Instead, I chose to wait until Imaging USA came to Nashville in January 2026.

It wasn't exactly a difficult decision. Having the opportunity to receive my degree in my home state of Tennessee made waiting another year worth it.

And then something else happened.

In 2025, I earned my Master of Photography degree, too.

So instead of planning to walk across the stage with one degree, I suddenly had two to celebrate.

Double sash. Double bling. And a pretty good chance I was going to need tissues.

Why This One Means So Much to Me

I've had a lot of people help me along the way in my photography career. Some were instructors, some were mentors, and others were photographers who were simply willing to answer questions or share what they'd learned.

I appreciate that more than I can say.

And now I get to be the person answering some of those questions.

I enjoy teaching photographers how to improve their images, but I also love talking about the business side of photography. Pricing, marketing, client communication, workflows, and all the other things we have to figure out when we decide that taking photographs for a living sounds like a good idea.

Because, as it turns out, being good with a camera and knowing how to run a photography business are two very different skill sets.

I've spent plenty of time figuring things out in my own business, sometimes through education and sometimes through the considerably less enjoyable method of learning what NOT to do.

If sharing some of that experience helps another photographer avoid a mistake, understand a concept, or find a better way to do something, I'm happy to do it.

And apparently, I'm willing to create another PowerPoint presentation about it, too.

What's Next?

More teaching, more learning, and probably more PowerPoint slides than any one person reasonably needs.

I have no intention of giving up the photography side of my career, but I also love the opportunities I have to work with other photographers through education, mentoring, and professional organizations.

And while earning the Photographic Craftsman degree is something I'm proud of, I'm equally happy when someone comes up after a presentation and tells me that something I said finally made sense.

Although I won't pretend the fancy medallion isn't pretty cool, too.