BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014
Officers
Dan Hammel, M.Photog,Cr. ABI. Fellow, SWPP, United Kingdom
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dan is an award winning photographer and lecturer serving the photographic industry for over 30 years and is Past President of AZPPA. His programs on business and marketing have helped motivate, stimulate and educate photographers all over the country. Hammel has won many awards for print competition and was awarded Arizona Photographer of the Year in 2004. He is proud to have earned 8 Fuji Masterpiece, 3 ASP State, 3 Kodak Gallery awards and the PPA National Award for Service
AZPPAHammel@aol.com
Bob Zimmerlich, CPP
Past President
Bob along with his wife Connie joined AzPPA and PPA in 2006 as aspiring photographers and through the encouragement of fellow members and learning from all of the educational opportunities available they opened their residential studio ClickChick Photography in 2007. In 2013 they moved to a retail studio.
An amateur photographer since the age of 17, Bob has been the owner of a successful software business for over 30 years and his technology background allowed him to embrace photography in the digital realm.
Bob was awarded the AzPPA Top Ten Photographer award in 2010,2012 & 2013, is a recipient of the AzPPA Artisan and Apple awards as well as the Fuji Masterpiece Award.
He has served on the AzPPA Board of Directors for the past 7 year and currently serves on the nominating committee for the PPA Board Of Directors.
AzPPA has been instrumental in allowing Bob to fulfill his love of photography and continues to be inspired by the high level of professionalism, friendships and creativity among it's members.
bob@clickchickphotography.com
David Smith
President
David is an award winning, local Phoenix photographer who has over 30 years of photography experience. He earned his BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York then began his journey west.
His background extends from photographing commercials in Chicago, car companies in Colorado, and a 15 year partnership with Arizona Highways Magazine. David currently owns his own studio specializing in high school seniors, however, his clientele also includes families, engaged couples, and fashion models. Not only is he passionate about his craft, and the products and services he provides, but also about the relationship and experience he creates with each client.
davidhsmith20@gmail.com
Connie Zimmerlich, CPP
Secretary/Treasurer
The arts have always been a part of Connie’s life. She studied Dance beginning at age 5, played the clarinet and majored in Dance at Adelphi University in New York. She was fortunate to teach dance and baton twirling for 25 years. One summer about 7 years ago, after many years of enjoying photography as a hobby, Connie and her son, Brian, enrolled in a photography class. She had been searching for a new creative outlet and discovered that photography was the answer. Her thirst to learn more brought her to PPA and AZPPA. Connie has served on the AZPPA Board and is acting Membership Chairperson as well as a PPA Counselor.
In addition to her photography business, Connie works with her husband, Bob, in their software business. Once her two sons graduated from high school and Mom’s Taxi retired, there was time to explore and grow a photography business.
Connie was awarded AZPPA Top Ten Photographer 2012, Certified Professional Photographer Print Award and recipient of AZPPA Artisan and Apple Award. In 2013 Connie was awarded bronze photographer of the year by national PPA for meriting all 4 prints during the PPA international print competition.
She feels very grateful for the education and friendships that she has formed as being a member of AZPPA and PPA.
connie@clickchickphotography.com
Directors
James Walls,CPP
Originally from Great Britain, Jim and his wife Jane have made Arizona their home for over 15 years.
With a background in engineering, Jim was able to put his theoretical knowledge to better use with an artistic flair behind a camera. Jim and Jane were thrown in to professional photography when asked to photograph their daughter's dance recital in 2005, and the rest, as they say, is history.
With the help and encouragement of some great photographers and now friends in AZPPA, Jim has progressed from being a complete newcomer in the field of professional event and portrait photography to a Certified Photographer and print competition winner! It's been an incredible journey, and one that would not have been possible without the benefit of AZPPA membership. Jim can still remember his first AZPPA meeting when he tentatively asked an established professional "How do you know when you're a professional?" to which he received the now-obvious answer, "Well, are you charging for your work?!" and then proceeded to receive some very valuable advice about running a business.
Jim has been a member of AZPPA and Professional Photographers of America (PPA) since 2005, and is delighted to be able to give back to the association by returning to serve again on the board of directors as Print Competition Chair.
jim@fourwallsphoto.com
David Weingarten, CPP
David founded GoldenEye Photography in 2004 and specializes in business, corporate portraits and video. He studied under Monte Zucker and applies his impeccable lighting techniques when photographing everything from weddings to landscapes. He was awarded AZPPA Photographer of the Year in 2013, and serves on the AZPPA Board of Directors. Born and raised in Canada, Dave has resided in Tempe Arizona for the past 20 years.
dweingarten@cox
Steve Wells
Steve along with his wife Jan own Arborwells Photography, a photography business in Surprise, AZ. They provide portrait, family portrait, and special events as well as nature and landscape photography.
Steve became a member of the AZPPA in 2011 and the PPA in 2012. Steve has announced his candidacy for the CPP certification in April 2013. Steve is honored to be able to serve and contribute to the organization that has helped develop his professional photographer career.
Steve has been involved with photography most of his life. His interest began to grow when he purchased his first film SLR in the 1980ís. He also used to do B&W print and color slide film development. After Digital SLRís were introduced, Steve purchased his first DSLR camera in 2001. His career and experience in Information Technology fueled his interest to use his computer skills to optimize and create images. At that time, his passion for photography and the desire to learn how to improve his images grew even stronger. Steve and Jan recently retired from their careers to start their photography business. Website: www.arborwellsphoto.com Phone: 623-238-1549
slwellsaz@gmail.com
Dawn Kotch
Bruce Roscoe
Born in Burlington Vermont, Bruce spent most of his adult life as an electrical contractor specializing in control wiring in 5 states on the East Coast.
Photography has always played a role in Bruce's life. In 1956 his parents gave him a Brownie Bullet camera for his birthday. A love affair with photography was born. The smell of Bakelite when you open the back of the camera was a reminder of days gone by. Ten years later still taking pictures, he decided to be professionally trained. The Army talked him into working for them in the photo field. Capturing images of kings and queens, traveling around the world sounded like a lot of fun! After intense training with the Speed-graphic camera and learning darkroom skills, Bruce was told his assignment wouldn't be as glorious as he had hoped. Off he went to Vietnam as a combat photographer.
Today the love affair with photography lives on. As a certified professional photographer Bruce studied portraiture with the New York Institute of Photography. The style he developed is a blend of two famous photographers, Yousuf Karsh and Monte Zucker. A member of both the Professional Photographers of America, and Arizona Professional Photographers Association, Bruce also spent over five years as a trip leader with Arizona Highways Photo Workshops.
Photography is my mission with people being my subject, capturing their life through thoughtful photography. Aiyana Studio of Photography- www.aiyanastudio.com - 928-713-9870