Ross Benton,
TPPA President 2019

It’s difficult to believe that my time as TPPA President is already drawing to a close!  It’s been an honor to serve as your president. During my time in this position, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some awesome people at TPPA, attend some great events and most importantly make some new friends. I have loved getting to know so many of my fellow photographers across the state of Texas and even beyond.

As my term draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the many experiences and people that have blessed me and I simply want to say in my final letter to you, “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.” Working together, we’ve all become better.

In my career as a photographer, I have the opportunity to travel over a fairly sizable swatch of the state to photograph different things for different clients. Sometimes, a photo shoot is a one-person job. Other times, I need some reinforcement! Thankfully, I have found a group of five photographers who serve as my partners and supporters when I’m asked to photograph a larger event. They will travel to help me as needed and I will travel to help them. Not only do we help each other professionally, we also invest in each other personally. We learn from each other’s successes and failures and we talk with each other about our lives and families. Working together, we have all become better.

In the creation story at the beginning of the Bible, God delights in all He has made. One of the refrains in the opening chapter of Genesis is this: “It was very good” (Genesis 1:31). But when God created the first man Adam, He expressed a concern. “It is not good for the man to be alone,” He said (Genesis 2:18).  So, God made Eve. Why? Because He knew that working together, things go better. At the end of the Bible, there is a man named John who sees a vision of heaven. What does he see? “I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,” John says (Revelation 7:9). John sees a huge crowd of people! Why? Because he knows that working together, things go better. The story of the Bible, from beginning to end, is the story of people working together.

This fall, we will have the opportunity to work together at the iHeart Photography Conference at the Grapevine Convention Center, October 11-13. If you just need some fresh inspiration and encouragement, there will be something there for you. If you’re a pro but you know you still need to grow, there will also be something there for you. If you’re looking to grow your business and learn some of the latest tricks and tools of our trade, there will be something there for you as well. For more information, and to register, just go to www.iheartphotography.org. I hope to see you there because I know that working together, we can all become better!

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as your president. Even as my role changes, my commitment to our industry – and to you – will not. I count it a privilege to call you my colleagues and my friends.

All the best,
Ross Benton
TPPA President