Saturday, July 18th

9:00 – 4:00 Pete Coco - From Inspiring Portraits to a Successful Portrait Business
(PPA Merited Class with separate registration) Lunch provided.

9:00 – 4:00 Marisa Balletti-Lavoie - Illumination Sessions: Ignite Your Business
(PPA Merited Class with separate registration) Lunch provided.

5:00 — 6.00 Assembly - Roundtable of speakers, board members, and vendors. Any question goes!

7:00 – 9.00 Prom Dinner - Dress to the nines for our school-themed awards dinner!

sunday, July 19th

8:00 am - 9:00 – Breakfast (provided)

9:00 am - 10:30 - Brent Watkins - Modern Compositing for Working Photographers

10:45 am - 12:00 - Pete Coco – Pro Level Editing and Retouching

Lunch (provided)

1:00 pm - 2:30 - Marisa Balletti-Lavoie - The Art of Branding

2:45 pm - 4:15 - Danica Barreau - Intro to AI Assistants

4:30 pm - 5.45 - Recess - Connect with your peers during this fun, informal social mixer.

6:00 pm - 8:00 - Dinner (provided)

From Inspiring Portraits to a Successful Portrait Business

PPA Merited Class
July 18th | 9.00 – 4.30
Cherry Valley Hotel

**Separate Registration – Register here.

Part One: The Beauty Dish Reimagined - Create Intentional, Inspiring Portraits

In this workshop, I will show you how I use a beauty dish to create portraits that are dramatic, inspiring, and intentional. The beauty dish is extremely versatile, and I will show you practical techniques that anyone can implement, even if they never used a beauty dish before, or are relatively new to portrait photography. Our emphasis will be on lighting the face, how to shape light in a flattering way, using face and camera angles that empower, and coaching subjects to emote captivating expressions. I will show you why the beauty dish is the ultimate portrait modifier.

We will also explore creating portraits with intent. With simple tips for styling, wardrobe, background choice, and layering elements in your scene, you can bring your portraits to a new level of artistic refinement. This will be an interactive workshop, so bring your camera! You will have the opportunity to practice using the light setups and photograph others implementing the concepts we learn during the class.

Part 2: Building a Successful Portrait Business with Individual Sessions and Location Headshots

Learning how to create beautiful, unique portraits is only half the battle. Finding clients and building a successful portrait studio is a very different challenge, and many photographers fail on the business side, even though their work may be excellent. In this class, I will detail how I’ve build a six figure portrait business with two simple concepts - the individual portrait session and the location headshot session. These are very different kinds of sessions, and need to be marketed differently, using various creative as well as technical and business muscles. We will talk marketing, strategies for success, and I will help you grow your business by learning from my successes and failures.

Lunch is provided.

Pro Level Editing and Retouching

July 19th |

Editing photos is a major key to being a successful professional photographer. There’s a fine line between over-editing, not just when it comes to retouching, but also when it comes to color grades, LUTs, and other stylistic choices. Although editing is easier than ever with all the great technology we have, it’s also very easy to throw the “kitchen sink” at our images. In this class, I will go over my editing workflow, which begins with getting it right in camera, and ends with photos that are natural, showing people at their best, with impact.

Pete Coco is a New York-based portrait photographer known for creating bold, engaging images that defy convention. Pete strives to capture authentic emotion from his subjects, and loves using dramatic light and a cinematic approach. He works with a wide range of clients including actors, musicians, executives, and creatives who refuse to settle for an average portrait.

Pete’s passion as an artist and photographer also drives The Portrait Community, a mentoring group he runs for photographers where he helps them sharpen their craft, grow their businesses, and cultivate a mindset for success.

Besides this, he shares his perspective with 30K+ subscribers on YouTube, where he talks shopabout portraiture, gear, and everything in between. When he’s not working with clients or mentoring creatives, Pete can be found lugging his upright bass and camera around New York, playing with a variety of musicians and simultaneously documenting the music scene.

Illumination Sessions: Ignite Your Business

PPA Merited Class
July 19th | 9.00 – 4.30
Cherry Valley Hotel

**Separate Registration - Register here.

Get ready to spark a transformation with Illumination Sessions: Ignite Your Business with Marisa Balletti-Lavoie. This full-day workshop is designed for photographers ready to elevate their brand, attract ideal clients, and implement effective marketing strategies that work.

Dive into real SEO techniques that unlock the power of Google, helping your business get found in the digital landscape. You’ll learn the brainpower behind this mastermind search overlord’s algorithms, giving you a competitive edge that drives consistent, quality traffic to your site.

Social media strategies will be front and center, as we explore how to connect with your perfect clients and build a brand identity that resonates. You’ll leave knowing how to create engaging content that speaks directly to your audience, while learning how to leverage modern tools like ChatGPT for content creation and Canva for polished visuals that align with your brand. 

One of the highlights will be learning how to bridge the gap between your vision and reality as we dive into the process of bringing your ideas to life in a way that captures your audience’s attention. We’ll focus on creating powerful Reels, harnessing the long-term value of YouTube, and developing a content strategy that fits your goals.

This day is packed with learning, illuminating techniques, and hands-on activities that will leave you ready to take action immediately. Walk away with the knowledge, confidence, and strategies you need to ignite your business, attract your dream clients, and achieve the success you deserve.

This is more than just a workshop – it's a path to business brilliance!

Lunch is provided.

This is a PPA continuing education class. All PPA members in good standing will receive a merit for attending.

The Art of Branding: Define Your Story, Attract the Right Clients, Design a Profitable Experience

July 19th |

Your brand is your story, your presence, and the reason the right clients choose you.

In The Art of Branding, we cut through the noise and define what actually makes a brand work. You’ll learn how to clarify your message, refine your visual identity, and show up with intention so your business feels cohesive, elevated, and unmistakably yours.

We’ll also get into the strategy behind profitable branding sessions - how to guide your clients, design with purpose, and create work that holds value and commands it.

This is about building a brand that looks right, feels right, and books right.

Marisa Balletti Lavoie – Master Photographer, Master Artist, Craftman

Marisa Balletti-Lavoie believes in living boldly, independently, and unapologetically, guided by original thought and relentless creativity. A self-taught professional photographer with over 19 years of experience and a lifelong passion for art, Marisa channels her vibrant vision into Sassy Mouth™ Photography from her Meriden, Connecticut studio, The Sassy Space.

Constantly evolving, she thrives on pushing boundaries, continuously reimagining her brand to new heights.Marisa holds prestigious degrees from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) - Master of Photography, Master Artist, and Photographic Craftsman - and was honored by the American Society of Photographers (ASP) with their first-ever coveted "Superstar" pin, in recognition of her innovative contributions to their social media presence. She also proudly serves as a Governor on the ASP board.

Her artistic achievements include earning Platinum Photographer of the Year from PPA in 2021and being named a Grand Imaging Award Finalist for her celebrated album, "Metamorphosis." When she's not crafting award-winning imagery, Marisa enjoys music festivals, spending time with family, fabulous lipstick, and the occasional box of wine. Committed deeply to the transformative power of education, Marisa considers herself a perpetual student, endlessly inspired by the world around her.

Modern Compositing for Working Photographers

July 19th | TBD

What if a single session could take your subject anywhere — a dramatic skyline, a fantasy landscape, a perfectly lit environment you never had access to? Compositing makes it possible, and it's more accessible than you think.
Modern Compositing for Working Photographers shows you how to expand what's creatively possible with every shoot. Brent Watkins, owner of the award-winning, multi-generational Sylvart Studio in Barberton, Ohio, walks you through practical compositing techniques that elevate your imagery, differentiate your work, and give clients something they can't get anywhere else.

Along the way, you'll discover how tools like PIXNUB and reusable workflows make those creative possibilities scalable — so you can deliver more without working more.

Whether you're looking to push your artistic boundaries or simply add a powerful new dimension to your existing work, this session will change how you think about what a camera can do.

INTRO TO AI ASSISTANTS

July 19th | TBD

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now, and a lot of photographers are being told they "need" to use it — without much clarity on how or why, or what it's actually good at. This program cuts through the noise. We'll look at practical, real-world ways to use AI assistants like Claude and ChatGPT, not as a replacement for your creativity or experience, but as a flexible business assistant: refining client emails, building templates, brainstorming, research, marketing, and day-to-day workflow support. You'll see where these tools can save you time and where they fall short or shouldn't be used at all — including the real questions around training data, resource use, and what "AI-sounding" content does to client trust.

This session is conversational and non-technical, designed for photographers who are doing the work themselves and want support, not more complexity. You'll leave knowing not just why these tools might help, but exactly how to get started: settings, memory, projects, and a few demos.

Presented by Danica Barreau, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr., CPP, MAI of Pouka Art & Photography in Grove City, Ohio. A PPA Master Photographer and Master Artist who serves on the American Society of Photographers' AI Tiger Team, Danica has spent several years closely tracking how AI is reshaping the photography industry, and uses AI assistants daily in her own business — from client communication to marketing. She brings the same standard to AI education that she brings to image competition judging: precision over hype, and an honest look at both what works and what doesn't.

CHERRY VALLEY HOTEL

2299 CHERRY VALLEY RD SE, NEWARK, OH 43055
740-788-1200 | cherryvalleyhotel.com

$139 room rate for single or double King. Call the Hotel directly at 740-788-1200 or 800-788-8008 or use this direct booking link:

PPO Summer School Hotel Booking Link

Individuals must identify themselves as being with the Professional Photographers of Ohio at the time the reservation is made to receive the special rate. All reservations must be made by July 6, 2026. Regular rate of $209 per room will apply after the deadline.

Popular Hotel Amenities and Features
Take advantage of recreational opportunities offered, including an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness center. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, gift shops/newsstands, and wedding services.

Hotel Accommodations and Guest Rooms
Make yourself at home in one of the 200 guestrooms featuring refrigerators and LED televisions. Your bed comes with premium bedding, and all rooms are furnished with twin sofa beds. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature complimentary toiletries and hair dryers.

Registration includes the awards dinner and socialization on July 18th, all classes on Sunday the 19th, as well as all meals on Sunday (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

PPA members will receive one merit for attending and PPO members will be eligible for a PPO service merit.