MOPPA - Professional Photographers Association of Missouri

11/03/2026

📸 MOPPA Member Spotlight: Meet Aaron Cooper!

This month we're featuring our very own MOPPA President, Aaron Cooper!

Aaron is the owner of Aaron Cooper's Photography in Bella Vista, Arkansas, specializing in real estate photography and landscape art.

His photography journey started at just 13 years old when he earned a photography merit badge at Boy Scout camp. Learning to develop film and print black-and-white photographs sparked a passion that continues today!

One of Aaron's favorite things about MOPPA? The people!

"When you're a member, there's no competition, just other photographers helping other photographers."

We couldn't agree more!

Check out some of Aaron's beautiful work and give him a follow!

📷 Aaron Cooper's Photography
🕸️ https://www.aaronsstudiophotography.com/

11/03/2026

Why join MOPPA? 📸

Hear from longtime member Angi Landis of Angi's Art as she shares why she values the education, friendships, and networking opportunities MOPPA offers. And why FotoChaos is a conference she never misses!

Come see what MOPPA is all about!

10/13/2026

Lightroom Classic - Advanced Editing with Masks & More

Session Description
Shorten your workflow time and create impactful images with Adobe Lightroom Classic! Recent updates to Lightroom in the last few years have significantly improved what you can do within this program to enhance your images. Learn How To: ➢ Use intelligent masking technology to enhance your images with options based on luminance, color range, gradients, radials, and even AI-selected subjects, object, backgrounds, landscapes and skies ➢ Manage mask layers to work together (add, subtract, invert or intersect) to have more control over selections and create stunning results ➢ Implement a step-by-step process to simplify your editing workflow using these new features, with creating presets to use these new masking features ➢ Use the newest features in Lightroom (constantly changing) with Kimberly’s guidance. These updated features have helped Kimberly take her editing in Lightroom to a whole new level... It's faster, simpler, and requires her to rarely use Photoshop for event photography anymore. Let Kimberly show you how to use these new features to enhance your Lightroom editing process, making it fast, simple & much more enjoyable.

Brief Speaker BIO
Kimberly Olker bridges technical precision and artistic vision, blending a background in software engineering with a passion for fine art. Based in Northern California, she has been a professional photographer since 2005 and holds the titles of Master Photographer, Master Wedding Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) through PPA, where she also serves as an approved juror. Recognized internationally for her work, Kimberly earned the prestigious Diamond Photographer award for Landscape at the International Photographic Competition. As an educator, mentor, and Adjunct Professor of Photography, she is dedicated to helping others master the delicate balance of technical excellence and expressive creativity.

Visit www.MOPPA.com/events to register. Members sign in for Membership Pricing.

10/08/2026

Who's going out tonight to photograph the Draconid Meteor Shower?

The Draconid Meteor Shower peaks the night of October 8 into October 9, and we put together a quick cheat sheet to help you get ready. These are suggested settings but gives you room to tweak them a bit. Biggest tip is get out early. Background image is MOPPA President, Aaron Cooper.

The Draconids are known for being a slower and sometimes unpredictable meteor shower, but with dark skies, patience, and continuous shooting, you may come away with some great images.

If you head out to photograph them, we’d love to see what you capture. Feel free to share your images in the comments!

08/29/2026

Join MOPPA Education for this Webinar on September 30th, at 7 pm.

Future-Proofing Your Lens: Integrating AI Without Losing Your Creative Identity
Webinar Description
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the creative industry, presenting photographers with both new opportunities and new challenges. The key is learning how to embrace these technologies without compromising the creativity, personal connection, and distinctive artistic vision that define your brand.

In this engaging and practical webinar, photographers will learn how to strategically integrate AI into their creative and business workflows to reduce administrative demands, streamline repetitive tasks, improve efficiency, and accelerate client delivery.

Rather than replacing the photographer, AI can serve as a powerful creative and business assistant, giving you more time to focus on what matters most: creating exceptional images, building meaningful client relationships, and developing your unique artistic voice.

Participants will discover practical ways to use AI while maintaining authenticity, protecting their creative identity, and positioning their photography business for long-term success in an increasingly technology-driven industry.

About Burton Kelso
Burton Kelso is an internationally recognized technology keynote speaker and a leading consumer and business digital safety and AI expert. As a technology contributor, he helps organizations and individuals navigate the rapidly evolving world of technology while making complex concepts accessible and practical.

Burton's mission is to introduce people to new possibilities in technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and digital marketing while helping them use these tools safely and effectively.

A lifelong technology enthusiast, Burton has a unique ability to make technology approachable, engaging, and even fun. His presentations combine practical knowledge with an entertaining style, empowering audiences to embrace emerging technologies with confidence while understanding the importance of digital safety and responsible use.

Register at www.moppa.com/events
Members, be sure to log in for membership pricing.

08/28/2026

08/26/2026

🐶 National Dog Day Roll Call!

Let's have some fun...

Drop ONE photo of your dog (or your favorite dog photo you've taken).

👇 Bonus points if you tell us:
• Their name
• Their breed (or best guess 😄)
• One funny thing they do

We'll start...

Who's the goodest photography assistant in the MOPPA family? ❤️📸

08/24/2026

Photography isn't about having the newest gear.

It's about seeing something ordinary in an extraordinary way.

Keep creating.

Keep learning.

Keep looking for the light.

08/21/2026

💙 Thank you!

A huge thank you to Shane Hughes for sharing his knowledge and experience during our Financial Planning for Your Future webinar.

We appreciate the time, expertise, and practical advice you shared with our members and guests. We hope everyone left with new ideas, helpful resources, and greater confidence in planning for their financial future.

And thank you to everyone who joined us! Your continued support of MOPPA and our educational programs is what makes events like this possible.

We look forward to seeing you at our next educational event!