TPPA President 2025
By Bill Hedrick
(Cover Photo by David Edmonson)
It has been said that if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a true leader. In the continuously evolving world of professional photography, such leadership qualities are essential for the continued success of organizations like the Texas Professional Photographers Association and are just a few of the reasons why Shawna Hinkel has been elected to serve as its 2025 President.
Shawna is much more than an accomplished photographer. She is a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and worked as a newspaper reporter in Boston while her husband, Josh, attended Harvard Business School. During this time, she started Shawna Hinkel Photography, specializing in weddings and portraits. After moving back to Dallas in 2005, Shawna continued to pursue her photography career while maintaining a busy agenda with volunteer work including the Salvation Army, Junior League, and Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.
In 2010, Shawna joined the Professional Photographers of America and became a Certified Professional Photographer in 2014. But it was earning her Master of Photography degree in 2019 that Shawna considers to be a major milestone in her life, and it would only inspire her to reach for more. By this time, she was quite involved in the Dallas Professional Photographers Association where she was named Photographer of the Year for two years in a row and served as Director of Skills Development for three years where she helped people begin and continue their image competition journeys, arranged classes to teach various aspects of competition, hosted discussion sessions to share information and answer questions about competition, and facilitated DPPA’s monthly image competitions. It was also in the year 2019 that Shawna joined the American Society of Photographers, serving on the ASP Magazine committee and currently serving as its Copy Editor.
Like many others, Shawna has been fascinated by photography as a child, capturing special moments with family and friends. “My first experience with a darkroom was in high school, developing film for the yearbook,” she explains. “Then I took all the photography classes I could find in college. Many hours shooting projects and printing in the darkroom led me to one of the few A’s earned in those classes. It was exhilarating!”
As a self-described “purist” when it comes to her photography work, Shawna notes that her skills have evolved through print competitions she has entered over the years, and she has learned how to add more finesse to her images to make them more artistic. “I will never forget when Margaret Bryant critiqued my image and told me it was good, but she had some suggestions to make it better. She explained to me that it was a print competition, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be real.” This advice opened Shawna’s mind to new possibilities and expanded her world of creativity. “But I am still a photographer and I want to capture the world around me, showcase the beauty of the natural world, and evoke emotions in people who view my work.”
As a result of her involvement in image competitions over the years, Shawna’s photographs have won numerous accolades. In 2020, she was the recipient of the ASP State Elite Award for Texas and the TPPA Top 10 in Texas Award, and, the next year, was among the first 12 recipients of the Accredited Professional of Animal Imagery degree. Not only have her images been selected to be included in the PPA Loan Collection, they have been accepted into curated art gallery exhibitions. Since she began pursuing art galleries in 2020, Shawna has had images in several dozen online and physical shows in a dozen galleries. In addition, she earned her TPPA Full Fellowship as well as the ASP Service Award at ImagingUSA for 2025.
Breaking into the gallery world has been a rewarding accomplishment for Shawna. “Once the pandemic set in, I found myself with the free time I needed to really focus on my fine art work. I updated my website, learned more about promoting myself on social media, and then focused on art galleries looking for new work. I found some that fit my style and some that did not, but, ultimately, the curators appreciated my work. It is wonderful to win the photography category in an open call, but it is truly amazing to have images that mean so much to me win ‘Best in Show’ over all the other entries of various mediums from around the world.”
Much of the more recent attention to Shawna’s gallery work has been the result of her passion for photographing animals, mainly primates. Shawna’s “Almost Human” series features great apes from around the world and brings awareness to their beauty and individuality as well as their struggle for survival. “I am trying to use my work to help endangered species by making people relate to them and feel compassion for them,” she explains. It has been said that, “the eyes are the windows to the soul.”
Nowhere is this more evident than in Shawna’s captivating images of one of man’s closest species. “Almost Human” explores the eyes and expressions of these magnificent creatures. “Chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are so much like us that, if you spend a little time with them, you can almost tell what they are feeling. Some are young and playful, some are old and wise, and some are shy and do not want to be bothered,” she explains. “They all have very different personalities and spirits. My goal is to show the heart of these beautiful animals so more people can find a deeper understanding and affection for them, and learn more about conservation efforts in place to help them. What a better world it would be for man and apes alike.”
As for her involvement in the Texas Professional Photographers Association, Shawna Hinkel wants to make a difference. “My goal has always been to leave an organization better off than I found it. I want TPPA to be the best organization possible.” To that end, she has already worked to help create a better social media presence and wants to pursue ways to offer members the best education and camaraderie as possible so that members stay engaged and to entice other photographers to join. “We should be something that photographers talk about,” she adds.
The year 2025 promises to be new and exciting, according to Shawna, and she has some encouraging advice to those embarking on their own personal journey in photography as well as others who are looking to try something fresh and new. “If you want to make your work better, jump into image competition. Ask for feedback from judges and other photographers. Listen to your critiques and watch live competition whenever it is available. But do not be afraid of where your journey takes you. Your work will evolve over time and your vision will change. You might even change your mind about what you want to photograph. All of those things are okay, so explore new ideas, follow your instincts, and create the best images that are inside you. Become who you are meant to be.”
She continues, “Each of us has a unique voice and vision. Our experiences and perceptions influence how we see the world and interact with it. Personally, I found a connection with animals when I was very young, and it has evolved into the main subject I photograph today. Most of our industry focuses on portraits of people, which I did for many years, but I found I could say more with my work with animals. It takes time, patience, observation, and, sometimes, a more cooperative subject. But it is very fulfilling. It feels like I can use my talent to help make the world a better place.”
Her words are inspiring and her enthusiasm is electrifying. But it is Shawna’s genuine care for others and the tasks placed in front of her that makes her the obvious choice to lead the Texas Professional Photographers Association in the days ahead. As Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” That being said, it appears that the Texas Professional Photographers Association has made a great choice for 2025.
