PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER | DECEMBER 2019
Say “Helen,” and many PPA members know
who you’re referring to. A highly decorated
member and longtime volunteer in many
capacities, Helen Yancy, M.Photog.M.Artist.
MEI.Hon.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, F-ASP, A-ASP,
API, has another honor to accept. Next
month at Imaging USA 2020, Yancy will be
presented with the PPA Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award. Yancy is just the 17th photog-
rapher in the association’s 150-plus year
history to receive that designation.
A member of the prestigious Portrait So-
ciety of America, Cameracraftsmen of Amer-
ica, and the Society of XXV, Yancy is one of
fewer than 100 fellows of the American Soci-
ety of Photographers. She has served as PPA
president and chairman of the Board of Direc-
tors and holds numerous degrees and acco-
lades, including being honored by the United
Nations International Photographic Council
with a medallion of leadership.
Yancy was the first person to receive every
degree offered by PPA (prior to this year’s
adoption of the Master of Wedding Photog-
raphy degree, which has yet to be earned by
anyone). She is one of only a few Americans
to be honored as a Fellow of the British In-
stitute of Professional Photography, in part
thanks to her leadership in establishing ties
between PPA and the British Institute.
Accolades aside, it is Yancy’s artful im-
agery portraying people and their relation-
ships that has endeared her to clients and
made her a sought-after mentor for count-
less photographers.
Yancy’s distinct painterly style—infused
with sensitivity, realism, and imagination—
has influenced generations of artists. “Yancy
has been teaching fine art photography since
the days before digital and has the ability to
create exquisite freehand paintings,” says
Jeff Lubin, M.Photog.Cr. “She embraced dig-
ital painting when it became available and
teaches workshops all over the country.” Stu-
dents lucky enough to learn from Yancy have
called it life-changing.
“Helen Yancy has made so many extra-BUDDY M. STEWART AWARD
Mariah Ashley, Cr.Photog.
Trish Gilmore, CPP
CHARLES H. (BUD) HAYNES AWARD
Allison Tyler Jones, Cr.Photog., CPP
GARY JENTOFT ASSOCIATION
SERVICE AWARD
Dave Johnson, M.Photog.Cr., CPP
Aletha Speakar, Cr.Photog., ABI, API
HELEN K. YANCY AWARD
Michael E. Timmons, M.Photog.M.Artist.
Hon.M.Photog.Cr., CPP, F-ASPPPA JURORS MERITORIOUS
SERVICE AWARD
Joan Genest, M.Photog.Cr.
TOM MCDONALD AWARD
David Ziser, M.Photog.Cr.
WARREN MOTTS INTERNATIONAL
SERVICE AWARD
Julieanne Kost
DIRECTORS AWARD
Bryan Welsh, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, APIordinary contributions to
professional photograph-
ers and artists around
the world,” says PPA Pres-
ident Audrey Wancket,
M.Photog.Cr., CPP, who
will present Yancy the
award at the Award and
Degree Ceremony Jan. 20 in
Nashville. “Her film and im-
age retouching and artistry skills
—and the early adoption of digital
art along with teaching these skills—
improved the beauty and quality of all pho-
tographers’ work. Certainly her leadership,
from within her state all the way through
becoming president of PPA, shows her giving
back to our members. Helen has continued
to lend her great knowledge and assistance
whenever needed. I congratulate Helen on this
beautiful acknowledgement of her life’s work.”
Yancy’s legacy continues to inspire pho-
tographers. Her bestselling book, “Ordin-
ary to Elegant: Transforming Photographs
into Digital Paintings,” remains a bestseller,
and her Corel Painter master classes are
currently available in PPA’s video library.Yancy’s oil, watercolor, mixed-media, and
photographic portraits are displayed in hun-
dreds of homes and in permanent collections
and exhibitions around the world.
“In my wildest dreams, I never expected
to be honored in such an amazing way by
PPA,” says Yancy. “I have received so much
from so many, and I’m deeply grateful. PPA
enabled me to reach higher and to help oth-
ers to reach higher, too.”
The Award and Degree Ceremony is open
to Imaging USA attendees. •
imagingusa.org1032020 AWARD HONOREES
These individuals will also be honored at the Award and Degree Ceremony
Jan. 20 at Imaging USA in Nashville.DIGITAL ART LEGEND
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
AWARDED TO HELEN YANCY