The Association of Texas Photography Instructors (ATPI) provides information and resources to teachers and students that work with photography, whether in Art, Journalism, Career and Technology or Vocational curriculum areas.
ATPI publishes a newsletter two to three times a year that is sent to all members and to others interested in news about photography or the association. This glossy publication annually showcases some of the best student and teacher work in Texas and is currently sent to 500+ individuals and companies.
In addition, ATPI annually sponsors a fall photography submitted print competition for students and teachers that includes a variety of categories including video and computer imaging. The 2018 ATPI Contest had more than 7,400 entries from around the state, California, Kansas, Oklahoma and Washington.
ATPI annually recognizes the top photography programs in the state. In the 2018-19 school year, Trinity High School in Euless captured the Top Program title. Michael Peña leads the group at Trinity. The top program award is based on a portfolio competition of student work. The Rising Star school was Ben Barber Innovation Academy in Mansfield. Shannon Oden is the instructor at the school. In 2019 ATPI named the first Top Video program based on a portfolio of videos in multiple categories. The first recipient of this award was Texas High School in Texarkana. Clint Smith is the instructor for that program.
The Star of Texas is ATPI’s highest award, presented to individuals and companies that have contributed to photo education in Texas. The award has been presented to twelve individuals and one company since the inception of this honor.
In May 1999, ATPI also began recognizing the top high school shooters in the state. This top “team” of ten student photographers is selected based on the awards they have received in state and national photography contests during the school year.
Since 1994 ATPI has held the Summer Workshop for Instructors Only. The workshop has provided teachers from around Texas and other states (including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Virginia, Washington state and Wisconsin) with classes designed to help teachers become better teachers in such diverse areas as traditional black and white photography, alternative processes, studio lighting, and beginning and advanced digital imaging. In 2019, 34 teachers joined ATPI for three-and-a-half days in June in Austin, TX. Corporate sponsors have included Adobe, Apple Computers, Arlington Camera, B&H Photo and Video, Canon, Epson, Fort Worth Camera, Ilford, Macromedia, Nikon, Olympus America, PhotoVideo.edu, Precision Camera, Red River Paper, Vanguard and The MAC Group.
In short, ATPI, a Texas non-profit organization, works to help the photography instructors of all disciplines work to achieve a higher quality of knowledge and teaching of photography.
