Upcoming events


Our goal for the Scholarship Program is to provide   meaningful events and programs for PPOK members. This involves working with the PPA Continuing Education System.


Annual First Time Entry Print Competition:

In 1999 the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma established a memorial scholarship fund in the names of recently deceased PPOK Past Presidents Glen Nelson and Roy Helt.

The initial money for this fund was raised from donations in remembrance of Glen Nelson and Roy Helt and has continued with contributions in memory of other deceased members of PPOK and its affiliates.

The Nelson-Helt Memorial Scholarship Fund requires an annual scholarship to be awarded to a PPOK member who is entering for the first time in any state, regional or national photographic competition affiliated with Professional Photographers of America.

The entrant receiving the highest combined score for the images he or she entered, as judged by the official PPOK jury, is awarded the scholarship. The $500.00 scholarship will be honored for one year at any Professional Photographers of America approved affiliated school.

Past presidents Glen Nelson and Roy Helt, for whom the Nelson-Helt Memorial Scholarship Fund was named, made a significant impact on our profession. With this scholarship, PPOK honors the personal desire these men had for students of photography to receive quality education.

Click here for the previous winners of this prestigious award!

Glen Nelson

Glen was a warm-hearted, outgoing, talented photographer who passed away in October of 1993. He spent his lifetime sharing with other photographers, young and old, his values and photographic knowledge, making an impact on both their personal and professional lives. One of Glen’s greatest joys was watching a young talented photograpoher grow and become successful. He was never too busy or too tired to work with anyone who asked for his help or needed encouragement.Because he believed so strongly that education was the key to success for young, beginning photographers, Glen’s example inspired the movement to develop and use the memorial funds after he passed away to continue his legacy. A special friend and mentor of Glen was Roy Helt, a professional photographer from Stillwater, Okalhoma, who passed away on May 23, 1996. Roy was a loving, caring and willing worker who left his mark on our association and became an example for those following to emulate.

Roy W. Helt

Roy joined the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma in 1952-1953 and became active from the very beginning. A modest, gentle man, his main talent was doing the job when various committees had work to be done. Roy attended nearly every state and regional convention in his lifetime and several national conventions. Over the years, he served in each of the offices of both the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma and the Southwest Photographers Association, including the office of President.Twinkling eyes and a caring, warm smile were only part of the reason his fellow photographers affectionately called him “Uncle Roy.” Both Roy and his wife, “Aunt” Helen, enjoyed inviting newcomers to their after-the-parties held in their convention hotel rooms. New members and old were made to feel welcome and given the opportunity to share the fun with each other as well as with association officers and print judges and program talent from around the country. Refreshment always included Aunt Helen’s homemade cookies and the Helts’ favorite beverage, Coke.Glen Nelson and Roy Helt made an important impact on the lives of many. They will always be missed.

Professional Photographers of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 1779;  Blanchard, OK  73010
(405) 815-7806
The "Professional Photographers of Oklahoma" is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.
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