Michael Scalf Sr.

History of Michael Scalf Sr

Michael Scalf Sr was born and raised in a small town Indiana, not a lot larger then Blanchard. He moved to Houston, Texas in 1975. He is married to his wonderful wife, Twana, who was born and raised in Wayne, OK, right here is McClain County. Michael has two biological children, a daughter in Indiana and son in Cypress, TX. He also has five step-children, two who also live in Texas, where one is a police Sargent in San Antonio. Another daughter lives in California and the other two live here in Oklahoma. Michael also has sixteen Grandchildren and two Great Grandchildren.

Mr. Scalf's initial college degree work was in Architectural and Mechanical Engineering. He worked as a Mechanical Engineering Designer for sub-sea oil field equipment. In 1979, Michael was promoted to Department Manager with as many as 30 individuals reporting to him and an annual budget of more than one million dollars.  He was also responsible for writing and implementing operational policies and procedures for the corporations three locations.

In 1988, he made the decision to leave the oil field and go into private business. He signed a lease in the Clear Lake Area of Houston and opened a 1200 square foot storefront photography studio and completely designed and remodeled the facility himself.  Upon outgrowing this location, he leased a larger space, within the same shopping center in October of 1993, which he again personally designed and remodeled. He occupied that location until March 1, 1999, when he moved to a 3000 square feet studio in another location. Michael also personally designed and completely performed the build out of this third location.

After a scary but successful retina detachment surgery on his left eye in 2001 and then another on his right eye in 2002, he sold his studio to another studio owner in late 2005. The buyer merged the two operations into one business. Michael was retained for over a year during the transition. In the late spring of 2007, Michael relocated to Blanchard, OK, which was outside of his non-compete limitations and near some relatives who already lived in Blanchard.

In March of 2003, Michael was hired to be the Executive Director of the Southwest Professional Photographers Association. This is a regional organization serving professional photographers from the six surrounding states. He handles all of the business and management operations of this 501(c)6 organization. He has also planned, coordinated, marketed and managed a large regional convention that hosted up to 1200 attendees every other year.

During many of his years as a studio owner in Houston, he served on the board of directors of the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum (IPHF), located right here in Oklahoma City inside the Omniplex. When he moved to Oklahoma in 2007, he resigned from his board position. Then in 2009, the Board President approached Michael to be the Executive Director of IPHF. This 501(c)3 Foundation was making plans to relocate to a new facility and they needed leadership and management during their transitional period. That move to St Louis, Missouri was completed in the spring of 2013. Michael was encouraged to remain in this position and relocate to St Louis with IPHF, but he declined the position in order to stay in Blanchard, Oklahoma.

He is currently the Executive Director of the Professional Photographers of Oklahoma, a 501c6 non-profit organization. He has been in that position since 2012. He is also an active Adjunct Professor at OCCC here in Oklahoma City, where he has taught photography and business since 2012.

In 2017, he was contracted to teach photography to all of the international attendees at the FAA facility here in OKC. He teaches the TSI Aircraft Accident Investigators the critical details needed to capture quality photography at a aircraft accident site.