Certified Professional Photographer

Get Certified. Be More.

CPP Mission Statement:

To acknowledge and validate a consistent standard by which professional photographers can achieve and maintain a recognizable mark of excellence.

What Is Certification?The certification of specialized skill-sets affirms a knowledge and experience base for practitioners in a particular field, their employers, and the public at large. Certification represents a declaration of a particular individual's professional competence. Certifications exists in many professions (i.e. CPA, CAE)

Certification Contact:Questions? Contact us at cppmailbox@ppa.comPhone: 800.786.6277

How to Become a Certified Professional Photographer?

1. Declare your candidacy. Simply fill out the candidacy form. The form itself, fees, timelines, and all certification-related information including lots of FAQs can be found on: ppa.com/cpp. To declare your candidacy you must be a PPA Member

2. Prepare for the exam. All candidates have access to a CPP-only hefty online library of resources to help you! Check them out online.

3. Take the exam. Once you feel confident you are ready to register for an exam. The exam schedule is updated weekly and you can register online directly from: ppa.com/cpp/exam .

4. The Image Submission follows the exam. You will receive a set of email instructions to help you submit your images. Plenty of information is online about the image submission process. Simply go to ppa.com/cpp/resources .

The Application Process

To Declare your Candidacy you must be a current PPA member Your CPP application is valid for a period of two (2) years from the date processed The application fee is $200. This fee is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card

online by clicking Declare My Candidacy You may only sit for the exam after you declare your candidacy You may take the exam as many times as needed (once every 30 days) during your

candidacy period You are only eligible to submit images once you pass your exam You will have the three (3) opportunities to successfully pass the Image Submission

requirement. If after your third attempt you do not pass the Image Submission you can opt for re-candidacy for a $100 fee. The Re-candidacy period will last for one consecutive year and will allow three (3) additional Image Submission opportunities

For CPP Prep Resources, information and FAQ’s please visit www.ppa.com/cpp

Certified Professional Photographer Exam

Each exam is comprised of 100 multiple choice questions each worth one point. The material is pulled from the test specifications found at ppa.com/cpp.

You will have two hours to complete the exam and must answer at least 70% correctly to pass.

You may take the exam as many times as you wish (once every 30 days) at no extra cost, within your two-year candidacy period. Results are sent out via email 2-3 weeks from the exam date. Candidates who do not pass the exam receive a score breakdown. Passing candidates receive their numeric score out of 100.

Resources :•Test Specifications Flash Cards•Glossary Sample Test•Suggested Reading List CPP Prep Classes•Exam FAQs Certification Fact Sheet

Certified Professional Photographer Image Submission

After you have passed the CPP exam, you will be eligible to submit your portfolio for review. There are five Image Submission periods per year, each opened for two weeks at a time.

In this process, you will be required to submit a 15-image portfolio. The first six must fit within the compulsory guidelines showing your standardized technical proficiency. These images may come from your existing work or you can create new images specifically for the submission. The remaining nine images must be representative of your purchased work from nine unique photographic assignments in the last 24 months.

You will be able to submit your portfolio for review up to three times until it passes, without incurring any extra charges and will have access to useful preparation

Resources:Image Submission Requirements & Sample Images *Debuting early 2015 – Image LibraryImage Submission Compulsory VideosImage Submission Prep ClassImage Submission FAQsImage Submission Definitions

Additional Resources

As a CPP Candidate you have access to additional resources as well!

•Check out the online library of CPP Videos to hear others talk about their CPP Journey and why they chose to purse their Certification!

•Get connected with the CPP Candidate Community on theLoop! This community brings CPP candidates together with one another, as well as CPP Liaisons and CPP Judges. Whether you're looking for help in your certification process, or just want to connect with fellow candidates, this is the place!

•Have questions? Go online to read our Certification Related FAQs! Get the answers to commonly asked Certification questions, CPP Exam and Image Submission questions!

•Certification Fact Sheet. Check out the CPP Fact Sheet for information on why you should get Certified and how to do it!

Recertification

Once you've earned your CPP designation, you will need to recertify every three years to keep it current.

To recertify, 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are required, along with a payment of $100. The $100 recertification fee is waived if you attend Imaging USA three years in a row.

The CEU system involved in the CPP recertification process is there to encourage you to continue your journey in photography education and community service. It also helps raise the bar in our photographic industry. For more information visit www.ppa.com/cpp

Recertification

15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every 3 years

Credits are for education that a CPP has attended as a student

Recertification

• Max of 5 CEUs for teaching or speaking at any PPA related seminar/workshop may be used towards the 15 CEUs required for Recertification

• 5 units = Teaching or speaking at any PPA related seminar/workshop lasting 3 or more days

• 3 units = Teaching or speaking at any PPA related seminar/workshop lasting 2 or more days

• 1 unit = Teaching or speaking at any PPA related seminar/workshop lasting 1 or more days

• International CPPs will receive 8 CEUs for attending their national convention of at least 3 days

CPP Prep Course Description :

A course designed to aide professional photographers in their pursuit of the CPP credential. Prep Classes are held at PPA Headquarters and Imaging USA every year as well as at Affiliate Schools throughout the year.

CPP Exam Specifications Breakdown:

Camera, Lenses and Attachments 12%Composition and Design 25%Digital Post Production 13%Exposure and Meters 15%Image Capture and Output 10%Lighting 25%

Certified Professional Photographer Liaisons

What is a Certification Liaison?

Certification Liaisons know the certification program inside and out. The liaison acts as a spokesperson for certification, assisting candidates and existing certified photographers as an expert and source of information. Liaisons must maintain their certification and PPA Membership and are entrusted with responsibilities to the committee to maintain the integrity of the program. Liaisons also schedule and proctor CPP Exams. If you are ready to sit for an exam and do not see one scheduled in your area you can reach out to your local CPP Liaison and request they schedule one!

How can I find a CPP Liaison?

A list of current CPP Liaisons can be found online by visiting the CPP Liaisons Resources section of the website. They are listed by state but feel free to contact any Liaison to ask for assistance!

Stay Connected

Remember that as a CPP Candidate you have access to network of professional peers. Connect with your fellow Candidates on the CPP Candidate Community on theLoop.

Also, feel free to reach out to your local CPP Liaisons. Remember, you can find a list of all CPP Liaisons online!

More Questions? Feel free to check out the CPP FAQs online or email us at cppmailbox@ppa.com!