Transcript Certified Professional Photographer Get Certified. Be More. CPP Mission Statement: To acknowledge and validate a consistent standard by which professional photographers can achieve.

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 [email protected]
Phone: 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
• Glossary
• Suggested Reading List
Flash Cards
Sample Test
CPP Prep Classes
CPP on PPAedu (7 videos)
Exam FAQs
Keywords
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
Image Submission Compulsory Videos
Image Submission Prep Class
Image Submission FAQs
Image Submission Definitions
Image Submission Webinars
Image Submission Portfolio Article
*Debuting early 2015 – Image Library
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%
Exposure and Meters 15%
Lighting 25%
Composition and Design 25%
Digital Post Production 13%
Image Capture and Output 10%
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
[email protected]!