Certified Professional Photographer CPP Liaisons 2015

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.com Phone: 800.786.6277 Julia Boyd: Director of Certification Cassidy Hoffman: Certification Coordinator Email: jboyd@ppa.com Email: choffman@ppa.com Phone: 404.522.8600 x 254 Phone: 404.522.8600 x 278

CPP 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. What are the benefits to being a Certification Liaison? Certification Liaisons promote certification and administer the certification program under the credentialing standards set by the National Organization of Competency Assurance (NOCA). In return, Certification Liaisons are recognized publicly as liaisons and receive service merits if they are active members of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA).  

What are the duties and responsibilities of a Certification Liaison? Believe in the value and worth of the CPP program Understand the CPP program and process and be able to explain all aspects to candidates, consumers, and existing certified photographers Schedule to proctor at least one Certification Examination per year, giving significant lead time (60 days) for candidates to register and prepare*. *Please note that this is a requirement for all liaisons. No service merits will be granted for volunteering if the liaison does not schedule at least one Certification Exam each year. Physically proctor the exam and send the exams back to PPA in a timely manner for scoring. Recruit and assist candidates through the entire certification process Promote the CPP program on a local and state level to photographers Act as the primary source of information for answers regarding certification Understand that liaisons are accountable to PPA, CPPs, and candidates and will provide feedback and reporting when necessary Communicate with PPA through the proper channels when questions arise that can't be answered by a Certification Liaison Allow their phone number and e-mail address to be published on the Certification website as a contact for interested parties Display CPP designation on business website and/or social media accounts Work cohesively with other Liaisons in their area if applicable Agree to maintain the confidentiality of all privileged information, including the Certification Examination and agree to maintain the integrity and proprietary nature of the Examination. This includes not proctoring exams for family members or any candidate related to the proctor without another Liaison present.  

How to Become a Certified Professional Photographer? 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 Prepare for the exam. All candidates have access to a CPP-only hefty online library of resources to help you! Check them out online. 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  . 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 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 Core Resource + Suggested Reading List Keywords CPP on PPAedu (7 videos) Flash Cards CPP Prep Classes Exam FAQs  Glossary Sample Test Social Media Groups

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 each come from purchased work from nine different 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 Portfolio Article Image Submission Compulsory Videos Image Submission Webinars Image Submission Prep Class Social Media Groups Image Submission FAQs *Debuting early 2015 – Image Library Image Submission Definitions

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 I will add in the specific breakdown of units once confirmed from the October Board minutes

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 I will add in the specific breakdown of units once confirmed from the October Board minutes

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%

CPP Liaison Toolkit Liaisons will now have access to the CPP Liaison Toolkit found under the CPP Liaison Resource section of ppa.com/cpp CPP Candidate Fact Sheet CPP Image Submission Requirements Cheat Sheet Links to downloadable Video Material 2015 CPP Test Specifications CPP Powerpoint to use in Presentations 2015 Liaison Signature CPP Image Submission Definitions

Social Media Tips Use your social media accounts and website to promote CPP and your position as a CPP Liaison! Don't give an opinion as to whether an image will or will not pass Certification image submission. Rather, give constructive critiques for improvement or words of encouragement. A good rule of thumb is to refrain from using the words 'pass or fail' in your critiques. Comment constructively when asked. A good rule is to start with a positive statement. Avoid 'ego' banter. Be the ripple of genuine  'positive' on a site. Don't leak or even suggest topics or changes that are being considered within the liaison meetings. Do bring any concerns to staff or the Certification Committee. Do not use social media to voice your concerns. Instead, please bring them to staff or the Committee.

Spread the Word about CPP! Schedule your CPP Exam as soon as possible Promote your CPP Exam Get involved with your Local Affiliate Give the CPP Award at photographic competitions Mentor a CPP Candidate Teach a Super 1 Day Class about a relevant CPP topic Write a newsletter about CPP for your local guild Distribute the CPP Candidate Fact Sheet at local guild meetings Use the Liaison PowerPoint in the Toolkit to give a presentation Work with convention chairs to recognize CPPs at banquets Participate on theLoop Share CPP Videos on social media Be knowledgeable about the program by checking out our CPP FAQs

Stay Connected Remember that as a CPP Liaison you have access to network of professional peers. Connect with your fellow Liaisons on the CPP Liaison Facebook Group and on the CPP Community on theLoop. Also, be on the look out for your CPP Liaison monthly newsletter. This newsletter will keep you up to date on program changes, new resources and a whole lot more. More Questions? Feel free to check out the Liaison FAQ’s or email us at cppmailbox@ppa.com!

Thank you! Thank you to all of our CPP Liaisons! We appreciate all of your hard work and your continued commitment to promote and strengthen the Certified Professional Photographer program!