Certified Professional Photographer Get Certified. Be More.

1. Certified Professional Photographer Get Certified. Be More.

2. WHY Should I Get Certified? The CPP Advantage: The CPP Program empowers photographers to be more knowledgeable, successful, and technically equipped professionals in the industry • Advertising Edge – Certification provides you with a tool for telling the world – and all those potential clients – why they should call you rather than a competitor down the street. • Pricing Justification – Certification is an easy way to help consumers understand and appreciate your level of experience and talent. • Community – Once you are Certified you become part of the Certified community. An active, engaged group of PPA members who are passionate about professional photography. • Confidence – The #1 thing all CPPs will tell you is the confidence boost they gained from the process!

3. 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 hefty online library of resources to help you! Check them out online CPP Exam Overview and Resources. • 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 for an in-person or online exam here: ppa.com/cpp/exam . • The Technical Image Evaluation follows the exam. The evaluation is comprised of 3 images to be completed as assigned. More information can be found in on the Technical Image Evaluation: Overview and Resources page.

4. 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 must declare your candidacy prior to taking the CPP Exam • You may take the exam as many times as needed (once every 30 days) during your candidacy period • You are only eligible to submit your image evaluation once you pass your exam • You may submit your image evaluation as many times as needed during your candidacy period. Evaluation periods are held 5 times a year. • If your candidacy expires but you have successfully passed your CPP exam you can opt for re-candidacy for a $100 fee. The Re-candidacy period will last for one consecutive year. • For CPP Prep Resources, information and FAQ’s please visit www.ppa.com/cpp

5. 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), within your two-year candidacy period. Candidates who do not pass the exam receive a score breakdown. Passing candidates receive their numeric score out of 100. • Candidates can take the exam online or in-person. There is a $25 fee to take the exam online, paid to ProctorU. Register for the exam by visiting ppa.com/cpp/exam. • Resources : • Test SpecificationsFlash CardsCPP on PPAedu • GlossarySample TestExam FAQs • Suggested Reading ListCPP Prep ClassesStudy Guides

6. Certified Professional Photographer Technical Image Evaluation • After you have passed the CPP exam, you will be eligible to submit your image evaluation. There are five evaluation periods per year, each opened for two weeks at a time. In this process, you will be required to create 3 assigned images using a CPP Image Kit ordered from BlickU. Using the 5 items in the kit and the Evaluation setup guidelines you will choose from one of three offered lighting scenario’s to create the images assigned. These set ups will demonstrate your understanding of key photographic concepts including; depth of field, camera angle, exposure, lens compression, white balance, light sources and file handling criteria. All images will be evaluated on pre-set elements including; cropping, focus, sharpness, lighting, camera angle and white balance. A successful evaluation will satisfy all elements for all three images. You will be able to submit your evaluation as many times as needed during your candidacy period • Resources: • Image Kit List and Ordering Guide Evaluation Check List • Equipment List Evaluation Lighting Diagrams • Evaluation Setup Guide Educational Videos • Lighting Scenario Guide Evaluation Sample Images

7. 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!

8. 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!

9. Recertification Once a member has earned the CPP designation, he or she will need to recertify every three years to keep it current. To recertify, 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are required OR retesting, along with a payment of $100. The $100 recertification fee is waived if any of the following requirements are met: • CPP has attended Imaging USA for the past three consecutive years in a row • CPP is an Elite or Elite Plus Member The CEU system involved in the CPP recertification process is there to encourage CPPs to continue their journey in photography education and professional development. By participating in continuing education, CPPs help to raise the bar of our industry. For more information visit www.ppa.com/cpp

10. Recertification 15 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every 3 years

11. 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! Julia Boyd, CAE Odessa Sabado Director of Certification Certification Coordinator jboyd@ppa.com osabado@ppa.com 404-522-8600 x 254 404-522-8600 x 278