As of this month, NYIP is excited to announce that we have partnered with the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) in our new ability to offer all students and graduates a Certified Professional Photographer credential. If you’re unfamiliar with the certification process or not sure whether it’s the right move for your career path, here are 3 things worth considering:
- Competition- In a growingly competitive creative industry like photography, the ability to stand apart from the crowd is crucial to business success. Without providing clients with some form of certification (the more the better), they have no way of knowing whether you are able to work at a genuinely professional level. Especially for photographers just getting started who might not have a vast portfolio of work to demonstrate, the presence of an industry recognized certification is arguably the only other way you can provide clients with peace of mind regarding your capabilities.
- Pricing- As a professional photographer providing clients with a pricing model for your services, it’s important for you to be able to rationalize the cost of your work, beyond simply the cost of your time. For example, do you work in a studio where you need to pay rent? For portraiture clients coming in to be photographed in said location, the space speaks for itself in terms of rationalizing a subsequent boost in the price (compared to if you were just photographing said clients in their own home). Similarly, the presence of a certification also allows you some pricing leverage in charging more for your work than clients may otherwise understand.
Should I get my photography certification?
- Endorsement- Peer review, constructive criticism and positive validation are all extremely helpful within the world of creative arts. In order to achieve the CPP designation, your work is reviewed by other professional photographers. Once you become certified, the knowledge that other photographers stand behind your skills means you can feel confident in your abilities to get any job done right, by the standards of the professionals.
Want to earn your photography certification? Here’s how you can:
Enroll in any NYIP Course and add the CPP Certification. You will save $50 on your certification fee by signing up through the school versus going straight to PPA.
Declare your Candidacy. After you sign up, we will provide you details on how to get started. The first step is submitting a form to PPA letting them know you’d like to take the certification exam.
Take the Exam. You will register to take the CPP exam, which can be done in person or online (a $25 fee is required for online testing).
Details will be provided on what you need to know and study before taking the exam.
Once you pass your exam, you will receive a set of instructions to follow in order to submit a set of images for review. Those images will be reviewed by PPA members who will decide whether or not you have the skills to become certified.
Want to learn more? NYIP offers online photography classes that can help you learn photography or start a new career. Request your free course catalog today!
