Yesterday evening I participated in a webinar offered by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA): Certification Process from Start to Finish. I was honored to be one of two panelists sharing their experience on the Certification process.
The attendees asked some great questions (well over 100 questions were posted to the Q&A), and I learned a few things during the course of the webinar myself! This webinar will be archived on the PPA website, so members should make sure to check it out… Access to the webinar is free for PPA members, and a lot of good information is presented. If you’re considering becoming certified, you don’t want to miss it!
A sampling of some of the questions:
- How is being a certified photographer different from a Master?
- Do we need model releases from the subjects for the submissions?
- If I take the prep class in January at Imaging USA, can I take the exam after the 3 day class?
- If I submit 20 images, and only 15 are accepted, do I need to submit 20 again or only 5 more?
For me, the hardest part of the certification process was getting started. The whole process sounds so intimidating… but once I decided to become certified, things just seemed to fall into place. The OurPPA forum was a great resource for me when I was studying to become certified. I was able to connect with photographers across the country to get my questions answered. I was supported throughout the process by photographers in my study sroup, as well as my mentors. I sought out the help of master photographers to get input on my image submissions. They helped me to see the good and also to be aware of the shortcomings in my images. This process allowed me to gain an better understanding of a “qualified” image.
Betsy is a Michigan-based 
cool! The webinar is already archived (I found it by going to the link you mentioned, Betsy).