Professional Photographers of America

I decided it was time to talk about PPA.  Especially since I was fortunate enough to be elected a PPA Councilor (2009-2012).

PPA is there to help you, and it is run by the members.  That means you (assuming you’re a member!).  PPA has a governing Council, which consists of elected representatives from each state, the PPA Board of Directors, and several others (including Past PPA Presidents).  Council elections occur every three years, and All PPA members (who are eligible) get to vote for the people who would best represent the membership.

Ok, so I’m sure you’re wondering… what’s a PPA Councilor?

PPA Councilors are act as the voice for their state’s PPA members.  They also play a crucial role in sharing the PPA message to existing, new and prospective PPA members.

Each Council member represents all of the PPA members in his or her respective state. A Councilor’s duties include attending state and local association meetings, reporting to the state membership on PPA activities, encouraging membership in PPA, and maintaining constant liaison between PPA members and PPA headquarters. — PPA Council

Now some interesting tidbits about PPA.

PPA has more than 22,000 members and growing.  That’s 22,000 photographers, across the United States and throughout the world, in 52 countries.  The non-profit organization offers members a variety of benefits, including an indemnification trust, and the educational opportunities (e.g., advanced photographic degrees).

Let’s talk about the Indemnification trust. PPA’s Indemnification trust is not an insurance policy; it’s a trust fund,  The trust can be a lifesaver if you experience digital data loss, equipment malfunction, wrong event date, car breaks down/miss event, client is unhappy with images. Here’s an excerpt of an email I received from PPA on April 27, 2006, which does a good job of explaining the Indemnification trust.

How does PPA’s Indemnification Trust compare to insurance?
The Indemnification Trust is designed to protect PPA members in the event something goes wrong during a shoot. The coverage is similar to a professional liability insurance policy, but functions in a much easier, friendlier way. Comparable professional liability insurance policies easily cost 20 times as much for a small photography business.

What is covered by the Indemnification Trust?
The Trust covers all cases of unintentional negligence. Most claims result from equipment malfunctions, such as a shutter failing to open properly, a remote flash malfunction or a corrupted digital media card. It will also protect you if a client is unhappy with your images.

In the case of a re-shoot, the Trust will pick up all reasonable expenses to ensure your client gets the images they expect from your business. Our main concern is that your client walks away happy. And since we pay for the solution, you’ll walk away happy too!

Unfortunately, there are times clients won’t budge and a reasonable settlement can’t be reached. In those cases, the Trust will protect you from lawsuits by appointing an attorney to defend the suit, covering all court costs and legal fees and paying the settlement, if you lose. Now that’s peace of mind!

Finally, PPA offers its members the opportunity to pursue a number of advanced degrees:

• Master of Photography (M.Photog.)
• Photographic Craftsman (Photog.Cr.)
• Master of Electronic Imaging (MEI)

These degrees are explained in more detail on the PPA “Earning Degrees” page.  Note that there is also a Master Artist (M.Artist) degree, but you can’t earn that degree anymore.

PPA also has an online community, which I’ve blogged about: PPA Forum.

Before I prattle on about all the benefits of PPA… why don’t you head over to their website (or check out the forum), and see for yourself?  If you have any questions, PPA does have a live chat feature on their site… I’ve found it to be very helpful and the service was prompt.