» Benefits of Membership

Benefits of Membership

Chat Room

SEWPPA members can create their own chat room for discussions both profound and trivial.

Education

In addition to the opportunity to exchange ideas and information with fellow photographers, each SEWPPA meeting includes a presentation by a qualified speaker on a topic of interest to professional photographers. Topics include digital imaging, studio business, marketing, weddings, portraits of all kinds, sales, posing, techniques, etc. etc.

We also have an extensive video library with tapes available for rental at a nominal fee. To compile this library on your own would cost you thousands of dollars: and yet here, it’s at your fingertips.

Marketing

SEWPPA has instituted it’s own marketing committee, whose purpose is to promote “hire a professional — hire a SEWPPA professional” instead of letting Uncle Harry photograph your wedding, or your best friend to make your Senior Portraits. LookForAPhotographer.com is one step in that direction — a searchable web site featuring all, and only, SEWPPA photographers.

Membership Directory

While access to a hardcopy PDF Membership Directory is available only to SEWPPA members, anyone can go to our web site LookForAPhotographer.com. to search for a SEWPPA photographer by Name, Photographic Specialty, or Location.

You will receive (6) six newsletters a year, which contains a speaker biography, and information on the upcoming meeting; various informational or educational articles; upcoming birthdays of SEWPPA members; for-sale items, or little notes of interest to SEWPPA members. This is in a pdf format which you can download at www.sewppa.org/?page_id=986

ICE (Image Critique Enhancement)/Print Judging

At each meeting, you will have the chance to submit 4-6 digital images that you think might make good prints for judging, both at the year-end print competition at SEWPPA, but also for other print competitions. The goal for ICE is to help members improve their work so that the ICE image files that have been submitted through-out the year will be printed as competition prints and presented at the SEWPPA February Pre-State judging meeting.
These images will be projected on a screen in view of the entire audience, and will be critiqued on the 12 Elements of a Competition Print. Opinions are given, either on how the image might score if it were to be judged, or it can be improved. The facilitator may, if time allows, use Photoshop to try some of the suggestions in the image.

After each ICE, all PPA Masters will vote for their favorite image. It can be the one that is already well done, or one that has the most potential. The maker will be given a “Print of the Month” ribbon. (It is the maker’s choice to print that file for display in their studio and to bring it to the year-end judging for possible “Image of the Year” and “Court of Honor” awards.)

At the April Awards dinner, participants who have submitted six or more images will be eligible to be submitted for several categories of year-end awards:

Photographer of the Year-PPA Master (highest average of 78 or higher)
Photographer of the Year-non PPA Master (highest average of 78 or higher)
Electronic Imager of the Year-PPA Master (highest average of 78 or higher)
Electronic Image of the Year-non PPA Master (highest average of 78 or higher)
Image of the Year Photographic Open and Courts of Honor (prints receiving a score of 80 or higher and any “Print of the Month” entries are eligible.) One entry will be selected as “Image of the Year” from all the photographic open PPA Master and PPA non-Master entries. Up to six “Courts of Honor” awards may be given from all the Photographic Open PPA Master and PPA non-Master entries.
Electronic Image of the Year and Courts of Honor. (prints receiving a score of 80 or higher and any “Print of the Month” entries are eligible.) One entry will be selected as “Electronic Image of the Year” from all the photographic open PPA Master and PPA non-Master entries. Up to six “Courts of Honor” awards may be given from all the Electronic Imaging PPA Master and PPA non-Master entries.

There are two general categories for ICE:

Photographic Open (portrait, illustrative, commercial, wedding and album entries)
Electronic Imaging (entries must have been sourced, composited, manipulated, and/or produced by digital means).

This new addition to our organization has met with huge success from our members, because they can see how their image might do in a print competition, if it is even merit-worthy, without the expense of having to have it printed.

Professionalism

Developing your business and photographic abilities increases your profit potential. And this is one of SEWPPA’s goals as an organization. Each SEWPPA member also agrees to abide by a Code of Ethics, giving credence to our goals and standards.

Recognition by Your Peers

At the Annual Awards Banquet, you can receive recognition and an award for your achievements as a professional photographer.

Video Library

As mentioned above, our educational resource library features an extensive collection of videos by some of the best professionals in the industry. An amazing learning experience is available by watching these photographers at work in their own studios or on location. Access to the Library is available only to SEWPPA members.

Make a Difference

…but only if you join. You can be an active part of the organization and have a direct influence by joining the Board of Directors or volunteering to serve on a committee (for members only), and by voting at the General Meetings (for Primary members only.)