Have you been to Imaging USA? How about a Super Monday class? Or have you participated in the International Photographic Competition? They may seem like simple questions, but if you answered 'yes' to any of them, you could be earning merits! That is how easy it is to get started with PPA's Merit & Degree program.
Since 1937, the Merit & Degree program has been recognizing photographers for their achievements in the industry. PPA wants to encourage photographers, like yourself, to continue growing and developing their skills. By providing members with the opportunity to further their photographic knowledge-and recognize those efforts-PPA is helping to define industry standards and promote excellence.
As PPA's longest-standing education program, the Merit & Degree program works hand-in-hand with our other educational events and competitions to make sure that both you and your business are successful.
What exactly is the Merits & Degree program?
As a PPA member, you are given the opportunity to earn merits that can be used towards a professional degree. Merits are earned by being active in the PPA photographic community. Whether it is by teaching, competing or volunteering, there are endless possibilities for you to earn merits. Once you have accumulated 25 merits, you are eligible to apply those merits towards a specific degree. Listed below are the merits you can earn and the degrees you can receive.
Whatever aspect of photography you focus on-whether you spend your time with others as a mentor or on your computer perfecting images-why not further your education and expand your experience with a PPA degree?
A PPA degree is not the completion of a university curriculum; it is a representation of the oldest and largest professional photography organization's standards of excellence.
To put it simply, merits are earned through participation in PPA events and activities. There are multiple ways in which you can earn merits, whether you are competing, speaking or volunteering (and that's just to name a few!).
Below are the four different types of merits and how they can be earned.
Exhibition-Exhibition merits are earned by competing in PPA's International Photographic Competition. If you submit an image and it is accepted into the competition's General Collection (which means that it received a majority thumbs-up during the initial round of judging), then you receive one merit. That image is then reviewed by another panel of Print Exhibition Committee (PEC) judges, and if the image receives a majority thumbs-up from this panel then it is accepted into the Loan Collection and receives an additional merit.
You can submit 4 images to the International Photographic Competition per year. This means that if all 4 of those images make Loan Collection, then the maximum number of Exhibition merits you can earn per year is 8.
There are two ways to get your images into the International Photographic Competition.
Electronic Imaging-Like Exhibition merits, Electronic Imaging merits are earned by competing in PPA's International Photographic Competition. What sets Electronic Imaging merits apart is that they must be earned with digitally manipulated images. This means that the image must be electronically created, manipulated or enhanced and, consequently, must be submitted in the Electronic Imaging category.
Also like Exhibition merits, you can submit 4 images to the International Photographic Competition per year. This means that if all 4 of those images make the Loan Collection, then the maximum number of Electronic Imaging merits you can earn per year is 8.
Electronic Imaging merits are also earned the same way as Exhibition merits: you must submit the image to the International Photographic Competition. You image will earn an addition merit if it is selected for the Loan Collection and you can start off by entering the image to a District Affiliate Competition. Keep in mind that if an image is submitted in the Electronic Imaging category at Districts and earns a seal, it must be entered in the same category at the International Photographic Competition.
Speaking-Speaking merits are earned by instructing or contributing to the photographic community. Sharing your knowledge and experience is important in moving the industry forward and we want to be sure you are rewarded for contributing to that effort.
There are numerous ways to earn Speaking merits, both at the PPA level and affiliate level. This means that you can earn Speaking merits by instructing or contributing to PPA efforts, or those of a PPA Affiliate.
PPA Level
Affiliate Level
Service-Service merits are earned though volunteer, service, and learning opportunities. They can accelerate you towards earning a degree, especially since there are so many ways to earn them. In fact, you can earn Service merits at the PPA level, affiliate level and Photographic Exhibitions Committee (PEC) level. (PEC is the committee that governs the International Photographic Competition.)
PPA Level
Affiliate Level
PEC Level
Degrees are representative of your dedication to the photographic industry and can only be earned after you have accumulated 25 merits. Just like there are different types of merits, there are also different degrees that you can earn. In fact, the degree that you earn is based on the combination of merits that you have received.
Master of Photography (M.Photog.)
[Picture of degree on ribbon]
The Master of Photography degree is awarded for superior photographic competence demonstrated through photographic competition, advanced education, and service to the profession. This degree shows that you have mastered your craft and have perfected both the technical and artistic aspects of photography.
Required merits: 13 Exhibition merits
12 Exhibition, Electronic Imaging, Speaking or Service merits
Photographic Craftsman (Cr.Photog.)
[Picture of degree on ribbon]
The Photographic Craftsman degree is awarded in recognition of service to the profession as an orator, author or mentor. This degree shows that you have gone beyond the creation of images and dedicated your time to the industry and other photographers in an effort to move the industry forward and encourage continual education.
Required merits: 13 Speaking merits
12 Exhibition, Electronic Imaging, Speaking or Service merits
Master of Electronic Imaging (MEI)
[Picture of degree on ribbon]
The Master of Electronic Imaging degree is awarded for superior photographic competence demonstrated through photographic competition, advanced education, and service to the profession. This degree recognizes photographic competence, with an emphasis on electronic images, including computer graphics and enhancements.
Required merits: 13 Electronic Imaging merits
12 Exhibition, Electronic Imaging, Speaking or Service merits
The Merits & Degree program is one of the many member-exclusive benefits associated with a PPA membership.
In order to earn a degree, you must hold one of the following memberships for a minimum of 24 consecutive months:
Aspiring Members are able to earn merits, but cannot receive a degree until they qualify as one of the above listed memberships.
Earning merits and degrees takes effort. Fortunately, that effort pays off. We've compiled six different ways that earning a PPA degree can benefit both your business and your career.
Help justify and explain your prices
When-or before-customers ask how you have come up with your pricing, you can back yourself up with the PPA degree. Often, if customers see an additional achievement in your background (recognition from your profession in addition to your skills as a photographer), they may accept the prices more easily.
Be recognized for your accomplishments
Let photographers, industry members, and potential clients know about your achievements. Reaching a certain status point in your industry may increase the trust that others put in your ability...including clients. Increase this recognition by explaining how you earn the degree.
Push yourself to continue learning and achieving
Photography is not a static industry; new techniques and technologies always appear. The actions you take to earn your merits and degrees will help keep you abreast of the changes, and prove that knowledge to others.
Market yourself AND your business
Odds are your clients come to you for your knowledge and quality photography. Why not add to that the fact that your photography has been recognized by the world's largest photographic association? And if you want to make a name for yourself in photography, a great stepping stone is a PPA degree. Adding that qualification after your name will prove your dedication to the craft and maybe even get your more speaking gigs or publications.
In order to get the most benefit out of your PPA degree, don't stop after you've received the degree. Continue with marketing your accomplishment. Just like the six degrees of separation, the six degrees of marketing allow you to connect with more people. This results in more prospective clients and a more profitable business.
So, how do you actually receive your degree? That's where the Award & Degree Ceremony comes into play. Held annually at Imaging USA, the Award & Degree Ceremony honors all degree recipients and recognizes them with the presentation of their degree and medallion.
Each degree has it's own medallion, which is hung on a corresponding ribbon. Master of Photography recipients are presented with a yellow ribbon, Photographic Craftsmen receive blue ribbons, and Master of Electronic Imaging recipients receive red ribbons. Those recipients with multiple degrees receive multi-colored ribbons signifying their degrees.
Bars
Just because you have received your degree does not mean that have you to stop being active. Bars are awarded after earning an additional 25 merits beyond the merits that were used towards your degree. In fact, there are 4 PPA members have earned over 1,000 merits! There is also a 50+ print bar that is awarded to individuals who have received 50 additional exhibition merits beyond the 13 exhibition merits needed to receive their Master of Photography degree.
Imaging Excellence Award
The Imaging Excellence Award is achieved by earning 13 additional Loan images after you have received a Master degree. This means that you have had 13 images accepted into the Loan Collection since earning your Master of Photography or Master of Electronic imaging degrees. This award provides an opportunity for competitors to reach a higher level beyond their degree.
Imaging Excellence Bar
The Imaging Excellence Bar is awarded to those PPA members who have already received the Imaging Excellence Award and go on to achieve an additional 13 Loan merits. The Imaging Excellence Bar is designed to recognize those who exhibit both skill in photographic competition and a dedication to the industry.
These bars and awards are received every year and are a true testament to the passion that PPA members have for their craft.
Q: How do I get involved as a speaker to earn Speaking merits?
A: There are multiple ways to get involved and earn speaking merits. You can be an instructor at a weeklong PPA Affiliate school. A great way to get started on this is to send a copy of your bio and program to your Affiliate contact. You can also speak at the Imaging USA convention or sign up to be an instructor at the next Super Monday class.
Q: Can I receive more than one degree per year?
A: Yes, you can be awarded one, two or all three degrees in a calendar year. Keep in mind though that merits can not be overlapped when applying them towards a degree. Once a merit is attributed to a specific degree, it is considered void and cannot be applied to any other degree. So, in order to receive two degrees you must have earned a total of 50 or more appropriate merits and in order to receive three degrees you must have earned a total of 75 or more appropriate merits.
Q: How do I track my merits?
A: To see how many merits you have and how close you are to a PPA degree, you can visit the Merit Record Report in the Members Only section of www.ppa.com. You will need your PPA ID number to access your report.
Q: If I was a speaker at an event, what is the process to receive my merit?
A: The affiliate or PPA is responsible for requesting the speaking merit to be placed on your record. If you do not receive your speaking merit at the event or it does not show on your record within 2 weeks after the event, you must contact the affiliate that was to request the merit.
Q: What if I should have received a merit, but it is not on my Merit Record Report?
A: If your merit was to be issued by an affiliate, you must contact the affiliate to inquire as to the status of the request. If you were to have a merit issued by PPA, you can inquire as to the status of the merit by emailing merits@ppa.com.
Why earn a degree?
Created in 1937, PPA's Merit & Degree program (PPA's longest-standing educational program) works hand-in-hand with our other educational events and competitions, helping you earn a PPA degree that recognizes your achievements in the profession. It means you have met PPA's standards of excellence and service. More importantly, it provides you with another tool for telling the world—and all those potential clients—why they should call you, rather than the competitor down the street.
After all, you'll be one of about 2,100 PPA photographers who have earned such a degree...only about 4% of the total membership.
Learn more about the benefits here.
A PPA degree is not the completion of a university curriculum; it is a representation of the oldest and largest professional photography organization's standards of excellence.
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