Each type of merit is earned differently, as most are specific to different degrees. Click on the type of merit or scroll down to learn more:
Service merits—volunteer, serve, and learn:
Affiliate level
- Complete courses at PPA approved schools as student, instructor assistant, or trustee.
- Attend a paid PPA Webinar (online seminar) as a student.
- Serve as print juror, jury chairman, or affiliate chairman of a PPA Affiliated Exhibition (judging) and/or Specialist
- Exhibition of state or regional affiliate conventions.
- Serve as convention chairman of state, regional, national or international affiliate conventions.
- Serve as president of a local, state, chapter, regional, national or international affiliate.
PPA level
- Serve as a convention chairman or volunteer worker.
- Serve as a juror or jury chairman in the PPA Annual Judging for the International Print Competition.
- Serve as PEC volunteer.
- Serve as president, member of the board of directors, committee chairman, committee member, or as an elected or non-elected councilor.
- Serve as chairman of a seminar (under 6 hours of programming = 1 merit; over 6 hours = 2 merits).
- Photograph used for the cover of Professional Photographer.
- Publish an article in the Professional Photographer magazine or other PPA publication.
- Attend PPA conventions, conferences, and seminars (i.e., Super Monday, Make More Money in Photography).
Speaking merits—instruct and contribute:
- Lecture at an affiliate convention or seminar (1-2 merits per program).
- Give a program at a PPA convention or conference (5 merits per program).
- Serve as an instructor for a weeklong affiliate school (5 merits).
- Host a Super Monday class as an instructor (2 merits).
- Present a paid PPA Webinar. (1 merit for Webinars of 1-3 hours, 2 merits for a Webinar longer than 3 hours)
- Publish an article in the Professional Photographer magazine or other PPA publications.
- Serve as the affiliate newsletter editor or Webmaster and submit publication or Web site to the annual Affiliate Communications Competition. Earn an additional merit if you win in your category.
Exhibition merits—compete:
Note: No more than eight Exhibition merits can be earned in a calendar year.
- Enter the PPA Annual International Judging and earn one merit by the Thumbs-Up System for photographic prints, transparencies, and albums. Entries become part of PPA's General Collection and are displayed at PPA’s annual convention, Imaging USA.
- Earn an additional merit if the entry is selected for the Traveling Loan Collection.
- Enter a PPA Approved Regional Affiliated Judging and score 80 or higher to earn a Seal of Approval. Such judgings are usually held in conjunction with affiliate annual conventions.
- The entry with the Seal of Approval is then eligible for a merit when you submit it into the upcoming PPA International Judging.
- An additional merit is given if the entry is selected for the Traveling Loan Collection.
Specialist merits—compete:
Note: No more than eight Specialist merits can be earned in a calendar year.
- Enter competitions with retouched prints and artwork performed via traditional art media applied to a print or negative.
- Enter the PPA Annual International Judging (get a Thumbs-Up) and/or the PPA Approved Affiliated Judging (score 80 or higher and submit to International Judging) in the Art-tech category.
- Earn an additional merit if entry is selected for the Traveling Loan Collection.
Electronic Imaging merits—compete:
Note: No more than eight Electronic Imaging merits can be earned in a calendar year.
- Enter competitions with digitally manipulated images. Entries may be submitted in the form of DVDs or prints conforming to the Photographic Exhibition Committee rules. The electronically created, manipulated, or enhanced images may be in these categories:
Electronic Imaging, Print (any subject that can be submitted as a print)
Electronic Imaging, Video (DVDs may include commercial, industrial, social event, or other productions)
- Enter the PPA Annual International Judging (get a Thumbs-Up) and/or the PPA Approved Affiliated Judging (score 80 or higher and submit to International Judging) in the Electronic Imaging category.
- Earn an additional merit if entry is selected for the Traveling Loan Collection.
