About Us / Frequently Asked Questions

Account Information

Whenever you (as a PPA member or Basic Access account holder) log in, you will be immediately taken to the My PPA section. Look under the MyProfile heading on this page. You can update your name under About Me and contact information under Contact Information.

When you click Login (button at the top right), the login widget has a link to help you here. There is a link for “Forgot your password?" You can submit the email that you login to your account with. The site will then email you your password and steps to change your password.

PPA accepts Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Discover, and personal or business checks if you are paying for a membership in full. If you opt for the monthly installment plan, we only accept major credit cards.

Yes and no. You can opt out of receiving a printed copy of the magazine and only receive the digital copy. If you are a paid in full member, you will receive 2 paper invoices for your membership.

Insurance/Protection FAQs

No. The only time you would need to opt in again to your PhotoCare is if your membership lapsed.

Call our insurance partner, Lockton Affinity at 1-888-202-1526.

Lockton

The PhotoCare policy that comes with membership only covers the member, not the entire studio.

Proof of purchase can be a receipt, bank or credit card statement, or warranty.

The Indemnification Trust serves as a type of malpractice protection that protects PPA members in case something goes wrong that is generally considered your responsibility, such as equipment malfunction, data loss, an error, or unsatisfied clients.

No. The Trust covers every niche of photography in instances of negligence or data loss.

You will be contacted by the Trust's law firm really quickly, usually by the next business day, and they help covered members with their expert advice and guidance.

No. We are a membership association that provides insurance as a benefit. We partner with Lockton Affinity for our insurance policies.

No. These insurances are only available for PPA members.

No. You can purchase General Liability through our equipment insurance partner, Lockton Affinity, for a discounted member rate.

No. A general liability policy typically insures against claims of bodily or personal injury or property damage, while professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions or E & O insurance, covers negligence as it pertains to your professional services provided.

PPA offers a private healthcare exchange for members to utilize. Due to federal law, we cannot offer discounted health insurance.

Events/Classes FAQs

Yes. There are volunteer opportunities for PPA's International Photographic Competition. Also, PPA local, state, and regional Affiliates utilize volunteers.

Yes. PPA offers Photography Workshops, which are held throughout the country, twice a year. PPA also offers CPP Prep-Classes a few times a year at PPA headquarters and Imaging USA.

Become involved with your local, state, or regional Affiliate. Also, teach or attend Photography Workshop.

Merits are earned through PPA or PPA-affiliated events only, while CEUs can be earned similarly or through non-PPA events. Also, the accrual of merits is used for a PPA degree, while CEUs are for CPP recertification. For a list of CEU events, visit the Renew My Certification page.

No there is not a ceremony for earning your CPP, but you do receive a certificate.

A district competition is a photographic completion in which entrants are eligible to enter based on geographic location. There are 5 district competitions held each year.

Each district's results are released depending on the district dates each year. Visit the IPC page to learn more. 

If you purchased critiques, you can find them under your 'My PPA' section once you have logged in to your account. Under the 'My Events > My Photo Competitions'

The loan collection book is generally published the first few months of each year.

Miscellaneous FAQs

Yes. Refer the person via the Member-2-Member program to earn rewards each year.

If the photo was published before 1923, it is in the public domain and you should be able to use the image without any worry of copyright violation. However, if the image was published after 1923 and you cannot locate the photographer, you may have to do research for next-of-kin and ask their permission (since copyright can transfer like property). If you cannot find anyone to contact, the image falls under the orphan works category, meaning it is a copyright-protected work where the creator or the owner of the copyright cannot be found or contacted and therefore cannot be used.

More Questions?

  • Try us in the chat box (see it at the very top right of your screen?) or
  • Email us at [email protected]
  • Or better yet, CALL US between 9am and 5pm ET, Monday through Friday. We love to hear from you! The toll-free number is 800.786.6277