I’m happy to announced that I was awarded my 11th ‘Gold Bar,’ which is the equivalent of earning my Master or Craftsman degrees eleven additional times. Less than 1% of professional photographers are Certified, and even fewer have all three credentials, Master, Craftsman, and Certification.
For those unfamiliar, photographers wear their credentials to conventions. It’s a quick way to recognize someone’s rank and level of service to the industry, and it also encourages others to earn their credentials. The yellow ribbon and Master medallion is for the Master degree, blue ribbon and medallion is for Craftsman. Someone who earns both gets a yellow/blue combo ribbon. And every time you earn one of of those again, you gain a gold bar.
Each degree represents many years of continual learning, competitions, and service. Additionally, some of the pins show I’ve been Certified for over 10 years, a PPA member for over 15 years, and the triangle pins are ‘National Photographer of the Year’ award for Bronze and Silver levels. I also have two pins for speaking at big events in China, PPA China many years ago, and Photo Plus about a year ago.
Master of Photography (M.Photog.)
Awarded for superior photographic skills—demonstrated through the PPA International Photographic Competition, advanced education and service to the industry.Photographic Craftsman (Cr.Photog.)
Awarded for service as an orator, author or mentor. This degree shows a photographer has gone beyond the creation of images, dedicating time to move the industry forward and encourage education.Certified Professional Photographer (CPP)
Assures a photographer’s knowledge, experience and continuance to develop new skills and techniques. It is a declaration of professional competence and quality assurance because certification is a credential consumers and businesses understand.
If you’re a photographer wanting to continually enhance your knowledge while working towards earning your credentials like Master Photographer, Photographic Craftsman, and/or getting Certified, you should absolutely join PPA. Part of being a degree holder is teaching, so also check out my live workshops as well as online training videos and resources at BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com to help speed up your learning process.
And if you’re someone looking to hire a great photographer, give me a call at 801-728-3317. I’d love to hear from you.
And until next time, America.