Photography Assocations - are they worth it?

Hello all,

I've been working on a business plan over the last few months to become are Paid Proffesional Photographer, in doing alot of market research the advise given on consumers is to find Photographers that are acredited to Profesional Photographer Association.

So I punch 'Photographer Association' in to google and i get many choices UK and international.

Is is a must for a Pro to be acredtited to a Association, is it worth it?
If Yes, there are so many choices - how did you go about short listing your options?

Cheers

If it hooks a potential client...and it helps close a deal...

I'd probably start the filtering process by looking for groups that are based on the type of photography you're doing: Wedding, Glamour, Corporate, etc...

Photography, like any arts type job, is one of those professions where a good portion of what we produce is very subjective as to what is perceived as a good product, a great product, a so-so product, etc. A license to practice photography is not needed. Because of this the person looking for a photographer can be overwhelemd as there are so many people doing it.

A membership in a professional photography association may not mean much, or it could mean a lot depending on the association and what, if any, qualifications there are to getting it. Of course a potential client might not know this. Other benefits for being a member that a client will perceive as a good thing if you belong is indemnification insurance. Where if you mess up a wedding and lose all the images regardless of how it happened the PPA through the insurance would do things like foot the bill to re-inact the wedding/reception. Or if you screw up things and it is totally your fault the client has recourse through the PPA to go after you.

Being a member will never hurt your business, but it will only help if you educate the client the reason it is a good thing you are a member. I have not had any feed back from any clients that indicated that they hired me over anyone else because i was a member of PPA. I have had people find me and hire me through my local chapter of AzPPA's website though.

The bottom line for my clients to hire me or not is one or two things or both.... they like my portfolio, and/or they got a referal from a previous happy customer.

I value my membership in my local AzPPA because I get to asociate with other photographers and get to know that they have the same problems and success as I do. I get valuable feedback from our local print competition that pushes me to constantly do better and learn what to watchout for as well as what the latest trends are in specific types of photography.

BOUNCINGNRG wrote in post #5872091
So I punch 'Photographer Association' in to google and i get many choices UK and international.

Is is a must for a Pro to be acredtited to a Association ......

I take it from the top line that you are UK based, and the answer to the question is No

However, many pros who truly care about the profession are a member of one or more trade associations.

The main UK ones are the Master Photographers Association (http://www.thempa.com/) and the British Institute of Professional Photography (http://www.bipp.com/). There is also the SWPP, but that is more of a business that happens to help photographers as opposed to being something run by them for them.

The main advantages are that they run promotions to help get customers through your door, help with any legal problems, deals with suppliers/insurance companies etc, reduced banking costs plus you get to meet with like minded photographers etc.

Personally I am in the MPA - membership costs me £135 a year and being a member saves me £200 on my insurance bill

Assoc's. as mentioned can be a good thing. That said I have found that people outside the industry think they are more of a Photo Club than any kind of accreditation.

They do have high dues at times. PPA is over $300 a year. But they have benifits that can offset it some. If you dont use them and only pay to put the logo on your site, I think it is a waste.

I have never been a member of any of them. I have thought about it at times. But never joined.

As you are looking at various Associations, realize now that The WPJA is NOT an official association. It may look like it is, but it isn't. If anything I'd stick with PPA and WPPI

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #5872111
If it hooks a potential client...and it helps close a deal...

I'd probably start the filtering process by looking for groups that are based on the type of photography you're doing: Wedding, Glamour, Corporate, etc...

Thanks

Dermit wrote in post #5872563
Photography, like any arts type job, is one of those professions where a good portion of what we produce is very subjective as to what is perceived as a good product, a great product, a so-so product, etc. A license to practice photography is not needed. Because of this the person looking for a photographer can be overwhelemd as there are so many people doing it.

A membership in a professional photography association may not mean much, or it could mean a lot depending on the association and what, if any, qualifications there are to getting it. Of course a potential client might not know this. Other benefits for being a member that a client will perceive as a good thing if you belong is indemnification insurance. Where if you mess up a wedding and lose all the images regardless of how it happened the PPA through the insurance would do things like foot the bill to re-inact the wedding/reception. Or if you screw up things and it is totally your fault the client has recourse through the PPA to go after you.

Being a member will never hurt your business, but it will only help if you educate the client the reason it is a good thing you are a member. I have not had any feed back from any clients that indicated that they hired me over anyone else because i was a member of PPA. I have had people find me and hire me through my local chapter of AzPPA's website though.

The bottom line for my clients to hire me or not is one or two things or both.... they like my portfolio, and/or they got a referal from a previous happy customer.

I value my membership in my local AzPPA because I get to asociate with other photographers and get to know that they have the same problems and success as I do. I get valuable feedback from our local print competition that pushes me to constantly do better and learn what to watchout for as well as what the latest trends are in specific types of photography.

Thanks, very informative

Gary_Evans wrote in post #5874180
I take it from the top line that you are UK based, and the answer to the question is No

However, many pros who truly care about the profession are a member of one or more trade associations.

The main UK ones are the Master Photographers Association (http://www.thempa.com/) and the British Institute of Professional Photography (http://www.bipp.com/). There is also the SWPP, but that is more of a business that happens to help photographers as opposed to being something run by them for them.

The main advantages are that they run promotions to help get customers through your door, help with any legal problems, deals with suppliers/insurance companies etc, reduced banking costs plus you get to meet with like minded photographers etc.

Personally I am in the MPA - membership costs me £135 a year and being a member saves me £200 on my insurance bill

Thanks Gary, Actually one of the ones i had my eye on was the SWPP, mainly because of the courses/senimars.

Mark1 wrote in post #5875035
Assoc's. as mentioned can be a good thing. That said I have found that people outside the industry think they are more of a Photo Club than any kind of accreditation.

They do have high dues at times. PPA is over $300 a year. But they have benifits that can offset it some. If you dont use them and only pay to put the logo on your site, I think it is a waste.

I have never been a member of any of them. I have thought about it at times. But never joined.

Cheers

Mike30D wrote in post #5875230
As you are looking at various Associations, realize now that The WPJA is NOT an official association. It may look like it is, but it isn't. If anything I'd stick with PPA and WPPI

Thanks.