As you are reading this, I am traveling across the state of Ohio to spend the day and evening with two different professional organizations. First up is the Board of Directors’ meeting for the Professional Photographers of Ohio in Columbus and then on to Kettering, where I will be speaking to the Professional Photographers of Southwest Ohio. I will be speaking on the subject of Print Competitions and unveiling “The 12 Elements of Wootness.” I don’t care who you are, that’s pretty exciting!
So, with all of that going on, I felt it only appropriate to discuss state and local professional organizations, specifically, those that are part of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) system and are called PPA Affiliates.
I am a member of both the PPA and the PPO. I have not yet joined a more local group as the closest one is over an hour away and I just can’t seem to fit it in my schedule, but at some point in time, I do need to join a local group.
Networking with professional photographers ROCKS! I have met many wonderful photographers that have become friends, and in some cases, honorary family members.
Most of the local groups meet on a monthly basis and generally have social time, followed by dinner, followed by a speaker. They also have informal print competition every month or every other month as well as some yearly activities.
Most of the state groups have an annual convention as well as a smaller seminar weekend midway through the year. Each organization operates a little differently, so you will need to check their websites for information.
HERE is a link to the list of PPA Affiliates so you can check for the organizations nearest you. There will be one state organizations (generally called The Professional Photographers of YOUR STATE) and then everything else in your state will be a local affiliate, so you would need to find the one closest to you.
If you aren’t quite ready to join an organization, be sure to check out the state level organizations for information on attending their conventions or conferences. At the very least, buy a trade show pass (generally $25 or less) and just go to the trade show portion of the event. You will still be able to meet people in the industry as well as avail yourself of some pretty good bargains. I do not believe that you have to be a member of the organization to purchase a trade show pass.
I highly recommend that you join either a local or a state organization, or both, if you can swing it. The level of education provided by these organizations is top notch. There are many benefits provided by the organizations, and I would not be able to give them justice here, so please check out the appropriate websites, contact the person in charge and go from there!