Joining PPOC
Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of the Professional Photographers of Canada!
To join PPOC, there are two initial steps:
Create your User Account: Your "User Account" consists of a username, display name, email address & password. Upon approval, this allows access to the PPOC website. - +
Create your User Account Profile: Your "Account Profile" adds details to your "User Account". Generally, all the information required for your membership. Name, Studio/Business name, the usual list of contact information detail and images for your "Active Member" profile page online.
(*Please Note: Fees are required for membership in PPOC.)
Membership in PPOC is open through its "Constituent Associations", or provincial associations. Each of these Constituent Associations has different criteria for membership. Only once an individual has become a member of one of the Constituent Associations may he or she be considered a member of PPOC.
PPOC membership brings with it many benefits, including financial ones. Among the most important benefits are the opportunities for education and fellowship. Other benefits include:
An Accreditation Program that allows members to apply for and earn an accreditation in a specific field. To become accredited a member submits a selection of images in a particular category to a panel of qualified judges.
To receive an accreditation is to be regarded as an "expert" in that field.
This is very helpful in establishing credibility with both clients and peers, and assists our members in making referrals to other members, with the assurance of their abilities in a particular area of photography.
A National Convention is held annually, as are regional conventions nationwide. These events provide excellent educational opportunities, as well as the ability to meet with other members of the industry. They also provide the opportunity to take in trade shows, introducing you to the latest the industry has to offer and capitalize on promotional offers.
The PPOC website is a source from which both members and agencies are able to find and make referrals to photographers in a particular geographical area, or who specialize in a certain field. Members of the public are utilizing the site heavily to find photographers for portraits and events. Many of our members are able to cite their National website listing as being specifically responsible for multiple bookings each year. Members are also able to display their own images on their individual listing on the site, as well as have a link directly to their own website.
PPOC offers its members a bi-monthly magazine, keeping them abreast of changing trends and providing educational information.
PPOC offers annual print competitions, providing members with the opportunity to be recognized by their peers, as well as the public, for their outstanding image making. PPOC also hosts a traveling collection of images from its print competitions that are displayed on a rotational basis from coast to coast. It provides a voice for advancements in copyright legislation. There is a help line, which provides members with easy reference to other photographers who may be able to answer questions or provide technical assistance. There are scholarship programs available as well. The list of benefits is extensive.
There are also many financial benefits, which include discounts on business forms, discounted VISA and MasterCard merchant rates (which are significant enough to actually pay for the cost of your membership, depending upon the volume of transactions you are doing). There are reduced real estate and mortgage fees available to members, as well as an insurance program which offers coverage geared specifically to photographers, and which is unmatched by any other insurer. Our members are also invited to purchase health and dental insurance for themselves and their employees offered to us at a group rate.
Get a full listing of Member benefits
Each provincial association has differing membership rates and criteria. The criteria for membership at the national level is that you be a member of one of the provincial associations. To further pursue membership in the Professional Photographers of Canada, please contact the Office of the Constituent Association or the Membership Chair in the province in which you reside. Links are provided below for ease of access.
If you have further questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the PPOC Office via email
I look forward to welcoming you to our membership in the near future.
Tanya Thompson
Executive Director, PPOC executive director