Do I Need a Local Photography Organization if I Already Belong to PPA?

Quick Answer

No. You don't need to belong to a local photography organization just because you're a photographer.

But if you already belong to PPA and think that means there isn't much reason to join a local organization, I disagree.

I've belonged to photography organizations at the local, state and national level, and they haven't given me the same things. That's actually the point.

PPA and Your Local Organization Aren't the Same Thing

I'm a big believer in the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). I'm also a big believer in local and state photography organizations.

PPA can do things on a national level that a local organization simply can't. There are educational opportunities, credentials, advocacy, business resources, insurance benefits and a much larger photography community.

But there are things that happen differently when the community gets smaller.

You start actually knowing people.

You see the same photographers month after month. You find out who photographs what, who knows something you don't, who has already dealt with the problem you're dealing with and who you can call when you have a question.

Or when you break a lens you need right before a client session.

Ask me how I know.

And sometimes you just need to sit across the table from another photographer who understands why something that sounds ridiculous to everyone else has been driving you crazy for three days.

That matters.

But the Local Organization Still Has to Be Worth Joining

I'm not going to tell you to join an organization simply because it happens to be the one closest to your house.

Go see what they're doing.

Are the meetings worth attending? Is there good education? Do people actually talk to the new person who walks into the room? Are there opportunities to participate instead of just sitting in a chair and listening? Would you want to come back?

If the answer is no, it may not be the right organization for you.

But don't dismiss a local organization simply because you already belong to PPA. One doesn't replace the other.

Some of the most valuable things I've gotten from photography organizations have come from the education and opportunities they offered. But a whole lot of it has come from the people I've met because I showed up.

You won't find that listed on a membership benefits page.

It's still a pretty darn good benefit.