Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), a division of PHOTO+, announced today its partnership with the New York Institute of Photography (NYIP) for the industry’s first online certification program created specifically for wedding and portrait photographers. The Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Certification (WPPIC) will be offered exclusively to all WPPI members and aims to become the industry’s gold standard for setting a new level of professionalism that will guide the artistry and business practices for wedding and portrait photography worldwide. The training program, portfolio review, final exam and certification will assist photographers in assuring their clients that they have a unique and refined skillset to record priceless, once-in-a-lifetime events. The WPPIC online certification course has a one-time registration fee of $299; annual U.S. PHOTO+ membership to WPPI is $125 with a slightly higher international rate.
Developed and curated by a handpicked team of renowned wedding photographers and educators including Roberto Valenzuela, Luke Edmonson, and Jason Groupp, WPPIC is an online course and exam created to verify a candidate’s proficiencies in the art and business of wedding and portrait photography. Successful candidates will pass an online multiple-choice exam based upon the unique WPPIC curriculum, and submit a portfolio of images and business materials for extensive review by a panel of experts. Upon approval by the panel, photographers will be granted official certification and will be able to promote their accreditation online and in-print with the WPPIC Official Seal.
In a recent blog post, Luke Edmonson, distinguished wedding photographer and co-creator of the WPPIC certification program, emphasized its importance and the need for photographers, at every level of expertise, to “submit” themselves to continuing education, certification, and re-certification.
“WPPIC is the best way to start identifying yourself as a leader in your field. Certification shows you are dedicated to learning and expanding your craft, while meeting the high standards of your profession,” Edmondson explained. “The confidence that certification instills in your clients, colleagues, and most importantly yourself, is invaluable. What you learn through the intensive process is priceless!”
The WPPI Certification process can be considered the next essential step in the evolution of one’s photography career. “While becoming certified isn’t easy, the rewards include the ability to stand out from the competition, elevate your standing in the photographic community and amongst your clients, and the self-confidence to challenge yourself and further refine your expertise,” says Jason Groupp, Director of WPPI Education and Membership and curator of WPPIC.
“I welcome this level of professionalism into our industry; all wedding and portrait photographers should become certified,” says Roberto Valenzuela, celebrated wedding photographer and co-creator of the WPPIC certification program. Hear his thoughts on the program and the importance of certification in this brief online video.
Jason Groupp also explained that the program’s success is predicated on combining the right people with the best-accredited online photography school. “We chose New York Institute of Photography because they are nationally certified and will help us in handling all the logistics, from content to final exams. Over the last several months, we have evaluated and re-evaluated the program’s syllabus to ensure it addresses the interests, needs and issues facing today’s professional wedding and portrait photographers,” Groupp explained.
The certification program consists of two parts. Part I is a general section, which covers the fundamental “nuts and bolts” of photography including shutter speeds/f-stops and their respective correlation, shooting modes (i.e. aperture priority, shutter priority), metering and depth-of-field, among other topics.
Part II is the Wedding and Portrait section, built from the ground up after consulting with and receiving feedback from several WPPI Masters. Combined, these prominent photographers and educators provide in-depth sections on lighting and composition, invaluable advice on wedding day timelines, communication with clients, as well as a very useful section on creating unique poses for unforgettable portraits.
The WPPIC certification program for wedding and portrait photographers begins and ends at the candidate’s discretion but can be completed in as little as three months. Understanding that many candidates will pursue certification between other jobs, there are no specific deadlines for course completion.
Candidates wishing to apply for the WPPIC certification program can register at
