A new organization has arrived dedicated to the professional child photographer. It’s NAPCP (which should not be confused with the NAACP even though in my head it happens all the time, lol) and it’s the brainchild of Atlanta photographer Alice Park and her husband Kyu.
I’m really excited about this organization because for as many forums, blogs and workshops there are dedicated to the pro child photographer there are NO professional organizations for us. There are a number of great associations out there, PPA (PPOC for Canadians), WPPI, etc. But none are truly dedicated to the professional child photographer – a relatively new breed that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle with these bigger organizations.
NAPCP is having a membership drive this month and I spoke to Alice about some questions photographers might have about joining the National Association of Professional Child Photographers.
Why did you start NAPCP?
My husband and I are very passionate about our photographic community. We believe that setting high standards in our industry encourages us all to grow in ways we never dreamed of. When we began our own photography business three years ago, there were so many things we had to learn the hard way… We yearned for a community of like-minded artists who were committed to pursuing their art professionally; who we could talk openly about business, our images, and life. It was an itch of ours that we talked about endlessly through the nights: What resources would have been beneficial to us when we began our business? What can help us grow, even after being in the business for years? How can we help raise standards for child photographers everywhere? This is what inspired us to start NAPCP….
How would you describe NAPCP?
NAPCP is a member-based association representing and promoting the community of professional children’s photographers. NAPCP provides a valuable platform for seasoned veterans and rising professionals alike to share their experiences, hone their craft and raise their professional visibility.
Why would a child photographer want to join NAPCP? (aka, what’s in it for me?)
What we offer our members:
- Credibility. Parents know that when they see the NAPCP seal on the photographer’s website – their work, business ethics and integrity is backed by an professional association.
- Resources. Lots of them. Updated workshop listings, vendors, continual inspiration from our member blogroll.
- Discounts. Many associations/professional groups (such as WPPI) make their money on sponsorships from Vendors. We don’t ask for a dime. Instead, we ask our vendor partners to pass along big discounts to our members. The discounts from our vendor partners more than pay for the membership alone.
- Image Competition. The fastest way to grow in your image-making AND notoriety. Our first one will debut in January. YAY! Members will ALL be awarded a certain number of competition credits with their membership fee. Members can also earn competition credits through their participation on the forum.
- SEO Maintained Directory. This directory is going to ROCK. We are working EXTREMELY hard to make NAPCP THE most search professional child photographer directory on the web. When our members receive business through our Directory, we have done our job.
…and of course…
- Community. NAPCP is a HAPPY, supportive, and driven community! I totally believe our members are raising the standards for professional child photography… Everyone on board is ESTABLISHED business owners, not MWAC (moms with a camera). Our main topics always center around increasing business, workflow efficiency, and the daily rants of being a child photographer. :)
So only pro photogs are admitted acceptance? What are the requirements to be accepted into the NAPCP?
Our application process is reviewed and graded based on 2 very objective criteria: a. Does the applicant have a professional web-based portfolio showcasing their work as a child photographer? b. Does the applicant’s website contain informative details on how to schedule a session with the photographer? NAPCP is not an exclusive or elitist organization. We welcome all child photographers the opportunity to be members of a community that supports and encourages one another’s desire to be better at what we do and love.
Why is the annual price so much? An organization like WPPI charges only $100 a year AND you get a magazine!
As with WPJA (Wedding Photojournalists Association), NAPCP is committed to a specific group of photographers, their specific needs and interests. WPPI is a general industry association, and although it’s a wonderful organization to be a part of, we felt established child photographers needed a platform to address the issues that affect US. NAPCP’s membership fee supports all of the organization’s initiatives including, but not limited to, retreats and get-togethers, online video tutorials, building social networking tools for the website, our aggressive SEO efforts for our member directory, etc, etc. Large scale (and non-specialized) associations such as WPPI rely on both large vendor sponsorships and the number of photographers they bring in (once you pay, you’re in). NAPCP negotiates worthy vendor discounts to our members and focuses on giving each of our members benefits that actually benefit them.
How many members are currently involved with NAPCP?
NAPCP currently has about 100 members!
What is the future of NAPCP? How do we know that this will be around next year?
Like any endeavor that one jumps in with both feet, there’s no guarantee that you’ll land standing straight up. How do you know that we’ll be around next year? Unfortunately, you don’t. But we can say that more than ever, we BELIEVE in this organization, its members and its mission statement. We care deeply about our photographic community, and we want to see it grow and our members succeed. New photographers around the corner selling digital negatives and session packages for $100? Let’s break the barriers and tackle this together. Once we do that, we open that channel for communication and confront the issues that seems to bring the industry standards down. We win when we all win.
What’s in the future for NAPCP? Lots and lots! Here’s a list of our personal goals for NAPCP in 2010:
- organize a kick ass retreat for child photographers so that we can relax, network, share experiences, talk shop, and forge lifelong friendships.
- build a very pretty blog
- continue spreading the word of napcp’s directory to all national mommy groups, resource lists, publications & anywhere else where parents may find us
- continue working towards being Google’s #1 hit for all of the key search words
- learn how to twitter. i seriously do not know what i’m doing!
- highlight image competition winners. introduce them to sponsors, publish their work, make them famous, and watch their careers soar.
- partner up with more awesome (and reputable) vendors.
- organize more fun & exciting contests for our members. blog of the year? member of the year? awesomeness deserves to be recognized.
- continue building a platform for learning & sharing. encourage new business owners to ask more questions & encourage veterans to answer more questions.
- find new ways of sharing inspiration in this amazing community. videos of sweet studios, q&a on business & marketing ideas, etc.
- establish a sustainable & active community of artists committed to growth in their business and craft
So that’s the NAPCP in a nutshell. I’m a member and I am really pulling for it to succeed. I met Alice last year and since I’ve gotten to know her I know that she is a positive, supportive person. She truly has the best interests of ALL child photographers at heart with this association. She’s done a lot of hard work on the site, the forums, the newsletters, the vendor discounts. It looks slick and professional, just like I know that she is an uber-pro and has put everything she has into making this a success. It’s up to the rest of us to take a look around us and see that we deserve to have support and an organization that is about us, not one that looks down on us for not being a man or a wedding photographer, lol. Take a look at the parents section they have on the site – all great things for potential clients to read and learn: http://napcp.com/parents.php
If you are interested in joining, sign up now:
1 – $25 discount on membership through the month of December!
2 – All of those who sigh up or refer a friend during our December Membership Drive will be eligible to win prizes! $5,000 worth of prizes to be exact! ….including! (but not limited to) a lifetime membership into this incredible organization.
Now before you all think Alice has me in her back pocket, let me give some final thoughts about NAPCP.
It’s new. So new that it truly hasn’t caught on yet. That’s the honest truth. If you want to be a part of this organization, it’s going to take some work on your part to get it to a place where it’s really great.
The forum is dead. Please don’t join NAPCP if you are looking for an online forum, it looks like most of the members right now are too busy with work to be posting there, and they already know their stuff – so there aren’t a lot of questions. Personally, I think the forum would be better directed to be more of a gathering place for professionals to network instead of a help-based message board with a lot of dedicated forums to different topics.
I think it will succeed, and I want it to succeed. We as child photographers are not part of the old boys’ club, most of us are not part of the wedding photographer’s club. We are often-times moms, and often-times self taught. I think it’s absolutely fabulous that we have an organization that is just for us. If you join, or are already a member, please send me an email at brandy@twophotogs.com and let me know what you think of the organization. If you’re not a member and are thinking about it – email me and let me know what you would like to see in a professional organization for child photographers.
by Brandy
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