Sarah Shorthose, CPP

Letters after my name ... that's new! It's been 20 years in the making (it REALLY shouldn't have taken this long, but I got busy building the business and never circled back). But what exactly do they mean? For me, and for YOU?!?

CPP = Certified Professional Photographer

It's a certification process overseen and awarded by the Professional Photographers of America (the oldest and largest single professional photographers association in the US). It's designed to test a photographer's full knowledge within the world of photography. They test your technical knowledge of everything from light quality/shape/color to posing, focal lengths, and equipment. They have a balance of book knowledge (EX: choose the equivalent exposure that is 2 stops less than 1/125 f8 at ISO 1600) and real-world application of that knowledge (EX: which equivalent exposure would you choose to photograph a team of 30 people on a sunny football field?). And then once all written tests are passed, it's time to PROVE you can do it in real life - the practical exam is tedious and detail oriented and all things must be nailed to perfection, crafting light and color to produce three technically perfect images - literally, they MEASURE tone values throughout the images with little margin for error.

For me, it's been something I wanted for a long time. Something I felt confident I could achieve, but also something that I had never prioritized when client work and home life and building the business were top of mind. In January 2025, I declared (literally you have to declare your intent with PPA to seek certification) that I would finally get this done. Last month, I got the wonderful email that said the process was complete, and I'm joining the ranks of only 5% of professional photographers who achieve certification (only one currently CPP in Columbia, MO area - shout out Casey Buckman and ZERO in Oreana, IL area).

But what does this mean on the client side? Well, of course I am the same photographer today that I was last month. The letters on the end of my name didn't change my work but they do signal a few things to the general public searching for a photographer. In an industry like ours, it can be hard to distinguish one photographer from the next and CPP signals a level of dedication to and mastery of the craft. In reality, it tells clients I can confidently create images in any setting, any weather, lighting condition, unforeseen circumstances, etc - my knowledge of the craft as a whole allows me to pivot and create consistent results clients can trust no matter what! That's the gist of it.

I'm honored to be a new CPP and headed toward Master / Craftsman awards with intention. Now for fun... how about a look back at some then/now images throughout my career....