Pictorial/Scenic Accreditation
Ten (10) images of ten (10) different scenes on ten (10) different occasions that illustrate the natural and man-made geographical features relating to our environment. Landscapes, seascapes, mountains, aerials, city skylines are acceptable. Flowers are not accepted in this category. All images must be above average in their impact and visual interest.
About four years ago, I began practicing scenic and landscape photography in earnest. I’d been photographing events for work for some time, but I decided that understanding the complexities of landscape photography would improve my understanding of elements of photography that I was ignoring during fast-paced events. I would often leave shoots with no idea if I had really captured anything worthwhile, and I would usually scrape by with a handful of decent shots.
Watching photographers like Ben Long and Nigel Danson, I figured that landscapes didn’t move or insist that I get shots of hundreds of different people and activities, so I could slow down and take my time finding compositions. I was right. I’m still learning a lot about composition and editing, but an accreditation is an acknowledgement by a panel of trained judges that the photographer has achieved a dependable level of skill and proficiency in an area.
An Accreditation is achieved by submitting ten images in a chosen category to a PPOC Board of Review. This peer-reviewed program challenges candidates to demonstrate their capability of delivering exceptional quality photography in a chosen category. In assessing Accreditation Submissions, the judges consider the following criteria: Vision, Impact, Composition, and Technical merit. Once a member has earned an Accreditation and upgraded to PPOC Accredited Member they can use the title 'Accredited Professional Photographer'.
I took one image in 2017, one in 2020, and the rest were all taken in 2021 and 2022. The progress I’ve made in the past year has been phenomenal and largely due to the connections I’ve made with other photographers and finding quality learning resources.
