"Photography is easy when you don't know anything about it but very difficult when you do"  This adapted quote by Edgar Degas about painting describes perfectly my professional photographer certification journey.  Those I've met along the way going through the same process know exactly what I'm talking about!  A hard journey it has been.  You see, you do not get to pass the rigorous standards of being a CPP until you have proven your self worthy both in knowledge by written exam and in practice by image submission before a panel of industry experts.

So why in the world would anyone want to make something that was once easy now hard?  Good question.  I mean clearly you don't have to be certified to practice photography professionally and obviously there are talented photographers who are not certified. I'd like to think I was one of them. ;) Besides, art is subjective anyway right?  You can't tie an artists hands with all those rules!  Right? I've probably said those exact things over the years each time I considered whether or not to pursue certification.  Well I now know more about why those rules are so important.  Many people and even artists know what looks good but don't always know why it looks good.  Trying to shoot for what looks good is a hit and miss process.   When you learn the rules and continuously practice those rules, you begin to truly understand why some things work and others just don't.  You begin to see and experience a new level of consistency and quality. Most importantly, it is when you can consistently control results that hands become untied.  Creativity doesn't have to have limits proportionate to skill level.  Then creativity can be unleashed, and with continued education and practice, creativity is limited only by the imagination!

Here is a small excerpt from the Professional Photographers of America's website.

See the Difference Certified Professional Photographers Make

Consistency. CPPs know how to achieve great results—every time. You get a strong collection of images that tell your story, and you will work with someone who knows how to produce a quality image under any circumstance. 

Initially I wanted to become certified so my clients could be confident that I have gone the extra mile to ensure that I know exactly what I'm doing even in the most challenging situations.  And that while I have my own personal style I also have the technical knowledge to create images that match my client's personal style. Today I am grateful to be a CPP for those reasons and many more that I wasn't expecting. Including the honor of being the only certified professional photographer in Granbury, Tx. 

The saying is true that the more you know about something the more you realize how much you don't know.  I plan to continue my education and begin my new goal of becoming a master of my craft through the Professional Photographers of America degree program.