Message from the Chair

MESSAGE

from the Chair

“The Celebration Issue”

Welcome to the Gallerie Magazine – Summer edition, what I see as “The Celebration Issue”.

Ross Outerbridge, MPA In this edition are the highlights of PPOC National Chair our National Image Salon, the Award winners, Photographers of the Year (Congratulations to Victoria West, Danielle Barabe-Bussieres, Nicole Noyce, and Rabih Madi) as well as the Yousuf Karsh Award winner for Lifetime Achievement and PPOC Fellowship recipient Bruce Hendricks. The work of these photographers is exceptional and in this issue, their achievements and stories are celebrated. Congratulations to all of them!

This year a public health emergency with the Covid-19 pandemic, interfered with our ability to celebrate these achievements in person. For the first time, we held a “virtual” Awards Ceremony with many members from across the country “attending” in their Sunday Best. I would like to recognize and congratulate Charles Van den Ouden, Gerry David, and Nelson Simard for putting together a wonderful virtual Awards Ceremony.

When I first joined the National Board in 2018 my first meeting involved an exercise in looking at what we do as an organization and how it can be better to serve our membership. One of the conclusions was to focus on the issue of professionalism and promoting the value of professional photography. So, this got me thinking. What is a “professional” and how does it fit into the context of photography?

Some professions are regulated (medicine, law, engineering) and have formal requirements for entry and ongoing certification as well as regulatory bodies (Law Society, College of Physicians and Surgeons). We are the Professional Photographers of Canada. But we are not a regulated “profession”, are not subject to licensing, and do not have a regulatory body. In fact, anyone can state they are a photographer, get work, and make a living. What is it then that separates us within this organization and justifies the term “Professional Photographer”?

If one looks at definitions of “professional” it is often defined by income; that a “professional” earns their living (50 – 100% of their income) from their “profession”. But many of our members are not full-time photographers because as many know, it is difficult these days to make a living as a full-time photographer. I strongly think the income definition is simplistic and does not recognize the main qualities that make up a “professional”. The word “Professional” brings with it many things; an education with special training and skills, a commitment to participate in ongoing education and professional development, a positive way of behaving and conducting your business, treating your clients and colleagues with respect and providing excellent service and imagery, adhering to a code of conduct and a code of ethics, continuing to seek and respecting the feedback of your peers to help you become a better photographer. These are the factors that make us “Professional” and why belonging to and actively participating in PPOC is important.

Why is it important to be a part of an organization like PPOC and how do we use that membership to its advantage when interacting with our clients? To me, it is a question of legitimacy. Our clients can be confident that we are not simply an individual with a camera. That we belong to and engage in the activities of a professional organization now 50 years in existence. That our commitment to ethical business practices (PPOC Code of Ethics), ongoing education and professional development, and the highest standard of professional image-making is of the utmost importance.

Enjoy the amazing imagery in this edition of the Gallerie Magazine.

Ross Outerbridge, MPA

PPOC Chair