Becoming a Certified Professional Photographer

I have been photographing for as long as I can remember, documenting everything from little things (like pine needles, ornaments on a tree, and stuffed animal fuzz) to big things (moving vans as we left Indiana for Kansas when I was 11, houses, oceans).  I didn't understand how our basic camera worked, and I pushed it beyond it's limits. I didn't realize why the camera always made my creative photographs look blurry.

Then I figured that out.  I would take self-portraits and force my family to sit in front of the camera.

My neighbors were not as unwilling as my parents.

I photographed friends and family. I got my first "big" picture framed when a dear friend printed a photograph as an 11x14. That was HUGE!  I took the senior photos of a classmate, and it was projected on an even HUGE-er screen.

As a freshman in college, I photographed my first wedding. It was terrible and I lacked any kind of reasonable system, but I loved it.  My professor probably thought I was insane- I learned later that he is a well-known wedding photographer and knew what he was doing and I definitely didn't. He at least told me to take a tripod. Thanks, Dominique!

I got a job as an assistant wedding photographer, and trained as a lead. Learned so much, and it led me to start my own business.

At each step I wondered if I was really "professional" - and even still today doubts creep in.  I'm young, and I know I always have a lot more to learn in this ever-changing industry.  I hear stories from clients, unfortunately way too often, that previous photographers didn't act professionally- no guidance, no creativity, never got the images finished, or were just confusing.  Though it saddens me that so many fellow photographers have fallen into this category, I am glad that my professionalism stands out.

I have been in process of becoming a Certified Professional Photographer, for quite a while, and I am finally there.  I have a title beyond Nikki Dukes, superwife-awesomemom.

Nikki Dukes, CPP

After passing the image evaluation phase, I wrote, "The most intimidating and nerve-wrecking part for me is over. I have passed a portfolio review by masters in my craft and have been seen fit to be called professional. I cannot express how unbelievable that is to me- others have said it's no surprise, but for me, it really is."

I was almost there.  Just a test away.  I called upon my awesome-high-school-test-taking-skills, studied hard, made some old school flash cards, learned many helpful things along the way, and took my #2 pencil to the exam site.

I passed, with a sigh of relief, on the first try.  Both of the hardest parts of earning certification I did on the first try.

Now I get to live up to it, continue in professionalism and high standards in the photography industry, and work to earn my re-certification here in a few years.