Welcome to the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers. The ISPWP was formed by professionals, for professionals, and is dedicated to these goals:
- Promote our members and showcase their talents
- Provide a resource for clients to find the best photographers in the business
- Maintain high standards of membership in the areas of experience, professionalism, quality, integrity and customer service
- Collaborate and share ideas to push the industry forward
Who Can Join?
Photographers of all styles are welcome to join: Photojournalists, Traditionalists, Neo-Romanticists, Fashion-Inspired, or whatever label you want to give yourself! Everyone is welcome as long as you meet our membership criteria which take the following into account:
- Experience level (you must be in business for at least 2 years, and you must have been the lead/primary photographer for at least 40 weddings)
- Two client and two photographer references, OR be sponsored by an existing ISPWP member
- Portfolio review by Membership Approval Committee
- No unresolved complaints with the Better Business Bureau or comparable consumer protection organization
- Adherence to the Code of Conduct
See the Membership page for more details.
Charity/Outreach
We believe that photography can be a force for good in the world. For that reason, 5% of all membership income is donated to Kids With Cameras, a non-profit organization that teaches the art of photography to marginalized children in communities around the world. KWC is connected to Zana Briski who created “Born into Brothels” a feature documentary about the children of Calcutta’s prostitutes. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it’s highly recommended and it’s now available on DVD. We are open to supporting other photography related charities in the future.
Who We Are
The ISPWP was founded in 2008 by Joseph Milton, a wedding photographer based in Portland, Oregon. After becoming dissatisfied with various photography organizations and marketing outlets he was participating in, he went on a quest to find an organization dedicated to experienced professional wedding photographers. He was hoping to find an organization that had experience criteria and a code of conduct as a condtion of membership. Finding none that met his needs, Joe saw an opportunity and decided to give photographers another option. The rest, as they say, is history.
Joe will be working with fellow ISPWP members to manage the membership, the contests, and the general good of the organization. We believe the key to our success is to keep the ISPWP as a group of photographers, by photographers, for photographers.
More Questions?
If you have more questions about the ISPWP, check out the FAQ sections in the forum or contact us.