American Photographic Artists National
APA provides a full complement of member benefits that help photographers run a smarter, more creative and profitable business. Our benefits have been time-tested over four decades and give members the tools to build a sustainable business. APA Members please log in to your account to access the page with discount codes and links.
Our benefits give you assistance where it is needed most: increased exposure for your work, educational events, partner discounts on a variety of business products and much more.
APA produces content on a variety of photo related subjects each year. Gain access to our comprehensive 2013 Photography Industry Survey - this is a great tool for analyzing your business performance with other professional photographers.
APA publishes white papers on industry best practices and important topics like understanding social media terms and conditions.
Event Description:
As photographic artists, we create unique, powerful visuals that elevate brands, individuals and industries every day. Whether you are new to photography or are an established artist, feeling confident and comfortable in your ability to negotiate with your clients is an ever-evolving skill.
Join APA SF for a panel discussion with industry leading negotiators Kelly Montez, Heather Elder, Shel Burks and Monica Zaffarano.
APA SF board member Nicole Morrison skillfully moderated an engaging discussion around collaborative negotiation practices with reps and producers who navigate these conversations daily.
Primary Take-Aways:
Access to members-only content is available to all members.
Downloads
APA National Payroll Service is the preferred provider for American Photographic Artists and members of APA will receive a discounted handling fee. APA National Payroll is provided through Smith & Stilwell, Inc. This special member benefit program has been developed in collaboration with APA to keep the process simple and accessible, making it a no-brainer whether you have a part-time or full-time assistant, makeup artist, stylist, receptionist… or an entire staff. They’re ready to service all of your payroll needs.
Smith & Stilwell has been a major payroll provider to the entertainment industry for over twenty-five years.
APA National Payroll Service provides daily, weekly and salaried wages per individual client requests. Smith & Stilwell offers a quick turn-around of properly submitted timecards, provide direct deposit to all employees & customize invoices and projects specifically to our clients needs. Because Smith & Stilwell becomes the employer of record for your employees, they also offer:
This important member benefit of APA National Payroll is so inexpensive and simple to use that many members pay their own salaries through the service rather than going the usual payroll route. It can be used for office staff at reduced rates, is specially priced for APA members at 2% of gross pay, along with employee and employer matched tax fees, and best of all, is billable for each job.
Your liability is eliminated, payment is automatic and hassle-free, you completely avoid payroll bookkeeping, and it costs less than doing it yourself. (More info about your liabilities is included down below).
APA Payroll is provided through Smith & Stilwell. They're ready to service all of your payroll needs. For forms, information, and to sign up, contact Smith & Stilwell. Current APA Membership number required.
How APA National Payroll Service can reduce your liabilities
Two very important liability issues face every photographer who hires assistants and other crew members. Standard insurance policies for workers comp insurance (for job-related injuries) are costly and likely limited to in-state crew members. This means that even with a standard policy in place, your policy will not be enough when shooting in another state. But this is only part of the problem.
The far more serious problem may be assistants and other crew members who may be incorrectly classified as independent contractors (according to current IRS rules). A discovery to this effect during a routine IRS audit can create huge liabilities for back taxes that can put a studio out of business. Those who do it right have a huge overhead related to meeting these requirements (like employee unemployment insurance), and recovering these direct costs as job-related expenses can be daunting if not impossible.
The second liability issue is an IRS audit that reveals unpaid withholding taxes for assistants and other crew members who have been incorrectly classified as independent contractors (according to current IRS rules) can put a studio out of business.
The overhead related to meeting these requirements (like employee unemployment insurance), and recovering the costs as job-related expenses can be daunting if not impossible. APA's Production Payroll service solves all these problems by becoming the employer of record, relieving you of all related liabilities. The extremely low cost can save the fee for membership dues many times over in a single year.
We understand how difficult it is getting work in front of agency creatives. Let the strength of the APA go to work for you. Our local chapters administer portfolio reviews on behalf of our members. While each chapter runs their reviews differently, they all have one thing in common — getting our members access to creative professionals for feedback on portfolios. This is your chance to get up close and personal with art buyers and creatives to build a relationship and earn future new business. At this time, Chapter Portfolio Reviews are available through many, but not all chapters; please contact your local chapter to find out more.
Portfolio Reviews are a benefit for members at the Associate level and above.
All members enjoy discounts on events and competitions and are entitled to attend Members' only programs. APA's regional Chapters produce ongoing programing like: continuing business education, face-to-face portfolio reviews, panel discussions, and presentations by award-winning photographers.
Discounts on events and competitions are available to all members.
We are very pleased to announce a significant upgrade to our Member locator, which will help you get more work.
Hire An APA Pro is designed to help clients easily find the best APA photographers for lucrative jobs, and it has now replaced our Find A Member tool, and the Behance Portfolios.
Hire An APA Pro is commensurate: the higher your member level, the more searchable specialties and portfolio images you are entitled to, and the higher up in the search results you will appear.
Member Level / Number of Specialties & Images
APA will be proactively promoting Hire An APA Pro to creatives across the country, so it's to your advantage that you take a few minutes now to join APA and then complete your new Hire an APA Pro Profile and Portfolio.
Hire an APA Pro Assistant
APA has developed a brand new state-of-the-art Assistant search. If you are a photographer and an assistant, you can now show up in either search results, by selecting Photographer for your primary profession, then on the same Edit Specialties page, you will see "Assistant" -- use that pull-down to select "I am also an Assistant" and select your assistant specialties/skill set. Click "Update Profile".
Sample View of profile:
As a benefit of membership, APA assists our international Professional and Leader members in documenting your professional status and photographer requirements in your USA Visa application, for an Advisory opinion in support of O-1 petition (letter of no objection), or for your Green Card application.
Annual (not Monthly) Leader or Pro level Membership is required, and there is a one-year minimum.
APA has a no refund policy.
Examples of your photographic work are also required, and upon APA reviewer approval, qualified applicants will receive an official statement denoting photographer with exceptional ability.
There is a one-time $200 processing fee for either letter.
If you are not yet an APA Professional and Leader member, please wait until after the APA reviewer approval before joining.
Contact our National Executive Director, Juliette Wolf-Robin (executivedirector@apanational.org) for details.
APA Chapter Attorney Referrals
Many APA Chapters maintain referral lists of qualified attorneys in their area. Members often prefer to retain local legal assistance so they can easily meet face to face, and so their counsel is knowledgeable about relevant State laws. Contact your Chapter directly to request the current Chapter Attorney Referral list. This Chapter benefit is available to all membership levels.
Please note that while you may choose to, you are under no obligation to retain the attorney after your initial consultation.
The APA Member Pro Media Photo ID Card is specifically designed to help expedite quick check-in service at airports, as well as to facilitate the pro media discount on excess baggage, available through many airlines. Pro Media Cards can only be sent to USA & Canada addresses.
Note: Pro Media Photo ID Cards are available to APA Members at the Emerging, Professional, & ProPlus member levels, for just $25. If you are a current member and would like to upgrade to our Associate member level or above please send an email to membershiprep@apanational.org.
Following are the main advantages of our Pro Media ID card:
Disclaimer: Not all airlines accept Pro Media Cards as approved media credentials.
Having progressional insurance to protect important business assets is smart. As a matter of fact, insurance is so important that APA created a dedicated business unit to handle our members professional insurance needs. It's business insurance designed by photographers for photographers. As the leading not-for-profit organization serving professional photographers we know the unique demands of this industry. Our business insurance team can customize a policy that fits the unique demands of any photographer. For more info, and to receive a free quote from AIS (APA Insurance Services) please go here.
Additionally, we have special policies available for students and educators.
Professional business insurance is a benefit for members at the Supporter level and above.
Includes chapter events, photographer interviews, partner discounts, industry trends, and more.
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