Detroit Professional Photographers Association upcoming events

Competition Prep Night: Image Review & Critique Party (November 11, 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Competition Prep Night: Image Review & Critique Party

Getting ready for competition? Bring your laptop and your images—yes, even the ones you’re unsure about.

Join us for an interactive image review session where a panel of PPA Master Photographers will help you evaluate, refine, and strengthen your competition entries. Whether you're selecting your final images or deciding which photographs have the most potential, you'll receive valuable feedback and insights from experienced competitors and judges.

Together, we'll explore the key elements that create an award-worthy image, including:

Impact & storytelling
Composition & design
Lighting & presentation
Technical excellence
Print and digital competition considerations
The 12 Elements of a Merit Image

This is a supportive, educational environment designed to help you gain confidence, improve your work, and submit your strongest images possible.

Bring your questions, your creativity, and your best images—we can't wait to see what you've been working on!

DPPA 2026 Photographic Competition (November 17, 2026)

Wed, 18 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Every Great Competition Image Starts with the Courage to Enter.

Get those images ready, image competition is coming!! For those who have been waiting to test some images or looking to try image competition for the first time, mark this date down in your calendars, November 17th, 7:00PM.

Information you need to know:

Please view rules at www.dppa.net under Photo Competition tab
We will be using Printcompetition.com. You will need to sign up on the site if you do not have a membership with Printcompetition.com, there is a fee of $13. If you are a premium member, you are covered. Follow the instructions on the site for uploading images. Make sure to select DPPA MI, as there is a DPPA Texas site also.
Entering opens on November 1st, 2026.
No submissions will be accepted after November 16th, 5:00PM, EST, 2026.
We will follow PPA guidelines and be judged according to The 12 Elements of a PPA Merit Image: Impact, Creativity, Style, Composition, Presentation, Center of Interest, Color Balance, Lighting, Subject Matter, Technical Excellence, Technique, and Storytelling.
Registration Fees:

Members (DPPA & PPofM must register as DPPA members)

$15 per image (ten images total) for those registered by November 15th, 2026, by 6:00PM. EST
$20 per image (ten images total) for those registered on November 15th, 2026, after 6:01PM EST
DPPA members: You can upload a maximum of 10 images for judge critique/scoring. The top four scores, out of the six images you select, will be considered for DPPA awards.

Non-Members:

$20 per image (ten images total) for those registered by November 15th, 2026 by 6:00PM EST
$25 per image (ten images total) for those registered November 15th, 2026 after 6:01PM EST

Files must be sized so that the longest dimension is 4000 pixels. Each file must contain an embedded color profile of either sRGB or Adobe RGB1998 and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 10. In most cases, the total file size should not exceed 3.5 MB. Larger files will be accepted when necessary, provided they are JPG/10.
Files are to be named by their title. No underscores or special characters. The maker's name may not appear in the title or on the image itself.
This will be a remote event. On November 18th, you will sign into Printcompetition.com, to watch the judging.

We are looking forward to another year of great images! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: mari@photographybymari.com or (248) 666-7995. Now get working on those images!

DPPA 2026 Holiday Party (December 08, 2026)

Tue, 08 Dec 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Celebrate Another Incredible Year of Photography, Friendship, and Creativity—Save the Date for the DPPA 2026 Annual Holiday Party!