Photo by Briana Scroggins, The University of Utah
Mission Statement
The UPAA is an international organization of college and university photographers concerned with the application and practice of photography as it relates to the higher education setting. Our organization is committed to photographic excellence through continuing education and networking with our professional colleagues.
Membership
- Full Membership $175/year- Current employees whose primary job is photography.
- Associate Membership $85/year- Friends of the profession or freelancers.
- Student Membership $25/year
- Retired Membership $50/year
- Video Producer Membership $70/year
- Membership is active from July 1 to June 30, new members who join late in the year are granted an extension into the following year.
- For a full description of membership qualifications please see the UPAA Constitution.
President's Message
Since its founding in 1961, the University Photographers’ Association of America (UPAA) has provided support, education, and promotion of university photographers and their profession. The UPAA accomplishes this in a variety of ways - educational online presentations on topics helpful to higher education photographers called UPAA Live, discussion and support via the facebook page, the Monthly Image Contest (MIC) and Annual Photo Contest (APC), and our annual Symposium focused on professional development, mentorship and connection.
Every summer, we gather for our Symposium, four to five days packed with learning, networking, connecting, workshops, and presentations by industry professionals. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends and connect with existing ones.
We are a diverse group comprising public, private, secular, and faith-based institutions of all sizes from across the globe, and thanks to the “How can I help?” culture, members have access to a great knowledge base that exists within the membership. Are you wondering how a photo was lit? If you ask the creative who shot it I’m fairly certain they will not only explain how they did it, but they may even hop on a zoom call to walk you through it!
The organization has evolved from its beginnings of being composed primarily of men, as did the field itself, to now being 70/30 men to women ratio. Our commitment to diversity within the organization and within our work is exemplified in our Best Practices for Inclusive and Diverse Photography in Higher Ed. Researched and written by a committee of UPAA members in 2021, this living position paper has been presented to and become a reference for schools across the country.
Women, non-binary, and women-identifying members are invited to join The Womxn’s Space, a page on Facebook which provides a safe space to talk about gender-based challenges that we experience in the field. Some important topics have been covered, and it’s a great place to find support and get some advice if needed.
We are working more and more on including hybrid photo-video and video production professionals within the UPAA. Slowly but surely, we are building our offerings that can specifically benefit professionals in this area of expertise. We hope that video production members will help us grow in this area too, by sharing their thoughts about their needs.
As a member, you also have access to our surveys, which include an annual review of salary trends and other topics relevant to university photographers. Our mentor program, Creative Partners, is a great way to regularly connect with a small cohort of members of all skill levels for feedback, inspiration, and camaraderie with others in the field.
Our magazine, The Contact Sheet is produced once a year and mailed to each member, and our blog, Depth in Field, has frequent posts about all things photo and video. Written by members, we always welcome new article ideas and members interested in contributing to the blog.
If you have any questions, visit the leadership page to connect with the board member or chairperson who may best be able to help you.
I hope you’ll explore this website, see yourself in this incredible group of humans, and join us!
Warmly,
Cydney Scott, UPAA President
Boston University
Learn More About UPAA
Awards Contests Corporate Partners
Contact Us
Mailing Address
University Photographers’ Association of America
33 Brackett Street
Medford, MA 02155
For billing questions treasurer@upaa.org
Official Address (do not send mail to this address)
UPAA
601 Abbott Rd
East Lansing, MI 48823
The UPAA is a registered 501 C(6) nonprofit organization. Incorporated in the state of Michigan.
Tax ID Number (TIN): 30-0674321
UPAA 2025 W9