Cleveland Photographic Society

What Cleveland Photographic Society does

The Cleveland Photographic Society (CPS) is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit photography organization founded in 1887 and headquartered in Broadview Heights, Ohio. The society serves amateur and enthusiast photographers across Northeast Ohio through twelve annual photography competitions spanning seven categories (Black & White, Creative, Nature, People, Pictorial, Photojournalism, and Beginner), a School of Photography covering Fundamentals, Photoshop Editing, Lightroom Classic, and iPhone Photography, plus field trips, mentorship, critique nights, special interest groups, and member exhibits. A year-end competition aggregates season points toward Photographer of the Year and seven named special awards honoring historical CPS figures.

Name

Cleveland Photographic Society

Legal name

Cleveland Photographic Society

Website

https://clevelandphoto.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cleveland Photographic Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit photography club founded in 1887 in Broadview Heights, Ohio, serving Northeast Ohio amateur and enthusiast photographers through twelve annual competitions, a School of Photography, mentorship, field trips, and exhibits funded by membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Club and Amateur Photography Education

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Photography club memberships
• Photo competitions
• Photography education programs
• Amateur photography community
• Photography field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Broadview Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide access to competitions, programs, schools, field trips, mentorship, and member-only content including the Shutter Score portal.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Cleveland Photographic Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit photography club that offers members twelve annual photography competitions spanning multiple categories (Projected Digital, Print, Nature, Travel, Photojournalism, Monochrome, Photo Critique), a Year-End Competition, a School of Photography with structured classes, guided field trips, peer mentorship, photo exhibits, and Special Interest Groups. Members pay annual dues to participate in competitions, attend classes, and access the Shutter Score digital competition management system used for submissions and judging.

Product overview

Cleveland Photographic Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit photography club offering a comprehensive suite of photography-related programs and services. The organization's core offerings include: Photography Competitions (twelve annual competitions across seven categories in both print and projection formats), a School of Photography (offering Fundamentals of Good Photography, Photoshop Editing, Lightroom Classic, and iPhone Photography courses), Field Trips (members-only excursions to regional photography destinations), Exhibits (collaborative exhibitions with external organizations), a Mentorship Program (pairing experienced photographers with developing members), Special Interest Groups, and an Annual Year-End Competition with accumulated points awards and seven named special awards. The society serves photographers in the Broadview Heights, Ohio area and maintains an online presence through its website and social media channels including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Photography Competitions

Quantifiable outcome

• Points system: 1st place earns 5 points, 2nd place earns 4 points, 3rd place earns 3 points, Honorable mention earns 2 points

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Park Service volunteer photographer Rick Santich conducts Photo Exploration Hikes in partnership with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, offering 10 hikes from February through November.
• AARPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRick Santich partnered with AARP to conduct additional photo exploration hikes beyond his regular schedule with the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
• Westlake Porter LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPS holds periodic photography exhibits at Westlake Porter Library, providing public visibility for member work.
• Tri-C (Cuyahoga Community College) EastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-C East serves as venue for the annual Best of the Best Exhibit opening reception and the exhibit itself. Light snacks and beverages provided by Tri-C Culinary program at the opening reception.
• Shutter ScorecoreTechnology or IntegrationShutter Score is the online competition management system used by CPS for digital image submissions for projection competitions. Members register and submit images through this platform for all projection competitions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Flickr: Long-running online photography community for sharing, feedback, and group critique; a digital substitute for some of the community and feedback functions CPS provides in person.
• SmugMug: Photo portfolio, storage, and print platform serving enthusiast photographers; an enabling/adjacent service that overlaps with CPS members' needs for portfolio hosting and gallery presentation.
• B&H Photo Video: Major photography equipment retailer and education content publisher; adjacent to CPS through shared customer base of enthusiast photographers, though it is a commercial retailer rather than a membership organization.

Emerging players

• 500px: Online photography community and portfolio platform serving enthusiast photographers with sharing, feedback, and contests; competes with CPS for engagement time and recognition, though distributed digitally rather than locally.
• BetterPhoto.com: Online photography education and competition platform serving amateur photographers; overlaps with CPS's school and competition offerings but delivers digitally at lower price points.

Direct peers

• Photographic Society of America: National umbrella organization for photography clubs and individual photographers; CPS members participate in PSA-affiliated competitions and salons, making PSA the most direct peer in mission and member services.
• Cincinnati Photographic Society: A fellow Ohio-based camera club offering competitions, education, and exhibits to amateur photographers; operates a near-identical dues-and-programs model and competes for the same regional hobbyist audience.
• Western Reserve Photographic Society: Another Northeast Ohio photography club with competitions, classes, and member events; competes with CPS for the same local amateur photographer pool.
• Akron Camera Club: Long-running Northeast Ohio camera club providing competitions, education, and member exhibits; directly comparable in scope, geography, and programming to CPS.

Regional players

• Greater Cleveland PC Users Group (Photo SIG): Regional Cleveland-area group that runs photography-themed special interest group programming; competes for a portion of the same hobbyist audience, though broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CPSPhoto
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ClevePhotographic
• Facebookfacebook.com/clevelandphotographicsociety
• Instagraminstagram.com/clevelandphotographicsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleveland-photographic-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cleveland Photographic Society