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WORDS RICHARD BRADBURY
Photographers don’t have to trade in isolation since there are a number of professional bodies out there that can offer support, training advice and awards. Which is the right one for you?
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY can be a solitary profession. With the exception of the odd assistant or two we spend most of our business lives working alone. We shoot on our own, retouch on our own and plan our marketing on our own. However, it’s a recognised fact that groups generally make better business decisions than individuals might be able to. That’s why successful companies are run by a board of directors; so how can we become better photographers and improve our photographic businesses without the help of a boardroom table?
Photographic associations are an invaluable resource for freelance individuals in need of the type of expert services that every photographic business needs. Now we all know there is another resource available out there. It’s free to access, on tap twenty-four hours a day and can provide pretty much any advice you might need, from how to shoot cars with mixed daylight and off-camera flash to comprehensive feedback on how best to approach your next tax return. It’s called the ‘Internet’ and increasingly it seems to be the go-to place where most of us head to look something up.
It would be fair to say that photographic associations and Institutions have found it hard in recent years to compete with the world wide web. To the casual onlooker it can seem that the web can solve every problem and teach every skill required. But beware! Not all the ‘experts’ you encounter on the web are worthy of that title, while just maybe some of those ‘special offers’ you’re encountering are not always as ‘special’ as they seem.
I’ve been a member of several photographic associations since I first opened my studio doors some 30 years ago. There are a few different groups to consider if you’re a UK based photographer and they all have their particular idiosyncrasies. Unlike the Internet, the associations are run by people who really do know what they are talking about. Experienced photographers and business professionals are a guaranteed part of the package, but are they really worth those annual fees and which is the right organisation for your business?
The Association Of Photographers – AOP
/ the-aop.org
Based in London, the AOP has been around since 1968 and has a clear agenda to service advertising, editorial and commercial photographers. They deal exclusively with business-to-business photographers, and their ranks have always included some of the most respected photographic names in the business, giants like Nadav Kander, John Claridge and Tim Flach. They remain one of the most respected photo organisations in the world and the annual AOP awards are amongst the highest accolades in photography. The AOP is headed up by Seamus McGibbon who interestingly is not a photographer in his own right. After many years working in theatrical arts management Seamus has brought a fresh approach to the role and during his tenure has reshaped the AOP as a forward looking organisation.
There are currently approximately 2700 AOP members, with membership offering a number of benefits including special deals for insurance, marketing and many other services, such as discount prices on Apple Macs, Capture One, Holborn Studios and Bikinilists.
ELIGIBILITY: There are several different types of membership, but to join you have to be involved in a professional way in the photographic industry. The main membership is for Accredited Photographers, who must show they are working in the creative industries and then present a working image portfolio before being accepted. There are several other categories, such as Photographers’ Agents, Assistant Photographers, Students and Affiliated Companies.
BENEFITS: The AOP has always been the reference point for high end professional photography in terms of advertising and editorial work, so when the advertising industry needs to talk it talks to the AOP. A good example would be the discussions that took place over a long period of time with a select group of advertising art buyers and photographic commissioners to establish an invaluable set of guidelines for image usage rates, both nationally and internationally. These guidelines are not law but are now published in a
ABOVE:Conceptual still life and food photographer Dan Matthews won a silver award for his ‘Neon Pears’ series in the latest set of AOP Awards.
RIGHT: Vikram Kushwah’s ‘Women in Bathing Suits’ series was shortlisted in the AOP Awards.
book called Beyond The Lens (available in PDF form to all members) and they form the basis of most rights negotiations in the commercial photography sector.
Initiatives such as these create a level playing field and demonstrate what photographic organisations can do for freelance photographers across the country. They are there to ensure we all get a fair and reasonable crack of the whip as well as giving clients a reference point that they know is universally recognised.
The AOP’s website offers a portfolio facility to its members and also supplies a very useful list of professional photographic assistants, with only the best making it onto its pages. In addition to the AOP Awards they also hold the annual AOP Assistants’ Awards, helping to encourage the next generation of top commercial photographers. There’s also a valuable listing of equipment sales, studio hire and jobs in the photo industry available to members.
Throughout the year The AOP is well known for organising talks and seminars that members can attend for a small fee. In this way members are able to meet up with some of the top names in the business to learn more about photographic techniques, business, marketing and rights issues as well as having the opportunity to attend specialist talks on members’ unique projects.
COSTS: Annual fees vary from £25 up to £396 for full Accredited Photographers.
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The Guild Of Photographers
/ photoguild.co.uk
Known to members as simply ‘The Guild’, The Guild Of Photographers was launched thirty years ago by professional photographers Roy Doorbar and Ian Gee. Forward thinking individuals, they were responsible for introducing personal liability and injury insurance to freelance photographers. This type of insurance is now accepted as a base-line requirement for all working photographers and was the catalyst on which the Guild was launched.
Based in Stoke On Trent in the Midlands the Guild is well placed to service its members from all across the UK. The association believes very strongly in supporting photography as a ‘craft,’ and this is the ethos that comes across from a loyal membership and is championed by a devoted team.
ELIGIBILITY: The emphasis on craftsmanship is where the ‘Guild’ name comes from and, while happy to welcome amateurs into their ranks, usually as ‘standard’ members, great facilities are offered to the professional with one of the most comprehensive member packages of all the associations, one that involves an extensive and invaluable list of services and facilities.
BENEFITS: In addition to the insurance cover famously promoted by Roy and Ian, the Guild provides 24 hour legal advice, contract dispute cover, a debt recovery service and income and tax investigation protection. Guild membership also includes a valuable copyright protection service, which utilises a reverse search engine to uncover theft, reflecting the Guild’s commitment to support its members and the work they create.
The support offered goes beyond being just an advice service. Legal teams will step in to act for the members at no cost, either defending them or seeking financial compensation if there has been unauthorised use of their work.
When it comes to qualifications once again the Guild’s offerings reflect the original ethos of craftsmanship. After becoming a registered member the first stage is to reach ‘Qualified’ status. This is attained in the normal way of presenting a panel of images to a group of judges, all of whom are longterm Guild members with experience at the highest level. The next stage up is ‘Craftsman’ and the highest accolade is ‘Mastercraftsman’.
The Guild also runs an awards system which is unlike that offered by any of the other organisations, with the aim of being both
ABOVE:Jason Allison was named the overall winner in the Pet category of the latest Guild Awards.
aspirational and inclusive. There’s a monthly image competition with members gaining Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to the quality of the image. Each winning entry is scored and at the end of the year the scores for all the winning entries for each category are added up. The person with the highest number of points becomes the Guild’s Photographer Of The Year, and there are RIGHT:Scott Johnson won the Wedding Category in the Awards with this innovative bridal portrait. “There’s a monthly image competition with members gaining Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to the quality of the image.”
ten different photographic genres to enter. In this way you are not only judged on one image but encouraged to produce excellent award winning images throughout the year.
At the awards ceremony there is also an ‘Image Of The Year’ which, of course, is hugely prestigious. There is also a ‘Founders Cup’ competition, which is exclusively open to members who have not won an award before. It’s a great way of encouraging all the members to try harder and for those who are new to competition events to feel included in the awards.
ABOVE: Joanna Bradley won the Newborn Category in the latest Photographer of the Year Awards.
COSTS: No one could deny that membership of the Guild represents excellent value for money. The annual fee is £99-£129 (£10.75 a month for Standard members, £13.25 for Professional members). Ninety per cent of the members are part or full time professionals and members receive a professional package that’s estimated to be worth over £600 if purchased separately. The association produces two bi-monthly magazines, Creative Light and Camera Craft, both of which are beautifully produced and packed full of features and information.
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THE ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
The Royal Photographic Society, 337 Paintworks, Bristol. Gallery open Thursday – Sunday rps.org
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BOP PHOTOBOOK FESTIVAL
19 & 20 OCTOBER BOP brings together a diverse range of photobook publishers from the UK and Europe and is supported by a programme of photographer’s talks. Entry to the festival is free, artist talks are ticketed. Hosted by Martin Parr Foundation and The RPS.
The Royal Photographic Society – RPS
/ rps.org
It’s true to say that the Royal Photographic Society is the great grandad of all the photographic organisations. The oldest continually running photographic organisation in the world, it was formed in 1853 by a group of enthusiastic gentlemen in London who had been encouraged by the international sensation of The Great Exhibition in 1851 to celebrate photography’s role as a unique art form in a modern developing world.
It took several meetings to convince William Henry Fox Talbot, who had invented the Calotype process in 1841, to relax his patent on the process to enable amateurs to enjoy and expand the new art form. In 1894 the Society finally achieved its Royal status, having been patronised by the Queen and Prince Albert for some time.
The spirit of those early pioneers still flows through everything the RPS does and stands for. The Society has an undying commitment to the art and science of photography and has been instrumental in many developments over the years. It may be old but it it’s certainly not decrepit: the regular exhibitions, talks and workshops that are presented are amongst the very best in the world and the RPS’s membership list reads like a roll of honour for the great and the good of photography.
ELIGIBILITY: The Society’s current base is RPS House in Paintworks, Bristol’s new creative quarter. They have a membership of 11,300 people from all walks of photographic life, the bulk of whom are professional or ex-professional photographers but they are also open to the ranks of enthusiastic amateurs. The third type of membership is
ABOVE: Academy Award winning director Yorgos Lanthimos was awarded the Cinematic Production Award by the RPS in its 141st Awards for his acclaimed films ‘The Favourite’ and ‘The Lobster.’
ABOVE: French photographer Sophie Calle was awarded the Centenary Medal and an honorary Fellowship from the RPS.
LEFT: Flour Beetle by David Spears, an image shortlisted in the RPS’s Science Photographer of the Year Awards.
reserved for people involved in and connected to the photographic world, such as equipment manufacturers and other businesses that rely on photography for their income and patronage.
BENEFITS: The tangible benefits to members include an award winning monthly magazine called RPS Journal, as well as reduced or free admission to over 500 annual RPS events, workshops and courses including the Society’s annual International Photographic Exhibition, the longest running photographic exhibition in the world. In addition the RPS is home to 15 special interest groups that cater for every field of photography.
The RPS offers the familiar Licentiate, Associate and Fellowship awards but also, sometimes offers a direct Fellowship to photographers whose work is of an exceptional standard. These direct awards are extremely rare and are reserved for only the most recognised talent in the world, creating enormous kudos for winners. The RPS has always had a close connection to the science of photography over the years, and this is reflected in the Imaging Scientist as well as Creative Industries awards.
COSTS: Sadly the original one guinea membership fee is no longer in existence but the standard annual membership fee is a modest £120 or £90 for the over 65s. This is clearly fantastic value and it helps the RPS to fund several charitable objectives.
Breeding Thoroughbreds Since 1901
The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) is the world’s premier professional qualifying photographic body dating back to horse drawn carriages.
Our qualifications are respected globally across a variety of photography genres. Our worldwide members cover every discipline (including Equine) helping to ensure the future of the photographic profession.
We work with government groups like the Defence School of Photography, industrial titans like Rolls Royce, colleges, training centres and individuals.
Whether you are a bright eyed foal, or a battle weary war horse looking for new pastures, the British Institute of Professional Photography can provide the leg-up you need to achieve your future goals and more.
For more details on joining or our qualifications system, contact us now on 01772 367 968 or email admin@bipp.com.
Image: Emily Hancock FBIPP
/ bipp.com
Formed in 1901 when one hundred photographers met in a bar in Fleet Street to form ‘The Professional Photographers’ Association,’ the BIPP has a proud history. Several name changes later the present British Institute of Professional Photography was arrived at and the organisation now boasts over 1600 members. Earlier this year some significant changes were made with the arrival of a new CEO, Martin Baynes. Martin is a well-known character in the wedding and portrait fraternity, coming from a senior position at premium Italian photo album producers Graphistudio, and he’s currently shaking up the organisation and is overseeing an expansion.
His first job was to re-locate the BIPP headquarters to a new home in Preston, giving the BIPP a central geographical location in a beautiful building called Artistry House, which now houses some of the area’s best creative businesses.
Overs the years the BIPP has had a close and rewarding association with many academic courses and frequently offers up experienced speakers who can talk to graduates and undergraduates about the benefits to be had from long term membership. They can also be found in government circles working with The Defence School Of Photography and the College Of Policing as well as prestige private companies such as Rolls Royce.
ELIGIBILITY: The BIPP accepts new members from many different specialist fields but insists they need to be correctly insured and meet various other professional requirements before they can join. They also encourage members to produce personal creative work alongside their everyday imagery.
The BIPP offers three levels of qualified membership for professional photographers. After joining you’re required to offer up a panel, defined as a coherent body of work connected by a theme or style, which needs to be supported by a written report. Provided the work is up to the required standard the applicant is then granted a Licentiateship, Associateship or Fellowship depending on the quality of the panel.
BENEFITS: Successful members can place the letters LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP after their name on cards and email sign-offs etc. This is a sign of quality and helps to reassure a potential client that they are dealing with a qualified, professional photographer. Fellowships are much sought after
ABOVE:Catherine Beltramini included this portrait as part of her Fellowship Panel.
WPC Awards Of further note is the fact that the annual World Photographic Cup - WPC awards - regards the BIPP as the key photographic organisation within the UK. You have to be a member of the BIPP if you want to join team GB and compete alongside teams from Russia, China, USA, Australia and many other countries for this truly international event. The same is true for the Federation Of European Photographers – FEP.
RIGHT: Janice Dongworth’s project on care homes was considered to be the best Licentiateship Panel of 2019
and only granted to the very best in the business. It’s rare, but some photographers have been known to apply for more than one fellowship, which can be awarded in different disciplines such as ‘wedding’ ‘portrait’ or ‘documentary’ etc. Members are drawn from every field of professional photography, from wedding to scientific, social to commercial.
Fellows of the BIPP form the pool of judges who assess annual awards, so the experienced members of the association are expected to share their knowledge and skills with the membership at large.
The annual BIPP Awards have changed and developed over the years and are there to reflect the ideals of the association, encouraging the highest artistic standards. To enter you’re required to present a set of five images that must work as a series, and these are then assessed as a serious body of work: there are no single image categories.
Membership of the BIPP entitles you to discounts for equipment insurance plus the right to enter regional as well as national awards, along with a glossy quarterly magazine. Further benefits include a twenty-four hour legal helpline and access to some of the most established professional photographers in the business.
COSTS: Membership costs £25 per year for students whilst still studying and £225 per year for full time working professionals.
The Society Of Wedding and Portrait Photographers – SWPP
/ swpp.co.uk
The SWPP was formed in 1988 as a division of the Master Photographers Association to reflect the particular needs and requirements of wedding and portrait specialisations, which makes up such a large chunk of today’s professional business. After just two years the Society was made an independent organisation in its own right and since then, with Colin and Juliette Jones and the Jones family at the helm, things have gone from strength to strength.
Over time there came a need to broaden the reach and the Societies Of Photographers is now the group name for a collection of bodies that cater for other specialities. So there is now the SIFGP (Society of International Fashion and Glamour Photographers), SICIP (Society of International Commercial and Industrial Photographers) and the SINWP (Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers) amongst several others.
In total the Societies has over 5000 members, making them second only in numbers to the RPS, although their emphasis is very different. The SWPP is the major body, with wedding and portrait photography being the primary focus, with commercial photographers coming a close third. The rest of the membership is made up from the fields of science, nature and fashion.
ELIGIBILITY: The fact that anyone, fully professional or otherwise, is entitled to join is one of the SWPP’s great attractions, and it’s one of the reasons for the healthy membership numbers. It means aspiring, as well as full time, photographers can join and network and take on the training that’s available to take them to the next level.
ABOVE:Dr Fong Chan On won the title of Children Photographer of the Year in the Societies Photographer of the Year Competition.
LEFT: The Societies Studio Portrait Photographer of the Year is Kristian Piccoli.
BENEFITS: The Awards structure at the SWPP is possibly the most comprehensive of any of the professional bodies, with a well-established monthly competition arranged into twenty seven categories that covers everything from architecture through to wildlife. You’re allowed to enter just one image per category per month, although you can enter several different categories. Winning images are awarded either a Gold or a Highly Commended and there is also the coveted Judges’ Choice Award.
The Gold images plus a re-selection of the Highly Commendeds go through to the national awards ceremony which is held in London in January of every year during the annual Societies Of Photographers Convention, an overall winner in each category being announced on the night. The Convention itself is the largest gathering of its kind in Europe and takes place over four days and includes a very large trade show with over 100 exhibitors and 200 hours of workshops and seminars that can be attended. Professional Image Maker is The Societies’ own bi-monthly publication and it’s the most comprehensive associations’ magazine out there. It’s a great platform to promote the convention and inform members of the various road show and workshop events being staged. The SWPP also offers long term mentoring and other benefits such as legal cover, insurance and discounts.
COSTS: Membership costs £5 (Digital), £8 (Enthusiast) and £10 (Professional) per month and the Society is run by a small but very efficient team of professionals, with each one specialising in a different area of the membership.
The Master Photographers Association – MPA.
/ thempa.com
The MPA first opened its doors in 1951 and the association, which currently has over 1000 members signed up, has its head office in Darlington. Its three missions are to train, mentor and qualify and those who join are encouraged to try for Licentiateship status, where you need to show a panel of work within a specified genre. These include weddings, portraits, commercial, nature etc and the panel is assessed by a group of Fellows that sit at regular intervals throughout the year in different parts of the country.
If you’re successful then you’ll be encouraged to go for an Associateship and then a Fellowship. The MPA has an excellent mentoring program, which is designed to help members to attain their next level. It’s often the case that a good photographer might be missing some key elements to their work, either in the presentation or production of the panel, so mentorship is invaluable.
There are currently thirteen regional MPA groups and they meet a minimum of four times per year and usually more than that. They are based all across the country, so there’s guaranteed to be a region close to you. Each holds frequent events with speakers and also runs individual annual print competitions with help and advice to enable every member to move forward to the National MPA Awards.
This annual gathering, which takes place next month, is a lavish affair with a gala dinner and a series of industry events held over two days. Many top industry professionals are invited and this year’s event includes eighteen different speaker giving seminars. It’s a chance to catch up with old friends as well as make new ones within the industry. The awards cover most of the recognised specialisations, with the addition of some business awards for best website, charity project and customer service etc.
The evening is presided over by the MPA’s enigmatic chairman Ray Lowe, a successful photographer and businessman in his own right. Ray also sends out a weekly ‘Missive’ to members via email which helps to keep everyone up to date with the latest goings on. Gaining an MPA award is not only good for your personal sense of achievement but also provides a great platform for you to promote yourself to new and existing
ABOVE:Fashion portrait by MPA member David Charles
ABOVE:This classical image was produced on a David Stanbury Masterclass run by the MPA for members.
clients. They also help to improve the standards of the industry as a whole while giving individual photographers something to strive for.
ELIGIBILITY: As well as a strong UK contingent the MPA boasts members as far afield as Europe, Canada, Australia and the Far East. You join as a certified member requiring you to be a full or part time photographer, but you have to have professional insurance and a full knowledge of health and safety in the workplace to be accepted.
BENEFITS: The principle of mentorship and training is evident throughout the structure of the MPA in many incarnations. You can request that two Fellows come along to your studio to assess both the good and the bad aspects of your practice. In this way members can improve their own business through the experience of the established photographers.
The MPA has its own YouTube channel and three different Facebook groups, one for members, one for awards and one for the whole photographic industry. The MPA magazine is published six times per year and includes features on everything from members’ work to general articles about improving your photography.
Ray Lowe may be the Chairman of the MPA but he also has the honorary position of ‘President’. This role is offered to photographers that the committee feels are at the top of the industry and well respected within their particular filed. It’s an unpaid position and the President is expected to tour the country meeting members within their regions and to help train, mentor, educate and inspire.
I’m proud to say that I was made MPA president for 2018 and it was a lot of fun talking to members about their businesses and their photography on their home ground. It’s a role that requires a huge amount of time and commitment as there is a lot of travelling involved, with frequent nights away and a constant barrage of questions and requests. The role of President is yet another area where the MPA seeks to spread the knowledge to its members in a very real and cohesive manner.
COSTS: Membership costs £169 per year with student membership for free.
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Should You Sign Up?
In addition to the big six I’ve mentioned in this feature there are numerous specialist organisations. The Reflections Marketing Group RMG, for example, is a recent newcomer and there are associations for new born specialists, nature photographers and just about every other genre you can think of. Then there are the European and World organisations to consider, so the options are truly endless.
In a world that’s ever more dominated by free information available from the internet there is a credible argument to say that photo associations are a thing of the past. After all, who needs to pay an annual fee when you can get it all for nothing on the web? Be very careful before you jump to a conclusion however. The web is brimming over with selfaggrandised YouTube gurus of every possible variety, from photographers through to business experts, life coaches and lighting technicians. Some are great while others will mislead and misinform you, so there is still real value in being part of a body that has a worthy history and reputation, and you get to meet real people face-to-face as a bonus!
As previously mentioned I’ve been a member of several photographic associations over the years and have won numerous awards, judged several of their competitions and have given talks and seminars at their various conventions, so I know a thing or two about membership. While at times there can be issues with how some of these associations are organised and the politics that can go with the territory, on the whole it would be hard to argue that they don’t collectively enhance and aid the progress of our art, our business, our craft and our social relationship with our fellow professionals.
So do you need to become a member and, if so, which is the best organisation for you? There is only one person that can answer that question and that is you. Take stock of what’s out there, see what fits your needs and be prepared to put something back as well as to take out. You don’t have to restrict yourself to just one body and remember that, if you’re a professional filling out your tax form each year, you can set your association fees against your earnings. It’s good to give back and to belong, so join in, get networking and build up your skills!
UK Professional Photographers
/ www.ukprofessionalphotographers.co.uk
One of the latest bodies formed to help Professional Photographers is the UK Professional Photographers Group, which differs from some of the others covered here in that it’s primarily designed as a marketing vehicle that connects customers with photographers.
The UKPP was created this year by the Reflections Marketing Group (profiled in Professional Photo Issue 160), which evolved originally from a small group of photographers in the west country who got together to develop their own marketing and business skills. This ultimately led to the creation of the Pet Portrait Awards and the subsequent launch of the popular National Portrait Awards in 2017.
Now the organisation is looking to expand and to invite professional photographers around the country to sign up to receive local free leads in their chosen genre or genres.
ELIGIBILITY: Those looking to join have to provide evidence of being a high quality professional photography business supported by a strong website and Facebook page. A panel of photographers will check through the work and will also want to see evidence of full insurance and GDPR compliance before you can join.
BENEFITS: Those signing up to join can pick an area and a speciality and will then receive
ABOVE: The popular National Portrait Awards were launched in 2017.
ABOVE: The Pet Portrait Awards were developed as a marketing strategy.
free local leads that are generated by the UK Professional Photography’s advertising, which is shortly to include a national radio campaign. The aim is to use a professional association principle to create an industry body that those looking to book a professional photographer will come to if they’re looking for a guaranteed level of service. By advertising in a collective way the reach should be far higher than photographers might be able to achieve using their own resources.
COSTS: To register for a single genre, for example wedding or portrait photography, the cost would be £49 a year, but to register for a selection of up to four the cost is £99 and for eight it’s £139.
LATEST NEWS: Access to the group’s highly successful baby portrait club has now been made available to members of UK Professional Photographers at Level 2 and above for £150 extra.
In November UK Professional Photographers will be accepting bookings for its 2020 twoday workshops, planned for April in Dublin and London, which will address both photography and business using respected British and international photographers. More details of these events will be released shortly as the UKPP looks to grow and attract new members across the country.
