BIPP, AOP, SWPP, MPA, RPS - Which One ??

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I am a member of the British Institute of Professional Photography, which is an organisation which supports photographers.

I am wondering if any of the other organisations offer more than the BIPP.

The best thing about the BIPP is the monthly meetings, which I don't think the other associations have.

Any views ?
 
I had a look at the SWPP - It seems all you need to get the fancy letters after your name is cough up some cash. I'm more interested in something like the RPS scheme, where you have to prove the standard of your work, rather than your wallet...
 
reddeathdrinker said:
I had a look at the SWPP - It seems all you need to get the fancy letters after your name is cough up some cash. I'm more interested in something like the RPS scheme, where you have to prove the standard of your work, rather than your wallet...
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I don't think that's really fair m8 as they do reject more than 80% of applicants for the starter LSWPP

What they do offer though is a free mentoring to advise if your images are up to scratch for the 'L' or above, which is useful

And I do accept that their qualification is easier to attain than others

RPS ones are not a 'Pro' qualification though, and can be passed on any subject at all irrespective of your intentions for client based work. I have a pal with an LRPS who was given her title simply as she'd completed an A-level in photography - she showed her work one night, which she passed the A-level with, and frankly my kids could do better :eek: Up to that point several of us were interested in the RPS route, and since that night none of us have bothered :(

Although not a member, I do attend several BIPP meetings and find they are interesting social occasions, but rarely do 'we' learn anything useful. The better evenings are when other Pros exhibit or talk about their work, as this lets you see where you stand by comparing your work to others. A year or so ago we had a presentation of truly rubbish images of kids/babies that most TPers would have been embarrassed to post, and his point was that you could make money out of pretty much anything. Oh, and he does have many 'letters' after his name too

The membership and/or letters thing is all about what you're wanting or needing by way of help, support and encouragement. For many Pros, it can be a very isolated world and the social meetings count for a lot

For my part, I like the SWPP for its generally interesting & helpful forum; and for the fact that it's given me access to a range of seminars and other helpful events I'd not have come across on my own

It also gave me the use of LSWPP as a title, which I use as a marketing tool to give me an edge over my competitors

The 'best' industry membership and qualification route is probably the MPA, but last time I looked they had a much smaller membership and didn't do meetings (at least locally to me)

Not sure if that helped at all :D

DD
 
Merovingian said:
Did you join this online?

Appears only way now is by phone, which seems largely unmanned!
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Oh - that's odd

I think I signed up at FOCUS a few years ago - so I'd have to say keep trying during the week

DD
 
Merovingian said:
It is a bit odd. Wonder if it's to screen new members...
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I have just had a look at the site, seems that you can join online here. Links are not very obvious though, would be a help if they designed the site so its easier to find things!
 
Anyone here joined the BFP ? Just curious as you see there adverts in a lot of the photomagazines. It's not an accrediatation, just a service bureua. ?
 
BFP areexcellent. John has dug meout of a number of problems with 'problem' clients. I've battled for an age to get images returned that weren't tobe used andhanded over to John images turn up the next day...! Perhaps he threatens to go around and shoot the editors? Haha. Either way, they produce results for professionals at an excellent rate, half that of the poxy imo SWPP.
SWPP always seemed less than professional to me, they used to hand out the L like cups of tea, and thenreally got my and much of the industry's back up by claiming to have lockedeveryone in on membership fees ofover£100 the following year, until someone pointed out there contract terms were unlawful and therefore unenforceable. If they are so good, why the hell would they need to lock everyone in on unlawful contract terms and start threatening pro-s with Bailiffrs and the like. Shoddy rubbish frankly. After that I decided tonever join SWPP again andI can confirm my work rate hasimproved and I am severalhundred quid better off from not joining them again. I never got a single lead, enquiry or anything via SWPP. :shake:
The RPS is the only organisation I've everfelt any genuine faith in. The A-level used to correspond directly to the RPS Land was interchangeable on production of the A Level certificate. The standards were similar, and high from memory. They were really very open mindedimoin what constituted a good image and were very constructive in the criticism of those not up to scratch, and the conventionswere well worth attending at Bath too.I always came away inspired and found my work quality improving so, I'd recommendgoing down that route.
I've also heard good things about BIPP but do not have any directexperience on which to comment.
 
susie said:
I have just had a look at the site, seems that you can join online here. Links are not very obvious though, would be a help if they designed the site so its easier to find things!
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Cheers. But it was the BPPA forum that was the real problem.
 
Thanks for the update Mr J but I hope your spacebar works better next time ! ;)
So are the BFP worth joining for 50 quid a year to help you out of predicaments in jobs etc ?
They do however say that they prefer that members do not use the 'BFP' as a badge of honor or letters after their name

Diddy, sounds like you've not had a good experience with the RPS. £93 for the membership (is that per year ??) and then a further £40 for the LRPS title once approved sounds reasonable enough for me.

How was the acceptance criteria for the LSWPP ? Was it what you expected ?
 
I joined The NPS (National Photographic Society)

They are only £49 a year and I got that back with all the discounts that they have from photographic suppliers etc.

They let me transfer in my LSWPP so that I am LNPS and I didn't have to submit more pictures so that was quicker.

To be honest, they are all much of a muchness for most photographers and the NPS got my vote because 1) they are cheap and 2) the discounts with Blurb books and people like that etc attracted me.

Their website is www.thenps.co.uk

Darren
 
Welcome Darren.

Strange first post to promote an organisation on a thread that hasn't received any traffic for 458 days... interestingly I can't find anything about committees, governance, officers, etc on their website? Are they a society or another commercial venture like the SWPP?
 
Hi Alan

I'm not promoting them, the post wasn't an endorsement, my point was really that I think they are all the same and I go with the cheapest.

Don't know their status, a quick look on their website doesn't seem to tell much.
 
And yes, just joined today (to reply to a post about memory cards oddly!) think I've some way to go to reach your 4197!!! You must live on here!
 
That was my concern. I don't see anything on their website that tells me what they are - which I find worrying. Me, I've chosen the RPS...

Oh and the 4k posts are over 3 years. There are much worse (better?) than me on here!
 
MPA for me....plenty of meetings, comps, seminars etc...im currently gunning for my associate and my mentor is current MPA tog of the year...their forums are useful...to my knowledge, i have found more preferring the MPA to the BIPP, but then others tell me SWPP is better still...although they dont yet have the prestige in the industry as MPA/BIPP...the rest i thought were merely clubs or such..(no offence intended, i really have no knowledge of any others bar the 3 mentioned...sorry)
 
Well I've been a member for about 6 weeks with them and their discount codes are certainly working with the suppliers so that's all I care about! ;-)
 
I was an affiliate member of the BIPP last year, I joined because it was £75 a year, and you had 3 years to go for your Licentiate. But I just got a letter saying to renew it is £150 for the year and I have to submit within the year. So I've decided not to bother. If they're going to change the rules like that before I gain my qualification whats to say it wont just get worse.

Just my 2p

Pete
 
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