For anyone that read my recent “Mike’s Muse” article on the importance (or not, depending on your point of view) of qualifications, you’ll be aware that to me personally, it is important to obtain qualifications within my chosen field, as it adds credibility to what I do, is recognition that I have achieved certain professional levels of skill and competence and, most importantly, makes me strive to keep getting better at what I do.
Well, with that in mind, I’m absolutely delighted to announce that today I’ve been awarded the Licentiate (or “L”) qualification by the British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP) in the category of Weddings. In order to obtain the qualification, photographers must be mentored over a period of time, with their work being constantly assessed by a highly qualified photographer, usually a “Fellow” of the organisation, which is the highest qualification attainable. Only when your work is deemed of a sufficient standard can you then go forward for your assessment. The assessment itself requires that you have to submit 20 images, 10 of which must be from a single wedding and the other 10 from multiple weddings. These images are then assessed by a panel of “Fellows” and they and only they will decide if the images are of sufficient standard to qualify.
It has been suggested in certain forums that you can almost “buy” yourself a qualification with one of the organisations. Well, having gone through the process, I can categorically state that this is definitely not the case. As photographers, we all have a choice whether or not to pursue qualifications and we all have a different view as to their importance. But, for me, it was always an important step to take and my aim is to now move on and obtain the next level of qualification, the Associate.
Better get back to work then!
For those that are interested, here’s some images from my successful qualification panel. If you like them, please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the page as I really welcome your feedback.
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