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Swpp
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Yes
Phil Pound LSWPP & LBPPA
Overseas Monochrome photographrer of the year 2006 and Overall Third place Overseas photographer of the year 2006.
me too…. I get a few leads from them, I haven’t gone down the qualification route, I’m not sure if it helps or not. I get most of my bookings via my website and word of mouth.
Si
Allinthemind wrote:
I haven’t gone down the qualification route, I’m not sure if it helps or not.
Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the qualifications. And I think in the eyes of the consumers it does count for something. At the very least it’s a bit like ISO9000 certification – doesn’t necessarily mean much in reality but helps to win business as it gives customers confidence.
Thorsten wrote:
Allinthemind wrote:
I haven’t gone down the qualification route, I’m not sure if it helps or not.
Well, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the qualifications. And I think in the eyes of the consumers it does count for something. At the very least it’s a bit like ISO9000 certification – doesn’t necessarily mean much in reality but helps to win business as it gives customers confidence.
I’ve never been asked about qualifications Thorsten. I checked with a few pro mates when I joined the SWPP and they’d never been asked either. Look at Vinnie (O’Byrne), 6 times European Photographer of the year in the Master Photographers Association (or whatever it’s called), his clients ask him what those certificates are for, it doesn’t mean anything to the man in the street, only to his peers I reckon.
At the School we use the LRPS as our “Benchmark” as to what people should aim at, as it makes the students consider a breadth of topics; I sat in on an “Examination style” analysis of some panels and was bothered by some of the people making the decisions, they were allowing boring, technically perfect pictures through with high marks and dismissing some real crackers (IMO) due to a technical flaw.
We also stopped doing City and Guilds qualifications for reasons of ridiculous non-photography related criteria, like “The students must wear black trousers” etc…I would be interested to hear from other jobbing pros as to if qualifications have helped them get business. I’m very happy to review my position on the matter if it will get me more work.
Si
I’d have to completely agree with Simon-
Thorsten’s point that it “doesn’t necessarily mean much in reality but helps to win business as it gives customers confidence.”
may in fact be true- but only if you don’t already have some sort of reputation-j
Qualifications give you confidence in your own ability having achieved a particular standard and yes I get asked frequently by Artists what my qualifications are and where I did my training. (I copy a lot of art work). Also small businesses having never had a pro photographer work for them before.
You usually get asked by someone who has themselves gotten some sort of professional qualification. The general public don’t know and don’t give a dam what letters you have after your name, all they are interested in, is can you take a good photo.You will get asked more frequently especially if you advertise in the Golden pages as the consumer tips sponsored by the IPPA tell the person looking for a photographer to ask about registration, insurance and qualifications.
personally I think that some sort of qualification is good for you and your business and good for customer confidence.
It does not neccessarily mean you are any good at taking a particular type / style of photo, only that the ones in your panel were good!!
..or only that the ones in your panel passed the criteria of the examining board. I know some “A” and even 1 “F” level qualified photographer that I wouldn’t trust to photograph people, that is to capture the essence of that person. I’m not anti-qualifications and I do believe that for many it is a good way of improving skills by having something to aim at. I still believe that the only qualification worth anything is proven competence. :)
I remember having this discussion with someone before, They asked me..
“So, you’d rather have the unqualified doctor than the qualified doctor”, to which I answered, “I’d rather have the more competent”.
Si
I have never been asked about qualification even though I have the LMPA, LIPPA, LCG and Quality Assurance Dip. hanging in the studio – most people dont know what they are. Sure we never ask a medical professional to see theirs either – we accept the ” brass nameplate” outside as gospel.
I have been asked a few times if I’m in the IPPA but I feel the people asking were doing so for the sake of asking something.
Mind you though, I had to supply evidence of public liability insurance 4 times this year already. Never been asked for this before until now. I still think the most important thing to have if your working on “non-repeatable” photography such as weddings is Professional Indemnity Insurance. Looking at the number of claims currently against wedding photographers in Ireland in the past 3 years, it would be suicide to go without. 3 years ago I can honestly say I did not know of a single claim and today I know of 14 in the process.
I agree with everything that’s been said, which is the very reason I referred to the ISO9000 certification in the first place. Lot’s of people think that if a company has ISO9000 certification then they must be producing quality goods. Nothing could be further from the truth – you can be producing the worst quality in the world and still get ISO9000 certification. All it means is that you’ve met certain criteria.
Such is the case with photographic qualifications too, I suspect. But having the ISO9000 certification logo on your letterhead and website looks impressive – so too does a long string of letters after your name! The average man in the street can be swayed by that. It’s the same if two photographers turn up at an event – one a professional with nothing more than a compact and one an amateur with the latest all singing all dancing digital SLR with battery grip and mega-zoom lens. Who do you think the public is going to ask to take photographs? It’s all about perception. So from that point of view, size matters; and so, by implication, do qualifications.
Phil Pound VN, Dip.Photo, LRPS, LIPPA, LSWPP, LBPPA. and I have a big one too, camera that is! my all time favourite is still my mamiya RZ67, I just can’t afford a digital back for it, not just yet anyway.
I believe Biddy’s first question was, are there anymore swpp members here? Yes there are. What did you want to ask / talk about? (other than qualifications?!)
Have you been to the main congress in London yet? It was good last january, loads of speakers, loads of subjects, 100s of exhibitors but not many deals for buying stuff. I have been getting better deals on equipment closer to home (thanks Sheldon!) Talk about information overload though, far too much to take in over a 5 day period. But a great event to attend, you get to meet photographers from all over the world and guys from the next county too.
Phil, it sounds like the convention is worth going to? I’ve been debating whether I should go to next years one, but haven’t decided just yet.
yes Thorsten it does look good, slightly different format next jan, in the way that some of the master classes are done.
I will be there, my prize for the awards I won was an all expenses paid ticket, just waiting for the SWPP to get back to me on how I go about claiming it. It will be nice to stay in the actual convention hotel, which I could not normaly afford. But having said that there are loads of cheap hotels in walking distance of the convention, all you need is somewhere to crash as the convention will take up most of your time.
If you can manage to slip away, go to the natural history museum and check out the wildlife photographer of the year exhibit, it would be well worth the trip.
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