Royal Photographic Society Associateship Distinction
In: News
Well I went into the lions den today for my assessment for the RPS Associateship Distinction in Professional and Applied photography. Things didn't look good as before the assessors walked in the chairman announced that it was probably the most experienced and well respected assessment panel that had ever been together in one room at the same time …. eeek. Then they walked in and amongst them was Joe Cornish.. a name all us landscape photographers regard as one of the gods.
Five digital panels were displayed first and all shot down in flames, and some were from working pro photographers, so no prisoners taken. Then they started on the prints, and I watched as panel after panel was failed. Sheez this was hard and far more intense than the Licentiateship assessments I had been through last year. The tension in the room and semi-silent gasps as panels failed was unbearable and I started to look for a sick bag and wanted to just stand up and shout "fail me now, I want to go home!!!"
Then a panel finally made the grade and released some of the tension…. before back to failures. Then a couple were requested for re-submissions on 2 or 3 prints, before back to failures again. I couldn't believe some of the work that had been submitted from pro photographers that was failing, but it was all down to just 1 or 2 images and the statement of intents that was the usual point of failure…. and the old blown out highlights came to light on many occasions so exposure control was critical.
Another panel suddenly got through, though borderline as the assessors had to leave the room to fight for or against… then back to failures.
Out of 16 panels shown in the morning session only 2 had passed…. then came my panel…. I assumed the crash position in my chair.
I'd gone for creative studio work instead of my beloved Landscape genre and used liquid within images as a theme. My statement of intent was read out and the assessors then started to get close and personal with my pictures… I hoped their hands were clean… but at least I have Joe Cornish's fingerprints over my work whatever happens. They didn't seem to take as long as they did over some of the other panels.. was this a good or bad sign?
Then the chairman asked for final votes and announced that it was an overwhelming decision amongst the assessors that my panel was recommended for the Associateship distinction and gave a lovely summing up the reasons why I'd been successful.. almost brought tears to my eyes… well if I'm truthful there were a couple shed on the way home when I realised my achievement of gaining first LRPS then ARPS in consecutive years and both at my first attempt.
The RPS have since contacted me and requested my panel back to use on their 'Celebration of Distinctions' days that tour around the UK and they show examples of successful panels of the highest standard at LRPS, ARPS and FRPS level, so very proud. My panel is also being displayed on their website here: RPS Gallery
A great day for me and worth all the effort and time-out from landscapes and now all fired up for what's left of Autumn and the Winter/Spring seasons I love the most.
Five digital panels were displayed first and all shot down in flames, and some were from working pro photographers, so no prisoners taken. Then they started on the prints, and I watched as panel after panel was failed. Sheez this was hard and far more intense than the Licentiateship assessments I had been through last year. The tension in the room and semi-silent gasps as panels failed was unbearable and I started to look for a sick bag and wanted to just stand up and shout "fail me now, I want to go home!!!"
Then a panel finally made the grade and released some of the tension…. before back to failures. Then a couple were requested for re-submissions on 2 or 3 prints, before back to failures again. I couldn't believe some of the work that had been submitted from pro photographers that was failing, but it was all down to just 1 or 2 images and the statement of intents that was the usual point of failure…. and the old blown out highlights came to light on many occasions so exposure control was critical.
Another panel suddenly got through, though borderline as the assessors had to leave the room to fight for or against… then back to failures.
Out of 16 panels shown in the morning session only 2 had passed…. then came my panel…. I assumed the crash position in my chair.
I'd gone for creative studio work instead of my beloved Landscape genre and used liquid within images as a theme. My statement of intent was read out and the assessors then started to get close and personal with my pictures… I hoped their hands were clean… but at least I have Joe Cornish's fingerprints over my work whatever happens. They didn't seem to take as long as they did over some of the other panels.. was this a good or bad sign?
Then the chairman asked for final votes and announced that it was an overwhelming decision amongst the assessors that my panel was recommended for the Associateship distinction and gave a lovely summing up the reasons why I'd been successful.. almost brought tears to my eyes… well if I'm truthful there were a couple shed on the way home when I realised my achievement of gaining first LRPS then ARPS in consecutive years and both at my first attempt.
The RPS have since contacted me and requested my panel back to use on their 'Celebration of Distinctions' days that tour around the UK and they show examples of successful panels of the highest standard at LRPS, ARPS and FRPS level, so very proud. My panel is also being displayed on their website here: RPS Gallery
A great day for me and worth all the effort and time-out from landscapes and now all fired up for what's left of Autumn and the Winter/Spring seasons I love the most.