DPAGB ARPS APAGB LBIPP LRPS EFIAP
Discussion
I've noticed these letters after photographers names, and I understand they are certificates from photographic societies. BUT..
Has anyone on here got them? Are they difficult? Are they expensive? Do they give you kudos? Are they relevant? What do they all mean? Am I asking too many questions?!
Really though, are they the equivalent of a bronze swimming certificate, or an A level?
Has anyone on here got them? Are they difficult? Are they expensive? Do they give you kudos? Are they relevant? What do they all mean? Am I asking too many questions?!
Really though, are they the equivalent of a bronze swimming certificate, or an A level?
Interesting, I was gonna ask a similar question myself. I'm not a member of any professional bodies and (without wishing to offend anyone) whenever I've seen RPS mentioned the photographer is usually s
t.
Wondered if I should join any but in reality I doubt it would change much, just perhaps be reassuring for potential clients.
t.Wondered if I should join any but in reality I doubt it would change much, just perhaps be reassuring for potential clients.
I have friends that insist in sitting expensive seminars just to get letters after their names. SWPP is a forum (I believe as I never use it) where people try to get letters granted to them which they then pay a fee for annually.
Photograhy really is one of those jobs where results speak louder than letters.
Michael - CISMP
Photograhy really is one of those jobs where results speak louder than letters.
Michael - CISMP
Stigmundfreud said:
I have friends that insist in sitting expensive seminars just to get letters after their names. SWPP is a forum (I believe as I never use it) where people try to get letters granted to them which they then pay a fee for annually.
A friend of mine is leaving that as he didn't feel it worthwhile. Anything that gives you letters in return for money is by definition no arbiter of quality, but when dealing with the public I can see that they might be swayed by extra letters.I did join the RPS (Royal Photographic Society) briefly as a student - it is a 'senior' organisation as opposed to fly-by-night internet ones, but they were so unspeakably dull I left after a year. However the RPS does at least examine your work - so to gain LRPS (Licentiate), ARPS (Associate) or FRPS Fellow) you do have to submit portfolios and have them judged. So if you like slightly meaningful letters, or if your customers might, go for those. They are beloved by camera clubs and I expect I could claim ARPS level without too much trouble. But as has been said, in most cases you'll be judged on your work anyway.
I once sold a teleconverter lens on ebay, for a Fuji 6900 which was a bridge type camera. The guy that bought it proudly emailed me a rubbish photo of a magpie on his garden fence (a small dot in the middle of the frame) saying how delighted he was with the lens, and he had some RPS thing after his name so that's tainted my judgement!
Letters are fine for people that have something to prove, I admit I do add the prof qualifications to my signature at work as they do mean something in certain industries. I just never understand why people believe a bought qualification with an annual sub to give you the letters is a good thing.
Just add the letters yourself, there is no law that prevents you adding letters to your cards unless you try to pretend you have a certain affilation when you dont. I think the whole "qualification" thing is indicitive of teh issues people like Emma find with the idustry being flooded by "professional" "togs" or the bottom feeders churning out stuff without any real talent/clue/understanding. Those will chase teh letters.
Fortunately my friend has realised that results are what matters not the letters.
Look in IT, it is rife with chumps adding letters to their names. Some mean something but others make you think idiot, the point in industry you cannot tell what someones real appreciation/understanding is of certail areas so some qualifications do help here.
Just add the letters yourself, there is no law that prevents you adding letters to your cards unless you try to pretend you have a certain affilation when you dont. I think the whole "qualification" thing is indicitive of teh issues people like Emma find with the idustry being flooded by "professional" "togs" or the bottom feeders churning out stuff without any real talent/clue/understanding. Those will chase teh letters.
Fortunately my friend has realised that results are what matters not the letters.
Look in IT, it is rife with chumps adding letters to their names. Some mean something but others make you think idiot, the point in industry you cannot tell what someones real appreciation/understanding is of certail areas so some qualifications do help here.
Edited by Stigmundfreud on Thursday 6th November 12:06
I don't think my disdain for letters after peoples names is limited to photographers. I've never understood people adding 'BSc' or similar after their names, do they think its impressive? Don't they realise they look like utterly pretentious tts that're somehow trying to prove they're good at their jobs by waving 3 years at a university (getting horribly drunk, watching neighbours and experimenting sexually) at you in the form of letters after their names? Prove you're good by BEING good ffs!
... sorry, I stopped smoking on monday and today I hit the 'irritable' stage
Chris - Bsc(Hons)
ts that're somehow trying to prove they're good at their jobs by waving 3 years at a university (getting horribly drunk, watching neighbours and experimenting sexually) at you in the form of letters after their names? Prove you're good by BEING good ffs!... sorry, I stopped smoking on monday and today I hit the 'irritable' stage
Chris - Bsc(Hons)
I think to have a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society is quite grand. Don McCullin has one so that must say something.
For some I think it provides a focus for their work as it means producing a portfolio. I imagine that it gives a great many people pleasure achieving a certain level.
I never put letters after my name because I think it is my ability to come up with the goods that counts. Having an MA in Photography means very little if you can't work to a brief, meet a deadline and produce what the client wants. I recently attended an MA Photography exhibition and I was appalled by the standard of the work that I saw. I have seen vastly superior work at BTEC ND level. Having said that, I have seen MA work that blew me away. This just goes to show that having an MA doesn't actually mean that you are a good photographer producing challenging, innovative and thought-provoking work. It also illustrates how standards vary greatly.
For some I think it provides a focus for their work as it means producing a portfolio. I imagine that it gives a great many people pleasure achieving a certain level.
I never put letters after my name because I think it is my ability to come up with the goods that counts. Having an MA in Photography means very little if you can't work to a brief, meet a deadline and produce what the client wants. I recently attended an MA Photography exhibition and I was appalled by the standard of the work that I saw. I have seen vastly superior work at BTEC ND level. Having said that, I have seen MA work that blew me away. This just goes to show that having an MA doesn't actually mean that you are a good photographer producing challenging, innovative and thought-provoking work. It also illustrates how standards vary greatly.
Edited by EmmaP on Thursday 6th November 13:06
hill79 said:
I don't think my disdain for letters after peoples names is limited to photographers. I've never understood people adding 'BSc' or similar after their names, do they think its impressive? Don't they realise they look like utterly pretentious tts that're somehow trying to prove they're good at their jobs by waving 3 years at a university (getting horribly drunk, watching neighbours and experimenting sexually) at you in the form of letters after their names? Prove you're good by BEING good ffs!
... sorry, I stopped smoking on monday and today I hit the 'irritable' stage
Chris - Bsc(Hons)
I too have wondered about broadcasting a graduate level in your signature but I do understand some prof qualifications. However, I'm the only one in our department tht recently sat a certain course that actually has the gaul to put that into the sig, but its an important cert that is pertinent to the work we do.ts that're somehow trying to prove they're good at their jobs by waving 3 years at a university (getting horribly drunk, watching neighbours and experimenting sexually) at you in the form of letters after their names? Prove you're good by BEING good ffs!... sorry, I stopped smoking on monday and today I hit the 'irritable' stage
Chris - Bsc(Hons)
baz7175 said:
The company I work for used to have us use our "letters" in our email signatures etc, I changed my BSC to BSE for a while for fun and no-one seemed to notice - thankfully no longer to be found in our signatures 
Our company, a very large German conglomerate who sponsor football and McLaren, won't let us use our "letters" unless one has a doctorate when one can then be titled "Herr Doktor"!!Yellabelly C&G FTC, HNC, LL.B(Hons) & Crap Photographer
Edited by Yellabelly on Friday 7th November 00:51
Stigmundfreud said:
Look in IT, it is rife with chumps adding letters to their names.
What about us chumps that work in IT and take photos... We need something to make us look better than our photos can do 
However, the only letters that ever get put after my name in business relate to my postcode or GBP followed by some numbers Cirks : BSc (Hons), MA, MCTS
cirks said:
Stigmundfreud said:
Look in IT, it is rife with chumps adding letters to their names.
What about us chumps that work in IT and take photos... We need something to make us look better than our photos can do However, the only letters that ever get put after my name in business relate to my postcode or GBP followed by some numbers Cirks : BSc (Hons), MA, MCTS
please tell me you weren't in Swindon recently talking about security
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