As mentioned previously, I’ve been preparing for a portfolio assessment with the BIPP for a few months now. I gained my Licentiate with the BIPP just over 12 months ago and I wanted to make a further step to my Associateship.
The qualification process requires a lot of mapping. It involves producing a body of commissioned work and presenting it to a group of assessors who (presumably) view beforehand and then discuss when they meet.
In order to do this, the work has to be handed in 4 weeks prior to the actual panel date. Leaving a lot of thumb twiddling and nervous tension for those of us who are waiting.
Since presenting my submission 2 weeks back, I had deliberately avoided looking at my selection. I’d looked at them so much in the period before-hand that I’d grown weary and they didn’t mean that much. They were just pictures.

However, after looking at them just now, I’m comfortable with the quality of the images. There are two that I might consider replacing, but no matter now because it is in.
One thing I’ve noticed is that there are many blog entries with candidates detailing their own panel success stories but none that I can find deal with a negative outcome.  It’s one of the reasons I’m going public now, I have no idea whether my work will be well received or not.  Clearly I hope it meets the standard, but maybe not.
You don’t have to travel down to meet the assessors to find out the result, but not doing so seems to miss the point for me. If qualification is about a framework for your own progression as a photographer, it would make sense to make sure you pull down every morsel of critique or advice you can.

There is nothing to prevent other photographers making up qualifications and little can be done about those who claim other people’s work.  I’m relaxed about all that, the only thing that clients look at is the quality of my images.

Therefore I need to be pushing myself at every opportunity.  I’ll be gutted if I don’t make the grade, because I believe the selection is good enough. If I’m wrong then I’ve got a platform to improve.
This can only be a good thing right?  Guys?  Guys?!