A while ago I decided to go for my licentitateship with the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photography).
I'd never really thought about doing this before but both of my mentors at the time persuaded me that it would be a good idea for me both professionally and personally.
So what does it mean and why do it? In general terms a licentiateship is simply a license or certificate to practise a profession at a certain level. This in turn for me professionally then tells potential clients that I have all-round skills to do their commission and also personally it enables my own creative growth and development.
The process took a few months of preparation and it really enabled me to step back and critique my own business as well as my technical skills of composition, using the light and image editing. You have to submit a panel of 20 images along with a supporting evidence document which details your business workflow, policies and development goals as well as more information on the images in your panel. The BIPP recommend you have a mentor to guide you through this process which was invaluable.
Choosing the images from my portfolio took some time as I really wanted to make sure what I choose showed a selection of all the things I love to capture for my clients from their horses' characters to the unique relationships they have.
Once I submitted the panel and evidence (you can do this online for the licentiate level) I had to wait a month or so to find out if I'd qualified. I can't tell you how exciting it was to learn that I had got it with a phone call from the BIPP Chief Executive one morning! He told me the judges were really impressed with the images and the quality of the supporting evidence and I could now use the letters LBIPP after my name!
And if you want to see the images here is my panel...