New member of the ISPWP

Following on from my recent successes in the WPJA Photographer of the Year competition 2009 , I’ve just had the news that my application to join the ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers) has just been accepted.

The International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers is an organisation of the best wedding photographers in the world. It was created by professional photographers to raise the standards of the wedding photography profession.

They are a resource for wedding clients who know they want to hire the best and the brightest for their wedding and provide assurance and peace of mind that they are hiring the most respected, most ethical, most professional and most talented wedding photographers in the industry.

All ISPWP members have passed a rigorous application process and are recognised by their peers to be at the top of their field. The ISPWP screen and review every member before their application is accepted. With an ISPWP photographer, you can be confident that they have years of experience, they have shot a LOT of weddings in a wide variety of situations, and they subscribe to a professional code of conduct. They truly are the best in the world and each one of them has dedicated their professional lives to their craft.

The Membership Requirements are as follows…

Experience: Members must have photographed a minimum of 50 weddings as the primary in-charge photographer. Weddings shot as a tag-along, second, or backup photographer do not count. This is the minimum experience requirement, many ISPWP members have shot hundreds of weddings.

Talent: Members must submit a website/blog/portfolio for review by a panel of ISPWP members. Online portfolio galleries must demonstrate artistic and technical ability. The portfolio must display a minimum of three galleries of complete weddings. Galleries that only display “selected favorites” from multiple weddings will be rejected.

Integrity: Members must have no outstanding complaints with consumer protection organisations.

Professionalism: Members must operate in accordance with the ISPWP Code of Conduct. This protects both the photographer and the client, and provides assurance to the client they are dealing with a professional who takes their business seriously.

References: Members must submit 2 client references, and 2 peer photographer references, or be sponsored by an existing ISPWP member.

I look forward immensely to being an active member of the ISPWP and helping them to promote great wedding photography!