FIAP Update from Paul Stanley, IPF FIAP Liaison Officer
At the beginning of April I completed and sent 40 applications to FIAP from people in Ireland. These are for AFIAP, EFIAP and all levels of EFIAP. So – best of luck to all the applicants. We should know the results in about two months’ time.
This is a great increase on previous years – for example in 2014 we had 14 applications. And it reflects very well on the interest in Photographic Art in Ireland and how strong our photographers, clubs and societies and the IPF are. Ireland really does kick well above its weight.
However, it does give rise to a logistical problem in that the current closing date is 31st of March. FIAP is run by volunteers just like all our clubs and the IPF. They need at least two months to process and return all accepted distinctions. And the IPF has to check everything before it can go to FIAP. We also want to be able to present the awarded distinctions to the successful applicants at the Club Finals in May of each year. For these reason I have proposed to the IPF Council that the closing date be moved to 28th February each year. This has been agreed and will come into effect from 2016 onwards.
FIAP make a charge of €50 for each distinction – which the IPF collects and then forwards to FIAP. However, the IPF incurs administrative costs in all of this and both the IPF Treasurer and myself have proposed to the IPF Council that we also charge an admin fee of €5. This also has been accepted and will come into effect from 2016. I hope everyone understands that this is to cover the admin costs – postage, bank & PayPal fees, etc. The IPF will not be making money out of this.
One of the requirements which the IPF have in place for those applying for AFIAP distinctions is that the applicant support IPF and Irish-based events and salons. The list of these events is reviewed on a regular basis and I am pleased to let you know that the SACC Creative Photography competition, which is open to members of all IPF affiliated clubs, has now been added to this list. From 2015 the top 35% of entries will be eligible under this requirement.
The IPF this year will be taking part in the FIAP Colour Print Biennial which is being hosted by the PAGB in England and the FIAP Projected Images Biennial which is being hosted by the Indonesian Federation. The selection process is already underway and I will let you know when we have made our entries and how we get on with them.
Finally, as I mentioned in the last newsletter, a joint appeal was made to FIAP in relation to their proposed changes to the requirements for all FIAP distinctions. This was with the Scottish and Welsh Federations, the PAGB and the New Zealand Federation. Whilst we have not yet heard formally from FIAP it would appear that they have agreed to increase the 10% limit on acceptances from a given country to be 15%. However, our suggested transitional arrangements for those who are currently in the process of gaining the EFIAP level distinctions do not appear to have been accepted.
Whilst this is disappointing for those of us who are in this position, I can also understand FIAP’s reasoning. The purpose of the distinctions is to present a challenge to photographers and to help us to both learn and grow our photographic skills and to keep abreast of developments in Photographic Art worldwide. There was a growing opinion that with the growth in the number of salons and the ease in which entries can be made digitally, that the aspect of being challenged was being dissipated. Please do not let this put you off attaining the distinctions. It may slow us – but the achievement will be still worthwhile.
– Paul Stanley, IPF FIAP Liaison Officer
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