IPF Logos 14 Colour

Oscailt

IPF Newsletter - October 2020

Welcome to October Edition of the IPF newsletter. As another month has slipped by we, unfortunately, find ourselves right back in a national lockdown again for the second time across the country due to the ongoing pandemic of Covid – 19. It’s been a tough year, and it's hard to stay focused but we must not give up and hopefully in the not too distant future we will emerge out of this stronger and with greater determination to value the important things in life and eventually get back to enjoying life as we knew it and share our love of photography as we had been accustomed to doing for many years.
IPF
The IPF Council have continued to meet through Zoom meetings and have held a series of sub committee meetings of the Council trying to finalise new initiatives and new events which we hope to bring to you over the coming weeks and months.

I am glad to see we have now produced a list of Judges & Lecturers from the four regions that will be available for clubs across the country to use listing the various lectures they can provide for clubs. Together with that we have a list of various judges who again will be available to clubs for club competitions etc. I would like to acknowledge the work completed by the Judges & Lecturers sub committee under the stewardship of John Butler who has worked tirelessly to communicate with regions and put these list together. A great and valuable piece of work.

Further information on the National Shield 2020 is provided further in the newsletter with special thanks to our Coordinator Andy Magan, the closing date for entry is Friday Nov 6th with the actual results taking place live through Zoom on Sunday 22nd November.

Unfortunately the Annual FIAP Presentation Ceremony that has been hosted by Dublin Camera Club in their FIAP Exhibition Centre for the past couple of years will now take place this year online on Saturday 31 st October 2020. A new initiative and a great day out which we have all enjoyed with the support of Dublin Camera Club and our FIAP Liaison Officer Paul Stanley. Hopefully we will restore to hosting the event in 2021 in this great venue.

Finally the Distinctions Committee under the stewardship of its Chairperson Des Clinton having giving great consideration to hosting a physical Distinction sitting this year have now decided that it just wouldn’t be safe and very hard to steward and taking this and all other aspects of the event into account with the continuing deterioration in pandemic conditions associated with Covid – 19, Therefore the Committee will work towards hosting an online event details of which are advised further on and will be further advised as we get closer to hosting the event on the Council Website and through the usual Social Media outlets.

The Council and its subcommittees will continue to meet through Zoom in the coming weeks and further advance its plans going forward and notify all members and clubs.

In the meantime please take care and stay safe.

Until next time,

Kind Regards,
Dominic Reddin FIPF
President Irish Photographic Federation

What's Inside this Month?

  • Distinction Sittings Update
  • IPF Approved Lecturers and Judges
  • 2020 National Shield DIGITAL Competition
  • FIAP News - October 2020
  • In search of a Fellowship Panel

    Distinction Sittings Updates

    IMG_8013
    In view of the continuing deterioration in pandemic conditions, it has been decided
    that a “physical” distinction sitting is not a prospect for the foreseeable future, i.e. at any time before the end of 2020 and most likely into mid-2021, if even then.

    Instead, we are proceeding to arrange an online assessment session, firstly to deal
    with the applications that were received for May 2020 sitting and, following that,
    to invite applications for a sitting in the first quarter of 2021.
    The applicants for May 2020 sitting will be given the option of being assessed
    online or of deferring until a later date.

    We are in the process of devising a protocol and procedures for the online session and
    once this is done all current applicants will be emailed to inform them of what will be required and, of course, to obtain their agreement to be assessed online.

    Bob Morrison

    IPF approved Lecturers and Judges.


    The IPF Council approved lists of lecturers and judges at a meeting held on October 17th. The purpose of the lists is to assist clubs to identify suitably qualified photographers to provide lectures and judge their competitions. There are three categories of judges: Those who can judge at all levels; those who can judge club and inter-club competitions; and those who can judge club competitions. Lecturers on the list are capable of giving a lecture for at least 60 minutes.

    A Committee of the IPF assessed all potential judges and lecturers against agreed criteria prior to making recommendations to the Council. A system is being put in place whereby further qualified lecturers and judges can be added to the approved list. The lists are published on the IPF Website but will not include contact details for the judges and lecturers. Lists will be sent to the Secretaries of Clubs who are members of the IPF which will contain contact details for the judges and lecturers.

    John Butler

    IPF National Shield Digital 2020 ** UPDATE **

    Quick reminder:

    It is fast approaching the closing date, Friday 23rd October 2020, to register your intention to participate in the National Shield and receive your club’s registration number.
    Registration requirements - If you send a request by email to andrewmaganaipf@gmail.com a registration number will be sent out to you.

    The next two weeks will fly by, before the
    closing date Friday 6th November 2020

    Checklist

    Don’t forget to resize your images 3000 on the longest side.
    Name your images:
    Club registration Number-Image Number-Image title_Author name

    A Digital A4 contact sheet containing thumbnail images of entries.
    save as Jpeg file, name your file.
    Registration number_your club name_year

    Remember to fill in the entry form.

    Send all the required files by WeTransfer i.e. Entry Form, A4 digital contact sheet mono and colour, plus your Images sent to the National Shield coordinator.

    Don’t forget the IPF Treasurer.

    Payment can be paid with PayPal (For administrative purposes, PayPal is preferred) via the IPF website: https://irishphoto.wufoo.com/forms/ipf-national-shield-payment/
    (Payment to be marked National Shield 2020)
    Entry fee: € 60.00 The reduced fees for 2020 reflect the reduced costs arising from this being a digital rather than a print competition

    The most important thing to do first, send an email requesting a registration number, after that you can send your images any time up to the closing date.

    The only thing left for me to do is to wish all the participating clubs the very best in the National Shield 2020 Digital Competition.

    Thanks in advance

    Andrew Magan AIPF ARPS EFIAP
    National Shield Coordinator
    Irish Photographic Federation

    FIAP NEWS- October 2020

    FIAP Distinctions Update

    For a number of years the IPF – as allowed for under the FIAP Distinction Regulations – have had a number of local requirements for those applying for AFIAP.
    It was decided at the IPF Council meeting on 17th October 2020 that these will be suspended with immediate effect.

    The impact of this is that those applying for AFIAP in the upcoming application process will only have to adhere to the FIAP requirements. There are no changes for those applying for EFIAP and the EFIAP levels and also for MFIAP.
    A reminder that the schedule for this year is that submissions will open on 1st November 2020 and will close on 28th February 2021.

    You should initially register on the IPF website and pay the relevant fee there.
    If you are applying for the first distinction – AFIAP – then you also have to register with FIAP and apply for a FIAP Life Card. There is a separate fee for this. You can make this application via the FIAP online platform at www.myfiap.net
    There is a link at the bottom of the screen called “Create new Photographer profile”. Click on this – and then look at the video by clicking on the link in the Red Banner with the words “Video tutorial on how to order the FIAP card”.
    All the information you need is on the IPF website under the FIAP pages.
    All applicants should also let the FIAP Liaison Officer – Paul Stanley – know of your intention to apply. You can contact him via the Contact page on the IPF website.

    FIAP Distinctions Presentation Ceremony

    There were 16 people who applied for and were successful in obtaining FIAP distinctions in 2020. Due to the current restrictions relating to Covid-19, we have not been able to have our traditional Presentation Ceremony with the accompanying exhibition of prints.
    The certificates and pins for all 16 have now been posted to them and all have been invited to an online Presentation Ceremony which will take place on Saturday 31st October 2020.
    The IPF President and the FIAP President will also be present to honour the recipients.

    FIAP Photo Academy

    PK - Sample 8 - FINAL
    FIAP has announced an online Photo Academy which will be an online resource for photographers interested in furthering their photographic skills. There will be two arms to this – a training academy and online presentation by eminent photographers.
    The first of these will take place on Thursday 29th October 2020 at 19:00. It will be a presentation by the UK based photographer, Paul Keene MPAGB EFIAP/d3 MFIAP.
    If you want to register for the presentation please contact fiapphotoacademy@gmail.com
    Places are limited – so first come first served.

    FIAP World Cup for Clubs

    A message from Michele Macinai EFIAP/s the FIAP Director of the FIAP World Cup for Clubs Service.
    I am pleased to announce that the 15th World Cup for Clubs 2020 will definitely be proceeding. The arrangements and entry information are still being finalised but will be sent to FIAP Liaison Officers when the details have been finalised. Given the international health situation due to the Covid-19 virus, this year the judging of the 15th World Cup for Clubs 2020 will be on-line, in order to safeguard the health of our judges.
    Clubs are encouraged to start considering which images they may wish to enter. When finalised, the detailed entry information will also be available on the FIAP website at this link:
    https://www.fiap.net/en/world-cup-for-clubs

    Paul Stanley

    In search of a Fellowship Panel

    What makes a good Fellowship panel? I have been asked that question many times, over quite a number of years; if only the answer was as simple as the question itself.

    People come into club photography for many different reasons, for some, like me, it’s simply to learn how to take better pictures. Others are already avid photographers and seek to share their photography and ideas with like-minded folk and of course for some people it is simply a social outlet and somewhere to go on a given night. The photographic club or society has a place for everyone, each member is important and has something to give and in return has so much to gain. But for whatever reason one got involved, somewhere along the way there are those of us who get bitten by the “photography bug” and once that metaphorical creature bites you your life is about to change! Mine certainly did.

    Photography opened up a whole new world to me. It taught me how to view my surroundings through the lens, it taught me to seek new horizons, to explore and find photographic opportunities in subjects that I might have at onetime considered mundane and perhaps still remain so to the unobservant viewer. But one thing I had not realized in the early days of my photographic journey was that the lens is a two-way device. We learn about apertures and F-stops and how the light from the outside world is captured through the lens but perhaps the greatest attribute of the lens and camera combination is how it allows us to harness what’s on the inside, our inner self, and deliver it to a waiting audience in the outside world.

    Many photographers feel that the Fellowship is somewhat elusive or somehow beyond them.
    So many accomplished photographers do not progress beyond the Associateship level. There is no doubt that many feel a deserved sense of accomplishment and comfort in attaining the AIPF,
    but why stop there? Many photographers never even try for a Fellowship; perhaps it’s a fear of failure that prohibits them from progressing or is it something else? On asking this question I often get the same answer, “I would love to get a Fellowship, but I haven’t come up with an idea
    yet”, but surely a Fellowship is much more than an idea?

    After achieving my first Fellowship, I put pen to paper and wrote some words, not to write an article on the subject, but rather to collect my thoughts on what I had achieved and my journey that brought me to the Fellowship. One of the things I wrote which stood out to me was “In order to gain a Fellowship one must first be a Fellow”. On the surface this sounds like a paradox but just take a minute to give it some thought. If we break it down into three distinct sections we can start to unravel the mystery. Quality, Intent and Delivery.

    First, let’s look at quality. Many photographers mistakenly have quality as their goal for a Fellowship panel. Often at distinction sittings we are presented with panels that display superb quality and flawless printing yet they don’t reach the standard required to convince the judges to award a Fellowship. This is not to say that quality should be negated, of course not, quality is of paramount importance. However it is more of a starting point for a Fellowship, not the end game. After all you have proven you can do quality at the Associateship level.

    Secondly let’s look at Intent. This is where it becomes personal; what is your panel about? What does it say to the viewer? A Fellowship is more about the “why” than the “how”. More about the passion than the idea.
    Don’t look outward for an idea; instead look inward to the passion that inspires and drives your photography; that’s where your concepts and style come from. This is where you will find your Fellowship.
    Sometimes we hear photographers say “I will have a go. Sure I don’t care if I fail” Too often this blasé approach does indeed end in failure; if you want to succeed then you must be truly invested in your panel, after all, how can you expect a panel of adjudicators to be excited or enthused about your body of work if you yourself are not too bothered? Of course you should not be afraid to fail, we can often learn a great deal from a failed attempt, but if you have been truly invested in your panel then surely you must be at least disappointed if you don’t succeed. It is worth noting that some of the best panels have only been achieved on second or subsequent attempts.

    Finally we look at delivery. Delivery, like quality is of the utmost importance. Your delivery and presentation must match your intent. Each image must be worthy of its place within the final selection; it must also play a supporting role, and be an important cog in the wheel so to speak. Cohesion is the word we often hear to describe this. A cohesive panel must be void of repetition, no one image should dominate or stand out from the rest. The standard of imagery and the print quality must be uniform throughout.
    Careful consideration must also be given to panelling, mounting and image size. These days there is a tendency to have a “symmetrical” approach to panelling, but this is not a prerequisite. However, it can be a useful aid to help pull your panel together. The important thing is that the body of images flow from one to the next and convey a uniform message, your message, to the viewer.

    The final part of the equation is the written statement; this is not a “get out of jail card” to explain away some shortcomings in your work; rather it’s your opportunity to put the assessors in your frame of mind, laying out your thoughts, your motivation and the reasoning behind this body of work.

    In summary, an eminent photographer once said that he couldn’t describe a Fellowship panel but that he would certainly know one if he saw it!
    Put yourself in the shoes of the assessors, and ask yourself the question, have I done enough to convince them that this is the work of a Fellow?

    What makes a good fellowship panel? The answer is, you, the photographer!

    Gabriel O’Shaughnessy FIPF. FRPS. MFAIP. EFIAP/g

    Got News?

    Have news for us?! Great! Send it in!
    Suggestions for future editions are also most welcome!
    Get in touch via Contact Page on our website and select "Newsletter" to send your message!
    Unsubscribe | Manage subscription
    Irish Photographic Federation
    Compiled and Edited by Liam Beattie AIPF, ARPS