Professional Institutes or Societies

[AWI]

Hi everyone
I am a member of a local camera club, and while that is fine, I have been looking at the feasibility of joining a society or professional site.
The three i had in mind are:
Australian Institute of Professional Photography - AIPP
Australian Photographic Society - APS
Photographic Society of America - PSA

I have viewed the fees and the benefits and all are fairly similar in that respect according to their web sites.

I am interested in other photographers experiences with any of these organisation or other organisations especially from those photographers who reside in regional locations like myself

Regards

AWI

[jamesmartin]

You'll have to excuse my ignorance, what are these groups about? What are you looking to get out of them?

[ricktas]

1. It should be noted than none of these organisations are registered training organisations so that any benefit gained is simply for your own purposes. You do not/cannot gain a qualification by being a member.

2. You get from them, what you put in. Take the AIPP, it hold competitions to announce a Wedding Photographer of the Year, Landscape Photographer of the Year etc. If you are interested in peer reviews of your work, this can be an interesting exercise to enter your State AIPP awards.

Some people see the badge of honour of having AIPP member logo available to include on their website. It is supposed to say you are professional, and uphold certain standards. However over the years we have seen this is not the case, and the logo holds no real value as a protection for clients from the unscrupulous.

Do your research and join one if you wish. but in the end they are organisations that work by having paying members. And you get out of it, what you invest in it. Being an active member brings some benefits but many join but do not actively attend state meetings etc and then drop their membership 12 months later.

[ricktas]

Oh and if you want to see what can happen when someone within one of these organisations doesn't follow the rules. Just google 'Lisa Saad".

[AWI]

Thank you
Exactly the sort of feedback I was interested in.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi James
Both valid questions and hoping to get answers on both as well.
Rick's answer below pretty much answers your first question. As to the second. I am not sure what I want from them. I know they exist and their websites look impressive, however, I am not sure what I would get out of them. That's why I put the question forward. To see if anyone is a member and what they get from them and whether they are a good fit for me.

Thanks for your response

[Glenda]

I'm not a member of any of these but do have friends who are. They mainly joined to earn those letters after their names eg FAPS, MAPS, AAPS (see APS acronyms on their website for meanings). This involves submitting photos to various competitions both national and international. You don't have to win the comp merely have your photo receive an acceptance. It's not an inexpensive process as most competitions involve entry fees and depending on the letters can involve a lot of comps. Personally at my age I don't feel the effort and expense worth it. I rely on a combination of CC from here, camera club membership, various tutorials on You Tube (you have to sort the wheat from the chaff) and of course practice to improve my photography.