RPS Licentiateship?

ChrisMClark · 13 Nov 2008

I'm a professional musician (Army bandsman

) and I know that in pro music the Licenciateship from the Trinity College is a big deal, but is it a big deal getting LRPS? OR is it a way of making £40 off of amateur togs looking for a little presige? I'm seriously considering having a go, but not if it means nothing lol.

purpleclouds · 13 Nov 2008

They say a picture paints a thousand words....which easily beats 4

I know Messiah Kahn tried, with a quite frankly astonishing set and was rejected...it seems a bit hit and miss, and my research shows it to not be worth the effort. Going back to my original line...I'd think a good portfolio would win over a bad portfolio and 4 letters!

ChrisMClark · 13 Nov 2008

Great, thanks for that PC, I appreciate it. The LTCL (the music one) is an insanely hard exam, equivalent I believe to degree level, so is very highly regarded. I just wasn't so sure with the LRPS. I'll not bother methinks!

chunshine · 13 Nov 2008

ChrisMClark said:
I'm a professional musician (Army bandsman ) and I know that in pro music the Licenciateship from the Trinity College is a big deal, but is it a big deal getting LRPS? OR is it a way of making £40 off of amateur togs looking for a little presige? I'm seriously considering having a go, but not if it means nothing lol.

It's what it is worth to you. It's a personal thing and really doesn't stand for anything in the real world anymore. A good strong portfolio is more important.

Having said that I have no doubt that if Joe Public were to be looking for a tog and saw you have letters after your name that would make an impression.

If you want to do it for the challenge then it's worth it, if it's to pull in any business I would rather spend my money on decent kit and come on here for critique and advice.

Take a look at the afore mentioned Messiah Khan's work. If they declined him it's a farce and I for one would have felt insulted by a panel of so called experts turning down an obviously talented tog like him!

I have been toying with the idea myself for a very long time now, but only for the challenge. Maybe one day I will :shrug:

Hope that helps

ChrisMClark · 13 Nov 2008

It's all very helpful! All the shooting I do is TFCD and I have my website and printed portfolio to show to people. I'm not too fussed about the letters after my name to be honest!

EdBray · 13 Nov 2008

If you have a Photography 'A' level with grades from A-C you automatically qualify as an LRPS if you apply.

POAH · 13 Nov 2008

it means stuff to other people with the same letters. ultimately its purely for personal pleasure though.

chris_tim · 13 Nov 2008

EdBray said:
If you have a Photography 'A' level with grades from A-C you automatically qualify as an LRPS if you apply.

with that in mind, come june next year i will have one. Cosidering that would it be worth applying?

Joe public doesnt know much about photography so them seeing letters after your name and a high price tag. They would buy it, surely its worth it then?

We all fall for it! i know i do, its commonly done in marketing. Cars for example, people are willing to spend more on German Cars just because there German. yes the build quality is high and the quality of the car itself is very high, but whos to say that another manuafacturer from another country produces inferior cars. Another example (sorry) the Ford Modeo is a brilliant car in many ways that the BMW 3 series is, but last year more 3 series's were sold than modeo's. This is consumerism and the reason the BMW outsold the Ford is because of its German badge.

this is applied to everything if you think about it.

just throwing this out there.

kiasdad · 16 Nov 2008

A good few years ago I tried and failed to get my LRPS. I went to the RPS portfolio workshops in Bath with my work and took all of the advice that was given to improve my panel of work. Then, when my panel was judged, the feedback I got was the complete opposite of the advice I had been given at the workshops :bang:

I did wonder about trying again, but then it then occurred to me that I was taking pictures to please a panel and not myself. For me, the point of photography is to take pictures that give me pleasure. If anyone else like my work then that's fine. If they don't, then that's fine too.

On the plus side, it taught me how to present my work as a cohesive set and made me work extra-hard at making the best possible (darkroom) prints. Both are skills that are worth developing. On the minus side, the cost in travel, time and materials as well as the cost of joining the RPS and the subsequent entry fee for the LRPS panel was very high. I feel that even if I had got the 'badge' wasn't really very good value for money.

For what it's worth, the only time I have ever seen references to the RPS has been at the RPS itself, occasionally in photographic magazines and at some camera clubs/photographic societies, where I've seen people sporting name badges with the L, A or F RPS emblazoned upon it. I think it's supposed to confer an air of superiority. Personally, I think it just makes them seem pretentious.