Shenanigans at the SWPP

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AliB

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Just in case any members were considering joining SWPP anytime soon.

In the last few days some members have had their memberships cancelled with immediate effect. Threads on the SWPP forum which are not open for public viewing anyway have been deleted not because they were critical of SWPP per se but because they detailed the number of members resigning their membership and they won't allow anything that does not make them look like a shiny organisation.

A mentoring process where the person doing the mentoring is also running his own course (for financial gain) and guess who is the judge when it comes to Licentiateships and monthly competitions? I'm afraid that process is hardly robust when it comes to criticism.

Thread removal, alleged editing of PM's, spurious complaints made against members by SWPP HQ that don't appear to be substantiated. Conference workshops cancelled because of "lack of numbers" when they just terminated the speaker!

Facebook pages being copied and sent to HQ.

Legal action against SWPP being sought by members, invoices being sent to them for the use of images without credit in their monthly magazine, and one Sunday newspaper waiting in the wings.

My honest advice right now would be to hold on to your money.
 
nice sunday morning reading. Will be music to a certain Forum members ears methinks


:popcorn:

:exit:
 
I've always tried to be honest about SWPP. I have benefited a lot from the networking side of my membership but what I'm seeing is good solid pro members asking for change and asking for robust processes in which they can trust only to be expelled for being critical of the status quo.

Add the late night threatening and abusive phone calls a friend of mine received for daring to set up his own meeting place because SWPP don't do any training or seminars outside of the one huge bash in London (which is very good). A lot of members wanted a less formal get together once a quarter to learn together and practice with new kit and techniques outside of a live wedding. That was met by the threat of expulsion too.

Be hardly anyone left at this rate! :)
 
AliB said:
I've always tried to be honest about SWPP. I have benefited a lot from the networking side of my membership but what I'm seeing is good solid pro members asking for change and asking for robust processes in which they can trust only to be expelled for being critical of the status quo.

Add the late night threatening and abusive phone calls a friend of mine received for daring to set up his own meeting place because SWPP don't do any training or seminars outside of the one huge bash in London (which is very good). A lot of members wanted a less formal get together once a quarter to learn together and practice with new kit and techniques outside of a live wedding. That was met by the threat of expulsion too.

Be hardly anyone left at this rate! :)
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I think its good to hear both sides of the story, as you say you;ve benefitted from the SWPP in the past, my first post is rather tonque in cheek by the way:)
 
AliB said:
Legal action against SWPP being sought by members, invoices being sent to them for the use of images without credit in their monthly magazine, and one Sunday newspaper waiting in the wings.

My honest advice right now would be to hold on to your money.
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After the wedding photographer debacle the Sunday papers could make interesting reading next weekend!

Sad when a society that the public would expect to be professional brings down its standing and probably from the rest of your post that of its members by association.
 
sounds like any normal camera club to me lol


AliB said:
Just in case any members were considering joining SWPP anytime soon.

In the last few days several members have had their memberships cancelled with immediate effect. Threads on the SWPP forum which are not open for public viewing anyway have been deleted not because they were critical of SWPP per se but because they detailed the number of members resigning their membership and they won't allow anything that does not make them look like a shiny organisation.

A mentoring process where the person doing the mentoring is also running his own course (for financial gain) and guess who is the judge when it comes to Licentiateships and monthly competitions? I'm afraid that process is hardly robust when it comes to criticism.

Thread removal, editing of PM's, spurious complaints made against members by SWPP HQ that don't appear to be substantiated. Conference workshops cancelled because of "lack of numbers" when it's really because they just terminated the speaker!

Facebook pages being copied and people being terminated for being critical of SWPP on FB.

Legal action against SWPP being sought by members, invoices being sent to them for the use of images without credit in their monthly magazine, and one Sunday newspaper waiting in the wings.

My honest advice right now would be to hold on to your money.
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society of wedding & portrait photographers
 
I think the MPA and BIPP will stand to benefit quite nicely :)

(Master Photographers Association and British Institute of Professional Photographers)
 
Some of this I have heard already from another source.
In the words of Groucho marks "I wouldn't join any club that would have me"
 
I'm just waiting to get expelled for writing this! :)
 
Methinks AliB's membership is in jeopardy now :shake:

Especially as I've emailed them the link to this thread :p:p:p



No society is perfect and the SWPP is a relatively new one so maybe still finding its way, I have benefited a lot from it and the opportunities it's afforded me re other members

DD
 
Sounds like someone should start a new wedding & portrait group
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I suspect the SWPP probably will, under a different name of course :)

But then again, thinking conspiracy theories, maybe they (SWPP) have set up their own demise so they can fold and re-launch a new organisation with a bit more credibility :shrug:
 
Oh don't worry, I'm leaving in Jan but I have paid for a seminar in January so I want to retain my membership till then and I have paid till Oct 2010. :)

I think THE most disappointing thing for me personally is that they missed a huge opportunity to introduce changes in the light of the legal case and yet months later have singularly failed to act on any of the members concerns.

Like David I have made friends through SWPP that I would otherwise not have made and yes, hand on heart, I have benefited from that. The benefit though is almost as a by-product rather than a direct one. In terms of direct benefits there have been none really. One seminar in two years that I'm attending, no training courses, no local resources.....

In terms of what I want and need from membership of a professional organisation it now sadly falls short of my requirements and that's why I will be going.
 
DiddyDave said:
Methinks AliB's membership is in jeopardy now :shake:

Especially as I've emailed them the link to this thread :p:p:p



No society is perfect and the SWPP is a relatively new one so maybe still finding its way, I have benefited a lot from it and the opportunities it's afforded me re other members

DD
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Yes David ref other members but not the society. If you google problems with SWPP you will find loads of the reports of the same problems going back years. One of the most regular complaints was the way they tied you into membership. You joined free for three months and then if you did not cancel it they took your money. No problem there but if you did not cancel, by recorded delivery to their head office at least three months prior to the following years renewal they claimed you had to renew, as it was written in their small print.

Being a member of the SWPP or any other organisation does not and never will get you work. What they teach you can get from the internet and as for letters after your name you might just as well make them up your self

stew
 
Interesting as I was considering joining, but predominantly from a networking point of view. Might have a look at either BIPP or MPA.
 
BIPP accept part time photographers, the MPA are full time only. That might help you :)
 
Yeah - saw that. You can join the MPA-Associates as part time for up to 3 year apparently. At the moment the BIPP certainly looks more interesting to me - anyone know if they have a decent community/forum or anything as that is really part of what I am looking for.
 
I can recommend the MPA. I did think about joining the Swampies too, but I can't find any justifiable reason to join them. What also puts me off them is they appear to be a privately owned business - unlike the MPA.

Don't get me wrong, the MPA does have its faults and its not perfect, but their hearts are in the right place and they do what they do very well.
 
Having just seen a long blog post about it I think "shenannigans" is a bit of an understatement, I know they are a marmite organisation but had not realised the depth of feeling from the members. Very sad that a professional organisation gets that sort of reputation and that it is having a knock on effect with the public and the members.
 
I try to be balanced Susie but yes there are a fair few members who have been campaigning for changes to be made and it has fallen on deaf ears.

What is actually rather amusing is that threads about the exodus have been deleted on the SWPP forum and now members are posting links to that blog post, those are having to be hunted down and deleted too.

So members are now posting links to other sites hosting links to that blog post.

Needle in a haystack time lol
 
What also puts me off them is they appear to be a privately owned business - unlike the MPA.
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That's exactly why they've got their own interests at heart, and why those of you that have got something out of them, have only done so because of the networking, as opposed to anything that the SWPP have actually done off their own back. They seem to me to be merely a conduit that allows Togs, in a similar field, to get together.

I'd be interested in joining an organisation if I thought they were genuinely run as one, instead of a company.

Any one know anything about the RPS ?
 
Yep, member of that too :)

Seem like a nice enough bunch and the photography is a lot wider and varied than the more specialised organisation. I have my first real taste of RPS with a trip to Bath in January. :)
 
No society is perfect and the SWPP is a relatively new one so maybe still finding its way

The SWPP is not exactley new,it's been around for quite some time now,years in fact.
 
AliB said:
I have my first real taste of RPS with a trip to Bath in January. :)
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L or A? Hoping to do my L in May / June 2010.
 
£99.00 take it or leave it.

Whatever mistakes may have been made, it's worth £99.00 for me. If it isn't for you than fine. I respect many people I have come across on the SWPP forums, and will miss those who have resigned, or not renewing their membership. Equally if I leave the SWPP, I will miss those who haven't resigned, or will be renewing their membership.

Regards
Nigel
 
susie said:
Having just seen a long blog post about it I think "shenannigans" is a bit of an understatement, I know they are a marmite organisation but had not realised the depth of feeling from the members. Very sad that a professional organisation gets that sort of reputation and that it is having a knock on effect with the public and the members.
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Can you send me the link?
:)
 
I have to ask, what does your £99 get you that is not available elsewhere?
 
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