Photography With Distinction

[Paul Heester]

Below is a copy/paste of the 2 emails sent to me yesterday which gives some more details that may be helpful for others.

You may recall that I wrote to you on 23 March about the PAGB Awards for Photographic Merit Day (APM) on Sunday 31 May. This follows that email.

You have a place reserved for you. To confirm your attendance I should be grateful if you would send me a cheque for £10 (payable to the SPA) to my home address:

<Address removed as this is a publicly viewable forum>

We had originally intended to hold the workshop at Crawley Camera Club but circumstances have changed and it will now be held at The Haven Centre, Hophurst Lane, Crawley Down, West Sussex, RH10 4LJ. This venue is not far from the venue we originally proposed and so we trust that the change will not cause any inconvenience. The Haven Centre is where Crawley Downs Camera Club meets and we’re very grateful that volunteers from Crawley Down Camera Club will be helping on the day: they will be providing teas and coffees to purchase during the workshop. The Haven Centre is also used by the RPS, it has a large (free) car park and there are local shops within a short driving distance.

The day will be run by Rod Wheelans, FRPS, MPAGB, HonPAGB, MFIAP together with other PAGB assessors. They will begin the morning session which will start at 10.00 with presentations of the requirements and standards for the various levels of award. There will then be a short presentation outlining what applicants within the SPA need to do to apply for an award (these were outlined in my note of 23 March). After a break for lunch (please bring your own packed lunch) the afternoon will be an opportunity for people to have their work looked at by the assessors. They will look at a sample of work, 5 or 6 prints or PDIs from potential entrants for an APM, simply to inform them if their work is suitable to pursue an APM and which level might be appropriate. Please don’t bring more than 5 or 6 images as there will not be time to look at more than these and you will get a better level of advice on a limited number of images. The assessors will look at both prints and PDIs - if you intend bringing PDIs please bring them on a laptop or tablet. The usual caveat about PDIs will apply – they may look great on a laptop but less successful when projected – but you will, of course, be familiar with this from your own entries in club competitions. Each person who is attending the workshop as a potential applicant for an award (ie not as an observer) will get approximately 10 mins with the advisory team. It will be a bit like a speed-dating operation (for those familiar with these events). You will have your 10 mins with the assessors and time will be called after which it will be someone else’s turn. That’s the only fair was to make sure everyone has their turn.

It would be helpful for you to read again the PAGB notes of guidance before the workshop if you haven’t read them recently. They can be found at: http://www.thepagb.org.uk/merit.htm

We look forward to seeing you on 31 May. In the meantime, in summary:

· Please send off your payment of £10 to confirm your attendance


· Please note the new venue


· Please remember to bring a packed lunch with you


· For those intending to apply for an APM, please bring with you 5 to 6 images





If you have any questions about the day please let me know and I shall be happy to answer them (or know someone who will) and I look forward to seeing you at the Haven Centre on 31 May.

Best wishes

David Smith
SPA PAGB Sub-Committee



Thank you for your interest in the PAGB Awards for Photographic Merit Day on Sunday 31 May which will be held at Crawley Camera Club. I am pleased to confirm that you have a place reserved for you. I will circulate further details nearer the time but you may the interested at this stage to learn a little more about the day. The day will be run by Rod Wheeleans, FRPS, MPAGB, HonPAGB, MFIAP together with other PAGB assessors. They will begin the morning session with presentations of the requirements and standards for the various levels of award. There will then be a short presentation outlining what applicants within the SPA need to do to apply for an award. The SPA criteria for applicants are exactly those of the PAGB: we do not, unlike some other federations, have additional criteria. As a reminder the criteria are:
All applicants must qualify in accordance with their Federation's criteria as an active member of an affiliated club. This support must have been given for a minimum of 2 years for CPAGB, 3 years for DPAGB and 5 years for MPAGB from current active photographers. A retrospective period of 10 years may be considered. Applicants for MPAGB must have held DPAGB for at least 11 months on date of application.

After a break for lunch (please bring your own packed lunch) the afternoon will be an opportunity for people to have their work looked at by the assessors. They will look at a sample of work, 5 or 6 prints or PDIs, from potential entrants simply to inform them if their work is suitable to pursue an APM and which level might be appropriate. They will look at both prints and PDIs - if you intend bringing PDIs please bring them on a laptop or tablet. The usual caveat about PDIs will apply – they may look great on a laptop but less successful when projected – but you will, of course, be familiar with this from your own entries in club competitions.

It would be helpful for you to read again the PAGB notes of guidance if you haven’t read them recently. They can be found at: http://www.thepagb.org.uk/merit.htm.

Philip Quarry, the SPA APM Awards Officer, to whom you sent your expression of interest about the day, will not be able to be present but other SPA officers will be on hand. As Philip will not be there on 31 May, I will now be the point of contact for people attending.

I will send out further details nearer to the day and look forward to seeing you there.

With best wishes

David Smith
SPA PAGB Sub-Committee

[Mike Farley]

Thanks, Paul. I have edited your post to remove the organiser's address due to the public nature of the forum. Can I take it that you will also be attending the workshop?

I, too, now have these e-mails having been omitted from the distribution list originally. I have been assured that I am the only person who was missed out, although I am not sure how they would know.

[Paul Heester]

Yes I do intend to attend. Just need to get ready some PDIs (as they call them), as I dont have enough frames & mounts for submission.

[Mike Farley]

Yes I do intend to attend. Just need to get ready some PDIs (as they call them), as I dont have enough frames & mounts for submission.

According to the organiser, there are three others from the club as well as myself attending the workshop, so Croydon will be well represented with five of us there.

Like you, I also need to work out what I am going to take, although I will try to produce prints if I can.

[Mike Farley]

I have been informed of the assessors who will be present on the day:

Rod Wheelans MPAGB
Anne Greiner MPAGB
Clive Tanner DPAGB FRPS
Richard Walton MPAGB EFIAP FRPS

Clive Tanner will be known to everyone in the club, of course, as he was this year's exhibition judge.

[Mike Farley]

Unfortunately my plans have changed and I can no longer make the workshop. An update on this thread from those who do go will be appreciated as I am seriously considering an application for a PAGB distinction.

[toms]

Hi Mike,

Sorry to read that you cannot make the workshop. Between those of us who are left I'm sure that we can put something together not only for you but for others in the club should they be considering an award in the future.

Regards,

Tom

[Mike Farley]

Between those of us who are left I'm sure that we can put something together not only for you but for others in the club should they be considering an award in the future.

Perhaps it could be incorporated into a members' evening? Those who attended could recount what happened, possibly showing the images they took along and the advice received.

[toms]

A good idea.

Tom

[davidb]

That should also please Wally