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IPPA
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Any IPPA members out there?
Wondering if there are really any benefits from becoming a member of this organisation?
Have heard mixed reports about them.
A lot of photographer links on their site are wrong. Doesn’t inspire confidence.Hi Davec, Gerryg lippa here. Basically the ippa is a organisation for full time professional photographers, [their words].
They have ongoing contests culminating in a dinner dance and award ceremony. The best thing is their distinctions. A licentiate member [such as I ] gets to use the lippa term on all my business literature and if I like I can also raise my fees {?}. After licentate is associate then fellow which is not a bad thing to have. Obivously there is a membership fee and various meetings around Ireland…..To get to lippa you have to submit about 20 pieces of your work which is judged by a panel of your peers ???. I find it worth having the lippa distinction although I have never attended any of their meetings….
Hope this is of some use !!!!!!!!!!In order to sign up with the IPPA you have to be a full time professional photographer. Full time means that 70% (I think) of you’re income must be derived from photography. You also need to be sponsored – i.e., proposed and seconded by existing members, although that should not prove to be a huge stumbling block.
The IPPA does not cater for part-time professional photographers – for example, people that might have a “regular” 9-5 job but who do weddings and such at weekends. But one organisation which does cater for part-timers is The SWPP (incorporating the BPPA) – The Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers incorporating The British Professional Photographers Association. They have a significant and growing Irish membership and I’ve been more than satisfied with my membership to date. Their website isn’t the best designed but in contrast to others, it is updated very frequently.
One other thing about the IPPA is that you have to have been practising as a professional for a year before they will let you enroll.
How you can prove this is another matter !
Rgds
Kevin
Looked into this a while ago because apparently one of the benefits is that you can get insurance on your camera gear above and beyond what house insurance can offer. Is this correct?
KPM wrote:
One other thing about the IPPA is that you have to have been practising as a professional for a year before they will let you enroll.
How you can prove this is another matter !
Rgds
Kevin
In all business ventures you must submit a tax return in the second year after your first year of trading so you will have a Notice of Assessment Form. If you VAT register you will also have a VAT Registeration Certificate. You will also probably have proof of Public Liability Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance. The latter two are as important as the others (more so if you are a home owner or property owner). To work as a photographer nowadays where you enter a building such as factories, office blocks, churches, hotels, schools, etc you are expected to have (and sometimes have to supply proof of) Public Liability Insurance. To work for many companies also you must produce a tax clearance certificate.
digitalbeginner wrote:
Looked into this a while ago because apparently one of the benefits is that you can get insurance on your camera gear above and beyond what house insurance can offer. Is this correct?
Hi Digital Beginner, Apart from the events and competitions already mentioned the IPPA have Three very good Membership benefits that spring to mind: A Health insurance group scheme (Discount!); A range of Insurance options including Photographic equipment and lastly, perhaps the most under rated, A very good Credit Card merchant facility with Ulster Bank which has one of the lowest commission rates that I have come across. What I save on this alone pays my (Trade) sub.
Hi Paddy, now if they gave free Jelly Babies as well that would be a done deal! Didn’t know about the Merchant Facility, that alone could make it worthwhile.
BarkerPhotographic wrote:
digitalbeginner wrote:
Looked into this a while ago because apparently one of the benefits is that you can get insurance on your camera gear above and beyond what house insurance can offer. Is this correct?
Hi Digital Beginner, Apart from the events and competitions already mentioned the IPPA have Three very good Membership benefits that spring to mind: A Health insurance group scheme (Discount!); A range of Insurance options including Photographic equipment and lastly, perhaps the most under rated, A very good Credit Card merchant facility with Ulster Bank which has one of the lowest commission rates that I have come across. What I save on this alone pays my (Trade) sub.
Paddy, thanks for reminding me of these. I’ve been taking these things so much for granted for years now that I had almost forgotten we had them. I must say the credit card facility is excellent (as are all the other benefits) and , thankfully, the most used one also…LOL.
As a member of the IPPA, I find the meetings and seminars both enjoyable and usually a good learning experience. We often learn as much from each other as from the people giving the seminars. The competitions are good, especially if you go to the judgings, as you can learn why your print was given gold- silver – bronze or fail.
June
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