Another Irish Photographers Association!

Monday, Mar 22nd, 2010 in The IPWS Blog by Dominic Lee | 6 Comments

“Not the right time” I hear them say, well when is the right time?
I bought the Priory Studios building in the early 90s when interest rates were around 15% and so many people said “it´s not the right time”.

Judging from the amount of flack the Irish Professional Photographers Association was getting on the Licence for photographers blog on this site (many were so nasty I refused to publish them) and on Boards.ie (many of which were later deleted) there is clearly a problem with the IPPA’s image within the profession.

The most common complaints made reference to the imposing of public liability insurance cover for all members of EUR6.5 million which some thought was bordering on illegal. The increase in premiums just forced members to look overseas for more competitive quotes, (in my case a saving of almost Eur1,000 per annum).

The IPPA’s annual membership fee of EUR400 shows no consideration for the recession. By comparison, other associations such as the IPF, BIPP, MPA and SWPP have annual membership fees which are significantly lower, almost a quarter of this figure!  The IPPA will almost certainly see their numbers dwindling if this membership fee is not addressed.  The awards system got slated and that was a gripe of mine when I was an IPPA member, judges secretly pushing buttons which usually result in no discussion of the print entered; which is about as useful as tits on a Nun.

It wasn’t all bad comments about the IPPA (although most of it was) they did receive praise for getting the VAT on Photography reduced to the lower rate. Their Skillnet training program has been hailed a huge success and their Happy Faces fundraising for charity is most admirable indeed.

But for all the good, like a Government who is in power for too long, a change won´t save the country but it will make the existing Party get their act together and perhaps come back fighting another day.  It´s all about competition and I have no doubt that the several other Photographer associations will now be forced to review their Irish agenda.

I just hope we don´t experience the intense rivalry between the photographic associations which, is rife in the UK and clearly smacks of jealousy and snobbery.

Associations do afford a wonderful and beneficial opportunity for photographers to network with their peers and to raise their standards through awards programmes and Ireland has an abundance of world class photographers many of whom are always willing to offer advice and critique the work of others.

Now is always the right time, so good luck to the National Association of Irish Photographers. We await with bated breath.