Feedback on my Licentiate Panel

Hours 380 to 850

On the 1st March 2018, I took the first formal step towards a distinction with The Royal Photographic Society (“RPS”) by booking onto a Licentiate Advisory Day. Licentiateship, often abbreviated to “LRPS” or just “L” is the first level of distinction. More advanced levels are Associate (ARPS) and Fellow (FRPS). The first available Advisory Day was 23rd June in Wakefield, Yorkshire.

For an L, candidates submit a panel of 10 competent images which show variety in approach and technique, and work in combination with one another. On the advisory day, up to 10 back-up images may also be submitted for consideration.

Advisory Day Submitted Print images — Suggested Revised Panel as displayed on the Stage

My panel was deemed “Ready for submission with minor alterations”. Full formal comments as follows:

Good range of photographic difference in panel
B&W image, portrait, weakest: image focus point of subject/ not sharpest
Animals good impact – dog and 6th image
Crab image – needs replacing
Almost there, some technical attention suggested
Demonstrates good range of what is required
Maybe look at panel balance.

Detailed feedback of panel and individual images see “more” below.

The primary objective of my 10,000 hour project is the, admittedly self-indulgent, goal of “becoming the best I can be.” The LRPS is a key milestone along the way. If you have any suggestions, please add them in the comments below.

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Critique of the Submission as a Panel

Thumbnails of all images

Comments:

Having just one black & white image “looks odd”. If one does have single monochrome, it needs to be in the middle for balance The colour version, provided as a back-up, gives the panel better balance, but suffers from the same defects, see below.
Another candidate suggested that the Llama image (06), if squared off, might nicely balance the dog (image 05). However, this would them mean that image 01 wouldn’t have a home, and I would have to find something else to balance with image 10. One judge though felt that this was unnecessary and that the panel was balanced as it was.
Image 07, Sally Lightfoot to be replaced by the Boardwalk image, which was one of my 10 backups, below.

Long walkway to a distant photographer, colourful sunrise — Back-up Image – Boardwalk at Sunrise Dungeoness

Colour version of image 04 — Back-up, Portrait in Colour

Critique by Image

01 – Tokyo Atrium		No negative comments. Might be dropped from the panel, if the Llama is moved to the top row.
02 – Penitents		No negative comments
03 – Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s		Considered a strong image
04 – Chloe Black and White		The judges really didn’t like this. Shoulder too bright, taking the eye away from the face. Mixed views about having only one eye in focus. Colour version that I had as a backup “better” but still with the above issues.
05 – Harley on the Beach		Considered “one of the strongest images.”
06 – Llama Says “Hello”	…..	“Strong image.”
07 – Sally Lightfood		Rejected on the basis that the eyes are slightly out of focus. The claws at the front are sharpest and the image is just getting a little soft at the eyes. [Image did well in club competitions.] Suggest that this image is replaced by the Boardwalk, in the backups.
08 – Fire and Ice		No comment – presumably “good enough”
09 – Inuit Church		No comment – presumably “good enough”
10 – Fish		No Comment. [I thought this was a “Safe” image, judges in club competitions tend to like.]

Next Steps

Actual Licentiate Assessment is booked for the 2nd October 2018, at the RPS’s headquarters in Bath.

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