Hello out there! hope every one had a pleasant enough New Year so far.... My question today deals with a questions that has been plagued me ever since I took my photography from just doing the shooting to actually doing the developing and creation......The question here today is that, like other arts, i.e., Movies and so forth have guilds. In this case a directors Guild or the actors Guild, do photographers have a "guild" as well that we can me members of officially, or are we all free lancers?

Thank you in advance

-- Nauman Saghir (nsaghir@hotmail.com), January 04, 2001

Answers

Here in the UK we have the British Institute of Professional Photography, the Master Photographer's Association, and there also used to be an Association of Advertising and Fashion Photographers, but I'm not sure if that last one still exists. There's also the world-famous Royal Photographic Society, which is open to amateur and professional alike.
I'm sure that other countries have similar bodies that one can join. In fact, in some countries, such as Germany, it's illegal to practise photography professionally without having passed a recognised trade exam, and become a member of a professional association.

Unfortunately, all that some of the 'professional' associations seem to offer their membership in return for the not inconsiderable subscription, is the promise of some legal advice if it's ever needed, and an ocassional newsletter.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), January 05, 2001.