What does it mean to be a ‘qualified’ photographer?

Directly from the Photographers’ Guild:
“Our ‘Qualified’ status is therefore aligned to standards of competence that reflect a level where the customer should be ‘pleased with the results’, when employing the services of a skilled tradesman (the photographer). In other words ‘Qualified’ indicates professional ‘competence’ to a level where the Guild is willing to recognise the photographer as an ambassador of the association , so those who achieve that level should be proud of doing so.”

Basically, it means that my customers can rest assured that they are guaranteed to receive a collection of images that are of a very high standard and that my work is consistent and I am well skilled in what I do.

I’m incredibly proud to receive this honour. The Photographers’ Guild are a prestigious organisation whose judges are incredibly stringent and look at every little technical and artistic detail in your work.

To achieve ‘Qualification’ with the Guild you must submit a panel of 21 images. They should consist of 3 images from 7 different sessions that have been taken by me, within the last 2 years. They should all be different and show a variety of skills whilst also working all together as a collection of images.

You must show that you are highly competent at using your camera whilst also having the ability to set up a shot and get the lighting perfect. All whilst keeping a baby safe and comfortable… easy! 🙂

When I think back to what I’ve achieved this year, I couldn’t be more proud. I originally ventured into photography so that I could have a more flexible career than teaching to enable me to take my son to hospital for all his appointments. He was diagnosed with achondroplasia this time last year and our lives were tipped upside down at that point.

I never dreamt that this new career would rocket so quickly. I’ve finally found my ‘thing’ that I absolutely love doing but also am pretty good at! 🙂 In a year I’ve won a number of awards, have an amazing collection of wonderful customers and now my skills are recognised with this prestigious honour of being ‘qualified’!

Next year, I’ll be attending the Guild Awards ceremony at Crewe Hall and then it’ll be full steam ahead to go for ‘Craftsman’! The next stage of qualification with the Guild.
Thank you so much to all my fantastic customers, it’s been absolutely wonderful meeting you all this year and I want to reach out with all my heart to thank you for trusting me with your newborns but also trusting me to capture those first photographs in my own, creative way! I couldn’t be happier and more proud of my little business and can’t wait to see what the future holds! 🙂
Check out the rest of my panel and if you love my images, give me a comment and a like!

Qualified Newborn and Baby Photographer based in Sandbach, Cheshire. Covering the whole of Cheshire and beyond including Middlewich, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, Nantwich, Northwich, Chester and Stoke-on-Trent.