By NZIPP Accreditation Team Leader Tracy Kennedy
I could tell you all the usual benefits of being an NZIPP Accredited Photographer, and there are quite a few – for sure the N3 card is really handy at times – great cost savings – BUT you know it’s there, and yes those distinction gongs are also pretty cool in a few different colours….BUT
The biggest benefit for me when I sat my accreditation was the FEEDBACK – I had to take a really long in depth look at my work that I was actually producing on a day-to-day basis for clients. I had to submit my best 2 weddings, I loved those weddings – and the Feedback was average, ok to a point and not quite what I expected.
Getting assessed on your work is not easy. You love your work; it’s a part of you. Listening to the honest, harsh at times feedback is brutal.
I was of the opinion that all my people around me tell me they love it, my clients come back for more and they refer my business, I get so many likes on insta & facebook, I get awards at IRIS – so what on earth is this accreditation panel actually talking about – they are just being picky, and what do they actually know?
I was obsessed over that feedback. It was a constant play in my brain. I overthink the majority of the time anyways, so I went into hyper level territory here – Going back and forth, what did they know, what did they mean – why does it matter about highlights? …. And then I started mulling it over, and over, and over again. I left it a couple of days then I went back to those weddings. I looked at what had been pointed out, looked for other images within that sequence to find something stronger – added more, took out some, made sure all the horizons were straight, all the people were in focus for group shots, and sorted highlights ( you kinda don’t forget some types of feedback to be fair ) … and submitted again. And waited. That wait can be the biggest time of doubt. The panel recognised that I had made some strong changes and while there were still some recommendations to keep working on, I had passed.
Now as I help organise and guide people doing Accreditation, I look at things on the other side of the coin. The Panel has a great depth of knowledge, from all genres – and you usually have at least a couple of grand masters on there – so they all know a tonne of stuff – and they really do want you to succeed – which is why the feedback is honest, informative and constructive.
Accreditation is a technical evaluation of your work – it exposes your weak spots; spots you are often too close to see. You are also not alone – EVERY submission has feedback that is uncomfortable, or suggestions on how to improve; but feedback like that accelerates your growth faster than praise does. The feedback is consistent as well – the main offenders are;
- Inconsistent lighting
- Weak composition
- Over-editing
- Lack of variety or diversity
- Skin tones
- Technical misses
Many accredited photographers say the real value was not passing of accreditation itself — it was how the process changed the way they shoot and evaluate their work.
The Key processes to working with the feedback;
How to think about the feedback critique on your portfolio submission;
This is the part many photographers struggle with most.
A portfolio review can feel deeply personal because photography is personal. Your images often contain:
- your taste
- your identity
- your effort
- your style
- moments you were emotionally connected to
So, the feedback criticism can feel like rejection of you.
But accreditation panels are not judging your worth as a photographer or person. They are looking at the technical aspects of the submission, so remember it’s not an awards image. (your only allowed one of those anyways in the submission). They get to sit with these images for a longer time and really look at all the things going on. It’s an anonymous process, so they are only looking at your submission – They are assessing:
- consistency
- technical control
- intentionality
- communication
- professional standard
Those are learnable skills. They are technical skills. Anyone can pick up a camera; it’s how you intentionally choose to separate yourself amongst all that competition out there with improving your skillset.
Approaching your feedback
- Separate emotion from information
Your first emotional reaction might be:
- defensiveness
- embarrassment
- frustration
- discouragement
That is totally normal, and it’s how you then pivot and after the emotion settles, ask yourself:
“What useful information is hidden inside this feedback?” Shift gears, and mindset.
Even blunt critique usually contains something valuable.
Treat feedback like data, not an attack;
If the assessors mention:
- inconsistent focus
- awkward crops
- muddy blacks
- repetitive compositions
- poor hand posing
- over-processing
…that is not personal bias anymore. That is a pattern worth paying attention to.
Patterns matter more than isolated opinions.
When the feedback critique feels hard:
- Read it once.
- Walk away for a few hours or a day.
- Return and highlight recurring themes.
- Ignore the emotional sting initially.
- Build an improvement plan from the patterns.
You do not have to agree with every comment to benefit from the process.
Should you do accreditation?
If your goal is:
- long-term professional growth
- stronger consistency
- higher-end clients
- deeper confidence in your work
- building a sustainable photography business
…then yes, accreditation is usually worth doing. The Accreditation team wants you to succeed in your business, accreditation forces you to become more intentional, self-aware and a stronger, consistent photographer. The NZIPP perks are pretty good as well.
Interested in Accreditation? Then read more about it here – ACCREDITATION | NZIPP