EP Qualification – FAQ
Q. Who can enter the EP Qualification?
A. To be eligible to apply for an EP Certificate the candidate:
- must be a member of a national professional photographers association. The national association must be a member of the Federation of European Professional Photographers, unless otherwise agreed by the relevant FEP member associations.
- must earn a living as a maker of still images, either photochemical or digital. The EP Certificates are only available to those who are authors of the original images and they are not intended for photographic laboratory technicians or support staff.
- may be self-employed or an employee
- must have operated as a professional photographer for at least one consecutive year
- must fulfil the necessary requirements in technical skills and achieve an acknowledged standard (determined by the FEP) necessary to uphold a professional status
- must satisfy the requirements for professional practice skill, which will be assessed by the FEP member national association
- must accept the FEP European Code of Professional Conduct
FEP Code of conduct
Q. I’m a European professional photographer but there’s no FEP member professional photographers’ association in my country. Can I still participate in the EP qualifications?
A. Application by non-members can be accepted providing they are professional photographers legally registered and resident in European countries where there are no FEP member national associations to represent them, the proviso being that if a member organisation was admitted, they should join it within 2 years. If such an application is received from a photographer who is not member of a FEP member association, they must be registered with the tax authorities as a professional photographer and they must show their VAT registration number or certificate of professional insurance which will be validated by the FEP.
For the ‘individual members’ mentioned above, there is an annual fee of € 70,00 payable to the FEP, for which they would receive the information and be eligible to apply for the FEP European qualifications, and to enter the FEP competitions at the members rates.
Q. Are images created 100% using artificial intelligence allowed into EP qualifications?
A. No, images created 100% using AI – artificial intelligence are not admitted to the EP qualifications. Most (80%) of the surface of the original image must have been formed using a camera. And the regulations also state that ‘The EP Certificates are only available to those who are authors of the original images’.
Q. What do I need to consider when creating a user profile?
A. It is important that you write your name correctly when you create a user profile. Use the correct spelling in which you want your name to appear on your certificates or awards and in any information communicated by the FEP in all media referring to you. This is especially important for non-latin characters. Also do not write everything in upper or lower case. First name first.
Q. Can I register with the name of my company instead of my personal name?
A. All FEP certificates are issued in the names of individuals and not of companies. It is therefore important that you register with your personal name (first name and last name).
Q. Can I still change my data after I have created a user profile?
A. You can always edit the details of your profile by using the ‘Edit’ function in ‘My profile’ after logging in.
Q. What name should I give to my files?
A. The text in the file names is free to choose. However, the file names should be a maximum of 32 characters and should not contain any special characters such as accents, punctuations or non-latin characters (a-z and 1-9 only). Otherwise you will receive an error message during the upload.
Q. Can I have text or a logo on my photos?
A. All submitted images must be anonymous. Images containing text or other identifying marks will be immediately disqualified. Images pertinent to advertising campaigns, must not contain any text or graphic elements not part of the original exposure.
Q. May there be borders around my pictures?
A. No, there should be no borders or other decorations on or around the pictures.
Q. What technical requirements must my image files fulfil?
A. Files should be uploaded at the original file resolution, at least 4,000 pixels on the long side, saved in jpg format 10 – 12 (maximum quality) and maximum 32 megabytes. Embedded profile: sRGB, Adobe 98 or Greyscale.
Q. Can I still delete and/or replace one or more submitted photos after I have completed my submission?
A. As long as the end date of the EP submission period has not expired you can always log back in and go to step 3) ‘click here to enter’ of the EP Qualifications page. During the upload session the red ‘Delete’ button under the thumbnails can be used to permanently delete photos. The green ‘edit’ and the red ‘delete’ buttons pop up when you move your cursor over a thumbnail.
You can always add/delete photos.
Q. How many photos should I send in?
A. Each candidate must submit online a panel of twelve images. This EP panel must contain 12 images of a single photographic specialisation (commercial, portrait, wedding etc.), or 6 images of a single photographic specialisation and 6 of any other.
Q. Should my pictures form a strong coherent series?
A. Unlike QEP or MQEP, the images of an EP panel do not necessarily have to form a highly coherent sequence. However, if this is the case, it is of course an advantage and will be appreciated by the jury.
Q. Do my photos have to be of one particular photographic specialty?
A. If you want to profile yourself in one particular speciality, then at least six photos from the panel should be about this speciality. The other six may be about a different genre of photography or even all six may have a different subject. But nothing prevents you from submitting 12 photos in one genre.
Q. What is a common cause for rejection of an EP panel?
A. Many panels failed because the photographer photographed almost all of his models or objects in the same light, in the same setting, with little or no difference in pose, clothing or arrangement. Add variety to your panel. Show that you have an extensive knowledge of lighting, colour, composition, post processing, shooting situations, etc.
Q. Why compete for the EP title?
A. The EP qualification certificate is a kind of driving licence for photographers. Show the jury that you have the necessary basic skills to call yourself a professional photographer. More than that, show that you have professional added skill that will set you apart from the amateur around the corner. An EP qualification should give your customers the confidence that they are dealing with a professional who has a solid basic knowledge of photography.
Q. How much does it cost to apply for an EP Qualification Certificate?
A. An application fee of 50 euros must be paid after the uploading of the images, via Stripe, a secure online payment system with credit card. After completing your upload, you will automatically be directed to the payment page. Follow the instructions on your screen.
Q. How will I be informed of the outcome of my EP candidature?
A. A list of all successful candidates ONLY will be announced on the FEP website and social media. All candidates will receive written notification of the result of their submission from the FEP Secretariat in the days following the announcement of the results. This notice contains an official report from the jury. Successful candidates will also receive a press release.
Q. How long will it take for the results to be announced?
A. Judging starts after a Qualification Entries Session has ended and the membership of the candidates is confirmed by the relevant national associations. The results of the judging will be published on the FEP website and social media 3 to 4 weeks after the closure of the EP Entries Session. Unforeseen technical or other circumstances may delay the publication of the results.
Q. My panel was not successful. Can I apply again?
A. Unsuccessful candidates may repeat the application process once free of charge within the next 3 sessions. They may simply skip the payment request. Failed candidates who reapply for free within the next 3 EP sessions have to send an email to the secretariat (secretariat@europeanphotographers.eu) informing about this new application, so that they can validate the submission manually.
Q. I don’t have a credit card. Can I also pay by bank transfer?
A. In the rare case that you must pay by bank transfer (no credit card or other reasons), please send your payment to:
FEP vzw
IBAN: BE26 7340 4630 9829
BIC: KREDBEBB
KBC Bank NV
Eiermarkt 20
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
Reference: EP Qualification session # .. (and your name as entered in your user profile)
Then, please send an email to mailto:secretariat@europeanphotographers.eu to inform them about your choice for offline payment.
