The PAGB distinctions of CPAGB, DPAGB and MPAGB are gained by presenting a selection of your best work to a panel of judges who mark it much as a set of competition entries is marked. If you gain the required number of marks you are granted the award. CPAGB is “good club photography” standard, DPAGB is about the standard needed to gain acceptances in national competitions and MPAGB is the highest standard in club photography.
You can also gain distinctions by accumulating points for acceptances in accredited competitions, the FIAP and BPE schemes are like that, but they can be a long journey and many like to prove their competence in one test, such as the PAGB scheme. Since requirements overlap somewhat, many do both.
For some years now the L&CPU have been running a mentoring scheme to help you prepare for the PAGB distinctions. They are NOT tuition schemes, they are not intended to teach the skills needed but to help you appreciate what standard is required to achieve success.
The scheme has been very successful and similar approaches have now been adopted by other Federations. Though we can help members in trying for these distinctions we highly recommend joining the L&CPU Mentoring Scheme because the people running it have, in many cases, direct experience of the assessment and certainly direct experience of the process.
We have just had details of the next mentoring scheme meeting, as follows…
- Candidates who are already being mentored and wish to try out their images in front of six LCPU/PAGB judges before committing to the “real thing”.
- Candidates who are sitting their real assessment with the PAGB this autumn and want to try out images, at the next level up, in a mock adjudication.
- Club members who are thinking about sitting the PAGB Awards soon but have not yet begun the process.
You can find out all about the awards at http://www.thepagb.org.uk/awards/apm-awards/