International Freelance Photographer Organization..

[Life Photo-Documentaries]

<p>Howdy....<br /><br />I have been reading some job search engines and one had a link for this organization. Has anyone ever seen/participated/heard /gotten profits about IFPO? <br /><br />Thank you for your most sincere inputs!<br>

JC</p>

[mike dixon]

IFPO doesn't employ photographers. They print press credentials that will get you into events that don't really require press credentials.

[andy_wager1]

<p>I love this on the front page of their site</p>

<p>"I have been on the front page of three local newspapers over the past well, since 1992, because of you".."</p>

<p>WOW...Gotta join up............</p>

<p>JC. Forget them. There is NO international freelance photographer organisation and I can guarantee that the "press credentials" that this lot tout are no better than anything you could print up yourself.</p>

<p><br /></p>

[danny_wong2]

<p>Special event by event credentials are requested directly from the organizer who then approves it and send them to the office of your news gathering organization. In large cities you are issue one by your organization (print or TV news) as well as one by the local PD for news gathering purpose access to limited access area.<br>

These rip-off the wannabe organization has been around for longer than you know.</p>

[craig_shearman1]

<p>As a former reporter/photographer who now works in PR, I can tell you "press credentials" of this type are not worth the paper they are printed on. There are basically three or four types of press ID: those issued by local police/fire departments that identify you as a working member of the media. These can help you get past police lines (but not always) and are good all-around ID to prove you are who you say you are. Credentials such as those issued by the House and Senate press galleries in Washington that get you through security for specific buildings and into events that might be restricted to the press. (UN in New York does the same, many statehouses have ID that get you onto the House or Senate floor or into the Governor's office). Also those issued for specific events or series of events, like those issued by sports teams to get into the stadium press box or sidelines. Or by concert promoters for a specific concert. There's really no such thing as a universal "press pass" that gets you into everything all the time. Places that purport to sell such a thing, through membership or otherwise, are playing on lack of knowledge of how things work.</p>

[zensphoto]

<p>I'm a lifetime member of IFPO. I have used their credentials in a responsible manner and have never had any problems using them to access news. This includes concerts and any place else like accidents along my travels and other events I have covered. The company doesn't employee photographers nor do they journalists. But they do help you work with the credentials to go where you want to go. I am also a member of NPPA, Muse Cable and several other news credential agency's. The credentials do work if you use them in the right way. You can also land a job doing stories as a Freelance Photographer and Journalist in your local news papers by being able to get through police lines and reporting stories. Just like any think else in the business world of Photography everyone has to start someplace and if you work at anything enough you will be successful at it. You might also want to buy a book on your rights as a photographer before venturing out in Trial and Error worlds of covering press so you know what you can and can't do as a News Photographer.</p>

[panorama333]

<p>Duane: I would still be curious if something you printed up yourself would work as well as joining IFPO and using their credentials. My guess is that few people other than some photographers have ever heard of IFPO.</p>