Honours & Points

Ribbons Earned from entering the Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA)

Associate - AAIPP 
(Yellow)
To achieve the designation of Associate, Full Accredited members of the AIPP need to earn 5 merit points within 4 consecutive years by entering the Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPA)

  Master - M.Photog 
(Red)
To achieve the designation of Master of Photography, Full Accredited members of the AIPP need to earn a further 10 full merit points within 5 consecutive years after achieving the Associate designation.  

Master with Gold Bar - M.Photog I 
(Red)
After achieving Master of Photography, for every further 10 full merit points earned within 5 consecutive years the member is awarded with a gold bar 

Grand Master - GM.Photog 
(Black)
The pinnacle of the Institutes award system. To recieve the designation of Grand Master of Photography a minimum of 5 M.Photog Gold Bars are required, an accumulation of at least 65 points over a career which must include 5 Gold awards and 10 Silver with Distinction awards.

Ribbons earned through service to the Institute and Photographic Industry

Silver Service Bar 
(No award Ribbon) (Green)
The AIPP relies on the volunteer ethos of its member. All forms of service to the Institute is allocated points. A silver service bar is presented for every 20 points of service.

Claude McCarthy Awards 
(No award Ribbon) (Green)
Awarded by the AIPP Honours Committee.  This award recognises a long period of effort and dedication to the Institute. It is named after the founding father of the Institute - Claude McCarthy

Honorary Life Member - HLM
(No Award Ribbon) (Blue)
An Honorary Life Membership is granted to consistent and extended service over a long period of time. It is a reward for hard work and unselfish commitment to the Institute. 

Master with Honorary Life Member
(Red with Blue)
When an Institute Honour is given to a member that holds a awards designation (Associate, Master or Grand Master)  the honour colour ribbon is placed in the center of the awards ribbons.

Honorary Fellow - Hon.FAIPP
(No Award Ribbon) (Grey)
This title is awarded to recognition of outstanding and long
service to the photographic industry.  It is usually awarded at the completion of a large project or a long period of service time. It is given for consistent and exemplary service to our profession, a reward for hard work and unselfish commitment to the industry

Grand Master with Honorary Fellow
(Grey with Black)
When an Institute Honour is given to a member that holds a awards designation (Associate, Master or Grand Master)  the honour colour ribbon is placed in the center of the awards ribbons under the logo and the bar.

Fellow - FAIPP
(No Award Ribbon) (Purple)
The Institute's highest honour and is therefore one which is 
regarded as paramount in the Profession of Photography in
Australia and for most people will be extremely difficult to 
achieve.  Fellowship is an award which recognises the
outstanding value of an individuals achievement. Evidence of considerable photographic excellence as well as a history of outstanding service to the Institute, the photographic
industry and society is a requirement.  

Master with Fellow
(Red with Purple)
When an Institute Honour is given to a member that holds a awards designation (Associate, Master or Grand Master)  the honour colour ribbon is placed in the center of the awards ribbons under the logo and the bar.


By entering the AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards images can earn merit points that accumulate to honours within the Institute as described above.

The number of merit points received for each print depends on the score: 

Award Score Points
Certificate of Attainment 78 – 79 half point
Silver 80 – 84 1 point
Silver with distinction 85 – 89 1 point
Gold 90 – 94 2 points
Gold with distinction 95 – 100 2 points

Only Silver, Silver with distinction, Gold and Gold with distinction will recieve certificates in there return print case. 

APPA HONOURS - WHO CAN RECIEVE POINTS?

Accredited Full Members of AIPP can bank points towards further honours within the Institute.  There are four types of honours you can achieve and they follow on from each other consecutively from Associate to Master of Photography through to Grand Master of Photography. You will be allowed to display the below letters after your name and receive a ribbon to wear at future AIPP events and awards.

TIME FRAMES FOR EARNING POINTS TOWARDS HONOURS
If you do not achieve the required points for any given honour within the stipulated time period you will lose the earliest year of points.
Associate: Must be achieved within 4 consecutive year
Master of Photography: Must be achieved within 5 consecutive year 
Master of Photography Gold Bars: Must be achieved within 5 consecutive years 

For example:
For four years from 2009  – 2012 you achieved only 4 points towards your Associateship. In 2013, the points you earned from 2009 will be dropped from your tally towards Associateship and the points between 2010 – 2013 will be tallied towards your Honour. 

LEFT OVER POINTS FROM HONOURS
If you achieve your Associateship or Master of Photography within the given period and you still have points left over from the tally they will be used towards your next honour.
For example:
Within 4 years you were awarded 8 points towards your Associateship.
5 of these will be used towards your Associateship. The remaining 3 will be used in your tally towards Master of Photography.

RULE FOR USE OF HALF POINTS
It is also worth noting that you can only use 4 half points towards your Associateship. Any further half points received are not able to be used and half points are not applicable for Master and Grand Master of Photography.

CORRECT TERMINOLOGY FOR APPA & AIPP HONOURS

AAIPP - Associate

M.Photog – Master of Photography

Gold bars (i.e. M.Photog IV)  When written or spoken, Gold Bars should always be used in conjunction with the Master of Photography status and with the number of Gold Bars earned. i.e. M.Photog IV = Master of Photography with 4 gold bars.

Terms such as double, triple (etc) Master cannot be used.

G.M.Photog – Grand Master of Photography

HLM – Honorary Life Member

Hon.FAIPP – Honorary Fellow

FAIPP - Fellow

AIPP HONOURS
Aside from honours gained from points earned at APPA, the AIPP also awards Honours to photographers or industry representatives as they see fit. These honours are: Fellow (FAIPP), Honorary Fellow (Hon.FAIPP), Honorary Life Member (HLM) and Claude McCarthy Award.  Please see ribbon configurations in the table above.