I'm ready to enter the process of certification

[lynette_bradshaw]

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to take the test in October...do my application this month and have images in by the October deadline...does anyone have sample questions for the test...i looked at the ones on line but there are only a few

my real question is for the image submission it says the images have to be client ready...without noticeable retouching....help me please does this mean that we only do pre retouching or full retouching that doesn't look like it was retouched??

the other question is i do studio, but my studio is not always busy....but i do more sports, basketball, soccer than studio...for basketball we do blended collages...would that be something that i would send in as a print????

im so nervous about the image submission.....ive entered print competition but never won so i dont know if my images are good enough to pass the test

[Heather_L._Smith]

Lynette - the best option is to go through all of your work and select the images you think are the best, then post them here (or a link to them hosted elsewhere) and get feedback that way. On your collages, each image within the collage will be looked at, so if you have 6 images in a collage and 3 of them aren't up to snuff, then the collage won't be either. Collages can be used, but you set yourself up for more critique that way - I'd recommend sticking with individual images (unless the collages are absolutely superb and beyond awesome).

You should submit images as you would present them to a client. If you retouch, then they should be retouched as you would for a client. The best retouching looks natural and doesn't look plastic-y or forced or unnatural - that's what they mean by "without noticeable retouching." If you take a 70 year old woman and make her look 30 by removing all of her wrinkles, well, then that would be "noticeable retouching."

If you don't already have it, I would highly recommend the book "Photography" by Barbara London as a starting place to prep for the written exam. There is an online study guide to go along with the book that has sample questions for each of the chapters. It's very thorough and will help you figure out what you need to focus on. Additionally, Mark Levesque did a study guide for us here on the forum that has practice questions on each of the chapters. Look under the Certified Photographer threads and you'll see the study question posts.

[lynette_bradshaw]

Hi heather,

i have the book already but where can i find the sample questions with the book...i will take a look for mark's lessons.....is the test really hard

[Heather_L._Smith]

is the test really hard

Haha... well, I guess that's a relative question! If you know what you're doing, have been doing client work for a while, and have a good handle on the technical aspects of our profession, then no, the test shouldn't be hard. If you don't have a good handle on those things, including "what would you do in this situation" type of questions, then yes, the test will be hard. You need to understand the theory behind light, how it works, how you manipulate it, how it works mathmatically, how colors work together (or don't), what equipment works best in certain situations, and generally have a good, solid understanding of how to handle your subjects, your equipment, and your light in a multitude of situations.

For your study guide, if you google "photography barbara london companion site" you should be able to find it.

[D._Craig_Flory]

Hi Lynette;

The Exam is hard for some and easy for others. When I took it, in 1986, I didn't study at all and passed just on what I knew. I have given the exam to a Kodak rep and a Fuji rep over the years. The Kodak rep got a score around 92% and the Fuji rep had something like the 5th highest score in the country. I think both took it just to see how they would do on what they knew.

As for images ... I also suggest posting them here for comments and suggestions.

[lynette_bradshaw]

i guess i had better get to work...this is a huge step for me...sometimes i give up on things before i get started good.....i expect to see this through..

thanks for your help guys

[Debra_Collins]

I'm hoping to take it in August but so far the studying hasn't gone very well. I need a study group.

[lynette_bradshaw]

so do i ...im going to ask our local guild tuesday if anyone is willing to have one

[Debra_Collins]

Thats a good idea. I am 3 hours away from any guild so that makes things difficult.

[lynette_bradshaw]

do the images have to have all the blemishes removed