I realised I needed expert feedback. Fortunately, SBE was linked to The Portrait Masters Awards and Accreditation program. Images are judged on a scale of 1–100, with scores of 70 or above earning Bronze, Bronze with Distinction, Silver, or Gold. Points accumulate toward Associate, Master, and Fellow levels.
Accreditation forces you to evaluate your work critically. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and heightens your awareness of exposure, sharpness, colour balance, and post-processing precision. The pressure is real, but the growth is even more significant.
Submitting your work is a vulnerable process. A low score can feel like a personal failure, but a high score brings immense satisfaction and external validation. One of the biggest challenges is financial—the costs add up. Fortunately, SBE members received several free entries and discounts.
Since I had a couple of free entries I submitted two images—one I felt confident about and one I expected to fail. The results were exactly as predicted: a Bronze and a fail. But I knew I was on the right path.
Building Experience and Experimenting
Next, I teamed up with Andre Williams, shooting mostly in his garage. Between sessions, I continued with sports and landscape photography, which helped me understand light better. Even movies became study material—Top Gun: Maverick taught me a great deal about split lighting and dramatic effect.
Experimentation became essential. Some attempts were happy accidents, others flops—but all were valuable lessons. I even submitted experimental images for accreditation, though one long-exposure, rear-curtain-sync portrait remains unsubmitted to this day.
Studio, Clients, and Social Media
I eventually converted a small office into a studio and began advertising sessions on Facebook and Instagram (learning social media advertising is a skill in itself and I am not that good at it). My “Women Over 40” project was both successful and eye-opening. Clients shared deeply personal stories, some inspiring, some heartbreaking. One client undergoing cancer treatment shared her difficult journey, and sadly, she passed away eight months later.
During sessions, I focus on building a connection and encouraging natural expression. When you achieve this, the image becomes more “real”—a true reflection of the person. It is perhaps the hardest part of portrait photography, but when it works, the image simply stands out.
Climbing to Master Accreditation
Over time, I submitted 105 images: 75 Bronze, 11 Bronze with Distinction, and 5 Silver. For two years, only Bronze—discouraging, but instructive. Gradually, my posing, lighting, and creativity improved. I earned enough points to become Accredited, and an Associate of The Portrait System.
I then pursued Master Accreditation, improving the quality of my submissions and being more selective. In the third year, I earned my first Silver and more Bronze with Distinction. In the final round, one Silver-winning image also won its category, providing the final points needed.
I am now an Accredited Master photographer of The Portrait Masters.
What I’ve learned is that the real value lies not in the title but in the process: the discipline, endurance, and artistic growth that comes from rigorous self-evaluation. As in sports, you often learn the most when you don’t win. Accreditation is no different.
Continuing the Journey
The journey doesn’t stop here. I’ve joined the ICON Awards, starting again at the Associate level. I hope to apply fine-art concepts to sports and events—a challenging goal, especially given personal difficulties over the past 18 months. But I continue to evolve, slowly but steadily, always striving to improve.
Photography, I’ve learned, is more than cameras and lighting—it’s about connection, expression, and storytelling. Every mistake, experiment, and small success has been part of the journey.
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My new web-site which is still work in progress but accessible is
https://me-visualarts.co.uk
Instagram (also still a work in progress but accessible)
me_fineartportraits
me_sportsandevents
