Thinking about joining IFPO: your thoughts are welcome..

[Hatem Eldoronki]

A friend of mine highly recommends this 'club' ( found here http://www.aipress.com/memb.html ), and I didn't want to do that before checking with you guys! Any other recommendations/experience with similar services?
As always, thanks to all..

[NILOLIGIST]

WOW!! Me too. I did a search and found a few sites that help you get published. Although, I am published I want much more publishings and from different sources.

I wish we all could start a magazine....Hmmmmm, this is where ideas are born....

Anyone want to start a magazine? Pekka? LOL

NiL,

[Motorsports Photo]

You can make your own fake press pass much cheaper.

:lol:

-Pete

[c0ntr0lz]

i might look into this
cause i'd like to get into car mags
i dont' know how yall take pix of anything else

thanks for posting the link(and idea)

[Bruce Hamilton]

You can make your own fake press pass much cheaper.

True, but it probably looks as fake as it is. You pay around $70 for a lifetime membership, plus another $100 for a set of credentials good for 3 years... If you factor in all the "bennys" you get with your membership, it seems pretty cheap to me.

[defordphoto]

You can make your own fake press pass much cheaper.

True, but it probably looks as fake as it is. You pay around $70 for a lifetime membership, plus another $100 for a set of credentials good for 3 years... If you factor in all the "bennys" you get with your membership, it seems pretty cheap to me.

Depends on how good you are. ;) I made my own for my website (a legitimate motorsports news service), so they are truly proper press passes, and I have yet to be questioned.

Cost: About 35 cents.

[Hatem Eldoronki]

Quite honestly, I have a problem. I am originally from Egypt (so I look Middle-Eastern), and I live in Philadelphia. Walking around with a "high-power" camera doesn't seem like a smart idea nowadays. So I'm looking for a way to prove identity/purpose (amateur photography)...
People tell me not to worry and 'do what I wanna do', but that's just dumb.
So if that website won't be enough identification (which is obvious really, since they don't have some sort of background check), then who else is of such service?

[dn7elson]

So if that website won't be enough identification (which is obvious really, since they don't have some sort of background check), then who else is of such service?

This might seem a bit bazaar, off the cuff, but given the nature of your concern, have you thought about contacting a local law enforcement agency and laying it out for them as you have here? I am sure that you would receive a sympathetic ear and might be given a direction that might work well in your locality.

[Hatem Eldoronki]

This might seem a bit bazaar, off the cuff, but given the nature of your concern, have you thought about contacting a local law enforcement agency and laying it out for them as you have here? I am sure that you would receive a sympathetic ear and might be given a direction that might work well in your locality.

I thought about that, but since I have no idea if there's a more proper 'photography' channel I should seek, I didn't want to just walk in and ask a stupid question...

[dn7elson]

I thought about that, but since I have no idea if there's a more proper 'photography' channel I should seek, I didn't want to just walk in and ask a stupid question...

It can be a touchy issue given current times and climate. Too, bad too. I used to never give a 2nd thought to taking pictures of landing aircraft at the airport...now, it's different.

[Hatem Eldoronki]

It can be a touchy issue given current times and climate. Too, bad too. I used to never give a 2nd thought to taking pictures of landing aircraft at the airport...now, it's different.

When I first got my 75-300mm lens, I wanted to see how close can I get to a plane in the sky, and later on, a friend saw the picture. He simply said, "why do you have this?"!!! Imagine a stranger's take on that..

[Bruce Hamilton]

I made my own for my website (a legitimate motorsports news service), so they are truly proper press passes, and I have yet to be questioned.

But as you mention, you are a legitimate motorsports news service, and are most likely recognized as such at just about every race track in the country. I could print out a form with the word press and my picture, but it wouldn't get me far.

[Motorsports Photo]

Quite honestly, I have a problem. I am originally from Egypt (so I look Middle-Eastern), and I live in Philadelphia. Walking around with a "high-power" camera doesn't seem like a smart idea nowadays.

If you are sincere about photohournalism, talk to the photo editor of your local newspaper. They might need someone like you for a stringer.

-Pete

[Andy_T]

Hi MCouper,

after taking a look at the contents of that 'Professional photographers newspaper' (How to get professional results with a point-and-shoot camera, learn basic photography, a lots of videos and courses for sale ...) I have to admit that the newspaper looks a bit suspicious to me. I wouldn't expect too much from a 'lifetime membership' there - but I could be awfully off.

I'm also not really sure if a phony 'press pass' would help you to keep out of trouble ... now that might be seen as suspicious as well.

Did you ever think of joining a photography club or enrolling in a university photography course? You might get more for your money there.

I remember a thread in this forum that encouraged people to carry around model releases if they do street photography ... in order to get used to asking people to sign them, even if you don't really plan to sell the picture. Maybe that might be something you would think about as well.

Best regards,
Andy

[Cadwell]

I am sorry but the IFPO site looks like a complete scam to me. The web site is really amateurish and the magazine cover ( http://www.aipress.com/tpmag.html ) looks like it took all of five minutes to knock up in MS Publisher. I wouldn't send them any of my money....

[CoolToolGuy]

To add to the above, it looks like this site is in a coma - the 'current' edition of the magazine is 'Spring 2003', and the monthly contest doesn't have any listing for topics after 2003.

I'd say its not worth sending money to.