Our Post-nominals

The letters after our names are significant

You’ll often see photographers using the letters LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP after their name, and sometimes EP, QEP or MQEP alongside them. These are our post-nominal designations – a mark of qualification, not simply membership – and each one tells you something specific about the photographer’s proven skill and experience.

What the letters mean

The BIPP operates three qualification levels, each earned by submitting a panel of work to be assessed by BIPP judges and awarded in ascending order of distinction: Licentiateship, Associateship and Fellowship.

FBIPP – Fellowship

Our highest qualification. FBIPP marks a photographer as being at the top of their field – exceptional technical ability, flawless production, and a body of work with genuine originality and creative authority.

How panels are assessed

All three BIPP qualifications are assessed on a panel of 20 images. LBIPP can be submitted either digitally or in print. ABIPP and FBIPP panels must be submitted in print. Print assessments also have scope for a panel to be upgraded to a higher grade within the same assessment session, if the judges consider the work merits it.

Who is entitled to use them

The right to use LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP after your name isn’t automatic and it isn’t permanent by default. To use a BIPP post-nominal, you must:

• • • Be a Professional Member of the BIPP in good standing
    • Have successfully submitted and passed the qualification panel for that grade, assessed by a panel of independent BIPP judges
    • Continue to accept and uphold the BIPP Code of Professional Conduct
    • Maintain the professional insurance required of BIPP members

Qualifications are generally achieved in sequence – you can’t apply for Associateship without holding Licentiateship, or Fellowship without Associateship. The entitlement to use the letters runs for the duration of membership; they’re a mark of current, active standing with the Institute rather than a qualification held for life.

Why it matters

There’s no legal barrier to calling yourself a “professional photographer” in the UK, so these letters exist to give clients something they can actually verify: proof that a photographer’s work and business practice has been independently assessed against a recognised industry standard, not just self-declared.

However, not every photographer sees the need to achieve a professional qualification and that doesn’t infer anything regarding the standard of their work – it simply hasn’t been assessed.

European post-nominals: EP, QEP & MQEP

As the sole UK member of the Federation of European Professional Photographers (FEP), the BIPP also gives members access to a separate set of post-nominals recognised across the FEP’s 20+ member countries. EP, QEP and MQEP notionally parallel the three BIPP grades in terms of standard, but they are a distinct qualification structure run by the FEP, not a formal extension of the BIPP’s own panels.

MQEP — Master Qualified European Photographer

The FEP’s highest distinction, reserved for accomplished QEP holders – fewer than 100 European photographers have achieved it. You must already hold QEP to apply, though the MQEP panel itself is independent of your QEP submission – most candidates put together a fresh body of work, though building the MQEP panel on an existing QEP panel is possible, if uncommon. An MQEP panel runs to 20 images with no set specialisation required, and candidates may submit supporting evidence such as books, videos or albums alongside the panel.

Who is entitled to use them

EP, QEP and MQEP are FEP qualifications, so use of the letters depends on FEP rules rather than BIPP membership alone:

• • • As the UK’s sole affiliated national association, BIPP membership brings automatic FEP membership – you don’t need to join separately, though you’ll still need to create an FEP account to access qualifications and services.
    • EP may be awarded automatically to holders of any BIPP qualification level (LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP) under the BIPP’s reciprocal authorisation – contact us to start the process.
    • QEP can be applied for directly; MQEP requires an existing QEP qualification
    • Retaining the right to use an FEP post-nominal depends on continued membership of one of the FEP’s national associations – for UK photographers, that means remaining a BIPP member
    • As with BIPP post-nominals, successful candidates are listed in the FEP’s own directory of qualified photographers

Start your own qualification journey

If you’re a BIPP member ready to apply for LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP, visit our Qualifications page for the full process. To find out more about EP, QEP or MQEP, see The FEP’s qualifications page or talk to us about supporting you in your next steps.