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Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions

Are you ready to produce a panel of images for an RPS (Royal Photographic Society) Distinction Qualification?

I can provide you personal mentoring to help you with this significant step in your photography journey with personalised online mentoring and support to help you achieve success.

The RPS panel-building decision framework

A six-step decision rhythm I use with every RPS mentoring client, applicable to both LRPS and ARPS panels regardless of genre. The framework Peter and I worked through across his ARPS rebuild.

1Define what the panel is about+
Before reviewing any images, articulate what the panel is trying to say in one or two sentences. Not "my best landscape work" — that's a portfolio. A panel needs a thesis: a focused territory, a recognisable voice, a coherent body of work. For LRPS this is variety of approach within an emerging photographer's range; for ARPS this is depth and command within a defined genre. The Statement of Intent is built from this thesis. Most rebuild work begins by realising the original panel didn't have one — it had a collection of images instead.
2Review every candidate image against the thesis+
Once the thesis is clear, every candidate image gets two questions: does this serve the panel's voice, and is the image technically up to RPS standard. An image can be strong as an individual frame and still not serve the panel if it pulls the voice in a different direction. This is the editorial step where ruthlessness matters — and where mentoring helps because the third party can be unsentimental about images you love. In Peter's rebuild we started with around forty candidate images and ended with a longlist of about twenty-five that genuinely served the revised thesis.
3Identify gaps and make new images if needed+
From the longlist, what's missing? Are the seasons/light conditions/sub-genres balanced? Are there compositional types repeating that need replacing? Is there a tonal hole the panel needs filling? This is where targeted new shoots happen — sometimes one or two strategically planned outings can produce three or four new images that complete the panel. In Peter's case we identified three specific gaps and planned shoots around them. Two of the new images made the final cut.
4Tighten technical and tonal consistency+
Re-edit every shortlisted image so the panel reads as one body of work. Match colour temperature and tonal balance across all frames. Eliminate any technical issues — blown highlights, crushed shadows, distracting edges, unsharp focus, over-sharpening, ham-fisted retouching. Assessors at LRPS level have little tolerance for technical inconsistency; at ARPS level it kills a panel before voice and structure can be assessed. This stage usually takes longer than the photographer expects — Lightroom panels and synchronisation are essential tools.
5Design the hanging plan as creative work+
The hanging plan is the eleventh image (LRPS) or sixteenth (ARPS) — assessors evaluate the panel as a whole hanging object. Place the strongest single image as the anchor; balance edge images so they "look" inward toward the centre; alternate visual weight across the row; consider portrait/landscape orientation rhythm; check tonal flow left-to-right. Print thumbnails and physically rearrange them on a table. Try multiple sequences. The first arrangement is rarely the best. In Peter's panel, three different hanging plans were tried before the final one settled.
6Refine the Statement of Intent and submit+
The Statement of Intent is the last thing rewritten, not the first. Once the panel is finalised, write the Statement to match the panel that exists rather than the panel you originally imagined. Be specific: what subjects, what approach, what voice. Avoid generic photography language. Read the Statement aloud — if it sounds like it could describe any landscape photographer's work, it's not specific enough. Peter's Statement was rewritten three times across the mentoring period; the final version was unmistakably his rather than generic. Then submit, with sufficient time before the deadline for any final adjustments.

Book your place today

RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions
RPS Courses - Independent RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions
from £75.00

RPS Courses - Independant RPS Mentoring for RPS Distinctions - Start anytime, you select six online Zoom sessions within twelve months at intervals to suit you

RPS Courses - Mentoring for Distinctions

  • Participants: Via Zoom online in a group of max 3, or on 1-2-1 basis.

  • Equipment Needed:

    • Zoom App

    • Dropbox App used for updated portfolios and images

  • Terms: Sessions must be taken within 12 months of booking the course or forfeited, but there are options to extend the timeline and retain unused classes or add additional classes.

  • Method:

    • Technical and creative critique with suggestions for improvement

    • Advice on image selection and panel layout

More Details about the RPS Mentoring Course

*Note: Your tutor, Alan Ranger, holds both the RPS's Licentiate and Associate Distinctions, but the RPS does not accredit this Course. This is not an approved course or endorsed by the RPS as an organisation. Alan’s advice is private, unofficial and based on his experience and understanding of the elements required to reach the standard that may result in being awarded a distinction without any guarantee.

 
 

Flexible Options - Enrol Anytime

Online - Zoom

 
 

Ready to build your RPS Distinction panel?

Work 1-to-1 with Alan Ranger through a structured series of Zoom sessions. You’ll share your images in a private Dropbox folder, receive detailed Lightroom reviews and honest feedback, and get guided support on sequencing, editing, and curating a final panel that meets RPS standards.

Most students begin with a block of 6 × 1 hr sessions (£240) and add more as needed — a flexible, personal route with a 100% pass rate from over 20 clients.

Alan will send you a code to bypass payment if you’ve already purchased a bundle of sessions in advance.

Prefer a text link? Book a 1-2-1 lesson

RPS Course

Produce a panel of images for an RPS Distinction Qualification

  • RPS Courses - Online - Zoom

  • Group Evening Class: 19:00 - 21:00. Six classes; you choose dates within twelve months to suit,

  • Or you can book six 40-minute, 1-2-1 mentoring slots to suit your availability and timescales.

Over 12 months, you will have six sessions at intervals suited to you online using Zoom, in a group class, or on a 1-2-1 basis. Professional input, feedback, and support will help you progress towards the A or L distinction with the Royal Photographic Society. I have a 100% success rate with all applicants I mentored, achieving Licentiateship and Associate Distinctions.

Successful Client Panels

If you require a broader portfolio of images before embarking on your RPS journey, consider my Monthly Mentoring Programme where you complete a different genre and style of photography every month to develop your experience and grow your portfolio.

RPS distinction panel format at a glance — the practical specification for each level. The categorical shift in what's being assessed (variety vs body of work) is more important than the difference in image count.

Element Licentiate (LRPS) Associate (ARPS)
Number of images 10 15
Hanging plan Yes — the eleventh image; how the panel reads as a whole Yes — the sixteenth image; assessors evaluate the panel as a hanging object
Statement of Intent Optional but recommended Required — frames every image and assessment
Subject focus Variety of approach (subject can vary, but cohesion required) Single defined genre (Landscape, Travel, Natural History, etc.)
What's assessed Solid technical skills, creative eye, variety of approach Cohesive body of work, personal voice, complete technical command
Editorial discipline Breadth without disjointedness Depth and recognisable voice within a defined territory
Common reason for failure Technical inconsistency, weak sequencing, including too many similar images Style range too wide, voice not yet recognisable, panel reads as portfolio

Source: RPS Distinctions guidelines (refer to the official RPS Distinctions handbook on the Society's website for the most current criteria).

RPS Mentoring