Below is an article I have written for the PAGB eNews Magazine on my successful attempt at gaining my Masters from the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain in April 2025.

On the drive up to Dunblane in Scotland I saw a car number plate which initially amused me then eventually summed up the whole experience for me – Y1KES, maybe it was an omen.
Now, ‘Steve Proctor MPAGB‘ gives me a feeling of ‘Imposter Syndrome’, it was always the ultimate aspirational photographic goal, but seemed so far away and so difficult to achieve – after all, this is the level at which my heroes operate, those that constantly inspire me. Throughout my life I have had many hobbies and pastimes and have usually been fairly average at them all, I’ve been playing guitar for nearly fifty years and I’m still making mistakes. Photography seems to be the one thing though that allows me to express myself and wander off in different directions combining both technical skills and creative thoughts, so it fits me well.

I acheived my first accreditation, the CPAGB, back in 2014 and that was the start of a journey of discovery and improvement which has significantly affected the quality of my work. I clearly remember witnessing the first images at MPAGB standard and I was blown away, particularly by one set by an L&CPU member whose images were simply stunning! I progressed to the point where I got the DPAGB in 2017 and then when I achieved my EPAGB in November 2023, I gave myself 18 months to get my act together, refine some of the stronger prints and create some new ones. It seemed a long time away, then suddenly it was three months to go and I still needed to finalise an entry. Two things were a must for me, firstly that the images had to have a sense of ‘story telling’ about them and secondly that attention to detail is paramount, there is no room for mistakes at the Masters level. I used an online mentoring system and requested feedback on several new images alongside some updated ones too. As I finalised the selection, I again called on the expertise and guidance of my two excellent L&CPU mentors, Adrian and Jane Lines, who really went the extra mile in supporting me and being not only honest with their opinions but offering challenges and ideas to boost the potential of each print.
Each print was scrutinised over and again then reprints were made to bring out a little more detail or emphasis a particular area or maybe just to try a different paper. I then had a pile of prints that weren’t quite there but hopefully twenty that would hit the mark. The final selection was a mixture of portrait, creative and wildlife images – three of which were taken in the camera club on model nights, so you don’t need expensive or elaborate set-ups.

Once I had made the selection it was out of my hands, my expectations were not high, I just didn’t want to completely bomb! I am my own harshest critic at times.
I attended both days of adjudication as there were a small number of people that I had mentored or offered advice to, and I wanted to support them on their journeys; it is always good to keep an eye on the various levels to provide useful advice.

When day 2 came along and the assessment was to begin, I didn’t have any nerves as I didn’t expect to pass, I was there to see which prints would hold up and which wouldn’t in readiness for attempt two. Well, after the first three prints were assessed and I’d scored 22, 24 & 27 (I know they’re not scores!), I suddenly thought there’s a chance here! and very quickly got nervous. The positive votes kept rolling in but there’s always a chance that a print will not be at standard and bring the whole set down, but could it happen, really, to me?
Well, it did. And I am still in shock.

Thanks must go out to all those that are involved in this process, the organisers of the whole system, the workers on the day, the mentors and many more. All these people give up their time and effort for free and to help develop the standard of club photography in the UK. The sucess of this effort can often be seen in worldwide events such as the FIAP World Cup where UK clubs regularly dominate the upper placings and awards.

A key learning point for me has been the realisation that fellow photographers are not competition, they are inspiration. I really do have to thank some wonderful people who cajoled, challenged and supported me throughout this process and my success says as much about them as it does about my photography, I will be eternally grateful to these inspirational people.

The images can be seen in a larger format by clicking on the Main menu >> Collections >> MPAGB or by clicking here