The journeyman's exam as a photographer — how you prepare

The journeyman's exam is the crown of photographic education — the place where you show that you can function as a qualified tradesperson. The exam is not just a standalone test; it's a combined presentation of the images, the style and the professionalism you've built up through the entire course. That's why preparation really begins long before exam day itself.

§How you create the perfect handover note

For the final journeyman's test you bring a portfolio of 25 photographs. The test is structured as a communicative presentation project: you present and display your own works orally while producing graphic and electronic material that supports the presentation. Assessment is based partly on your portfolio and the oral presentation, partly on an independent project assignment.

§What examiners look for

• 01Visual communication — do the pictures tell a clear story or message?
• 02Composition technique — is the image structure conscious and well-worked?
• 03Your own visual choices and photographic style — can you tell who took the photos?
• 04Width in genres — does the portfolio show that you master more than one type of task?

§The verbal presentation

The presentation itself is a central part of the test. You must be able to put into words your choices — why you have composed lit and edited as you have. It is not about knowing all the technical language by heart but about showing that your choices are conscious not random. Therefore practise your presentation throughout your education not just in the weeks before the test.

§When you have passed.

If you pass the journeyman exam the professional committee issues you a journeyman certificate as documentation that you have achieved professional competencies. The journeyman certificate is your official proof when you apply for jobs or start on your own — and it is simultaneously the receipt for the five years of alternation training you have completed.