FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L'ART PHOTOGRAPHIQUE
1946 - Dr. M. VAN DE WIJER takes the initiative to found, in the interest of photography, a world organization conceived on the modern basis of assembly of peoples.
He contacts Ernest BOESIGER (Switzerland), tells him of his idea and offers him the secretary of FIAP; named initially International Union of Photographic Societies, then International Council of Photographic Art and finally International Federation of Photographic Art.
One can tell that FIAP exists truly since the beginning of 1947, with Dr M. VAN DE WIJER as founder-president and Ernest BOESIGER as secretary.
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The first countries to associate to it are Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal and Switzerland; in September 1947, Denmark, Finland and Hungary make the number of members up to eight.
At the moment of the 1st founding FIAP Congress in June 1950 in Berne (Switzerland), FIAP already counts 17 affiliated nations:
Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Yugoslavia.
The year 1950 will remain engraved as a famous year in the chronicle of photography, those are the words of introduction of Dr. Maurice VAN DE WIJER, spiritual father and life leader of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), at the opportunity of the opening of the constitutive Congress of FIAP that took place in Berne (Switzerland) from 17th to 19th June 1950.
The countries that were represented at the Congress were Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland and Yugoslavia.
The Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique (FIAP), translated to English as the International Federation of Photographic Art, is an international federation which affiliates as operational members, the national associations of photography. FIAP counts more than 85 national associations in the five continents and represents the benefits of nearly one million individual photographers.
The Australian Photographic Society is a member of FIAP. As Australia’s operational member, the Australian Photographic Society administer the processing of any submissions/recommendations to this world body. The APS accepts submissions from all Australian residents, both APS members and non members.
In order to honor eminent personalities known in the field of photography, the International Federation of Photographic Art have a number of distinctions they award:
• For photographic artists known for their artistic work;
• For those who, by their work or their achievements, have contributed to the progress of International Federation of Photographic Art or of photography in general.
FIAP DISTINCTIONS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTRY
| Artist FIAP | AFIAP |
| Excellence FIAP | EFIAP |
| Excellence FIAP Bronze | EFIAP/b |
| Excellence FIAP Silver | EFIAP/s |
| Excellence FIAP Gold | EFIAP/g |
| Excellence FIAP Platinum | EFIAP/p |
| Excellence FIAP Diamond 1 | EFIAP/d1 |
| Excellence FIAP Diamond 2 | EFIAP/d2 |
| Excellence FIAP Diamond 3 | EFIAP/d3 |
| Master FIAP | MFIAP |
