The short version
Be honest. Be decent. Pay your membership fee. Don’t steal other people’s work. Don’t harass anyone. Don’t spam. If something goes wrong, talk to us before assuming the worst.
Everything below says the same things in more detail. Read it. It matters.
1. Who we are
The Emerging Photographers Network (EPN) is a social learning community operated under the auspices of the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), a registered charity incorporated in England and Wales. The platform runs on FluentCommunity and is administered by the EPN Coordinator on behalf of the RPS.
When you create an account and pay your membership fee, you are entering into an agreement with the RPS. These Terms of Service govern that agreement. By joining the EPN you confirm that you have read them, that you understand them, and that you agree to be bound by them.
If you do not agree, do not join. There is no way to be a member of the EPN without accepting these terms.
2. Who can join
The EPN is open to photographers who meet one of the following criteria at the time of joining:
Currently enrolled as a student on a photography or related course at a UK higher education institution.
A recent graduate who completed a photography or related degree within the last three years.
An independent learner aged 30 or under who is developing a photographic practice outside formal education.
You are responsible for joining under the correct tier. If your circumstances change during your membership year, for example if you graduate, contact the EPN Coordinator to discuss your tier. Misrepresenting your eligibility is a breach of these terms and may result in your membership being terminated without refund.
The EPN is currently open to photographers based in the United Kingdom. International membership may be introduced in future cycles.
3. Your membership
Membership is annual. It begins on the date your payment is processed and expires twelve months later unless renewed.
Your membership includes access to all eight Groups, the complete course library, the Mentor Register, the Weekly Briefs, the collective project programme, and all other features of the platform as described in the How EPN Works Space.
Membership fees are non-refundable after fourteen days from the date of purchase, except in the following circumstances: you were charged incorrectly, the platform became unavailable for more than seven consecutive days through no fault of your own, or you are exercising your statutory right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
To cancel within the fourteen-day cooling-off period, contact the EPN Coordinator by direct message or email. After fourteen days, your membership will run until its expiry date and will not be renewed unless you choose to renew it.
4. Your account
You are responsible for your account. Keep your login credentials secure. Do not share your account with anyone else. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact the EPN Coordinator immediately.
You may only hold one account. Creating multiple accounts, whether to circumvent a suspension or for any other reason, is a breach of these terms.
Your account name and profile should represent you accurately. Impersonating another person, whether a real individual or a fictional one created to deceive, is a breach of these terms.
5. Your content
When you post photographs, text, or any other content on the EPN platform, you retain ownership of that content. You are not transferring copyright to the RPS or to anyone else by posting it here.
By posting content on the platform, you grant the RPS a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display that content within the platform for the purposes of operating the community. This means other members can see what you post. It does not mean the RPS can use your photographs for marketing, publication, or any other purpose without your explicit permission.
If you want your content removed from the platform, contact the EPN Coordinator. Content that has been shared in a closed Space, such as a Circle, will be archived rather than deleted when the cycle ends, but will remain visible only to the members of that Space.
You are responsible for the content you post. By posting, you confirm that:
You own the copyright in the content, or have the right to post it.
The content does not infringe the copyright, privacy, or other rights of any third party.
The content does not contain anything that would violate these terms or the community guidelines.
6. Community standards
The EPN community guidelines are part of these terms. Violating the community guidelines is a breach of your membership agreement.
In summary, the community guidelines require you to:
Engage with other members’ work honestly and constructively.
Treat every other member with respect, regardless of their background, equipment, education, or level of practice.
Not harass, abuse, threaten, or discriminate against any other member.
Not post content that is offensive, defamatory, or harmful.
Not use the platform for commercial solicitation, spam, or self-promotion that is not connected to genuine participation in the community.
Not share content from private Spaces, including Circles, outside those Spaces without the explicit consent of all members involved.
The full community guidelines are pinned in the How EPN Works Space.
7. Intellectual property
The EPN platform, including its design, structure, course content, and all materials produced by the EPN Coordinator and the RPS, is the intellectual property of the Royal Photographic Society. You may not reproduce, distribute, or commercially exploit any of this material without written permission from the RPS.
Course materials, space descriptions, and other content produced by the EPN may be cited and referenced for personal and professional purposes. They may not be reproduced in full, sold, or presented as your own work.
If you believe that content on the EPN platform infringes your copyright, contact the EPN Coordinator with details of the alleged infringement and we will investigate.
8. Mentorship
Participation in the mentorship programme is subject to availability and is not guaranteed for every member who applies. The EPN Coordinator makes all matching decisions and those decisions are final.
The mentorship relationship is a professional relationship conducted within the platform. Mentors and mentees are expected to behave with the same respect and integrity required of all EPN members.
The RPS and the EPN are not liable for the content of advice given by mentors. Mentors are experienced photographers sharing their perspective and experience. They are not providing legal, financial, medical, or any other form of regulated professional advice.
If a mentorship relationship breaks down or becomes problematic, contact the EPN Coordinator. Do not post about it publicly on the platform.
9. Circles
Participation in Circles is subject to eligibility criteria and availability. Not every eligible member who applies will be placed in a Circle in every cycle.
Content shared within a Circle Space is confidential to the members of that Circle and the EPN Coordinator. Sharing content from a Circle outside that Space without the consent of all members is a serious breach of these terms and will result in immediate suspension pending review.
Members who commit to a Circle and then fail to participate without notifying the Coordinator may be deprioritised for future Circle placements.
10. Suspension and termination
The EPN Coordinator may suspend or terminate your membership if you breach these terms or the community guidelines. Depending on the severity of the breach, this may happen with or without warning.
Grounds for immediate suspension include, but are not limited to: harassment of another member, sharing content from a private Space without consent, creating multiple accounts, misrepresenting your eligibility, and any conduct that poses a risk to the safety or wellbeing of other members.
If your membership is suspended, you will be notified by direct message or email. You will have the opportunity to respond before a final decision is made, except in cases where the breach is so serious that immediate removal is required to protect other members.
If your membership is terminated for breach of these terms, you will not be entitled to a refund of any unused portion of your membership fee.
11. Availability
We will do our best to keep the platform available at all times. We cannot guarantee uninterrupted access. The platform may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, technical issues, or circumstances outside our control.
If the platform is unavailable for more than seven consecutive days, contact the EPN Coordinator to discuss an appropriate remedy, which may include an extension of your membership.
12. Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will notify you by posting an announcement in the How EPN Works Space and, where possible, by email. Continued use of the platform after the updated terms take effect constitutes acceptance of the new terms.
If you do not accept the updated terms, you may cancel your membership in accordance with the cancellation process described in Section 3.
13. Governing law
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. Any disputes arising from your membership will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
14. Contact
If you have questions about these terms, contact the EPN Coordinator via direct message on the platform or by email at the address published in the How EPN Works Space. We will respond within three working days.
The EPN exists because photography is hard to sustain alone. These terms exist to protect the community that makes sustaining it possible. They are not designed to catch you out. They are designed to make sure everyone here can work in good faith.
If something is unclear, ask.