Re: HND

In a word, no.

A professional photographer makes money by selling pictures, and working back from that, by taking pictures that sell. People look at the pictures before deciding whether to buy, not the qualifications.

Qualifications might help people to have confidence in your abiliities, but for my part I'd look at the "letters" offered by recognised organisations and trade bodies rather than educational establishments.

The positive value of gaining a qualification (I speak as one unqualified in photography or art) is that the course you follow will require you to study the parts that you find deadly boring, but whose content may well come in very useful later on.

From personal experience of taking a science degree (and I expect that this is true of whatever course you took) it is perfectly possible, provided you have the necessary motivation, to follow a course of personal study that will leave you just as well equipped. There are only a couple of exceptions to this:

1. Practicals. It would be quite impossible for anyone not incredibly wealthy to have access to the equipment I used as a chemistry undergraduate. NMR spectrometers and liquid nitrogen for example are not things you buy at your local DIY shop.

2. Examinations and essays. It's said that what you learn is what comes out of the end of your pencil rather than in through your eyes. It's easy to have a good understanding of a topic in theory, but it's only when you have a practical problem to apply the knowledge to that you see how well you've really understood it. This is partly a matter of self discipline too - you can buy exam questions, set yourself essays etc - or just try writing a book on the subject! You'll soon find out where you're lacking.

You can always try to find a group or web site where you will receive honest comment and critique on your photos. I'd recomments the Feedback Forum here - but I would, wouldn't I?

There are organisations you can join such as the SWPP who run a "Mentor Me" program.

£8,000 will buy a lot of private tuition, books, equipment (and even travel to places to try out the techniques).

Re: HND

£8,000 for HND?   Seems way over-priced to me. I studied part-time for HND, one day a week from 2004-2007 at a cost of £220 per year in the Southern Regional College here in Northern Ireland. I guess I spent about £5,000 or thereabouts in total, but I could have spent much less. £2K went on a DSLR, but a much cheaper one would have done fine. I enjoyed the course, even though as said above, you have to study the bits you don't like, as well as the bits you do! Business Studies seem to be considered the spawn of Satan by just about everybody, but again, all useful knowledge! I progressed to a degree in Creative Imaging after completing HND and the Business Studies were even more hateful, but again, well worth doing, drawing up a Business Plan, producing a Business Report on the feasibility of a proposed business, and preparing a powerpoint presentation on the legal requirements of a new business start-up. ( All completed in Year 1 I'm delighted to say). Is HND necessary? Absolutely not, from the viewpoint of becoming a photographer. Time very well spent though in personal development and achievement, plus it gets one onto a degree course. You also get to become ARPS on passing HND or a degree. All the best with whatever you decide to do. Alex.

Re: HND

 You're being ripped off. University tuition fees are capped at 3290 per year. a HND should not take longer than 2 years.

Personally, I dont understand how having a piece of paper which says you can take photographs would make you any better a photographer. For me that money would buy me a nice long lens and a few trips to put together some decent wildlife photographs into a portfolio. 

HND

@Dazz - unfortunately tuition fees only count once and although they are capped they are subsidised through govenrnment. As the OP says he's already done a degree so the institution can charge the full cost. Years ago a friend of mine failed an exam in the 2nd year of a human biology degree. Uni wanted £12k to re-sit the year due the high cost of human body parts!

@billiem - I wouldn't pay that for an HND. I did an A'level part time, in the evenings, just for me and nothing to do with running a photography business (I don't even mention it on my website or to clients). Cost of this course was £280 per year plus about £25 for dark room materials. It hasn't helped one bit as far as the business goes (although I did enjoy it) and most of the pro togs I know don't have any formal photography qualifications.

Re: HND

Just to add to the above topic about costs.  I've signed up to a foundation degree in photography set to start in September.  Its made up of 16 'modules' spread over 3 years (5-6 per year) as I'm working during the day, so have opted to do it part time.

The 'modules' cost £300 each!