HND course

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Siilver

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Just wondering if anyone is doing a HND photography course?
I'm in the third year of doing it part time, happy it's near over


So anyone doing it what you think
 
Me! :wave: In Lurgan too

Stuck already on Finding Form lol but I love the course so far

I find it very interesting and good craic, which is always a bonus :)
 
Yea lurgan, finding form was easy, they get harder lol
 
I'm sure you can find loads on the Internet
It's all about showing detail and lines and the likes

Every Tuesday my finding form photos on flickr take a rise in views lol
 
I bet they do - nice set! :)

It's not so much choosing a photo or subject I'm having bother with, it's finding a topic you can reference other photographers to in the research, instead of just pics from here there & everywhere lol
 
I don't think the photographs you pick to review have to be aimed towards the work you do they can be random

Thanks
 
I did HND last year. I found it really tough as my son was 10 weeks old when I started. It was made slightly easier by the fact I'd already done NQ and HNC at the same college and new everyone well. I loved it though and miss having access to the darkroom. I absolutely loved doing Graded Unit.
 
Dunfermline. Very small college, only about 18 students at the start, 12-15 by the end. I was also accepted to Stevenson College in Edinburgh but didn't feel like it was my kind of place.
 
Part time or full

I heard they were looking people for one of the courses as little people joined
 
Ah youl be grand, wait til you get to the art history crap lol, really doing my head in
 
Art history was torture! I actually did that unit really quickly just to get it out of the way. I was shocked at the amount of written work that was involved and I guess that's why a lot of people drop out early.

Have you both done Graded Unit or need to do one?
 
Graded unit is one that rather than a pass or fail you are given a grade. We got to pick our own subject. HND is 20 images. We had to do loads of research and a living workbook with our ideas ad details of shoots. I got an A (and I'll not stop bragging about it until I'm dead)
 
Art History, Creative Industries, Photojournalism, Fashion, Alternative Processes, Darkroom Techniques, Advertising, Graded Unit and I think there was also an image editing unit.

Alt processes and darkroom were from a bank of 7 units that we got to pick from although I can't remember many of the other that were on that list. Large format was another of the 7. All other units we had no choice in with the exception of graded where we picked our own subject.
 
Finding form
Portraiture
Scapes aka darkroom

Advertising
Business fine art
photojournalism

Documentary

architecture
Portfolio
Contextual studios
Final major


Split up in to the three years part time
 
Could be haven't got that far yet, sooner its over the better
 
Hi guys, not sure if you're both still following this thread, but curious to know how you got on with your hnds as i'm thinking of doing one myself this year. Looks like I'll be applying at both Glasgow and Stevenson college.
Being a HND in 'professional' photography, does anyone know what difference this HND at Stevenson college will have compared to a non professional HND?
Why did you prefer to study at Dunfermline Julie? I'm just curious.

Hope you both enjoyed/are still enjoying studying!
 
Hi Alex. Look for a course that does the business side as well.

Too many hippy tree hugger teachers teaching nowt but letting students do their own thing and doing Arty Farty.
then you hit the real World and your dreams cave in.

Find a course that teaches you everything and puts pressure and deadlines on return course work. the real World wants everything done Yesterday.
good Luck and all the Best
 
Hi Alex. Look for a course that does the business side as well.

Too many hippy tree hugger teachers teaching nowt but letting students do their own thing and doing Arty Farty.
then you hit the real World and your dreams cave in.

Find a course that teaches you everything and puts pressure and deadlines on return course work. the real World wants everything done Yesterday.
good Luck and all the Best


Doing "arty farty" may be completely appropriate though, depending on where they want to end up. If you want to shoot weddings, then no, it's not appropriate, but if you want to get into advertising, editorial or fine art work, then you need to show you can do more than just operate a camera.

I fail to see why people dismiss art as farty though.... it just shows ignorance. You may not like something, but it doesn't mean it's not valid... it's just not valid for what you want to do. Not everyone wants to shoot weddings.... some people want to create art.

One of the most talented fine art photographers around at the moment, Seba Kurtis has recently just won a £20K commission from Vauxhall on the strength of his "arty farty" work.

When did you last get paid £20k for a wedding?


Don't dismiss what you don't understand or like.
 
Thanks for the replies. The question was most specifically about Stevenson college calling its HND 'professional' whereas others don't.

The last thing I want to do is make wedding photos. I don't think I'd be going to college if I wanted to take pictures of babies and people getting married. It's really not difficult to do that already and there's too much poor competition out there already.
I consider all great photography art, even in photojournalism and documentary photography, which is what I'd like to do. Saying that, I'd be taking the HND to get a good idea what I'd like to do in the future.
 
As with all HNDs, the "modules" are chosen from a set developed by Edexcel-Pearson... there are core modules that MUST be included, but it's at the college's discretion as to what others it includes. The professional HND probably concentrates on the business side more, and is probably more technical as HNDs are aimed more at commercial photography than art photography... perhaps rightly so, as art photography is better catered for with an Honours Degree.
 
David, I'm not a wedding tog. done them yes. you need to drop a gear. The arty farty world is 'commercial. It's about DEADLINES. If you think you can spend months on one project and faff about on one image for exhibiition. THINK AGAIN.

The Journos and and advertising have to turn 100's of Rembradts out and you have to have it done the day before YESTERDAY.

Been there done that. I have worked in London done Studio, Archeaology was the only laid back job. Scenes of Crime some fashion.

so please do not hit me with your 'Wedding tog' Label. From all these courses less than 3 students if that will go on to be a Pro tog.

When I was in London.. It was who you knew not what you know...
 
Thanks Pookey, that clears the air a bit. By the looks of things I'll be applying for both, and if I get lucky enough I'll be able to choose after taking a good look at the facilities.
 
From experience of Photography Teachers they are all laid back and do not push or make students push the boundaries and to a deadline.

When i did mine We had choice of mediums to shoot on and then huge list of jobs from Car shots to Fashion/still life advert. But you had to get it done as a job. Treat each subjest what ever it was as paying client. you had to shoot on 35mm/Medium format and 10x8 neg/Tranny. Cost it, shoot it and get it back in by a certain time. not back by deadline. Points get taken off.

The Real world will bite you in the butt.

Work experience and students we have had are not prpared and far to slow. They are not ready for the pace of the 'Commercial World.'

But then what do I know?
 
David, I'm not a wedding tog. done them yes. you need to drop a gear. The arty farty world is 'commercial. It's about DEADLINES. If you think you can spend months on one project and faff about on one image for exhibiition. THINK AGAIN.

Well.. you have a link in your sig to a wedding photography business... I assumed it was yours.

I wasn't suggesting for one minute it wasn't deadline driven. I've just re-read everything I wrote, and there's nothing there suggesting that. I'm not sure where you're coming from.

The Journos and and advertising have to turn 100's of Rembradts out and you have to have it done the day before YESTERDAY.

Been there done that. I have worked in London done Studio, Archeaology was the only laid back job. Scenes of Crime some fashion.

Again... no idea why you're telling me this. My post was prompted by your use of the term "arty farty" that seemed very dismissive of anything that wasn't purely commercially driven. I just wanted to clarify that art based photography is both valid, and profitable if you approach it in the right way. Any decent course will instil a strong work ethic, and people who dismiss all college courses as "arty farty" and have the attitude that we don't teach the commercial realities are greatly misled. Maybe your experience wasn't good.. I've no idea, but you shouldn't generalise.

so please do not hit me with your 'Wedding tog' Label. From all these courses less than 3 students if that will go on to be a Pro tog.

I'm sorry... but then you should remove the wedding photography link from your signature if you don't want to be associated with weddings. Seems you shoot school photography and weddings... if that's not true.. then revise your sig.

Again.. stop generalising. More than 3 students per year work in the industry as professional photographers from our alumni. I can't speak for others.

When I was in London.. It was who you knew not what you know...


That is still true today. Your point? Just knowing people and being crap as a photographer won't get you anywhere either. You need both.
 
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The reason is. that Unis and Colleges just seem to want to churn out students for arts sake.

Photography is alot more than spending weeks and light shot of Tree bark.

The course should teach everything from basics to pushing the student to find their style and niche. Also prepare them for the outdoor World. For too many students from these courses do not go on to by togs.

In our year there were 60 of us. Only 3 or 4 are still full time toggers.

I want to see more doing it...... Not do the courses and then go work in an office or become a bricklayer.

I do the odd wedding. As do like to dabble. so you out of the other links you only pick out the wedding one...........Mmmmmmm.

How funny.
 
Daryl said:
The reason is. that Unis and Colleges just seem to want to churn out students for arts sake.
.

You'll find they want to churn out any students for money sake - all university's care about these days is money.
 
The reason is. that Unis and Colleges just seem to want to churn out students for arts sake.

A generalisation again. Some might.. in fact, I know some do. Your point? You can't assume ALL do this though, as you've clearly no idea what all universities do. I work in Education, and my circle of peers do as well... I know very well which Unis are good, and which aren't. If anyone's interested, PM me.. it would be highly unprofessional of me to post it in a public forum.

Photography is alot more than spending weeks and light shot of Tree bark.

With all due respect Daryll... you're talking nonsense. If that's what a student wants to do.. that's up to them. Uni courses are about allowing students to follow their own creative path. Many photographers have been very successful in areas you would dismiss as nonsense. Keith Arnatt springs to mind straight away.... as does Richard Billingham. We can't force everyone to be a commercial, wedding, advertising, school or social portraiture photography. I run a degree course... that's not what it's about... if you want commercial reality, study an HND. Having said that, as I wrote in reply to your PM... we DO stress the importance of commercial deadlines, but we also have to teach certain things on each module, and that takes time to cover everything. The deadlines at Uni are based on what we need to cover appropriately.

The course should teach everything from basics to pushing the student to find their style and niche. Also prepare them for the outdoor World. For too many students from these courses do not go on to by togs.

We do. Many do not go on to be "togs" (Christ I hate that term)... but that's down to them. Many see a photography degree as an easy option to getting a degree... those students will not succeed. This is true for many other "soft" subjects that are not S.T.E.M subjects and not exclusive to Art & Design. I think again you are generalising based on limited knowledge and also by having too high an expectation from graduates you employ as assistants. You can't expect ANY employee fresh from college to hit the ground running and be able to keep pace with yourself. This is true for ANY industry. This is why, even though you have a degree... you start at the bottom... because like with so many other things in life, the real learning happens in the real world. That doesn't mean education is not worthwhile though.

In our year there were 60 of us. Only 3 or 4 are still full time toggers.

Then your course was crap and didn't recruit ethically.

I want to see more doing it...... Not do the courses and then go work in an office or become a bricklayer.

Well.. those that just want to do it... probably do just that... they just go and do it. That's what I did, but some like to to go to college to be part of a creative environment as the creativity is what they feel is lacking in themselves. You come across as very negative about photographic education and I can only suggest that your experiences were not good, but that doesn't mean that your opinions can be generalised into statements of fact.

I do the odd wedding. As do like to dabble. so you out of the other links you only pick out the wedding one...........Mmmmmmm.

How funny.

I mentioned Weddings and School photography... because that's what your signature suggests you mainly do. Again... if that's not true, you may want to revise your signature.


You'll find they want to churn out any students for money sake - all university's care about these days is money.

This is quite simply not true... and I invite you to either substantiate that with some facts... or stop trying to cause trouble.. like you ALWAYS do in these threads. Unis are judged by the quality of their alumni... and doing what you suggest would be financial suicide. You're one of these people who so far as I can tell, have done nothing to qualify anything they say. No website, no examples of your work, no qualifications in the subject and no experience as a professional photographer. You're just jumping on to what Daryll is saying to be a troll as usual..


[edit]

Yet again when the subject of Uni courses comes up, the same people tend to jump on it and come out with the same anti-educational diatribe. This is neither helpful for the OPs of the threads, or particularly constructive.
 
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