Who Has Qualifications?

shrimperblue

shrimperblue

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Dave
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Hi All,

I have just started a Diploma in Photography and was wondering who here has qualification(s) and if they have been worth obtaining and why?


I.E What difference has it made to your career etc?

SB
 
Good luck with your Diploma SB ... :thumbs: ... just the one word of advice from me really ... :suspect: ... ENJOY ... ;)


As for me ... ZIP ... ;) ... so I can't say how much difference it might have made ... :D



:p
 
Thanks Venomator,

Its quite costly and trying to hold down my full time job too is going to be a struggle but im sure it will be worth it. Im just dying to get stuck in and then hopefully work in the industry, thats why i'd love to hear other peoples paths :)
 
I attained o and A level photography but left the 3 year C&G course early as I started to make lots of money. I now wish I had continued. I have recently applied to become a missions photographer for the United Nations but they stipulate that you need at least a diploma, just hoping my experience will keep me in the running.
 
I'm doing the level 1 C&G course, it's pants, wish I was doing a more advanced course, but without a bit of paper I have to do the first 2 years of rule of thirds and "a fast shutter speed freezes motion" etc...
 
lol, i completed the level 1 C&G in December, so i know exactly what Craikeybaby means. "This is a memory card, your images are stored on here....etc etc" Basic to say the least, but need to do the 2nd part of the course.

I have been looking into the Photography Institue's diploma that they run, seems pretty good. Its a OU type course so you study at home and submit modules. Does anyone been on this course?
 
I have an o level (done many years ago) - I think these sorts of qualifications give you a good grounding in the basics, but today you also need marketing, business, and people skills together with an "eye" as well to be successful as a professional.
 
swmbo has o level , a level and C&G. i have a city and guilds in electrical instalation.
she reckons the c and g was a good technical grounding,and worth the time, but the bits of paper dont seem to make much difference to customers.
few even ask about quals.the bipp/swpp/whatever memberships occasionaly get a mention.
but customers , in the main, seem only concerned about your experience and portfolio.
then again we work for ourselves..
i,m sure prospective employers DO want someone who can wave quals at them. obviously if your experience is limited, you need quals, to show you are capable.
all my knowledge has been gleaned from working with my mrs as assistant, and more now as second tog too.
handy if i have a query , to ask her.both of us are always learning.
oh , and good luck.:thumbs:
 
jamesward93 said:
I have been looking into the Photography Institue's diploma that they run, seems pretty good. Its a OU type course so you study at home and submit modules. Does anyone been on this course?
Click to expand...

This what I enrolled on last week :thumbs:
 
well, its early days. The first two modules are the basics but still a good read. They are long. Its going to be tough (like I said) combining work, life, pleasure, cost and the course for 6 months but I cant wait to get that Diploma. You need 60% or greater to pass.

The user area interface on the website is easy to use and the modules are all in .pdf which are easy to print and read. They seem in detail with photos to demonstrate. So far so good. You can pay monthly too, which helps alot.

SB
 
I have no quals in photography although I did work as a photographer lol.
Id love to get some but my hands are full doing my degree in social work, but after that I will do some.
You say you need to do ****ty and guilds level 1 first, coz with their other courses you dont I jumped to level 2 in painting and decorating without ever doing level one.
 
can u start city and guilds anytime for photography i cant find any part time courses near blackpool
 
A-level in photography
A-level graphic design
BTEC national Art & Design (graphics)
HND photography
BA Hond photography (specialised in printing)

All qualifications were more than worth spending all the time cadging money off my folks and peeing it up against the wall for :)

Job wise, the graphics helped me get a job as a page designer at South Yorks News group (did a year there) before I moved onto a publishing house in 2001 at deputy editor on a carp fishing mag. I'm now the editor of a national pole fishing magazine (www.advancedpolefishing.com) so the qualifications have definitely helped me.

I spend more time in the office now overseeing design and freelance work, but I'd be lost without my photography qualifications in particular, as it's a massive part of producing a mag and it's also meant I get to oversee all the training and buying of kit (when the purse strings are relaxed that is!!).

Don't stop at the diploma - do a HND and you'll love it. Mine was back in the day when EVERYTHING was darkroom-based, just as digital technology was becoming available to the masses in 1997, but the actual technical side of photography won't have changed so go for it - you won't regret it!!:)
 
Im too wondering 'if its worth it' the nearest college that does a c&g in photography is 20mins away on the bus.
 
NQ Photography
HNC Photography - current
looking to continue after this year -
HND Photography
Advanced Deploma

I rekon its pretty important that you start right from the basics, I also feel that studying b&w film is a big deal as you just take your fundamentals from the darkroom straight into photoshop and you appreciate that 8 fps is not what it takes to get "The shot" - just my 2p worth.
 
Am on a BA (Hons) in Photography at the moment!

After training as a Graphic Designer for a few years, I decided that it wasn't for me and swapped to photography!

So glad that I escaped!

Not looked back since :D
 
ab$olut said:
Im too wondering 'if its worth it' the nearest college that does a c&g in photography is 20mins away on the bus.
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I'd say that if you can use your camera on manaul/semi manual settings level 1 (and from what I've heard level 2) will be a waste of time. Most people on my level 1 course are using PS cameras.
 
I completed a BA(hons) degree in Photography, Film & Imaging and although the course was interesting and worth doing, it focused very much on fine art theory and history of photography with less technical focus. Although I guess the best way to learn the technical side is through experience and making your own mistakes.
 
Garry79 said:
I completed a BA(hons) degree in Photography, Film & Imaging and although the course was interesting and worth doing, it focused very much on fine art theory and history of photography with less technical focus. Although I guess the best way to learn the technical side is through experience and making your own mistakes.
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Found this same thing on my BA but just soldiered through the art history rubbish, dissecting the merits of Emin's stained bedclothes, and immersed myself in the darkroom until the cleaners kicked me out.

Ally said:
I rekon its pritty important that you start right from the basics, I also feel that studying b&w film is a big deal as you just take your fundamentals from the darkroom straight into photoshop and you appricate that 8 fps is not what it takes to get "The shot" - just my 2p worth.
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Definitely. Darkroom basics give you a real understanding of what photoshop offers you and how easy it now is to manipulate iamges. No waiting 20 minutes for the porint to wash - now we just have to wait 20 seconds for an action to do it's thing!!
 
I did photography as part of my BTec in Computer Graphic Design in 2003, it was a waste of time really, the photography bit I mean, the wet photography bit especially, I got claustrophobia in the dark room ahha!...I got excellent grades in my BTec overall, I love DTP work and Photoshop stuff, in fact anything arty on the computer, I find it all so clever and fascinating :)
 
Marianne said:
I did photography as part of my BTec in Computer Graphic Design in 2003, it was a waste of time really, the photography bit I mean, the wet photography bit especially, I got claustrophobia in the dark room ahha!...I got excellent grades in my BTec overall, I love DTP work and Photoshop stuff, in fact anything arty on the computer, I find it all so clever and fascinating :)
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Courses that only brush over the basics aren't really going to ispire. A full-time photog course will always be the better option
 
No qualifications, and while I'm considering some sort of course, there's degree level stuff that's being turned out by some Universities *cough*Brighton*cough* that are embarrassingly bad.
 
scubataff said:
what diploma are you taking?
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Hi Scubataff,

I am, along with some others here, doing the Photography Institutes Diploma.

http://www.thephotographyinstitute.co.uk/index.cfm?content=home

I am starting a blog, so that I can record my progress and for other people to get some idea of what its about with an honest opinion. I am waiting a response from mods to find out if I am allowed to post the link.

Thanks all for your replies. It is very interesting to read.

SB
 
im in the middle of the instute of professional photography diploma as well the the BFP course. i know people say these course qualifications don't get you anywhere but as an instructor in a diff field i find any course that helps you with your skills is worthwhile

Martyn
 
two 30 year olds go for a tog job. They have both been taking photos for 6 years in similar areas..... one has a diploma in photography the other has nothing......

I think that its the clients decision with the influence of the portfolio which tog they choose but on paper I think the Diploma may stand out more.

SB
 
yourapocalypse said:
No qualifications, and while I'm considering some sort of course, there's degree level stuff that's being turned out by some Universities *cough*Brighton*cough* that are embarrassingly bad.
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It's like a having a decent camera: having one (a qual) doesn't nesseccarily mean that you're any good as a photographer.
 
I'm currently doing a C & G 7511 level 3 in photography C & G 7511 level 3 in photography. You are supposed to have a level 2 C & G qual to do it which I don't have, but my previous knowledge and a chat with the lecturer got me a place. it's a new course and mainly digital. I am enjoying it so far and learning lots. I still need to get more practice in though.
 
I would just like to state for the record that I am doing my diploma to learn in depth about photography as I have fast grown a pasison. Its not just about getting a job/freelance etc etc, if that happens then great and yes I would like to, but just knowing what I am talking about is brilliant.
 
I have a GCSE which I did in 6th Form and a degree in Photography. I think my degree (Portsmouth) focused too much on art and design rather than pure photography. I also studied around the time digital manipulation and imaging was just taking off. I was told I was wasting my time as it would never take off. I now understand they have ripped out most of the darkrooms and replaced them with rows of computers, shame.

Can't say it helped me hugely photographically but it was not a waste of time as I learnt a lot of other skills which have since been useful.
 
shrimperblue said:
two 30 year olds go for a tog job. They have both been taking photos for 6 years in similar areas..... one has a diploma in photography the other has nothing......

I think that its the clients decision with the influence of the portfolio which tog they choose but on paper I think the Diploma may stand out more.

SB
Click to expand...

Sorry to show my ignorance but what is a "tog"? I have read it few times recently on the forums but have no idea what it means other than it is to do with a job! Please enlighten me :lol:
 
webby said:
Sorry to show my ignorance but what is a "tog"? I have read it few times recently on the forums but have no idea what it means other than it is to do with a job! Please enlighten me :lol:
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It's short for PhoTOGrapher I think :thumbs:
 
If I had my time over again I would have gone down the qualification route but a bit like a university degree, it helps the start, but once your portfolio and client list increases then the qualification decreases in importance.
 
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