Institute of Photography Reviews 

I studied for the IOP Professional Diploma in Photography, alongside setting up my photography business. I've been a keen photographer for around 40 years and the course enabled me to develop my knowledge and skills across a wide range of genres. Every aspect of the course was supported by interesting and informative online materials. The assignments allowed me to develop a wide range of aspects of my craft and the feedback from my tutors was truly outstanding. Having been a teacher for many years, I can appreciate the time and attention that must have gone into such insightful, detailed and personalised feedback, which has been supportive and with great advice for further development. The course is excellent value for money and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to develop as a photographer.

Being on the course surpassed my expectations by far. Even though I finished it eight years after enrolling, it gave me a real appreciation of the progress I’ve made, how much I’ve learned, and how important photography has become to me as an amateur. The course platform, student forum & tutor support were crucial on this journey.

A great experience from start to finish. The assignments were varied and thought provoking, and feedback from tutors was excellent, well thought out and given to improve your photography.

My journey from a novice photographer to a semi-professional has been an incredibly rewarding experience, largely thanks to the comprehensive course offered by the Institute of Photography (IOP). When I first started, I had a basic understanding of photography but lacked the technical skills and confidence to take my passion to the next level. Enrolling in the IOP course was a game-changer.
The course provided me with a solid foundation in key areas like camera settings, composition, lighting, and post-processing. The structured lessons allowed me to learn at my own pace while the hands-on assignments pushed me to apply what I had learned in real-world situations. The feedback from professional tutors was invaluable—it helped me refine my skills and develop a keen eye for detail.
As I progressed, I gained the confidence to experiment with different styles and techniques, leading me to find my unique voice as a photographer. The practical knowledge I acquired, paired with the support from the IOP community, allowed me to take on client projects and start building a portfolio.
Thanks to IOP, I’ve transitioned from an enthusiastic hobbyist to a semi-professional photographer, with a growing client base and a deep passion for continuing to improve.

By the end of last year, was looking to learn mode with some tutoring and guidance and came across IOP website. This was the best decision I ever made, the experience, tutoring, support and personal care is really and truly excellent and second to none, the course structure is amazing and super easy to follow! Recommend IOP for anyone from beginners to the most advanced skilled Photographers looking to learn more and improve their skills with the care and guidance of an amazing team!

I have just completed the diploma course and achieved a highly commended grade.
This course take you step by step through your learning path.
Course tutors are always on hand to help.
Assignments make you push yourself and it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

I highly recommend this course and cannon thank Tim and the tutors enough.

I have just completed the Diploma in Professional Photography with IOP and can thoroughly recommend taking this course. There is a logical progression in the modules so any level of experience is catered for. The tutors are extremely helpful and approachable with any questions, and the feedback from the assignments has always been detailed and a real aid to development. I found the course challenging enough to appreciate that this is a meaningful, recognised qualification but also found it achievable and very rewarding to complete. Finishing the course does not mean the end of the relationship with IOP as ongoing access to the course material, and advice from the tutors, continues to be available which is a great benefit. There is also a very active, supportive Facebook group for discussions with fellow members. All in all, a great balance between technical and artistic advice and I would advise anyone wanting to significantly improve their photography to enrol.

I found a few errors in some material and pointed it out to them, i then aske a question regarding a couple of the quiz questions that i did not understand, i was quickly e mailed by admin asking me not to ask questions about the quiz questions/answers as instructor time was short!!!!! i canceled subscription and tried to ask them them cancel my account but was unable to as they already blocked me... Course looks good and i was enjoying it but customer support attitude stinks

I have just completed the Diploma in Professional Photography with iOP and have to say it's the best course I have ever taken. one of the great things about this course is that it is student passed so there is no time pressure to complete the course modules. The course is suitable for anyone interested in photography regardless of their skill level and is split into logical modules that builds the students knowledge and understanding. there is a multi choice test on each module to test understanding which I found very useful. in the early modules there are topic based practice assignments that, though not mandatory I would urge any student to have a go at.
All assignments are marked by a tutor and the feedback given is very honest and constructive. each student has a designated tutor who is available via e-mail or via a 30 min online chat session four days a week.
If there was one important learning point I had to pick out from this course it would have to be MANUAL mode, crack this and you'll never use AUTO again! This is a fantastic course and I've enjoyed every minute and learnt so much. Thank you iOP.

I was almost a complete novice when i commenced the Professional Diploma in photography with IOP. My initial reaction from looking at the course overview was that it was a progressive course with a structure that appeared considered and tailored and geared toward creating an effective learning experience. Now that I have gained my Diploma, my initial view of the course was right. It was a very considered course. But more than this; the support is of the highest standard and the feedback tops it off by being honest in encouragement and constructive in supportive critique. What more can I say but to say that now I have my Diploma my relationship with IOP is not over.

I recently completed the Professional Diploma in Photography course and was really impressed with it. I learned a huge amount about the technical elements of photography, composition and post-production, but the best part for me was being able to ask endless questions of my tutor Tim McCann and receiving in-depth expert advice really quickly. I feel like my photography has improved immeasurably, to the point where I felt confident enough to start my own business after years of thinking about it. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the course to others and I'm so glad I did it.

I started the "Advanced Course of Photography" as it was then, back in 2014 when I was looking for a hobby to fill the gap that my retirement from a sporting life and my day job, had to fill. It's the best thing I have ever done. Photography now fills my life and the course pushed me into gaining other associated qualifications ever since. The course and the people behind the organisation are great, friendly, professional and extremely helpful. I can't recommend the organisation highly enough. Not only that, you can make a lot of friends with a lot of like minded people who are also studying, Its up to you.. By the way I ended up with a Distinction, so if I can , so can you.....and I still subscribe to the Students Facebook page and Tutor Chat whenever I can....

Changed terms from when I first signed up tried to log in and they now expect me to pay 500 pounds to reactivate.

Customer service awful and try to pass the buck

I studied with IOP for 2 years and have just successfully gained my diploma from them after completing my finals. The help and influence from the IOP team is fantastic. The course director is extremely helpful with all your photography and the feedback although sometimes seems harsh, but it is for the goodness of the learner as i found out. first class service. job well done

We had great experience with Donna and her great work. We appreciate everything what you did for us 😊❤️

I wrote a review shortly after starting out with the Institute of Photography and I have now completed the Professional diploma another one is in order.

Without a doubt the Institute of Photographys' Professional Diploma in Photography had been the best investment I ever made in Photography.

It took my 2 and a half years to complete the online course which comprises online learning modules including videos, Assignments which are graded and for which helpful feedback and suggestions are provided.

You have access to a Course Tutor and I could not believe how much I help was provided with. I received numerous e mails back from my tutor within a day or so with responses to questions and comments on photos I had sent asking for advice on. These e mails were very comprehensive and helpful and always inspired and encouraged met to take the next step in my photography development.

The Course platform is easy to use and navigate and you always can see how far you have progressed through the course.

In addition to the course material there is a monthly competition with prizes to win.

People have busy lives and one of the useful features of the course is that it is not time limited. As long as you log onto the platform once a year you can access the course materials for as long as you want. This is a really useful feature for people who's lives change and who have to take a break from their photography studies to deal with other pressure in their lives

Incredibly even after completing the course you can still obtain help and assistance from IOP.

The bottom line is that my photography improved significantly as a result of taking the course. I cannot recommend the IOP more highly

Without doubt the IOP course was life changing for me, as someone who loves wildlife photography I have gained so much knowledge and camera craft from it. I can now go out and photograph with the confidence that what I capture is of a standard that I yearned for.

I can't recomend this course highly enough, the Tutors are excellent and I found the overall course easy to follow and made the whole experience so enjoyable. It's onwards and upwards from here on thanks to everyone at the IOP.

I got my Canon 1300d 4 years ago and never really got to grios with it. Having enrolled on this course I now know what each of the settings mean and how to use them (well almost 😃) and am still learning. The assignments are great and I live the fact you can do this course in your own time. Highly recommend this course to anyone interested in photography.

I started this course as an absolute beginner a number of years ago as I was disappointed with the images I used to take back from a day in the hills with a point and shoot camera.
A very in-depth course, well structured and highly recommended. You get professional constructive feedback on each assignment, the tutors see things in the images that you don't initially, they give positive advice on areas for improvement. You can access the course as and when you have time, as long as you login at least every twelve months.
I have gained essential skills, knowledge and techniques to produce photographs, not just "snaps".
Thank you to the IOP team, especially Tim McCann for his advice and feedback. I would say to make full use of the help available from the tutors, live chat, student group etc.
Overall, I have really enjoyed learning a new skill which I am hoping to concentrate on when I finish work. Many thanks to you all at IOP and best wishes.

I was slightly skeptical signing up to an online photography diploma, as was unsure how this could really work, and I need not have worried. I found the Street Photography to be hugely informative and the team were very supportive. It contains a nice balance of learning, and practical assignments.

The most helpful thing for me was the feedback the tutors provided on the assignments - they allocated a good amount of time reviewing my images and descriptions, and responded with very thoughtful and meaningful feedback. They saw things in the images that I did not initially see, and has made me rethink what makes a good image.

Very happy with the course and highly recommend to anyone.