Nick Hedges studied photography at the University of Birmingham from 1965-1968. His final project at the University of Birmingham worked with Birmingham Housing Trust on an exhibition which led to his work for Shelter, the National Campaign for the Homeless, from 1968.

For Shelter Nick Hedges worked across Britain photographing and researching poor housing conditions and producing exhibitions and publications. The Shelter Archive holds the photographs taken for this project over the period 1969-72 as well as Hedges' photographers' notes, Shelter posters and publications.

After Shelter, Hedges worked for the BBC, MENCAP, the Royal Town Planning Institute, and Penguin books, as well as a freelance photographer. He undertook other photography projects such as a 2 year project to document factory work culminating in a study that was exhibited and a book. Hedges also completed a documentation of the fishing industry in the North of England for the Side Gallery in Newcastle.

From 1988-2002 Nick Hedges was subject leader in Photography at the University of Wolverhampton.