Course summary

What's your angle? Photography is an exciting, historically important and culturally significant medium. Our FdA Photography is designed to appeal to anyone with an enthusiasm for photography and the desire to pursue photographic practice, either as a career or simply as a form of self-expression. In the first year of study, you will practise core photography skills, studio skills and darkroom skills, giving you an experience of both a digital workflow and traditional analogue/darkroom techniques. In the second year of study, you will apply these techniques to various genres of photography, providing you with an opportunity to work on client-based projects, pursue a self-initiated documentary project, and assemble a substantial self-directed photographic project. In the second year, you will also look at design and marketing for photographers, considering how best to market your photographic work and skills to potential clients and/or exhibitors. The course balances study of commercial photography with an exploration of the broader importance of photography in documenting the world around us – and its significance as a form of personal expression – in non-commercial genres such as documentary, fine art or street photography. Whilst the commercial element within photographic practice is undeniably important, the medium’s potential to document and explore society, and to allow individuals to express themselves creatively, is equally important. The degree will provide you with experience of working in commercial genres such as advertising and industrial photography, whilst also giving you the opportunity to explore the worlds of fine art, street and documentary photography. In addition, you will have the opportunity of studying the history of photography, and examining the work of important and contemporary photographers. The degree is welcoming to people from all backgrounds, both traditional students and those returning to education as mature students. Entrants onto our degree level photography provision have in the past come from many different backgrounds: you may simply be an enthusiastic amateur, or you may already work as a photographer. However, regardless of your background, whether you are intending on pursuing a career within commercial photography, establishing your own business or seeking work as a freelancer, our course aims to build on your enthusiasm for the subject, giving you confidence in your abilities whilst providing you with the knowledge and skills necessary to practice or study photography at a higher level. During your time on the course, you will be given the opportunity of working with both analogue (film-based) and digital formats, and you will be able to practise using our equipment – including our studio and darkroom facilities. During your second year, you will be asked to design, plan and produce your own extended independent project, which you will self-publish, giving you something which can be used to help market yourself as a photographer upon completing the degree. This course is primarily designed for face-to-face learning, with attendance during lessons for the specified hours within the validation document. However, there may be periods of study where the government advises TEC Partnership that it is not safe to open campuses, or there is limited access due to social distancing measures. If the campus is closed, TEC Partnership will deliver your sessions online and offer you the necessary support and resources remotely. If there is limited access due to social distancing measures a blended model will be adopted, with some lessons taking place in small groups and others using online sessions and support.