Photography

Balancing the creative with the critical, the BA (Hons) Photography programme offers students the ability to develop both as photographers and as individuals with a critical understanding of the medium’s history and its broader significance and relevance. Within the programme, an equal balance is struck between modules designed to highlight areas of practice within commercial genres (in terms of an exploration of client-based practice, for example) and modules which emphasise the important role photography plays as a means of personal and cultural expression (through self-initiated projects in fields such as documentary photography and fine art 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; since its origins, the history of photography is predicated on this dialogue between, and intersection of, the commercial and corporate application of photographic practice and extension of photographic practice by vernacular, documentary, and fine art forms and practitioners. The three-year programme is intended to dovetail these approaches, enabling students to work on both client-based briefs and self-initiated projects. The programme is designed to produce graduates who are equally capable of progressing on to postgraduate study or working as independently-minded photographic practitioners. The intention is that graduates from the programme will demonstrate initiative, self-motivation and criticality towards both their own work and the work of other practitioners. The BA (Hons) in Photography is intended to benefit those who wish to study photography and pursue a career within a commercial client-focused context, and students who desire to further their understanding of the medium and progress into self-initiated projects with the intention of exhibiting and publishing these. The programme is intended to give students a broad-based appreciation of photographic practice, enabling students to both engage with commercial forms of photography and, equally as importantly, experience photography as a form of personal, social and cultural expression. Through the programme, students will be presented with the skills they need in order to progress on to postgraduate study in photography or related subjects, or to allow them entry into graduate level employment: for example, as a practising photographer within a commercial context or initiating and promoting their own work (for example, in a fine art or documentary-related context); or, alternatively, in relevant disciplines (for example, teaching or writing about photography and other aspects of the arts and culture).