PHOTOGRAPHY at Canterbury Christ Church University

Get your career in the creative industries off to a great start and learn to produce photographs that really stand out in a competitive market. You will be treated as a creative practitioner from day one, working alongside experienced professional photographers who will guide you as you develop your own research interests and pursue your own career aspirations.

Studying a wide range of photographic practices, the course will encourage you to explore photography as creative expression by teaching traditional analogue techniques alongside  digital photography, enabling you to make photographic images that demand attention.

The programme also embeds excellent project-management skills, helping you produce and organise exhibitions in each year of study. You will use professional-standard darkrooms and studios, as well as a variety of specialist facilities.

You will explore areas including:

• traditional and alternative analogue processes
• studio and digital photography
• designing and curating exhibitions

Why photography?

BA Photography is an exciting specialist course that aims to enable you to understand and appreciate photography as a means of visual communication and creative expression. The course offers an opportunity to develop practical photographic skills underpinned by an understanding of critical and theoretical perspectives. This focus of study enables you to develop your individual and collective creative and technical abilities to a high level. The course is delivered by academic experts in photography, who are actively researching and producing creative practice that informs the teaching on the course. The experienced, supportive and inspiring team will help you to identify your own interests in photography and enable you to make the most of your creative practice.

The course is taught within professional facilities including specialist digital imaging and film processing suites and well-equipped studios. You will also benefit from editing, darkroom and printing facilities, technical support and the latest DSLRs, medium and large format equipment. The course includes regular field trips, exhibition and gallery-based sessions and is supported by visiting professionals, enhancing further the teaching and learning experience.

Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the integration of practice and theory. All the modules are designed to develop your awareness of supporting theoretical concepts, informing your own practice and encouraging you to develop areas of specialism as you progress from year one to an increasingly individualised programme of study in year 3. Throughout all years emphasis is placed on preparing for a successful creative life after graduation, which is celebrated in a group exhibition at the end of each year of study.

What will i study?

In year one you are introduced to the creative practice of photography and to the critical approaches to studying photography, introducing imaging skills and techniques.

In year two the modules taken vary depending on your choice. You will take a double module in Advanced Creative Photographic Practice with many additional optional modules to select from, placing emphasis on a variety of themes including curating, book design, documentary photography or alternative darkroom methods.

In year three a greater emphasis is placed on independent learning. For example, you take a compulsory extended double Specialised Study by Practical Project, developing your individually negotiated projects and preparing for your final degree show.

The course is designed to prepare you for work within the creative visual industries. You will gain a full range of creative, theoretical, social, technological and administrative skills and resources appropriate for employment within the creative and cultural industries. Emphasis is placed on preparation for work-readiness throughout the programme including modules in exhibition curation and professional practice.

You may progress to professional employment in photography and the creative industries or more broadly into a very wide variety of settings where innovation, confidence, discipline and flair are important.

Work experience

There is no formal work experience within the course, but students do take part in funded research projects and events led by the academic team. Students are encouraged to build links with industry professionals at various points throughout the course.