Digital Photography and Video Art

BA (Hons) Digital Photography and Video Art
Mode: full-time

Much contemporary art practice embraces photographically produced images, still and moving, as well as digital media.

By developing an approach to photography and video through ideas-based teaching, students are prepared with the skills and confidence to explore creative, editorial and documentary photography, on location or within a studio.

While digital techniques and technical skills in film and photography, image manipulation, editing and after-effects are important, the photography and video art course also embraces darkroom photography and places great emphasis on developing and strengthening personal creativity through the still or moving photographic image. Much of the teaching on this course focuses on helping you to develop ideas and execute practical work that is creative, engaging and personally rewarding.

Digital Photography and Video Art are terms that describe lens-based practices used in the creation of still and moving images by artists, photographers, designers and those working in visual communications.

These are practices that have developed from traditional chemical photography and film but with the added creative potential of digital media for image manipulation, moving image editing and after-effects and a range of other possibilities such as the internet and installation-based work.

The structure of the Digital Photography and Video Art course reflects the fact that it is essentially practice-based. Students are required to be able to develop creative practice, relate practice to theory and gain insights into the contexts that in this instance are specific to Digital Photography and Video Art specifically, as well as Art and Design more generally.

The structure is consistent with courses both within the Field of Art and Design at this University and Art and Design degree courses at other institutions.

The course structure enables students progressively to forge a synthesis between their own emerging practice and their understanding of critical ideas and knowledge of cultural contexts. The ultimate purpose is to give students an intellectual ownership of and confidence in their own creative output.

Students will benefit from excellent video editing facilities, technical support and have access to new digital photography equipment.

Areas of study include:

• Developing and Exploring Creative Approaches to Still and Moving Photographic Images
• Using Traditional Photographic Methods and Processes alongside New Media
• Software-based Post production

Why choose this course?

• Cross-disciplinary approach, with the opportunity to explore a range of creative media for specialist study
• Predominantly practice-based study regime
• Dedicated studio spaces within a lively and stimulating studio environment
• Professional practice and personal development
• Teaching staff are practising artists and designers who regularly exhibit
• An emphasis on developing personal creativity and self-expression, and on professional practice

Career Opportunities

Various roles within the television and film industry - production technicians, assistants, direction. freelance work as photographer, film-maker, photo-journalist, fine-art photographer, advertising development.

Graduates of our Visual Art Practice courses have progressed to successful and rewarding careers in the creative industries, galleries and museums sector, public/community arts education, fashion design, documentary photography and post-production.

Assessment

Assessment emanates naturally from the teaching and learning of the course and students should be able to meet the demands of assessment in their stride.

Practical Projects are a key learning and assessment tool within the course and formative and summative assessments of practical assignments are seen as an important method of ensuring students' understanding and progress.

Continuous assessment is a feature of the course and although there are no end-point examinations, formative assessment is carried out in relation to all the assignments that are an integral part of the course.

An accumulation of the work that is done in response to assignments is assessed summatively at the end of each module.

Special entry requirements

Applicants will be invited to an interview and will be expected to bring a portfolio of work that will be the basis of discussion at the interview.

(For overseas students, special arrangements will be made on receipt of your application.)