Photography

The Photography course at NUCA centres upon the creation of imagery within a wide variety of contexts, including advertising, publishing, interactive design, educational, business and community projects.

Many of our graduates work on a full-time or freelance basis for a range of photographic studios and design groups across the creative industries.

The course specialises in the creation of photographic imagery for the design and media industries, including advertising, publishing, educational, business and community projects. We emphasise the development of business and professional skills and engage a range of high profile speakers each year. Our students are encouraged to enter national competitions and have had recent successes with the D&AD student awards; Association of Photographers Student Photographer of the Year; Professional Photographer Magazine Student Landscape Photographer of the Year and the Tetley Student Awards.

Practical professional skills are only as good as the thinking that drives them. The BA (Hons) Photography course insists on study of both theory and practice. Practical photographic assignments are blended with a programme of contextual studies whereby students acquire distinct ways of thinking that will widen their perspective on their chosen discipline.

Level One

At Level One you will be introduced to fundamental processes and techniques of photography. The course will encourage experimentation and creativity, enabling you to explore the boundaries of your discipline.

You will become familiar with an array of different practices and will be well placed to make informed decisions about the ongoing direction of your study.

Level Two

Building upon the thorough foundations laid in Level One, you will concentrate your energies on acquiring professional standards of photographic practice through project, studio, location, workshop and darkroom studies.

You may get the opportunity to produce work for real clients or to synergise your image-capturing talents with those of fellow students from other courses.

You may also have the opportunity to undertake a work assignment in Norwich, London or elsewhere nationally. Recent placements in photography and graphic design studios have been at, among others, GGS Photographic and with photographers Gerry Yardy, Mike Harrington, Dougal Waters, David Burton and Philip Lee Harvey.

Level Three

Level Three is all about consolidating your learning, skills and intellectual capacities in a pragmatic and applicable way that will equip you for a career in the world of photography or alternatively prepare you for further postgraduate study. By tailoring your own syllabus you will address the areas of your skills and thinking that best reflect your intentions for life beyond the course. You will be asked to produce a Research Report on an area of photography that especially fascinates you and to prepare your launch into the workplace, we will train you in sound business and professional studies.

What Makes Us Special

The nature of the photographic industry is that the majority of practitioners work in a freelance capacity or on a commissioned basis. In recent years graduates have found many posts as assistants to professional photographers, others have found positions in high-profile companies such as EMAP Publications and Holborn Studios.

Our students have won many prizes in recent years, including prestigious design and art direction awards. Recent successes include first prize in the Royal Horticultural Society Photographic Awards, runner-up in the Association of Photographers Student of the Year, first and second prizes in the Tetley Photography competition, and ‘Best in Show’ at the D&AD New Blood exhibition.

We have staged exhibitions at Aston Berry accountants and Price Waterhouse Cooper, as well as undertaking many commissions and live projects with industry and for the community. These include Targetfollow, The Money Centre, Jarrold department store, King’s Lynn Council and the BBC.

Students who successfully complete their undergraduate studies are able to progress to a range of MA courses within the University College, subject to the fulfilment of entry criteria.

Mode of Attendance : Full - time