BA (Hons) Photography course content Year One Year One modules Representation and Construction in Photography (80 credits) This first visual practice module presents you with some of the misconceptions that are commonly held about photography and photographic projects. Through making pictures you will be challenged to explore the notion of how images work. You will examine a variety of ideas such as objectivity, representation and construction, to consider how the photograph functions within historical and contemporary image culture. This module will give you a framework in which to initiate and develop your visual work, and the practical and technical skills to produce it. This module will also help you to develop study skills, improve your communication, and manage your time effectively. You will produce a series of short progressive projects in response to set briefs in the first two terms, and then work for a longer period on a negotiated project that combines your learning in the final term. Emphasis is placed on: examining ideas of narrative and sequencing; the staged and constructed photograph; objectivity; the portrait; and the manipulated image. You will be encouraged to work within a variety of traditions and contexts such as: landscape; portraiture; fashion; and documentary. At the same time you ll be encouraged to develop an awareness of these genres historical traditions and their shifting boundaries within contemporary photographic practice. You will have inductions to our photographic resources and production areas, as well as core technical workshops on the use of traditional and digital equipment, materials and techniques. These will include: introduction to exposure and metering; black and white film processing; analogue colour printing; analogue black and white printing; studio lighting; introduction to medium format cameras; introduction to 5x4 cameras;
large format studio and location work. There is also extensive instruction in digital photography that runs throughout the first two terms, and will cover: scanning; printing; processing camera RAW files; Photoshop and other related programs; and all aspects of digital pre and post-production. You will present and articulate your research and photographs in seminars and group critiques, which will develop your ability to manage your time effectively, meet deadlines and develop communication skills. This module is delivered through: seminars; viewings and group critiques of photography; core technical workshops; tutorials (individual and group). You will also be expected to complete independent learning which will include: creating photographs, reflecting and evaluating your practice; directed and independent reading; research; work in progress discussion; and presentation of projects. Assessment for this module is 100% coursework which will include a portfolio with supporting research and development. Photographic History and Critical Practice (40 credits) In this module you will be introduced to key facts, concepts and themes in the history and critical theory of photography. This includes: the invention of photography; the development of ideas about social, commercial and artistic practices of photography through its history; and the impact of changing technologies such as digital. You will also be introduced to the study skills and guidelines for academic writing that will enable you to engage with the material. You will gain transferable skills in research, working in a group, effective communication and good time management, and you will be made aware that these underpin professional practice. You will attend lectures, work individually and in small groups to read selected texts, prepare and give seminars, research and write to gain knowledge of 19 th, 20 th and 21 st Century photographic history, related ideas, concepts and critical debates. Emphasis is on sourcing, selecting, retrieving and management information, which will help you to develop a range of practical and transferable skills. You will be introduced to, and expected to engage with, the following ideas and theories:
semiotics; hermeneutics; psychoanalysis; Marxist criticism; authorships Reader-reception. All this is done in relation to both photography and broader visual cultures. What is stressed is the crossover and relationship between these. You will be introduced to the idea of the constructed nature of histories of photography, and critically engage with the political, cultural and ideological nature of such constructions. History is not out there waiting to be found. You will be introduced to, and critically engage with, the traditional genres of photography such as portrait, landscape, art photography and documentary, and consider these both historically and in the contemporary setting. The changing nature and construction of these genres will be consider, for example, the changing role of documentary and the documentary photographer in the digital age, as opposed to the heyday of photo-magazines such as Life magazine. European Exchange During this module you will receive two talks about the European Exchange process. One will take place before Christmas and the other after. You will be given details of the application process and the institutions that we have a partnership with. The application for the exchange will take place during Term Two, and you will submit an application form with your details, your choices of exchange institutions and a portfolio of your work on a disc. Your application is sent off to your first choice for consideration by them. You may apply to go on exchange for a minimum of ten weeks through to a maximum of a year. If your application is successful you will go on exchange during Year Two of the course. This module is delivered through: lectures; seminars; and individual and group tutorials. During this module you will receive 98 hours of contact time, through the teaching methods above. You will usually have one two-hour lecture and one two-hour seminar each week. You will also be expected conduct self-directed learning which will include directed reading and research, writing essays and presentations. creating photographs, reflecting and evaluating your practice; directed and independent reading; research; work in progress discussion; presentation of projects. Assessment for this module is 100% coursework which will include an essay in Term Three.
Year Two Year Two modules Photography: Visual and Professional Practice (80 credits) This modules aims to give you practical experience of making creative, experimental and critically informed work, with an insight into professional practice for working with photography. You will work on set and self-set photography projects that develop your detailed knowledge of specialist photographic skills, relating to particular areas of photography practice (such as art, fashion or documentary photography). This module will support you in developing your individual practice and build on your understanding of your place within the photographic and creative industries. Key elements of the module include: Experimentation and investigation of different photographic practices. Consideration of photographic CVs and work experience. A public exhibition of work. Consideration of presenting work and yourself to a wider audience. Production of a body of work to a professional standard. Understanding professional conventions such as copyright and working to commission. In this module you will be given the chance to experiment through research and practice, to make photographic work towards developing your own practice. The major themes of this module relate to developing a self-directed practice. You will consider how you incorporate research methodologies into your visual work, expanding your knowledge of ethics, rights and visual and business practice of photography, locating your work within contemporary national and international photographic contexts, and considering the social ethical practices of being a photographer. During each term you will make photographs or other forms of visual imagery such as film or multimedia work. In weekly sessions you will present your work and ideas and research to your seminar group, receiving verbal feedback from your tutor and peers. There will be workshops and discussions to guide you in decisions about visual forms, technique, ideas, presentation and professional contexts. In Terms one and Two you will make images in a response to a given brief and in the final term you brief becomes selfnegotiated. The module begins by encouraging you to research, experiment and produce a creative and informed body of work in Term One, as well as to think about opportunities for work experience and CV building. In Term Two you will organise and exhibit a second body of work as part of a group public exhibition, encouraging you to consider your audience and to develop a professional approach to presenting yourself and your work to a public audience. In Term Three you will produce a third body of work that combines your learning and prepares you your final year. Professional practice during this term concentrates on business and professional conventions for photographic image makers. You will also be given the option of specialising for your final year, signalling your interest in a particular route leading to one of these specialist degree titles:
BA (Hons) Photography BA (Hons) Photography in Europe BA (Hons) Photography as Art Practice BA (Hons) Photography as Documentary BA (Hons) Photography for Fashion. Professional practice seminars and lectures will introduce you to topics related to subjects like copyright for photographers, model release forms, health and safety planning, industry sectors working to commission, costing and pricing photographic work. If you ve chosen to participate in a European exchange you will normally receive credit points from your host institution for the period of absence from this module. Separate from this module there are opportunities for you to work on live projects, if you wish, with other courses within the School of Art & Design, or external competitions. These have included students working to make photographs for Degree Show catalogues, catwalk shows and displays for courses such as Fashion Design, Decorative Arts, Theatre Design and Textile Design. This module is delivered through: lectures; seminars; group critiques; workshops; and tutorials. You will be expected to complete independent learning which will include: photographic practice; verbal presentations; directed reading; practical tasks; problem-based learning; and research of both written and visual materials. There will also be optional work experience and practical workshops, visits and study trips. Assessment for this module is 100% through coursework. 75% of your mark will be based on three bodies of photographic work, exhibitions / projects (equally weighted) and 25% will be on a portfolio of documents. Critical and Cultural Practice in Photography (40 credits) This module aims to build on your practical and theoretical knowledge and experience, to further explore the complex nature of representation in and through imagery. The module will enable you to develop an understanding of critical strategy in the interpretation, analysis and practice of photography in relation to art, theory and commerce. This module begins by asking questions on the nature of looking and representation that are fundamental to a critical understanding of photographic practice. Through such
questions, this module sets out to analyse the practice of making images and how that practice relates to photographic production, interpretation and circulation. The module continues with the study of the range of photographic technologies operating within contemporary visual culture worldwide, and examines the themes and issues crucial to understanding the development of the photographic image within the spectacular image-world of the 21 st Century. Particular attention is given to understanding the generation of meaning through images, and to selecting appropriate critical strategies in the analysis of the diverse range of contemporary photographic uses. You will attend lectures and participate in workshops and seminars. Working in small groups for the workshops and seminars, you will engage with themes and concepts relevant to contemporary photographic practice. Through discussing and interpreting selected text and images, you will be encouraged to extend your critical research and writing. This will help you to discover and investigate issues appropriate to the use and understanding of the photographic image, in relation to visual, technological and cultural practice. Emphasis is given to evaluation and analysis of information to develop a range of practice-specific and transferable skills. This module is delivered through: lectures; seminars; workshops; and individual and group tutorials. You will be expected to complete independent learning which will include: directed and independent reading and research; writing summaries of texts; critical analysis of images; preparation for essays; gallery visits; and a dissertation proposal. In particular, Term Three is given over to preparatory work for the end of year assignments and the forthcoming Year Three dissertation. Assessment for this module is 100% through coursework which includes an essay and a seminar. Year Three Year Three module Photography Degree Show and Dissertation (120 credits) This module comprises of the final degree show, dissertation and research package. Your dissertation aims to give you the opportunity to negotiate an individual topic of study and produce a substantial body of written research into photography or an area of practice, based upon principles and technologies of the photographic medium.
The visual practice element of this module aims to give you the opportunity to engage in the photographic practice of your choice, in a supportive environment. It is as real world as it is possible to make it. Emphasis is on innovation and individual creativity in the production of photographs. You will make photographic portfolios and/or exhibitions designed to enable a career in photography or further study. The critical practice part of this module aims to give you the opportunity to engage with and produce a substantial body of written research into photography or an area of practice, based upon the principles and technologies of the photographic medium. You will propose and negotiate with tutors an individual topic of study, and through this choice you can pursue interests in the history, theory and discourse of photography, in relation to your practical work. The dissertation part of this module aims to provide you with research skills to aid you in your career, where graduates are often asked to express opinions and judgments in written form, and to enable your progression to study and research at postgraduate level. There are two strands to this module: Visual Practice Critical Practice. Both strands build on your learning in Years One and Two. The Visual Practice strand culminates in the production of your degree show, and the Critical Practice strand is concerned with the writing of your dissertation. Visual Practice The Photography Degree Show and Research package emphasis is on innovation and individual creativity in the research and production of photographs, which are critically informed and appropriate to the area of practice addressed. The Research package consists of selected sample visual work in progress and a reflective and analytical written commentary on the project or practice of which this work is a reflection. It also evidences your working processes and approach to research and development, in respect to your degree show work. For the Photography Degree Show you will work on an individually negotiated brief to make a photographic portfolio, moving image or video and/or exhibition, designed to enable a career in photography or further study. Your Degree Show will take the form of the Nottingham Trent University Photography Festival, which is held at external venues across the city of Nottingham. Within the module your work will be produced in response to individual negotiation with tutors. You will follow a self-initiated, independently directed course of study, guided by your tutor and support by regular group tutorials. During these tutorials you will present your images, research and ideas to the class, and discuss one another s work. You will receive on-going feedback from your tutor and fellow students. At an individual level the major themes and issues addressed by this module are unique to the interests and practice of each student. Each of you will follow a different pathway in researching and realising your photographic work for this module. With the guidance of tutors, you will be required to independently research and critically interrogate historical and/or contemporary theory and practice, relevant to your chosen interests and photographic work. This will inform your understanding and critical evaluation of your own work and contextualise your practice within a historical and/or contemporary setting.
Underpinning this module s varied focus is the aim to foster the development of an individual, sustainable, reflective, critically informed and professional photographic practice. You will be encouraged to enter an on-going dialogue aimed at situating and critically interrogating your practice. To help you address these themes you will be encouraged to participate in cultural visits and lectures from visiting speakers. Visiting lecturers and study trips will expand your knowledge and awareness of contemporary practice, and the discourse around it, and help you to recognise the standards you need to attain if you want a career in photography. By the end of the module you will have created a body of photographic work for assessment. You will have the opportunity to exhibit your final submission of work in the end of year degree show, gaining valuable personal and professional experience. You may also submit your final work for assessment as a portfolio or book. In addition to creating and exhibiting your photographic work, you will need to write a statement of purpose, produce a digital archive of your images, and to create and maintain a CV. Critical Practice You will engage in individual research with your chosen subject. You will write a dissertation proposal and prepare a plan for writing an 8,000 10,000 word dissertation that should be completed in January. You will participate in group critiques where you will present your findings and discuss the arguments and points you wish to raise, in connection with your research, as well as responding to the work of your fellow students. You will be given support and guidance on structure and presentation, and you will meet individually with your tutor as necessary. There is an emphasis on sharing skills and knowledge, and encouraging peer group support (such as proof reading). If you have elected to take one of the pathways for a specialist degree title (photography for fashion, photography as art practice, photography as documentary, photography in Europe), your dissertation and final year degree show work will reflect this subject area. The Critical Practice part of this module is delivered through: lectures; seminars; individual and group tutorials; and an advanced orientation session on using the library. The Visual Practice part of this module is delivered through: individual and group tutorials; group briefings; presentations by visiting specialists; and directed learning and specialist technical workshops. You will be expected to complete independent learning which will include: Directed reading and research, writing a dissertation proposal, plan and dissertation. Making a body of work to exhibition or present as a portfolio / book. Directed and independent reading and research for your Visual Practice. Producing a research package.
Making an electronic archive of your photographs. Writing a contextual statement. Making verbal presentations of your work to class. Assessment for this module is 100% by coursework. 35% for your dissertation 15% for your research and development package 50% for your Degree Show exhibition or portfolio.