Art, Design & Photography - Level 3 Creative Photography

This creative and exciting pathway is aimed at broadening and expanding your photography skills to a very high standard, whilst also allowing development in generic art skills specific to your aspirations, such as drawing, design generation, painting, 3-dimensional design, printmaking, surface design, graphic design, illustration, textiles and digital applications. Working within a creative studio environment and IT suites, you will develop your knowledge, self-confidence, communication, time-management and presentation skills, resulting in a professional portfolio and body of work.

On the course are opportunities to engage with local and national creatives to help widen your perspectives, whilst purpose built facilities at Wakefield College, which includes a dark-room, will enable you to develop your technical skills, preparing you for employment and industry.

What you will study

Level 3 (Photography)

• The creative process: It is often said that artists and designers follow a creative process when producing their work. This can start with inspiration and include elements of research, experimentation, and refinement, ending with the final realisation. Often artists and designers will use these activities to develop their own ways of working as they explore and cultivate their creative practice.

• Professional equipment: Learning how to capture light using professional cameras on manual settings as per industry standards. You will be taught how to use these on location as well as in a purpose-built photographic studio. In addition, you will be taught how to use all the equipment the accompanies a professional photographer including: lighting, tripods, reflectors, mobile flash units, studio flashes, diffuses and props.

• Analogue photography: working in the photographic darkroom in order to learn the timeless methods of manual photographic production. Using chemical based analogue photography in our custom-built dark room.

• Post-production skills and image manipulation using industry standard software; Adobe Photoshop and Light room and other Adobe products.

• Art and Design skills: Students will engage with large variety of photography and mixed media skills taught by discipline specialists in order to creatively adapt your photographic work and learn skills in which to produce high quality and unique final outcomes.

• Contextual awareness: Introduction on the importance of research into contextual influences, a professional skill that enables photographers in both in all photographic fields to ensure production of the highest quality of innovative photography.

• Professional Practice

• Visual language and communication

You will be continually assessed by your tutors throughout the academic year, and an external moderator will verify and confirm your final grades.

BTEC LEVEL Foundation and Extended Diploma (Photography)

Year 1:

Visual recording and communication

Critical and contextual studies in art and design

The creative Process

Materials, techniques and process in art and design

Photographic Materials, Techniques and Processes

Unit 13: 3D Design Materials, Techniques and Processes

Year 2:

Developing and Realising Creative Intentions

Managing a Client Brief

Professional Practice in Art and Design

Studio Photography

Location photography

Digital Image Capture and Editing

Non-Digital Photographic Techniques

4 GCSEs at Grade 9-4, including English or Maths and a Grade 3 in either English or Maths.

OR

4 GCSEs at Grade 9-4 including English or Maths and a Level 2 in either English or Maths.

OR

Successful completion of Level 2 at Merit Grade and GCSE English or Maths at Grade 4 and Level 2 English or Maths.

PLUS

Satisfactory interview for all options above.

For Interview

When you attend your interview, please bring along your latest school report, your predicted grades and examples of creative work which may include sketchbooks, portfolio or sample work from your current GCSE course in Graphics, Art or Photography.

Further Study

This course offers progression to a variety of art-related courses. Our own HNC/D Graphic Design, Photography, Film and Television and Fine Art or you may wish to apply to an outside university. During the course we will explain all the possible options and support you through the application process in year 2. We also offer the BA Hons Top Up course to a full degree.