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Marine & Natural History Photography BA(Hons) Degree

Student work

Bee

Studying here gives you access to hundreds of miles of coast, sweeping landscapes, and a variety of habitats including the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Image by Claire Stapley, 2010 graduate.

Studying here gives you access to hundreds of miles of coast, sweeping landscapes, and a variety of habitats including the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Image by Claire Stapley, 2010 graduate. Studying here gives you access to hundreds of miles of coast, sweeping landscapes, and a variety of habitats including the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Image by Claire Stapley, 2010 graduate.

Jacky Poon

You'll experience traditional, electronic, still and moving image technologies, including film-making, photomicrography, close-up, and time lapse photography. Image by Jacky Poon, current student.

You'll experience traditional, electronic, still and moving image technologies, including film-making, photomicrography, close-up, and time lapse photography. Image by Jacky Poon, current student. You'll experience traditional, electronic, still and moving image technologies, including film-making, photomicrography, close-up, and time lapse photography. Image by Jacky Poon, current student.

Katie Sindle

The underwater photography option gives you the opportunity to study and photograph a wide range of sea-life, from basking sharks and dolphins to sunfish. Image by Katie Sindle, 2011 graduate

The underwater photography option gives you the opportunity to study and photograph a wide range of sea-life, from basking sharks and dolphins to sunfish. Image by Katie Sindle, 2011 graduate The underwater photography option gives you the opportunity to study and photograph a wide range of sea-life, from basking sharks and dolphins to sunfish. Image by Katie Sindle, 2011 graduate

Joe Wollaston

Our Photography Centre has digital and traditional processing facilities, and a specialist laboratory with microscopes, aquariums and equipment for wildlife specimens. Image by Joe Wollaston, current student.

Our Photography Centre has digital and traditional processing facilities, and a specialist laboratory with microscopes, aquariums and equipment for wildlife specimens. Image by Joe Wollaston, current student. Our Photography Centre has digital and traditional processing facilities, and a specialist laboratory with microscopes, aquariums and equipment for wildlife specimens. Image by Joe Wollaston, current student.

Latest news

Latest events

  • Foundation Diploma in Art & Design End of Year Show

    'Fri, May 25th, 2012, 10:00am to Thu, May 31st, 2012, 5:00pm' Foundation showStudents at the end of their year's study exhibit their final assessed work.

  • LIVEDART & CONTEXTURE

    'Wed, Jun 13th, 2012, 11:00am to Sun, Jun 17th, 2012, 11:00pm'

    A festival of contemporary performance, art and writing.

  • Pixelate Film Festival

    'Wed, Jun 20th, 2012, 11:00am to Sat, Jun 23rd, 2012, 10:00pm'

    Showcasing the talents of graduating students from our BA(Hons) Film course.

  • English & Writing Programme Showcase

    'Fri, Jun 22nd, 2012, 6:30pm to 8:00pm'

    A showcase of critical and creative writing ranging from poetry to cultural theory.

Staff profiles

Our alumni

UCAS Code WF67 BA/MNHP

  • How to apply
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    We consider each application on its merits and look for evidence of commitment and motivation. For full details on the application procedure follow the link below.Read more...

  • Attend an open day
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    Meet staff and students and discover how study at Falmouth can fast-track your career. Open days include a welcome talk, campus tours, and presentations on our courses, information on fees, finances, admissions, accommodation, and student services. Follow the link below to book online.Read more...

  • Request a prospectus
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    Follow the link below to download a copy of our prospectus, or complete the form to request a printed prospectus by post.Read more...

  • Entry requirements
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    A minimum of 220 UCAS points, equivalent Level 3 qualifications or relevant experience. You may be required to submit some work to help us decide who to interview. Successful applicants are generally those with the strongest portfolios, demonstrating experimentation, technical ability and understanding of the art and design process.

Location:Tremough Campus
Length:3 years full-time

Direct line:01326 255764

admissions@falmouth.ac.uk

  • Falmouth is the perfect place to study marine and natural history photography. Whether in the ocean or on land, the wildlife and habitats are so diverse and accessible that the opportunities for creating images are enormous. Mark Deeble & Victoria Stone, wildlife filmmakers, BBC


Why study for a BA(Hons) Marine and Natural History Photography degree at University College Falmouth?

Falmouth is one of the most exciting and perfect places for natural history photography, both on land and in the sea. On land you could wait in a hide for that elusive raptor to appear, explore the subtropical gardens of Cornwall, examine woodland life or reach for a microscope and delve into the world of diatoms. You'll be constantly inspired and challenged to produce stunning natural history images. If you elect to take part in our additional underwater photography option, you will have the opportunity to study and photograph a wide range of sea-life, from basking sharks and dolphins to exotic creatures such as the sunfish. This is a unique programme of study: a natural history photography degree course covering both marine and terrestrial life.

Explore further with our interactive prospectusThis course is the first ever educational partner for Oxford Scientific, the UK's leading natural history picture library, and you'll also have the opportunity to benefit from our contacts with organisations such as the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, National Maritime Museum Cornwall, AONB, Wildlife Trusts, Royal Horticultural Society and independent wildlife photographers and film-makers.

Course outline

Stage 1

  • Photographic Practice
  • Principles of Biodiversity & Habitat
  • Professional Practice

Stage 2

  • Photographic Practice
  • Global Conservation
  • Professional Practice

Stage 3

  • Major Portfolio
  • Long Essay & Critical Reflection on Practice

Tell me more about the BA(Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography course

pdf BA(Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography award information form (96.24 KB)

Our Marine & Natural History Photography course will extend your skills as a communicator using photographs, words and moving image so that you can develop into an accomplished and confident photographer or filmmaker.

By choosing to study for a degree in Marine & Natural History Photography at Falmouth you will:

  • Benefit from being taught by staff who are all practising photographers and/or scientists.
  • Develop your analytical, critical, problem-solving and practical skills.
  • Engage with key environmental and ecological debates that will be vitally important to whichever profession you choose.
  • Be based at our cutting-edge Photography Centre, which boasts a wide range of world-class facilities.
  • Benefit from Falmouth and Cornwall's amazing natural environment, which features access to hundreds of miles of coast, sweeping landscapes and a variety of different habitats including the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  • Be part of a course that is a major sponsor of WildPhotos, the national conference for natural history photographers and filmmakers.
  • Benefit from the course's unique educational partnership with Oxford Scientific, the UK's leading picture library specialising in natural history images.

Links

How is the course taught?

Using traditional, electronic, still and moving image technologies, you'll acquire an extensive range of specialist skills and techniques, including photomicrography, close-up, time lapse and filmmaking.

You'll study habitats and species, and understand the scientific basis for the planet's diversity of life - all aided by field trips and enhanced by our relationships with organisations such as the Oxford Scientific, AONB, Wildlife Trusts, National Maritime Museum, Royal Horticultural Society and independent wildlife photographers and film-makers.

Assesssment

  • Continuous assessment: visual, verbal and written assignments
  • Portfolio
  • Long essay and critical review in final year

Facilities

Our Photography Centre includes:

  • The latest equipment for marine and natural history photography
  • A specialist laboratory to house microscopes, aquariums and equipment for wildlife specimens
  • Digital and traditional processing facilities
  • Digital printers
  • Dark rooms

WildPhotos conference

Staff and students at WildPhotos 2009

BA(Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography is one of the sponsors of WildPhotos, the main conference for natural history/wildlife photographers. The event attracts several hundred delegates from all over the world and our students meet internationally known wildlife photographers and others from the industry.

The event happens over two days at the Royal Geographical Society in London. It brings together the world's finest photographers specialising in wildlife and the environment. The programme is a combination of presentations, discussion and debate. The imagery shown is captured from the top of giant redwoods down to the depths of the oceans and covers the smallest insects to the largest mammals. Sessions range from story-telling and conservation photography, to the more practical - finding your story and photo techniques. Delegates include students and keen amateurs as well as widely published and acclaimed professionals, NGOs and industry experts.

www.wildphotos.org.uk

Answers and advice about the course

For further information about BA(Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 255764. 

FacebookOur student mentors are now on Facebook. To chat to a mentor about the course, living in Cornwall, or what to expect at Falmouth, check out the Marine & Natural History Photography group. You need to join the group before you can post. Our student mentors have already done the first year of the course... so ask them anything you like!

Marine & Natural History Photography Facebook group

If you're not Facebook you can still speak to a student mentor. Email your name and the course you're starting to: studentmentorenquiries@falmouth.ac.uk and we will be in touch with you.

Career opportunities

This interaction of art and science is designed to provide you with an informed appreciation of local and global issues, and to help you develop an ethical personalised practice that will enable you to gain employment or progress onto postgraduate study. There are a wide range of related career opportunities including:

  • Photographer
  • Filmmaker
  • Television producer
  • Picture researcher
  • Environmental agency work
  • Conservation group work

Entry requirements

A minimum of 220 UCAS points, equivalent Level 3 qualifications or relevant experience.

You may be required to submit some work to help us decide who to interview. Successful applicants are generally those with the strongest portfolios, demonstrating experimentation, technical ability and understanding of the art and design process.

Please see our How to Apply page for more information.

For further information about BA(Hons) Marine & Natural History Photography at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 255764.

Interview and selection process

All applicants will be asked to submit a mini electronic portfolio consisting of 20-30 images, a 300 word written statement of intent/visual influences, a sample of written work and ten images of choice into separate folder. Work to be submitted via online link. Those successful at this stage will be invited to attend an interview with your portfolio. Portfolio should contain not only photography, but evidence of research and writing skills eg an essay or report, together with any other artwork, 3D work or evidence of idea development eg sketchbooks or workbooks.

Applicants will have a campus tour while their portfolio is assessed and then an individual interview.

Interviews will be held on 10, 17 and 24 January, 14, 21, and 28 February, and 6 March 2012

Location: Tremough Campus

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