- UCAS Code
- WP65
- Location
- Penryn Campus
- Length
- 3 years full-time
- Direct line
- 01326 213730
- Admissions
- admissions@falmouth.ac.uk
From a week at sea capturing fishermen hard at work, to documenting Albanian blood feuds, photojournalism is all about telling stories. On Falmouth's one-of-a-kind course, you’ll become a visual storyteller, building the skills, confidence and understanding needed for a career in editorial photography.
Shaped by industry insight, our professionally focused course lays the building blocks of great editorial photography early, framing technical know-how with essential theory. Whether it's setting up shots in a specific environment, or building trust so you can capture real emotion on camera, you'll learn what it takes to create top quality, commercially valuable images. Through live briefs, 24-hour professional-style deadlines, self-directed assignments, workshops and lectures, you'll experience real photojournalism first-hand, giving your creative development a real-world grounding.
Great photojournalism takes more than just technical ability and our industry-active staff know that; providing you with the confidence, training and support you need to hunt for the perfect story.
With your professional confidence building, you'll be able to capitalise on our networks and seek out exciting opportunities. From work placements in New York, Amsterdam and London, to paid assignments, awards and international workshops, our students make names for themselves before they've even graduated.
And it doesn't stop once you've finished the course. We believe in the 'fourth year'; supporting our students into the world of work. Cartel Photos, BA(Hons) Press & Editorial Photography's very own photo agency, lets students and new graduates create and sell professional quality work during and after their studies.
How is the course taught
This is an industry-focused, full-time course based around practical project work and portfolio building, as well as essays, lectures and seminar presentations. You’ll develop peer and self-evaluation skills to use in critical, conceptual, productive and professional capacities.
Careers
- Career as a press, editorial or agency photographer
- Work as an independent photojournalist
- Career as a picture editor or picture researcher
- Work in the photography or media industries including newspapers, books, magazines, television and web
Assessment
Continuous assessment through visual, verbal and written assignments, with a final year portfolio, end of year project and exhibition.
Experience you'll get
- Live briefs with the opportunity for publication in newspapers, magazines and books in the professional market.
- Extensive internship opportunities including international work placements with agencies like VII Network (New York) and Noors (Amsterdam).
- Partnerships with professional agencies including Rex Features, Panos Pictures, VII Photo Agency, Los Angeles Times and Calumet Photographic.
By choosing to study for a degree in Press & Editorial Photography you will:
- Be introduced to a wide range of photographic practices and skills through ‘hands-on' project work, essays, and seminar presentations.
- Benefit from being taught by friendly and approachable staff who are practising professionals with extensive expertise in Higher Education.
- Learn how to transmit images via our electronic picture desk, edit pictures for publication and take an idea from conception to post-production using both digital and traditional technologies.
- Be based at our high-specification Photography Centre.
- Join a course that produces award-winning results, including the winners of the Sony Twilight Football Awards and the National Outlook Expeditions 2009 Photo Competition.
Interview and selection process
We ask all applicants to post us a series of 8x10 printed photographic images with a short statement explaining them. These will be assessed by the course team.
If you are successful at this stage you will be invited to interview.
You'll need to bring your portfolio, sketchbooks and workbooks and an essay or report to your interview. Your portfolio should contain only photography. We're looking for evidence of your photography skills and visual awareness. Sketchbooks and workbooks should demonstrate your idea development. Your portfolio should be relevant and well-edited for ease of viewing.
You will be interviewed individually by one or two members of the course team for 20-30 minutes. During the interview, you'll have the chance to talk through your portfolio and to discuss what you hope to achieve from the course. The session will include a tour of the campus and the Photography Centre. You'll have the opportunity to ask any questions to our staff and current students.
Interviews are currently taking place.
Location: Penryn Campus
Work placements
Durring his second year, 2012 graduate Marco Kesseler secured a placement at Noor in Amsterdam, where he gained industry insight that helped underpin his final year project charting the Albanian blood feuds.
What you'll do
Stage 1
You will be exposed to the working practices of picture desks, agencies and successful press and editorial practitioners from the very start. In your first year, you'll not only get to grips with the technical and creative building blocks of your craft, you'll be supported by course staff to master the theory of reading the image, the history of the discipline and the fundamental elements of press and editorial business practice.
Stage 2
With the foundations in place, in your second year you'll stretch your professional legs, capitalising on our industry connections through overseas placement opportunities and professional internship options. You'll also look into the laws and ethics of visual storytelling as well as investigating the role of audio and multimedia in image-making.
Stage 3
Showcasing your identity as a photographer, your final year will see you produce a unique portfolio; impactful visual stories created to carry you forward into your professional career. You'll produce a dissertation to demonstrate your understanding of the context of your discipline and critically review your practice too.
