Fashion Photography BA(Hons)

Working with key themes surrounding fashion image making, you’ll gain the skills and contextual knowledge needed to start making strong, competent productions. You'll develop the foundations for research methodologies, collaborative practices and professional etiquette, working towards an ethical practice. You’ll also begin to build your fashion networks and community through specific modules with fashion stylists.  

Modules

Subcultures & Styles

In this module, you'll unpack the professional approaches, processes and modes of fashion image production. You'll develop your understanding of photographic representation through the application and understanding of visual language, while exploring fashion style through the theme of subcultures.  

Belonging

In Belonging, you’ll engage with themes of inclusivity and diversity within the context of global histories and subcultures. You'll be encouraged to explore and build an unbiased and progressive understanding of the ethical language of fashion, harnessing your emerging research and image making skills. 

The Body & Ethics

This module gives you the opportunity to explore and experiment with a variety of critically challenging photographic approaches to the visual representation of the human form. You'll investigate the codes and conventions of dressing and situating the body within a fashion context, provoking debates about gender, beauty, sexuality, ethnicity, morality, social position, body image and self-representation; ultimately exploring your own role and responsibilities as a fashion photographer.

The Edit

In this module, you'll investigate how the order of photographs in fashion spreads is constructed by contemporary fashion publishing, both in print and online. You'll consider how stories are told in fashion photography within different published contexts. Alongside this, you will also explore the typographical relationship of image and text, and the process of editing and sequencing images. You'll be asked to curate a sequenced editorial output of your choice, such as an editorial in a magazine, photo-book, zine, newspaper or digital media.

In the second year, you’ll be supported to confidently produce complex and extended photographic projects that are backed by critical theory and intellectual enquiry. Through visual practice modules, you’ll engage in alternative forms of image making that test and blur the traditional limits of fashion photography and filmmaking. You'll also start developing the professional skills you’ll need to build a successful career in the creative industries – including collaboration and exploring the relevant distribution channels for your practice. 

Modules

Fashion Film

The hunger for fashion films amongst other digital media outputs is unprecedented in our contemporary world. Fashion films are used on a regular basis as communication tools for the branding and promotion of fashion goods, reflecting trends and moods of the current times. This module introduces you to a broad range of technical and professional methods for the creation of your own fashion film. We'll provide you with an understanding of how fashion can be promoted through moving image, enhancing your research and conceptual skills, planning and shooting, as well as editing.

The Commercial Image

In the Commercial Image module, you’ll refine your individual photographic practice and your understanding of industry. Through primary research of creatives working in the fashion sector, you’ll evaluate your chosen area of professional practice, develop your networks and advance your technical photographic skills.  

Theories

This module delves deeper into the historical, social, cultural and global contexts of contemporary fashion image making. By exploring theoretical perspectives, you’ll develop the ability to discuss your own and others’ creative practice in an academic framework. 

Fashion Image

In our postmodern condition of photography, with its ceaseless flow of images, the internet is serving as a laboratory for image-making experimentation. It's within this context that the notion of image making has become an artistic form rather than promoting the traditional act of 'taking an image'. In this module, you'll be encouraged to challenge photographic conventions and explore other forms of expression, which could include photogrammetry, 3D scanning or montage.

Collaboration

Working as part of a team, you'll work on 'Challenge Briefs' that reflect the sort of assignments you could expect to be working on in industry. Developing your 'soft skills', like communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and leadership, you'll sharpen your ability to work well as part of a group to produce outstanding work. 

You can choose to take an optional placement year after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the RealWORKS employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your placement year 

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

Your final year is all about preparing for your transition from student to industry professional. Working towards the submission of a dissertation (or equivalent) and Final Major Project, you’ll further develop your unique vision as you work with selected global clients on professional briefs,  building relationships with casting directors, location scouts, stylists, and creative directors.  

Modules

The Client Brief

In this module, you'll have the opportunity to work with a selected client on a proposed professional brief. From generating initial ideas through to delivering image production, you'll learn how to work in an industry-facing manner; presenting your ideas efficiently and effectively will be key. You'll be asked to respond to the client's brief with your own authentic take on fashion photography, while ensuring that their intended message is clearly and compellingly translated into innovative and forward-thinking photographs.

Investigations

As you come to the end of your studies, you’ll complete a dissertation (or equivalent) that explores agreed individual interests relating to your practice. You'll reflect on your research strengths and personal practice, and engage in considered and detailed discussion of the chosen topic.  

Final Major Project

The Final Major Project unit is an independently led project in which you’ll draw on your extended knowledge of contemporary image making, critical theory and technical skills to support the production of a final body of work at a professional level.

Professional Futures, Industry Ambitions

This module supports your journey towards becoming a future-fashion visionary. You’ll explore your professional options, build your skills, develop your industry networks and learn how tell your story.  

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route?

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree.

What you'll learn

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs.

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject.

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

The Integrated Foundation Year pathway for this course is new for entry year 2023 and subject to validation.