Credit Points: 15
Study Time: 150 Hours

Creative Photographic Practice provides practical opportunities for you to develop your creativity and practical ability, through projects devised and assessed by tutors and/or practising professionals, you have the opportunity to choose from a series of options that allow you to start to make some professional choices regarding your perceived area of specialism. The projects simulate the types of work that may be encountered in employment, promoting understanding of the role of the photographer as a member of a professional creative team. However, you must realise that when engaging in project work, to fully reach your creative potential and therefore ultimately meet your commercial aspirations, you must show the ability to think conceptually and show a clear understanding of the context in which the work is to be seen. You are expected to evidence your critical response to your photographic work, through research, understanding and the ability to visually communicate.

The unit gives you the opportunity to gain a good understanding of the key genres within commercial photographic practice, through lectures and seminars and by the completion of photographic briefs. The briefs will be centred on the challenge of working within a commercially orientated framework, with equal emphasis placed on conceptual thinking, creativity and technique.

Outline syllabus
(An indicative guide to the content covered by this unit.) Projects will reflect a range of areas of photography and related critical theory, and might include:

• Fashion 
• Advertising 
• Portraiture 
• Editorial 
• Documentary/reportage

Method of delivery
Projects; studio practice; learning teams; research; tutorials; critiques and presentations.

Aims

A1 To consolidate your understanding of photographic production from concept to outcome. 
A2 To encourage research and problem solving in the creative process. 
A3 To develop understanding and experience of creative teamwork. 

Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit you will be able to:

LO1 Demonstrate the ability to develop appropriate and successful solutions to project briefs.
LO2 Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of research and problem solving in the creative process.
LO3 Demonstrate understanding of the importance of teamwork within commercial photographic practice.

Reference material

Key
Jaeger, Anne-Celine (2007). Image Makers Image Takers: the essential guide to photography by those in the know. London: Thames and Hudson.
Child, J. (2001). Essential Skills: Studio Photography. London: Focal Press.
Cotton, C. (2000). Imperfect Beauty: The Making of Contemporary Fashion Photographs. London: Victoria and Albert Museum.
Shore, S. (2007). The Nature of Photographs: a primer. London: Phaidon.
Bright, S. (2007 Face of Fashion. London: National Portrait Gallery.
Weski, T. (2006. Click Doubleclick: the documentary factor. Cologne: Walther König.

Recommended
Brilliant, R. (1991) Portraiture. Reaktion Books
Squiers, C. (1990) The critical image: essays on contemporary photography. Bay Press, Seattle
Wells, Liz (2009). Photography: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge.
Berger, John (1972) Ways of Seeing. Penguin
Sontag, Susan (1977) On photography Penguin
Clarke, Graham (1997) The Photograph. Oxford University Press
Brittain, John (1999) Creative Camera: 30 years of writing. Manchester University Press