Case Study: City & Islington College
Foundation Degree in Photography at City & Islington College
City & Islington College provides high quality training and skills development for the freelance photographers of tomorrow, through its Foundation Degree course in Photography.
With a primary emphasis on small classes and hands-on learning in real life working environments, the course teaches essential photographic skills for a broad range of professional areas, including; photojournalism, fashion, landscape, architecture, picture research and editing, studio management, assisting, photo retouching and curating.
Principal, Mr. Frank McLoughlin says: "What makes this course unique is the links that students make with the professional world of photography. The technical and artistic merit displayed by these students is of the highest order. This is not the development of a hobby but the preparation for a professional career as a photographer."
In the past year students have worked on live briefs for Asthma UK, Arsenal Football Club and Hugh Grover Estate Agents, as well as undertaking work placements at London based fashion studios and providing a photographic service for graduating fashion students at their end of year show.
Estate Agent MD, Hugh Grover was delighted with the imaginative and varied response of the students to the brief; "Students employed a variety of techniques to capture the 'everyday' of Islington in visually striking and thought-provoking ways, and produced some unusual and beautiful images."
The college also creates opportunities for students to meet practitioners from all parts of the photo imaging industry through studio visits and lectures; a recent Q & A Forum with a panel of photographers and agents gave students a good insight into the challenges they will face in the 'real' world.
"It was great to hear first hand about the realities of working as a commercial portrait photographer. We had hands on teaching about lighting in a professional studio and learnt how best to form working relationships with your subject." - 2nd year student
Skillset supports City & Islington's Foundation Degree in Photography.
The course is successfully aligned to Skillset's demanding Photo Imaging Foundation Degree Framework and therefore delivers the skills and learning experience that the sector requires.
Skillset's Framework has been designed according to the unique needs of the industry and was developed with input from employers and freelancers working in the sector.