Intermediate Photography - Level 2 | Blackpool and The Fylde College

Summary

This is a one-year creative and technical course, which is designed to help you gain an understanding of the fundamental elements of photography and photographic practice. The course is designed to help you progress and further your studies at higher levels. The aim of this course is to provide a fundamental understanding of the materials, techniques and processes used in the art and design process.

Our purpose is to guide your learning supplying you with essential knowledge of how to use the creative process, research methods, idea and concept development, the use of appropriate materials and methods, evaluation and reflection of creative practice. During your time on the course you will receive dedicated support from our experienced tutors who each have experience in the industry and their own specialisms within the subject.

During the course you will cover a wide range of photographic topics such as fashion, wildlife, portraiture, landscape, documentary and experimental processes. The course offers students access to both traditional and modern resources, including a fully functioning darkroom and processing lab. The course also has its own studio spaces, which are fitted with modern, industry-standard equipment.

All students also have access to our stores facility, which is fully-stocked with a wide range of both traditional film and modern digital cameras.

Next course dates

Start date	Location	Duration
02 Sep 2024	University Centre	1 Year	Apply now
01 Sep 2025	University Centre	1 Year	Apply now

Where can this subject lead?

Career progression

The majority of our Level 2 students progress onto the Level 3 Photography course at Blackpool and The Fylde College.

At Level 3 you will develop the skills you have learned at Level 2 as well as becoming more self-directed and independent in your studies.

The Level 3 course is a two year course with the first year working towards greater autonomy and the second producing your own brief and working on your own photography practice.

You may alternatively apply for a Level 3 Creative Apprenticeship to gain further qualifications in the workplace.

Whatever you decide, the qualification, skills and portfolio you gain through this course will undoubtedly help you achieve your goals.

Key information

Entry Requirements

4 GCSEs grade 3 - 1 including English and Maths, along with the following:

A successful interview with a tutor
The ability to study independently
A genuine interest in the subject
Good communication skills
Hardworking approach towards the industry

Qualification obtained

Diploma in Art and Design

Fees and funding

Students who are 18 or under pay no course fees. Read our tuition fees guide for students 19 and over.

Extra costs and equipment

As part of the course you have access to our fully stocked stores facility with both digital and traditional cameras.

You don’t need your own camera as part of your course but you still may use your own if you wish.

You will need the following equipment to ensure you get the most out of the course:

A4 sketchbook - please stick to A4 size as they are easy to transport and take up less room in your bag. Cheap sketchbooks are available from The Works for approximately £2
Stationery - pen, pencil, ruler, rubber and coloured pens to add a creative edge to your developmental journals
SD memory card - these are relatively cheap and are essential for any photographer. A 16GB one would be more than sufficient and can be purchased for approximately £5-£8 from Amazon
16GB USB drive - this will help you with file management and can also be purchased for around £5 from Amazon
Card reader - these can be easy to find on the internet and again are good to have your own as they are an essential piece of kit for any photographer. These are available from any electrical-goods retailer, and are also on Amazon for approximately £7

Regulation and Accreditation

Accrediting Institution: N/A

Awarding Body: UAL

Regulatory Body: Ofsted

Terms and conditions

Read our full terms and conditions for more information.

What will I learn?

The units you will study are as follows:

Introduction to materials, processes and technical skills in art and design
Introduction to contextual research in art and design
Introduction to drawing Skills
Introduction to communication skills in art and design
Solving 2D creative problems
Solving 3D creative problems
Solving time-based problems
Developing an art and design project

Essential skills: English and Maths

If you achieve a grade 3 in GCSE Maths or English you will have to work towards re-sitting these subjects as part of your main study programme.

At B&FC, this won't delay your career journey because you're working towards these subjects at the same time as your chosen subject.

Industry placement, field trips and guest speakers

As part of the course you will be taking in part in a number of different live briefs relating to commercial photography and photographic practice.

These briefs will be set by external agencies and will give you a greater understanding of working for a client and meeting the requirements of their brief.

All students will complete 30 hours of compulsory work experience as part of the course.

Throughout the year we also run many trips, both locally and nationally, relevant to the various topics covered during assignments.

All organised trips are free for Level 2 students.

How will I learn?

There are 14 hours of main programme classes at Level 2.

There are additional teaching hours allocated on timetables for English and Maths commitments.

We expect students to be using any free time on their timetable to continue their studies independently, and assignment photoshoots are to be completed outside of timetabled classes. Each student will also compete 30 hours of work experience during the course.

Our classes use a mixture of teaching and learning methods, including researching and discussing the work of others to help influence and inspire our ideas.

We use demonstrations and active participation to help develop technical skills and creative processes.

Your developmental work, research and photographs will be collated and submitted in sketchbooks for assessment at the end of each assignment.

Expert tutors

All of the tutors on the course are working or have worked in the industry and had images published and shown work at numerous exhibitions. All of our tutors have higher levels of education in photographic subject specific areas and years of experience to support and encourage your development, no matter what style of photography you are interested in.

Current tutors are regularly published in magazines and also write feature articles, with additional specialist knowledge in digital imaging, VR, graphic design, personal branding and social media marketing.

Many of our tutors have been involved in running their own businesses which provides additional support for students who are looking to earn and gain real-world experience whilst studying or for those thinking of setting up a business when progressing from our course.

Whilst on the course you will be able to work with staff to produce imagery for a range of external clients during our live briefs thus giving you a greater understanding of the photographic industries.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment is based purely on coursework, there is no exam. The course consists of 8 subject units.

Each unity set has a broad and open theme which is open to interpretation and allows you to tailor the course to your photographic interests.

You will receive verbal and written feedback for each completed unit alongside more informal discussion of your progress during tutorials.

All units are mandatory and equally weighted towards your final qualification.

The units are worked into assignments, so you will be assessed on each assignment submitted against the unit criteria.

Your development work, research and photographs will be collated and submitted in sketchbooks for assessment at the end of each assignment and you will receive written and verbal feedback on your assessment after marking.