Richmond upon Thames College

Creative Digital Photography

• More course information

  How much does the course cost? All Fees £195

  Are concessions available? No

  Examining Body College Cert

  Is an interview required? No

• What qualification or experience do I need to start the course?

  No formal entry requirements are required, just an interest in improving your photography.

• How will I be taught?

  You will learn how to:

  • Use basic camera controls making effective use of depth of field and shutter speed
  • Select and use a digital camera in both manual and automatic exposure mode
  • See and compose an image in the camera
  • Select and edit images prior to final choice
  • Identify and correct common faults associated with camera operation
  • Select/use zoom function to secure well-composed images
  • Select/use aperture priority/shutter priority controls
  • Use flash and fill flash where available
  • Identify file sizes
  • Select an advantageous camera viewpoint
  • Produce a range of images demonstrating a controlled approach to include lighting, understanding direction, composition of elements and the relationship between the subject and the background

  Through practical projects you will gain awareness of camera handling, composition and viewpoint. You will select and use appropriate camera equipment to take a variety of images. In workshops, you will learn about and test image file types and sizes and gain confidence in recording and distributing images. The course will also provide you with an awareness of scanning and image manipulation using Adobe Photoshop. You will use the College's photographic studio and also work in one of our PC suites.

• How will I be assessed?

  The teacher will record your progress and provide informal regular feedback throughout the course. At the end of your study you will be asked to self-assess your own progress and achievement against the expected achievements as outlined above.

  Although there is no external assessment, you will need to carry out a number of practical projects to demonstrate competence in the skills taught.

  A folio of photographic prints from a variety of themes will be produced. These will include:

  • Two evening field trips to London for landscape photography
  • A studio portrait session
  • A still life studio session
  • Mounting and presenting your work
  • Electronic workbook – this consists of notes on assignment planning, evidence of skills gained and evaluations of images through different stages of the course. The workbook will include images that have been manipulated using Photoshop.

• What qualification will I get?

  You will get a Richmond upon Thames College certificate of achievement.

• What can the course lead to?

  You should be able to take good digital pictures with the technical and artistic expertise you will have gained on the course. You might also decide to progress further with your photographic education.