The Complete Photography Short Course
Course description
Course overview
This 20-week course offers individuals an in-depth exploration of photographic techniques, combining theoretical lectures with hands-on, practical exercises. Students will engage with a wide range of photographic processes - Digital, Analogue, Camera-less, 3D photogrammetry - building on both technical and creative skills.
Students will be taken through a program of learning experiences and workshops designed to develop their understanding of photography; beginning with the fundamentals on using digital camera controls within a creative context. Students will then be introduced to 35mm analogue photography which will include black and white film processing and darkroom printing. Following this there will be multiple sessions in the photography studios using flashlights to learn about studio and location lighting.
Building on these foundations, students will go on to work with colour analogue photography where they will practice processing and colour darkroom printing, using medium format cameras (digital and analogue) to take studio still life photos and using a large format camera (5x4) for studio portraiture. There will be sessions covering different types of alternative processes, such as cyanotypes, liquid light, and pinhole photography and as part of understanding how photography is progressing there will also be an introduction to 3D capture and photogrammetry.
In the final weeks, students will be given the opportunity to refine their own personal approach and learn how to contextualise their work to develop their own practice with confidence. Students will present a selection of their work made on the course to the group for feedback and review.
This course will provide a strong foundation in both traditional and contemporary photographic practices, making it ideal for those looking to expand their skills and knowledge of photography. The work produced on the course could be used within a professional portfolio context or for application purposes for further educational development.
Please note: This course runs on Saturdays. There will be no access to the facilities or tutors outside of Saturday class time.
Students are encouraged to continue developing their practice outside of course hours, although this is entirely optional.
Who this course is for
This course is ideal for anyone with an interest in photography and a desire to deepen their understanding of the medium. No formal experience is required-the course is structured to support students at all levels, guiding them from beginner techniques through to more advanced practices. It helps build both technical skills and creative confidence, showing how photography can be used to create compelling and meaningful images.
Key information
Topics covered
- Photographic skills: capturing images, post-production, analogue and digital photography, lighting, alternative processes
- Approaches for photographic practices
- Portfolio presentation
- Contextualising photographic practices
Term 1:
Weeks 1-2: Fundamentals of Photography: Introduction to digital photography, camera settings, depth of field, shutter speed, and creative composition.
Weeks 3-6: B&W Analogue + Post-production: 35mm B&W film photography, including shooting cityscapes, film processing, scanning, contact sheets, basic postproduction, and darkroom printing.
Weeks 7-10: Introduction to colour film, studio portraiture, light metering, color processing and printing, and studio-based creative shoots.
Term 2:
Weeks 11-13: Location lighting techniques and medium format photography focused on still life, with colour film processing and scanning.
Weeks 14: 3D image capture through photogrammetry.
Weeks 15-17: Advanced analogue practices including large-format (5x4), alternative processes: liquid light, pinhole, and cyanotypes.
Weeks 18-20: Contextualising the photographic practice
Weeks 19-20: Self-directed sessions with final presentation.
Learning outcomes
- Have an understanding of camera controls to achieve a range of different photographic outcomes.
- Have learnt how to develop a photographic practice through practice-based learning and research.
- Have experience with a range of cameras: Analogue: 35mm / Medium format / 5x4 / Pinhole. Digital: 35mm / Medium format. 3D Photogrammetry
- Have expanded their knowledge of processing black & white and colour film, scanning negatives, digital post-production and archiving (Adobe Photoshop), editing for specific contexts within the photographic industry, black & white hand-printing, colour hand-printing, alternative processes (cyanotypes / liquid light), shooting in a studio using flash and location studio using flash, 3D Photogrammetry to scan an object to make a 3D model.
Materials
- Digital camera with a charged battery and SD card ready for shooting
- USB stick containing 6-12 images of your work or access to equivalent cloud storage
Please note: most workshop materials will be provided but during self-directed time you will need to supply the materials you would like to work with
Tutor
Jet Jet
Jet studied at Glasgow School of Art. Assisted various artists and photographers including Wolfgang Tillmans and Rankin. Shoots commercially for editorial and design companies. Exhibits in group shows and one solo show at 1,0000mph project space. Currently working for Central Saint Martins photography department.Daniel Keys
Daniel is a winner of the British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Britain Award and has exhibited in the UK, across Europe, Canada and America. He is currently represented by Millennium Images and Bleur Art, is a member of Film Shooters Collective and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
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