Photography With Foundation Year

This module supports you in developing connections within your new community as you begin your studies on the Photography programme. Through a series of day shoots you will be supported in developing confidence photographing responsibly in different environments.  

You will engage in creative experimentation with a range of photographic materials and processes, including creative exposure control and selection of focal lengths. You’ll learn industry standard software for developing skills in the editing, design and production of photographic publications.  

By the end of the module, you’ll showcase your skills and experiences through the production of an individual zine and collaborative photo publication. 

How do we know what is true anymore? Can our creative practice make positive change? In this module you will develop your critical, reflective and creative thinking skills through experiential learning. Through lectures and seminars, you will explore ideas about the nature of photographic truth in the age of AI and develop your personal perspective on ethical use of social media. 

This critical reflection will inform the development and distribution of a short video to raise awareness of a real-world issue, developing your skills in content production for diverse audiences. 

This module is your introduction to core learning resources and skills for your creative journey on the Photography programme. You will complete inductions for photographic equipment booking, studios, darkroom and digital print.  

Academic staff will introduce you to university systems and academic standards, supporting you in developing confidence in generating ideas and sharing them with your peers.  

Through the production of digital and analogue photographic prints using New Adelphi facilities you will demonstrate that you can safely and independently access these industry-standard spaces - giving you freedom to explore your photographic practice as a Salford student. 

This module gives you the opportunity to develop professional experience by responding to industry-led photography briefs. You will be able to choose from a range of professional experiences to support your individual interests, working alongside Level 5 students so you can expand your creative community and get to know other students on the Photography programme.  

Specialised skills sessions led by industry will support you in responding to your chosen brief. You will share your outcomes on social media, beginning to build a professional identity as a photographer. Your year group will also receive training in core professional competencies learning how to apply key legal and intellectual property frameworks to your practice. 

What inspires you to photograph? What is your professional community of practice? This module will support you to develop an informed ethical and cultural position for your photographic practice, asking you to reflect on how your personal values and lived experience shape what and how you do.  

You will learn strategies to support your creative resilience as a future professional and understand where your practice fits within the photographic industry. Lectures and seminars will help you to develop an informed understanding of ethical practice in photography.  

Tasks will include the creation of a cultural position presentation which shares your core influences and contextualises your work in relation to industry, and a statement of ethical practice. 

You will develop a self-initiated project in response to your personally defined career goals, giving you creative freedom to produce the work that interests you in a supportive environment.  

You will have the opportunity to co-create technical content for this module. Masterclasses designed to elevate your photographic skill set will be programmed according to your year groups’ interests and professional needs.  

The creation of a document of research and reflection will support the development of your critical writing skills. Group tutorials and a final showcase of your work will enable you to share your learning with other students in your year group. 

In this module you will have the choice to either undertake an industry-led brief with associated skills sessions (as you did in Practice 2) or work placement. As a Level 5 student you will have the opportunity to co-create content for this module – staff will respond to your year groups interests and skill needs in developing industry partnerships on briefs.  

You will demonstrate your developing creative expression and professionalism through the responsible and ethical production and presentation of a photographic output. Practical workshops for your year group will support the development of a professional online identity through website design and use of online networking tools. 

This module is a supportive framework for your progression from student to professional. You will receive personalised guidance in developing and activating a long-term career plan through professional mentoring and networking opportunities.  

By sharing your knowledge and skills with peers you will show that, as a creative professional, you can make a positive contribution to communities of practice. Tasks will include a log of professional activities and the development of a 5 Year Career Plan to support your confident progression from student to professional. 

Your professional networks are essential to your future success. Photographers work with other people and positively contribute to local and global communities. This module asks you to develop a collaboration, demonstrating your creative problem-solving skills in real world practice.  

You will be introduced to tools to support collaborative practice, with academic support in initiating and managing your project to completion within a time-limited framework. You will define the focus of your project. You can work with a charity, community group, industry or students from other discipline areas to co-produce a project to professional standards. 

Practice 5 supports your development towards becoming an independent, critically informed photographer. This module emphasises creative play and experimentation as you research and test ideas in practice working on the development of a major body of work in relation to your personally defined career goals.  

By the end of this module, you will have produced a series of test shoots and a proposal of how to further develop, refine and present your work for professional audiences. The development of your creative practice will be underpinned by a written dissertation demonstrating your ability to critically reflect on the cultural contexts which inform your photography.   

On your final module of BA (Hons) Photography you will produce and present a major body of work, showcasing your professional knowledge and skills to industry and public audiences.  

You will define the focus of your creative practice through your personal values and career goals demonstrating that you are a culturally informed and responsible professional ready to make a positive contribution to industry and society.