Photography with Foundation Year
Photography is a discipline that combines technical control of the camera and the image with the creative and conceptual decisions about what to photograph, how to frame it and what the resulting image means. It is one of the most versatile visual practices, operating across art, journalism, advertising, fashion, documentary and scientific imaging, and serious photographic education develops skills that are applicable across all these contexts. At the University of Salford, this four-year full-time degree includes a foundation year, giving you additional creative and technical preparation before the main degree begins, and is taught in a city with a vibrant arts and media sector that provides an immediate context for creative practice.
You will develop your technical skills in camera operation, studio lighting, location work and digital post-production alongside the conceptual and critical thinking that distinguishes a photographer who understands what they are doing from one who simply takes competent pictures. The foundation year introduces you to the visual arts broadly, helping you understand how photography relates to other visual practices and developing your ability to see as well as to shoot. As you progress, you will develop your own photographic voice through sustained project work across a range of approaches from documentary and portraiture to still life, fashion and conceptual image-making.
A typical tariff of around 88 points is expected.
Graduates work as photographers across commercial, editorial, advertising, wedding, event, documentary and art photography contexts, and many pursue portfolio careers that combine several of these. Others move into related roles in art direction, photo editing, picture research, visual content creation and photography education. The range of professional opportunities for photographers has broadened significantly with the growth of digital content across all industries, and graduates with strong technical and creative skills find roles across a very wide range of employers and contexts.