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In the UK for Art and Design in Complete University Guide 2024

Fashion Photography BA (Hons)

Start date

  • Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
  • Typical Offer: 104 - 112 UCAS tariff points
  • UCAS Code(s): W641
  • Start Date(s):
  • Duration: 3 / 4 year(s)
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time / Sandwich
  • Campus: City Campus
Information for 2024

Introduction:

Fashion Photography is evolving. Fashion images are no longer viewed passively and the line between image capture and image creation are blurring. Your role as tomorrows Fashion Photographer is to imagine both new possibilities for the creator, and new experiences for the viewer. Then bring them to life.

Using both traditional and cutting-edge, immersive approaches to picture-making, this course provides you with critical, ethical and professional tools to express your identity and create new and better visions of the world. Through live and simulated assignments, you’ll be collaborating with dancers, film-makers, musicians, games designers and more. You’ll be learning from an award winning academic team who’s client lists include amongst others Vogue, i-D, Rolling Stone, GQ, Paul Smith, Levis and Swiss Army. Working together you will be creating, pitching and submitting work direct to Publishers, Art Directors, Art-Buyers and Designers, as well as entering International Competitions.

During the three years you will experience every moment of the creative process, from inspiration to concept development. From pitch to production. You will learn how to control light in-camera, in the studio, on location and in post-production. You’ll capture beautiful images and create seductive experiences. You’ll work in stills, in film, in-game, online and more, you’ll help define how we’ll experience the future of Fashion Photography.

  • Develop your professional skills through live projects, industry competitions, and collaborations with organisations. You will also benefit from our guest lecturer series, with speakers from a range of photographic practices.
  • During your time here, you will be given the opportunity to showcase your work to members of the creative industries and develop a professional portfolio tailored to your own career aspirations.
  • You’ll have the opportunity to complete a work experience placement of up to a year in length. Dependent on the duration of your placement, you could gain an additional Diploma or Certificate in Professional Practice.

What you’ll study

Using both traditional and cutting-edge, immersive approaches to picture-making, live and simulated, this course provides you with the professional expertise to express your identity and vision of the world through fashion photography.

Fashion Behind the Lens

This module provides the technical foundation to the course, providing students with the knowledge and skills to use a wide range of   traditional image-capture technologies and techniques, both film-based and digital. Students will be encouraged to access and experiment with the course’s extensive inventory of professional-grade equipment. Alongside developing technical know-how, the module also builds on issues encountered in the “History, Contexts and Near Future of Photography” module, encouraging students to focus their thinking through a fashion-specific lens.

Fashion Beyond the Lens

This module builds on the foundational “Behind the lens” module, encouraging students to experiment with moving image, immersive technologies, AI and sound. Alongside exploring the latest and emergent digital capture technologies, students will continue to develop their understanding of the key issues pertinent to fashion and lifestyle contexts. Fashion-specific case-studies are again used to contextualise key themes examined in the accompanying lecture series, with students tasked to respond creatively through a bi-weekly work cycle. The emphasis is on experimentation and innovation, with students working toward the creation of new experiences and possibilities for Fashion Photography.

History, Context and Near-Future of Photography

This module begins students on a journey they will undertake as photographer, subject and audience, through Photography’s ever-expanding world.

It encourages you to explore the photographic world through global, historical, technological, ethical and theoretical perspectives, providing a foundational toolkit for conceptualising and contextualising their practice.

You will understand the huge cultural influence that photography has in society as the module challenges you to rethink what you know about the subject.

Through a combination of interactive-lectures and research-driven, presentational tasks, the module challenges students to rethink what they know about the subject and develop a vocabulary that will further your visual literacy and professional integrity.

CoLab: Research, Exploration and Risk-Taking

Through active participation with team-based problem-solving, you will work together in mixed teams on a project where you will use your creative ideas to generate solutions to the challenge or brief. Your project will allow you to explore how creativity can make an impact in society, as you choose a theme of sustainability, social justice, enterprise and innovation or community. This collaborative learning experience will expose you to a range of new processes and approaches that will develop your creative thinking.

Fashion Assignments

This module offers students the opportunity to further develop and apply the thematic and practical tools accrued in the first year, through a series of live fashion assignments. The emphasis is on moving creatively from interpreting a client brief, to ideas, to realisation, enabling students to interrogate their own creative process while ensuring that the client’s intent is clearly and compellingly communicated. The bi-weekly production cycle is maintained, with students directed to foster creative and collaborative approaches to problem solving through a series of briefs representing different career strands and outputs.

Fashion Lab

This module offers students an open and creative platform to further develop their ideas and more freely pursue their aesthetic vision from the end of Level 4. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own personal skills and passions as part of their creative investigations, without commercial expectation of a fully resolved outcome. The module functions as an experimental and innovative play-space that informs and is informed by participants’ visions for the fashion industry and their reflections on the “The History, Context and Near Future of Photography” module.

Optional Modules 

Optional modules are mandatory across all our courses and enable you to personalise your studies by choosing from up to eight optional modules. This is a great opportunity to expand your learning and discover new areas of interest to inspire your work, influence your future career, or postgraduate study.

  • Publishing: Experimental Formats
  • Telling Stories
  • Music Video
  • Sound Art & Design
  • Ethical Design
  • Digital Marketing & Communication

Optional Placement Year (Sandwich)*

We have an option for all of our students to undertake a placement year (Sandwich) and allow you to decide whether this is right for you once you have completed years 1 and 2 of your course. This time spent working in industry provides our students with crucial work experience, which is highly prized and much sought after by employers upon graduation. If you are successful in securing a placement you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration.

* If you choose to take the sandwich route option, you will still need to apply for this course with the full-time UCAS code: W641

Sketchpad

Sitting at the foot of the third and final year, this short module requires students to apply their learning over a series of discursive workshops. These sessions respond to the themes and issues brought up in the concurrent “Recent Past and Near Future of…” case study series. Short-form practical reflections are required of the student through a series of ethically, culturally and technologically focused tasks, at the same time affording the student creative latitude to develop signature responses.

Launchpad

As the longest of the practical modules, this is where students finalise and launch their campaigns for audience engagement. It is where their passion and creative vision take form as a physical or digital interface between creator and prospective client, collaborator and/or employer (audience). It is for the student to imagine their perfect brief without fear, concern or limit; to own the fullest expression of its creative resolution.

As this is a self-directed module, students lead the way, with lecturers taking a supporting role throughout, providing guidance through regular formative feedback.

The Recent Past and Near Future of Creative Storytelling

This module introduces students to a range of internationally recognised figures drawn from the fashion industry, academia and popular culture. It facilitates student engagement with a wide range of questions, concerns, ideas and practices that are animating the fashion world. The module brings student thinking into live and direct contact with industry, enabling them to road-test their theories, pitch their ideas and make valuable real-world connections. The series offers students invaluable opportunities to research connected audiences (both technologically and thematically connected) from their position at the centre of the discussion.

Video Gallery

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How you’re taught

You will be taught through a variety of teaching and learning experiences which will include:

  • lectures and seminars
  • studio workshops
  • darkrooms
  • on-location practical demonstrations
  • portfolio reviews
  • tutorials
  • live projects
  • study trips
  • peer and self-evaluation.

You will also benefit from one-to-one surgeries, portfolio reviews, and self-initiated work experience.

International exchanges and study trips

Go on organised study trips to galleries, exhibitions and cultural cities, both in the UK and in Europe. Recent destinations have included:  Hepworth Gallery, Yorkshire; Paris Photo; European Month of Photography, and Berlin.

If you’re thinking about studying part of your degree abroad, the course has exchange agreements with a number of institutions around the world.

Exchanges take place in Year Two of the course. You’ll receive guidance from the university about where you can go and study, and help in completing your application and arranging your exchange.

Recent destinations include FAMU, Czech Republic; Universitat de Barcelona, Spain; École Supérieure d’Art et Design, France; and RMIT, Australia.

Showcase

You will be given the opportunity to exhibit your work during your time at NTU to members of the creative industries. Visit our ‘We Are Creatives’ showcase to take a look at the work of this year's graduating students’.

You may also have the chance to be selected to exhibit your work at graduate exhibitions in London, such as New Designers and Free Range.

Contact hours

  • Year 1 lectures/seminars/workshops (24%), independent study (76%)
  • Year 2 lectures/seminars/workshops (21%), independent study (79%)
  • Year 3 lectures/seminars/workshops (23%), independent study (77%)

Further information

NTU is in the UK’s Top 15 for Art & Design in the Complete University Guide 2023 (Ranked 15th).

Staff Profiles

Mr Jonathan Worth - Principal Lecturer

Nottingham School of Art & Design

Jonathan provides academic leadership, strategic and operational management within the subject area, whilst also seeking commercial and collaborative opportunities.

Timothy Rundle - Principal Lecturer

Nottingham School of Art & Design

Principle Lecturer across the Department of Fashion Management, Marketing and Communication, contributing to 6 Undergraduate course and 4 Postgraduate programmes. Subject specialist in Visual Literacy and design communication, with a…

How you’re assessed

Further information

NTU is in the UK’s Top 15 for Art & Design in the Complete University Guide 2023 (Ranked 15th).

  • Year 1 coursework (100%)
  • Year 2 coursework (100%)
  • Year 3 coursework (83%), practical exams (17%)

Careers and employability

The course prepares you for a career in Fashion photography or photo-related activities. Depending on your particular interest, you will identify your practice, and research picture agencies, image libraries, organisations, and photographers' agents.

You'll learn about proposals and CVs; how to cost your work; how to prepare estimates and invoices; and your rights, responsibilities and obligations as a photographer.

You’ll enhance your employability through things like live projects, guest lectures, industry visits, and work experience.

Students work across a range of creative industries when they graduate. Roles include:

  • Fashion Photographer
  • Product Photographer​
  • Art Director​
  • Director of Photography​
  • Art Buyer​
  • Photo Editor​
  • Content Production​
  • Location Scout​
  • Retoucher​
  • Lighting Director​
  • Campaign Designer​
  • Visual Strategist​
  • Entrepreneur / Business Owner / Change Agent

YouFirst – working with our Employability team

Studying a creative degree in a large university has many benefits, none more so than having access to a large employability team.

Our friendly, experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice you won't find in a book or on the internet. You can benefit from this at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course.

Connecting with industry

You’ll benefit from industry professionals from a range of photographic and creative industries practices visiting the course to guest lecture and share their experience. Recent events run by industry organisations for our students include:

  • Genesis Imaging, London: bursary scheme
  • Alamy 100% Student project: designed to promote, showcase and sell student images through an international picture library.
  • Colorama brief: working with Vitec Manfrotto.
  • The Hive: a live photographic project brief working with freelancers, in conjunction with Santander.
  • Art UK Shadowing: opportunities for students to shadow photographers on commissioned projects.

Creative Industries Federation

We are members of the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), which means students in the Nottingham School of Art & Design have the opportunity to sign up to free student membership. Creative Industries Federation are an organisation that represents, champions and supports the UK’s creative industries and membership grants students exclusive access to their selection of resources and events to help advance your career and connect with industry.

Campus and facilities

Entry requirements

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

  • Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
  • Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications

Other requirements

Contextual offers

A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.

Other qualifications and experience

We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.

Meeting our entry requirements

Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS tariff points attached to specific grades, including A levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

  • 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications

Other requirements

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)

If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:

English language requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3

You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before.  This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Fees and funding

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.

Getting in touch

For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494

What's included in the course fees?

The School will cover the costs of any mandatory study trips.

In Final Year, the Nottingham School of Art & Design will provide infrastructure costs for your Showcase. If you’re selected to showcase your work at a graduate show in London, the School will cover the cost of transporting your work and the exhibition stand.

Additional costs

Print and copy costs

We advise you to budget between £50 - £250 (minimum) per year for printing costs.

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.

Material costs

Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a minimum of £100 (Year One), £150 (Year Two), and £500 (Final Year) to cover the production costs associated to your course, including things like your final year work. Of course, you may spend less or more than this depending on the nature of your studies.

Stationery and reading materials

Most study modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary between courses and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s.

A good supply of these essential text books are available in the University libraries, which students can easily borrow or access directly whilst studying in the library.

You should budget between £50 - £100 per year (minimum) for stationery and reading materials.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may also be an opportunity to take part in an optional field trip to a European destination that will be tailored to suit your course.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

If you undertake work experience or a longer placement, you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration.  The Diploma in Professional Practice incurs a fee for the additional placement year.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.

You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies. We award scholarships to those international students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion, and dedication to their studies.

Please take a look at our International students page for information about fees, scholarships for international students, visas and much more.

Getting in touch

For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494

What's included in the course fees?

The School will cover the costs of any mandatory study trips.

In Final Year, the Nottingham School of Art & Design will provide infrastructure costs for your Showcase. If you’re selected to showcase your work at a graduate show in London, the School will cover the cost of transporting your work and the exhibition stand.

Additional costs

Print and copy costs

We advise you to budget between £50 - £250 (minimum) per year for printing costs.

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.

Material costs

Depending on the materials you choose to work with, you should budget a minimum of £100 (Year One), £150 (Year Two), and £500 (Final Year) to cover the production costs associated to your course, including things like your final year work. Of course, you may spend less or more than this depending on the nature of your studies.

Stationery and reading materials

Most study modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary between courses and further information is available in the University’s bookshop, Blackwell’s.

A good supply of these essential text books are available in the University libraries, which students can easily borrow or access directly whilst studying in the library.

You should budget between £50 - £100 per year (minimum) for stationery and reading materials.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may also be an opportunity to take part in an optional field trip to a European destination that will be tailored to suit your course.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

If you undertake work experience or a longer placement, you will have the chance to gain an additional Certificate or Diploma in Professional Practice, dependent on duration.  The Diploma in Professional Practice incurs a fee for the additional placement year.

How to apply

Apply through UCAS.

We will ask you to provide a digital portfolio. Visit our webpage which has some advice on what to include to help make your portfolio stand out. After you have submitted your portfolio, we may also invite you to an online interview to help us make our final decision.

Keeping up to date

If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions team or call +44 (0)115 848 4200.

You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Your portfolio 

If your initial application is successful, you may be asked to upload a portfolio of your work and you may also be asked to attend an interview.

Portfolio advice

Would you like some advice on your study plans? 

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.