Level 3 Extended Diploma in Photography and Digital Skills

When & Where

9 September 2024 - 30 June 2026 ( 540 hours, 35 weeks )
Afternoon, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
View course timetable
Chelsea Centre

Quick Facts

Availability Late starts accepted (course free to 16-18 year olds)
Tutor Multiple
Course Code C24PGYF05A
Suitable For This course is free for 16-18s

What you will learn

The UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Photography and Digital Skills is for students with a passion for photography and digital image making. The course will offer you great opportunities to produce stunning images by exploring camera skills, studio lighting and applying post-production techniques effectively. By using Adobe programmes, such as Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere you will become competent in a variety of digital skills. By specializing in commercial, fashion, portrait, landscape and street photography you will be focusing on skills desired by employers. This is mostly a hands-on course that will give you the opportunity to develop advance photographic and post-production techniques, studio lighting, and b/w darkroom printing. The course will provide you with an exciting experience where you will produce still and moving images for different projects. You will collaborate with others and will learn how to behave as a photographer and to present your photos in a professional way. Our group sizes are small and our team of specialist teachers will guide you and support you to become confident and establish your photographic style. Whether you wish to start your career, or progress to university, this course will provide a solid preparation for your next step. A two-year full-time course, equivalent to three A-Levels, is for those who wish to develop their photographic style and pursue their aspiration for the visual arts. Here you can see some of the work that previous students have produced: https://sites.google.com/morleycollege.ac.uk/morley-ual-l3-photography/home

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Use camera techniques and studio lighting to achieve the desirable effects in your photographs.
Research, plan and realise a project in response to a brief
Optimize the quality of digital photographs using adobe lightroom
Create digital composites using adobe photoshop
Use the b/w darkroom and produce high quality prints
Produce a strong portfolio presented in an online platform

On successful completion of the course, you will achieve the following qualification: Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communication [UAL]

Class format and activities

You will learn actively through workshop-based teaching in our state-of-the-art studio and B/W darkroom. All course materials (project briefs, background notes, handouts, you tube videos, links to galleries etc.) will be available online and accessible via our Virtual Learning Environment Microsoft Teams, as well as recordings and online presentations. Throughout the course you will receive 1 to 1 support and constructive feedback and will be supported to develop your skills and confidence to succeed. Your progress towards achieving your targets will be reviewed regularly. At the end of your studies you will have the opportunity to exhibit a body of your photographic work in the end of year exhibition.

Entry requirements

A good basic knowledge of photography will be an advantage. You will need to have a digital portfolio of your own photographic work that you will present/discuss in your interview. A minimum of 4 x GCSEs at grade 4 or above of which one should be in English or Maths. If you are under 19 and are yet to achieve GCSE English or maths at grade 4 and above, you will be required to enroll on a “Study Programme” that includes these subjects.

What you need to know before you enrol

This course requires study/completion of activities outside of class time. This course is free to 16-18 year olds, if you are over 19 years old you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan. The fee is £8583.00.

What you need

You will need a positive, can-do attitude with plenty of enthusiasm for the creative industries. You will be eager to learn and collaborate with others. It is essential to have access to a DSLR, or mirrorless camera as well as a computer.