Overview
Creatively innovative and industry focused
This distinctive course builds on the principles and conventions of photography to explore contemporary image-making, using a variety of image capture, manipulation and processing techniques. You'll work with cameras, scanning, photogrammetry, CGI and computer vision, and learn key critical theory that underpins photography.
The course addresses those students with a curiosity in relation to expanded photographic and media practices, technologies, and contexts and who are seeking to produce a creative and resolved body of work using an expanded range of techniques drawn from current practice in photography and new media. As artistic and commercial practices evolve, students need to be able to understand, use and critically evaluate innovative practices across a range of destinations and working contexts. This course is intended to equip you for change.
On completion of the course, you will have the opportunity to showcase your creative production in a public facing graduation show, which evidences to employers that you are ready for a career in an ever-changing digital and technological landscape. You will graduate with an impressive portfolio of original photographic work.
Student showcase
Home Work 2020 features the fantastic work of our 2020 graduates. The book showcases 37 individual projects, while also creating a unique record of this extraordinary year.
You can also view a range of current student work on our dedicated Instagram account @lsbu_photo
Why study Photography and Imaging at LSBU?
- power-off
- We are ranked joint 2nd in UK and 1st in London for career prospects in Film Production & Photography (Guardian University Guide, 2021).
- camera-retro
- Work across documentary, editorial, commercial and gallery-based photography.
- magic
- Get access to high-spec kit (digital SLRs, medium format cameras, large format print and mount lab) at our multi-million pound studio facilities, so you can develop creatively and technically, at Elephant Studios.
- fast-forward
- Get agency experience working for South Bank Collective – LSBU's registered commercial creative agency.
- users
- Grow your networks by attending guest lectures and participating in live briefs and collaborations with industry professionals.
- comments
- Start to focus on specialist skills in 2D and 3D image creation as early as the second semester in your first year.
ModeFull-time | Duration3 years | Start dateSeptember | Application codeW213 | Application method UCAS |
Location
London South Bank University student union is located at 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA.
If you are visiting our Southwark Campus, you may wish to use our downloadable campus map (PNG File 466 KB). For information on accessibility, see our DisabledGo access guides. See our location page for more details.
Register your interest
Entry Level Requirements
- A Level BCC or;
- BTEC National Diploma DMM or;
- Access to HE qualifications with 9 Distinctions 36 Merits or;
- Equivalent Level 3 qualifications worth 106 UCAS points
- Applicants must hold 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English or equivalent (reformed GCSEs grade 4 or above)
- We welcome qualifications from around the world. English language qualifications for international students: IELTS score of 6.0 or Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced Grade C.
Portfolio
Offers for this course will be made on the basis of your UCAS application and a portfolio of work (15- 25 images). You'll be notified by email with advice about how to upload your online portfolio, once we have received your UCAS application.
When putting together your portfolio think carefully about how best to represent your work and your interests in photography. If possible ask your current tutors for advice when putting your portfolio together. Generally it is best to show work from projects, rather than lots of unconnected images. These could be projects you have completed as part of your education, or personal work that you have done.
We also consider applications from those who have gained relevant skills through a wide range of vocational qualifications or responsible experience.
Choose your country
Select country here:
Advanced entry
If you have already completed some studies at another university, we may be able to consider you for advanced entry. Please see our advanced entry page for more information.
Course status
United Kingdom
£9250
Tuition fees for home students
International
£15900
Tuition fees for international students
Tuition fees are subject to annual inflationary increases. Find out more about tuition fees
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Full-time
full-time
BA (Hons) Photography and Imaging (FT) - Year 1
UK fee: £9250 International fee: £15900 AOS/LSBU code: 5789 Session code: 1FS00 Total course fee: UK: £27750 International: £47700 BA (Hons) Photography and Imaging (FT) - Year 2
UK fee: £9250 International fee: £15900 AOS/LSBU code: 5789 Session code: 2FS00 Total course fee: UK: £27750 International: £47700 BA (Hons) Photography and Imaging (FT) - Year 3
UK fee: £9250 International fee: £15900 AOS/LSBU code: 5789 Session code: 3FS00 Total course fee: UK: £27750 International: £47700
For more information, including how and when to pay, see our fees and funding section for undergraduate students.
Please check your fee status and whether you are considered a Home, EU or International student for fee-paying purposes and for our regulatory returns, by reading the UKCISA regulations.
See our Tuition Fees Regulations (PDF File 391 KB) and Refund Policy (PDF File 775 KB).
Possible fee changes
The University reserves the right to increase its fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions.
The fees for international students are reviewed annually and the University reserves the right to increase the tuition fees in line with the RPIX measure of inflation up to 4 per cent.
Scholarships
We offer several types of fee reduction through our scholarships and bursaries. Find the full list and other useful information on our scholarships page.
International students
The course is not currently open to international students.
International (non Home) applicants should follow our international how to apply guide.
Home/EU applicants
Mode Full-time | Duration 3 years | Start date September | Application code W213 | Application method UCAS |
All full-time undergraduate students apply to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) using the University's Institution Code L75. Full details of how to do this are supplied on our How to apply webpage for undergraduate students.
All part-time students should apply directly to London South Bank University and full details of how to do this are given on our undergraduate How to apply webpage.
As well as applying through UCAS, international students (non-EU) may complete the LSBU Direct Application Form (DOC File 316 KB) and email it, along with scanned copies of supporting documents, to: international.admissions@lsbu.ac.uk. We need to be emailed scanned copies of the following documents with your application:
- academic certificates and transcripts
- English Language qualifications (if applicable)
- passport (photo and ID page)
- copies of all UK visas (if applicable)
Accommodation
Students should apply for accommodation at London South Bank University (LSBU) as soon as possible, once we have made an offer of a place on one of our academic courses. Read more about applying for accommodation at LSBU.
Finance
It's a good idea to think about how you'll pay university tuition and maintenance costs while you're still applying for a place to study. Remember – you don't need to wait for a confirmed place on a course to start applying for student finance. Read how to pay your fees as an undergraduate student.
This innovative course offers a practical route into the rapidly evolving field of photography and image-making techniques. There will be an inter-disciplinary first semester, where you will work collaboratively with students studying media production, game design & development, and music & sound design to enhance your digital media production skills and to develop your ability to work effectively in a team.
From the second semester onwards, students will have the opportunity to research and experiment with different forms of photographic and other 2D and 3D image creation, as well as to collaborate with students on the other creative technology courses. Aligned with active research and drawing upon technical expertise within the School, students will be able to apply their creative skills and specialist knowledge to a wide range of related industries, such as photography, art and design, fashion, games, tourism, heritage, architecture, and health.
All the time you’ll be developing a portfolio of your own creative work and commercial commissions. Take a look at students’ recent work for some creative inspiration. They’ll be opportunities to showcase your work at exhibitions inside and outside the University.
Modules are assessed by projects, essays and presentations. Methods of assessment for course overall: 100% coursework.
Year 1
- Remix. Remake. Recycle.
This module introduces you to a range of approaches to contextual research and academic critique in relation to contemporary practice in the Creative Industries. By exploring key themes across a range of creative disciplines, you will gain perspective and insight into current debates within the creative sector. By extending your frame of reference, you will gain a better understanding of how to contextualise your own creative practice through the lens of history. - Sound and Vision
One half of this module will focus on developing your visual literacy, so that you can better interpret the meaning or intent behind images. In the other half of this module, you will focus on developing an understanding of the impact sound has on how we perceive events and experiences. Taken together, these explorations will provide you with critical knowledge and understanding that you can apply to the production of your own audio-visual projects, using cameras, recording devices, and audio-visual editing software. - Creative Agency
A creative agency consists of a team of experts with different areas of expertise working together to deliver a project in response to a design brief. In this module, students will work together to deliver creative solutions to a range of creative design briefs. In so doing, you will get a taste of how effective collaboration happens between specialist disciplines within the Creative Industries. - Photographic Workflows
The module will develop your skills in image capture, in the studio and on location, working with available light, flash and continuous lighting. Making use of digital postproduction techniques, you will develop retouching and image manipulation skills. Responding to briefs both individually and as part of a team, you will develop your ability to produce visually inventive, creative imagery for screen and print. Essentials of production workflow will include file management, sequencing, and presentation for a range of professional contexts. - Photographic Genres
In this module you will be introduced to an understanding of genre and its myriad implications, aesthetically, socially, and professionally. Identifying where genre intersects with technique, you will extend your reach in exploring links between genre and audience. You will create a portfolio of images of a conceptual and technical quality that’s representative of an identifiable genre. On completion of the project you will present your portfolio of work to a panel in the format of a portfolio review. - Emergence of Photography
This module offers a thematic approach to studying photography from the earliest experiments in the 1830s to the digital forms of today. This story is a multifaceted adventure that takes us to the centre of art and visual culture of the last 200 years. The emphasis is on connections between theory and practice, word and image, and developing your abilities to articulate yourself when writing and speaking about images.
Year 2
- Expanded Photographic Practice
In this module, you are encouraged to extend your skills to include established and innovative methods and processes, and engage with opportunities offered by new and emerging technologies. Critical evaluation of established and emerging imaging technologies and presentation strategies is developed through guided and self-directed practical research. Collaboration on a final year production will allow for the development of ambitious public-facing work which anticipates meaningful interaction with identified audiences. - Image-Text
The combination of image and text is essential to provide and exchange information. Enriching images with words, and words with images, is more important now than ever, especially in the context of growing interest in AI. In this module we move from traditional image analysis such as the captioning of images, to the increased importance of metadata and semantic information. We ask how both images and texts are “read” and “seen” by both humans and machines. - Making Public
In this practice-based module you will create a body of creative work for public display. Briefings and seminars examine the wider political, cultural and social contexts of what it is to make work public. In consultation with your tutor, you will examine and identify an appropriate forum to showcase your work. Through visual and theoretical research you will explore an identified public sphere as a means for disseminating work and creating an audience. - Contemporary Debates
This module prepares you for the critically advanced research and production required for your final year projects. The focus is on building a literature review utilising topics, theories, and case studies relevant to your areas of interest. You will be introduced to a range of exercises in research and knowledge production designed to help develop and extend your confidence as researchers and creative practitioners. - Professional Development and Employability
This module offers you an opportunity to engage with your professional practice and career expectations in a variety of ways, by offering a flexible approach to exploring the multitude of routes into employment or self-employment within the Creative Industries. You will have the opportunity to further your career ambitions through identifiable activities such as work placements, entrepreneurial activity, business planning, creative collaboration, self-promotion, and industry engagement through organised events such as conferences, festivals or design competitions. - Interdisciplinary Practice
In this module you are encouraged to diversify your core skillset by engaging in either collaborative or independent investigation within the broader Creative Industries. You will be offered the opportunity to choose from a selection of topics for practical exploration that intersect with your own specialist discipline. In this sense the teaching, learning and investigation is geared towards the production of an interdisciplinary practical output, either independently or as a collaborative endeavour, dependant on the nature of the topic being explored.
Year 3
- Pilot Major Project
This module develops your individual practice within your specialist area. Research into historic and contemporary theory and practice will enable you to develop a critical framework in which to consider your final year project. The emphasis will be on developing working methods to curate and complete a self-directed project within a specialist area of practice, and to communicate this through a fully formed proposal. - Major Project
This module will provide you with the platform to showcase your abilities and skills through a sustained, self-directed body of work in your chosen discipline. The first part of the module focuses on the development of research and practical skills as a foundation for your final major project. You will then manage your own learning under the guidance of your supervisor. The module is designed to allow you to immerse yourself into a particular area of interest, allowing you the chance to shape your future career through a major piece of authentic work. - Research Project
The final year Research Project module gives you the opportunity to conduct original research in an area of particular interest. It allows you to engage more critically with theories, topics and methods encountered on your course. You will manage your own learning under the guidance of an academic supervisor. The module is organized around lectures, seminars, and one-to-one supervisions. The Research Project form and structure is developed in consultation with your supervisor, who you will meet regularly for 1:1 tutorials. - Professional Practice and Portfolio
The module has been designed to assist you with the transition from university to employment. The focus will be on identifying current opportunities in your sector, through a combination of research, guest lecturers and visits to production facilities. By the end of this module, you are expected to have completed a portfolio of work that you can show to potential employers.
Careers
Employability Service
At LSBU, we want to set you up for a successful career. During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you’ll have access to our Employability Service, which includes:
- An online board where you can see a wide range of placements: part-time, full-time or voluntary. You can also drop in to see our Job Shop advisers, who are always available to help you take the next step in your search.
- Our Careers Gym offering group workshops on CVs, interview techniques and finding work experience, as well as regular presentations from employers across a range of sectors.
Our Student Enterprise team can also help you start your own business and develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.
Our staff are all professional photographers, writers or curators and are actively engaged in a range of practices, from commercial work, to publishing and exhibiting.
We have research links with:
There is a regular and extensive guest lecturer programme, where professionals from different areas of the photography industry talk to the students about their own work, and their career path. Recent guests have included:
- Nadav Kandar: Photographer
- Guy Martin: Photographer
- Ana Cuba: Photographer
- Hannah Perry: Artist
- ScanLab Projects: 3D Photographic Visualisation
- Ian Coulson: Music Photographer
- Lou Bowan: Photo director at Making Pictures
- Russell Boyce: Picture Editor Reuters Pictures
- Felicity Hammond: Artist
- Emma Bowkett: Director of Photography Financial Times
- Laura Pannack: Photographer
- Dafna Talmour: Photographer
- Franklyn Rodgers: Photographer
- Tom Hunter: Photographer
You'll undertake work experience in both the second and third years of your degree. You'll be supported in finding work experience by the staff team, the university's employability service, and the guest lecturer programme.