Note: Please check the equipment requirements in the Enrolment section to see what is required for each paper.
The programme is made up of the following papers:
Core compulsory papers – all four must be completed:
DDP103 - Practical Photography I (Level 5) 15 credits
Digital cameras have revolutionised photographic practice, both in terms of consumer-level point-and-shoot cameras as well as for high-end professional applications. This paper aims to give students fundamental skills and confidence in using still (as opposed to video) digital cameras and the principles that underpin digital photography.
Given that technology is constantly improving an important aspect of the course is a focus on skills that do not date – composition, lens focal lengths, use of bokeh and so forth. Students may find that a few years after completing the course that much of the technology existing when they did the course is becoming obsolete, but fundamental photographic skills do not change, and a student well versed in fundamental skills will easily adapt to changes in technology.
This paper is a prerequisite (must be done before) for DDP203, DDP207 and DDP231.
DDP106 - Photoshop for Photography (Level 5) 15 credits
Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard still image processing application, and is in wide use not only among photographers but also with multimedia and video editing professionals. This paper deals with the use of Photoshop in relation to digital still photography.
The paper is based around a series of weekly assignments that students will undertake.
This paper is and especially useful counterpart to DDF103 (Digital Still Photography) in that Photoshop functions as a 'digital darkroom' for the digital camera.
Also this paper relates to DDF108 Graphic Design which uses Photoshop as a tool for graphic design.
This paper is a prerequisite (must be done before) for DDP206, DDP207 and DDP231.
DDP203 - Advanced Practical Photography (Level 6) 15 credits
Building on the work undertaken in DDP103, students refine their skills with a series of tasks of increasing difficulty.
DDP103 is the prerequisite for this paper.
DDP207 - Professional Photography (Level 6) 15 credits
In this paper students are given a series of briefs that mimic professional practice in a number of areas, introducing them to the issues faced by photographers in professional practice.
The prerequisites for (papers that must be done before) this paper are DDP103 and DDP106.
Elective papers – choose four from the following:
DDP108 - Graphic Design (Level 5) 15 credits
The graphic design section of this paper deals with the presentation and manipulation of still images and type.
This paper gives students the confidence to use Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements to manipulate images and type, to gain an understanding of design principles, and the ability to apply those principles in a practical context.
The opening sections of the course deal with the basic operation of the software and the fundamentals of design theory. The second section of the course presents the students with a series of design problems of increasing difficulty. This approach allows students to implement the material presented in the opening section in a creative and motivating manner.
The companion paper DDF106 focuses on the use of Photoshop in the preparation of photographic images. Although there is some necessary duplication, the main focus of this paper is on design choice rather than image manipulation.
This paper is a prerequisite for (must be done before) DDF109.
DDP111 - Photographic Auteur Study (Level 5) 15 credits
Through the study of photographers of past generations, students’ horizons are widened with a view to not only technique but aesthetics, concepts, and methodologies. Far from a theoretical course, this papers aims to utilise historical approaches to invigorate contemporary practice. Ultimately the goal is to encourage the student in creating their own distinctive vision.
The main body of this course will be a series of exercises where the students imitate the work of well-known auteurs using modern equipment. By working on an approach in imitation of mature artists, rather than merely examining the work of those artists, the student gains not only a greater insight into the approaches taken in the past, but a greater sense of relevance to their own practice.
DDP206 - Advanced Photoshop (Level 6) 15 credits
This paper embodies a practical approach to image editing in Photoshop and builds upon the work completed in DDF106. The paper assumes a basic knowledge of Photoshop.
The paper is modelled on the ‘problem solving’ approach and is based on a series of short assignments of increasing difficulty that promote not only technical skill, but a creative approach and the ability to self-critique the student's own work.
DDP106 is the prerequisite for this paper.
DDP231 - Portfolio (Level 6) 15 credits
In this paper students apply the knowledge gained from other papers in the programme by completing a portfolio of their own work. In addition to sharpening skills already acquired, students will learn to manage the resources needed for the project.
DDP103 and DDP106 are the prerequisites for this paper.
DDF101 - Video and Audio Craft (Level 5) 15 credits
Low cost digital cameras have revolutionised film, television and multimedia production, just as low cost computer editing and recording equipment has had a huge impact on audio production. This paper aims to give students fundamental skills and confidence in using digital video cameras, fundamental audio skills, and the principles that underpin digital video and audio.
In the video section, students will learn fundamental skills of camera operation such as to expose, focus, and white-balance. They will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of camera continuity and be able to compose shots in a professional manner.
Students will also learn to choose and place microphones and record sound. They will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the basic principles of sound, and the principles of analogue and digital sound recording.
DDF105 - Video Editing (Level 5) 15 credits
This paper deals with the aesthetics and practicalities of combining moving images.
Students are introduced to editing continuity and methods of editing to accentuate the narrative, and through the study of established works gain insights into the main approaches to editing. Editing aesthetics is seen as the choice of which image follows which, and as such is not dependent on any particular technology.
The practical side of the paper focuses on the use of the nonlinear video editing packages Apple Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro, but the material presented is easily transferable to any comparable system. Students will learn to capture and combine material and perform basic manipulations.
DDF109 - DVD Authoring (Level 5) 15 credits
The DVD is becoming the preferred mode of delivery for video footage. The equipment and media needed to author DVDs for video has decreased in cost to the point where it is within the reach of filmmakers. It is the aim of this paper to develop the students’ awareness of the aesthetics of DVD authoring and practicalities of navigation. In addition to this the technical aspects of DVD authoring will also be studied. The course is written in such a way as it can be completed on a variety of software packages.
The prerequisite for this paper is DDP108.
DDF110 - Media Culture (Level 5) 15 credits
We live in a culture rich in images, from advertising graphics to Art-haus cinema. Many of these images, especially those associated with postmodernism and advertising, are referential. The aim of this paper is to broaden the students’ knowledge of the culture in which we live, where our culture has come from, and where it might go next. Students will gain from this paper a greater ability to contextualise the images that daily bombard us, and to create new forms borrowing from, rather than repeating, the past.