Certificate in Photography

Photography is one of the most powerful communication channels and its importance continues to grow in the internet age. This multi-award winning department offers you an opportunity to study a wide variety of photographic topics, on a flexible modular basis.

The photography course takes students, many of whom have little or no expertise in the area, to a high level of knowledge and technical expertise within the photographic industry.

The course has an excellent reputation because of its ability to take students far beyond the minimum requirements of the syllabus. With a sound training in the technical aspects of photography and your own motivation to explore the creative applications of this medium, you will be well prepared to enter the world of commercial photography. Alternatively many students choose to continue with further study and advance into stage 2 of our BA in Photographic Media.
All our lecturers work in the world of professional photography, providing valuable insights and knowledge that will inspire you throughout the photography course. This is one of the factors that mean we can set you up with advanced skills in analogue and digital photography.

Photography course content
The first semester focuses primarily on the technical and historical aspects of photography. The aim is to ensure that you are competent and confident in both the usage of camera controls and darkroom techniques. You’ll be provided with a sound understanding of light and exposure. Next, you’ll move into studio lighting techniques, most notably learning how to light for portraits and still life commercial purposes.

By the end of the second semester, you’ll have a firm grasp of the technical, aesthetic and communicative aspects of the medium of photography, both analogue and digital. Students will complete one module in semester two (Applied Photography) in which they can choose their discipline and genre to complete their practical work based on their experiences thus far.

Awards
Our photography course students are encouraged to enter competitions and have been consistently successful winning Smedia Awards for Photographer of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2013, as well as News Photographer of the Year 2011, TV Production of the Year 2012/2014 and Sports Photographer of the Year 2013.

Students have also won the Inspirational Arts Award 2011, Irish Times Amateur Photographer of the Year (Source Award 2013) and are well represented in the IPPA Awards. We’re very proud that our students are very successful in being selected for highly prestigious exhibitions and photo festivals. In 2013 all five finalists for Smedia Photographer of the Year were from Griffith College.