New BA(Hons)Press/Editorial Photography UK with great Analog facilities.

Leonidas

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Joined
Apr 23, 2005
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Plastic Cameras
Good news for Analog photography.
I would like to take the opportunity to inform you about a new course that started at Falmouth University College in beautiful Cornwall/UK.
It is a three year BA(Hons) Press/Editorial Photography programme, based in a new building – “Photo Centre”,(Just outside Falmouth) purposely designed with absolutely fantastic facilities in both analog and digital technologies. Digital suites have 70 stations and scanners for up to 5x4 negs, huge darkrooms (30 stations) with 35 to 5x4 enlargers for colour and B&W hand-printed work, finishing rooms for hand film processing and a well dedicated technical support for digital processing with chromogenic outcome machines and inject printers (large poster size prints).
With a few words a complete in-house photographic lab with very low cost printout for the students (if they choose to print by hand, then it is just the cost of their paper), and free unlimited film processing on automatic units (slide, c41,b+w).
The studios are well equipped with the latest flash lighting suspended systems and there is access for large objects like props or vehicles.

Well, why am I saying all this? I teach there – as a P/T lecturer- and I am extremely enthusiastic about the prospects this course can offer to Editorial/Documentary photography in the UK. I personally have to travel 600 miles every week there and back for at least 24 weeks a year and that requires a lot of motivation.
The course covers all disciplines of Press and Editorial work, and welcomes students who like to do Photojournalism, Sports, Fashion/Life style, Social and Environmental Landscape, News etc.- more or less all the categories of photography that appear in the World Press Photo Awards.

The course also encourages the students to work on long term projects. In the current climate where almost every person in the developed world carries some kind of camera, and there are websites selling amateur pictures for reasonable fees, it is almost impossible for the professional to compete with the public in news photography. With this in mind we have to offer something else and what we do with our cameras becomes crucial, that means spending time, working on long-term projects, on themes and ideas that we really care about.

We have decided to train all our students in Analog and digital technologies (some colleges have closed down the Analog programmes) because of the high demand from students and professionals to carry on using film and it looks that is here to stay. At the same time we have up to date digital facilities and our own Press Room which functions as an Editorial Desk.

The course has joined the “Magnum Education Partnership” with benefits to the students, e.g. Visiting lectures from Magnum Photographers, professional practice lectures with Magnum staff, individual visits to Magnum Print Room, PV invitations, internships etc. There is also an extensive Visiting Lecturer programme throughout the year.

We just have started our first year with an extremely enthusiastic group of students, and the prospects for the future look very positive judging from the interest we have so far.
Please contact me if you have any questions or even better you can contact Mal Stone - Course Leader for “BA(Hons)Press Photography” - at 01326 253764, or mal.stone@falmouth.ac.uk
 

Michael W

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Feb 11, 2005
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That sounds great. I wish I was a kid in the UK.
Are these universities funded by the govt?
What sort of annual fees do the students pay for such a degree?

When I was a teenager in Australia in the '70s university education was free. Then they brought in fees & it's reasonably expensive to get a degree these days. Off the top of my head I think a BFA would cost about $15 to $20K.
 
OP
OP

Leonidas

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Joined
Apr 23, 2005
Messages
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Plastic Cameras
Soon will be - the next couple years - £ 3000 ($6000) per year, but you can have a bank loan ( you pay later in small parts if your salary is more than £20000 per year), and if your parents income is less than £20000 per year, your local Council can help your kid with a grant of around £ 3000 to start off. Education is not free but is reasonble and the Goverment is funding the Universities according to their performance. We also give alot to the students back in materials and free processing. Please forgive me if my fingers are not 100% correct but I am not far out.
 
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