City Lit photography course

What is the course about?

Using a wide range of techniques, you will explore commercial and experimental approaches to photography in our fully equipped photographic studios, facilitated by a team of experts in the field.

At first, you will get to know your camera and learn how to use it in a technically competent and visually interesting way. You will gain skills in digital and analogue photography, learn about composition, exposure and lighting, and explore different genres including street photography, portraiture, studio lighting and alternative processes.

As the course progresses, you will deepen your understanding of visual storytelling, commercial practice and creative briefs. You will continue to improve your skills in digital image capture while getting a taste for specialist genres such as architecture and panoramic photography. You will learn about project development, experiment with digital printing and start building a photographic portfolio of your work.

Our professional studio is equipped with a full studio lighting suite, Apple Mac computers, scanners, high quality A2 digital printers and professional software such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One and PtGui.

2627 Term dates:

Term 1 30/09/26 - 09/12/26 (no session on 28/10/26)

Term 2 06/01/27 - 17/03/27 (no session on 17/02/27)

What will we cover?

• Manual camera skills including aperture, shutter speed and ISO
• Light metering and exposure control
• Digital image capture and analogue processes
• image editing and sequencing
• Framing, composition and colour
• Light sources, including daylight, flash and studio lighting
• Generating creative ideas, project development, editing and sequencing
• Copyright and business practice
• Showcasing, including print and online portfolios

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Produce photographs to a good level of technical proficiency
• Confidently apply exposure settings and lighting techniques
• Demonstrate an understanding of analogue and digital processes
• Use composition and colour to create visually interesting imagery
• Apply relevant photographic techniques to realise creative ideas
• Plan, develop and edit project work exploring different genres of photography
• Process, edit and print digital image files
• Produce a diverse portfolio of high-quality photographs
• Learn to talk about your own work confidently
• Using self-reflection and one-to-one tutorials, be able to identify areas of interest in order to continue your practice after finishing the course

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for those seeking a fulfilling course with access to a wide variety of equipment and tutor expertise. It could be for beginners to photography or those wishing to further expand their skills through a series of creative photography projects. There is no prerequisite with regards to your perceived ability, but that you arrive with willingness, curiosity and a high level of commitment.

You should have a basic knowledge and competence in using computers, including creating, saving and retrieving files.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Led by one course leader and taught by a tutor team who are all experts within their fields. You will be taught through workshops, short lectures and practical exercises. Individual guidance will be provided throughout the course alongside group presentations and critiques.

The City Lit photography projects course puts equal emphasis on technical skills and ideas-based thinking. You will be expected to spend time developing photographic projects and assignments independently outside the course. You will be encouraged to maintain a web presence of your images for informal critiques.

You will also have access to Google classroom as our designated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) where you will be able to access hand-outs, briefs and collaborate with peers outside of course hours.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You must have access to a camera that allows full manual control (e.g. dSLR or mirrorless camera). The course will emphasise digital techniques. If you intend to use film, you should be prepared for the associated film and processing costs. At City Lit, you will have access to a range of digital SLR cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class. We cannot lend equipment between classes.

We advise all students to have a notebook/sketchbook for making notes and visual ideas.

When you enrol on a course at the City Lit, you are entitled to student discount onAdobeCreative Cloud. This is not a requirement for the course.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit has a wide range of practical and theoretical photography courses however, one natural extension would be to progress onto Documentary photography, Portraits and People Photography, Fashion Photography, Studio Lighting or Alternative Processes. Browse the website or get in touch for advice.