Digital Photography – Photography Course - FutureLearn (2024)

Created in collaboration with the UK’s leading photography organisation, the Royal Photographic Society, this microcredential will give you a broad overview ofa number ofphotographic genres and the knowledge,skills,and techniquesto create better photographic narratives.

Build your photography skills andlearn how to work to a brief

This course willencourage you to explore different areas of photography tohelp youidentifywhere you want to develop your creative photography skills,confidence,and knowledge. Some of the subjects covered in this course include:

• ‘Things’ – including product and foodphotography
• ‘People and events’ – exploring portraiture, sports, andphotojournalism
• ‘Environment’ - looking at wildlife, buildings, architecture, and landscapes

You will learn how towork to a brief and how to prepare and take images to create a body of workwithin thesesubjects that tell avisually cohesivestory. You will discover how your approach to taking or displaying an image can affect how it is understood and explore the conventions related to particular genres.

Develop a photography project that realises its intent

Building on your basic photography skills, you’ll start to understand what it means to be an intentional photographeras well as how tothink about and write a Statement of Intent that explains the purpose and objective of your portfolio.

This course is delivered on the FutureLearn platform and you will also access Behance, a third-party image sharing site by creating a free account. This site is used to share your images with co-learners and develop your photographic eye by learning and practising how to give feedback on each other’s images.

Learn from experts, with The Open University and the Royal Photographic Society 

Created by The Open University in collaboration withthe Royal Photographic Society, you’ll learn fromcurrent thinkers and experimenterswho specialisein particular genres and approaches to photography.

Throughout the course you’ll take part in weekly activities to support and consolidate your learning. You will share ideas andexperiences with co-learners, building skills, confidence and knowledge frompeer to peerfeedback and weekly challenges to experiment and explore your new creative approaches, techniques and practices, and the concept behind your intent.

At the end of the course, you’ll submit an assessment which is marked and graded by subject matter experts. The assessment requires you to submit a set of 12 images and a statement of intent. You will also be required to show how you have worked with others in the group, evidencing feedback on other students’ work.

The FutureLearn social learning experience is designed to encourage learners to interact and benefit from a stimulating learning community. On-course mentors encourage collaboration between learners and offer guidance. Feedback on images throughout the course will come from your co-learners. After you’ve completed the course you’ll receive detailed, personal feedback on your assessment from academic and subject matter experts.

This course replaces Digital Photography: Creating a Professional Portfolio (OU course code: TZFM200.) It is a completely new course, however the assessment is similar in shape and level. If you have any questions, please contact us prior to enrolling.

To study this microcredential, you should be able to operate a camera in semi-automatic or manual mode and will haveasolid,theoretical,and practical understandingof thebasicssuch asISO, shutter speed, exposure and depth of field.You should have access to a camera where you are able to take pictures in a manual settings mode. You can use a smartphone, providing you have an app that allows you to take manual control of the camera’s settings.

It is expected that you will have an intermediate level of understanding of a digital photography workflow and intermediate photo editing skills.

This microcredential is designed for competent photographers who have had some prior learning on the basic technical skills needed to take photographs, either from a formal qualification or from practical experience.

This microcredential is not suitable for complete beginners who need to develop basic technical skills and understanding of photographic theory.Beginners should consider completing an introductory course, such as Digital photography: creating and sharing better images.