This award-winning BA Photography programme offers the resources and opportunities to develop your practice through set assignments, self-initiated projects and through exposure to a range of different industry and academic contexts.
The course is delivered by a highly experienced and diverse team of academic and technical staff, supporting image-making across a range of photographic practices and genres including art, documentary, fashion, portrait, editorial and commercial photography, as well as exploring new debates, developments and techniques in contemporary photographic practice.
Our photographic facilities are among the best in the country and offer students access to cutting-edge image making and printing technologies. Our library and IT facilities are open 24/7 so students can study in a welcoming environment whenever it suits them.
Over the years since the course began, our students have continued to win numerous awards and prizes, exhibit in galleries and photo festivals worldwide and undertake commissions for influential fashion, advertising and editorial clients.
Every year, our students produce outstanding, industry standard work. See for yourself and learn more about our state-of-the-art facilities in our BA Photography Catalogue or our Creative Graduates 2022 exhibition site.
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Throughout the degree you will be encouraged to think critically about your own and other practitioners’ work and will develop technical skills whilst also building an awareness of visual languages. You will have the opportunity to apply these skills to a range of practice-based and written assignments with weekly support through feedback sessions and end of project critiques with your lecturers and peers.
As you move through the course you are given more agency to respond to the project briefs in your own way using the techniques and genres of photography you are personally keen to improve on.
Year one consists of set projects designed to introduce you to a range of different photographic debates, genres and techniques, introducing you to key areas of photographic discourse and allowing you to become proficient across all areas of the photographic facilities. You will participate in lectures, seminars and workshops and for practice projects will work in small groups to allow for in-depth project-specific feedback.
In year two you are encouraged to experiment and take more control over the direction of both your practice and your academic research. You will begin the year by exploring key theorists relevant to photography debate and by undertaking a series of set assignments designed to develop your skills in art, still life, commercial, fashion and documentary photography practices, moving on to self-initiated projects later in the year, culminating in an in-depth research project proposal and a public end of year exhibition.
By year three you are expected to have chosen a pathway for your practice and will undertake a series of self-initiated projects supported by a tutor with expertise in your area of practice. These projects will build towards a final major practice project which your will exhibit at the public end of year degree show. Your practice will be further supported by the accompanying development of both your own written research project and by assignments designed to prepare you for professional life after university.
Throughout the course we have a rolling programme of guest speakers, artist talks and portfolio reviews.
Past speakers and reviewers include:
Martin Barnes: V&A Lead curator of photography / Simon Bainbridge: Editorial director of British Journal of Photography / Emma Bowkett: Director of photography FT Weekend Magazine / Bridget Coaker: Picture editor at the Guardian and Observer & Director at Troika Editions / James Gerrard-Jones: Director at Wyatt-Clarke & Jones / Laura Noble: Gallerist and Author / Zelda Cheatle: Photography specialist, curator, editor, gallerist and consultant / Celia Davies: Director of Photoworks / Susanna Brown: V&A curator of photographs / Emma Morris: Executive director of Towner Gallery / David Burkett: Director of DMB agency / Shirley Read: Independent curator based in London / Helen Trompeteler: London based writer and curator of photographs / Monica Allende: Independent photo editor and cultural producer / Bruno Ceschel: Founder of Self Publish Be Happy / Louise Clements: Artistic Director, Format Festival / Cheryl Newman: Telegraph Magazine Photography Director / David Campany: Writer, Curator, Artist / Francis Atterbury: Book designer, director of Hurtwood Press / Shoair Mavlian: Director, Photoworks / Max Ferguson: Photo Editor FT Weekend Magazine, Editor Splash and Grab Magazine, Director of Photography Port Magazine / Hannah Watson: Director TJ Boulting Gallery, Trolley Books
Past artist talks include:
Martin Parr / Tim Walker / Jem Southam / John Davies / Hin Chua / Simon Roberts / Bettina Von Zwehl / John Blakemore / Rut Blees Luxemburg / Julian Germain / Gareth McConnell / Julian Calder / Tom Hunter / Jack Latham / Lydia Goldblatt / Joanna Piotrowska / EJ Major / Jamie Hawkesworth / Eva Vermandel / Brian Griffin / Alan Powdrill / Trevor Appleson / Brian Harris / Kate Peters / Tom Wood / Edgar Martins / Spencer Murphy / Cian Oba Smith / Silvia Rossi / Kalpesh Lathigra / Richard Billingham / Clare Strand / Kate Peters / Haley Morris Cafiero
This module will introduce the student to contemporary methods applied to photographic practice within the fields of fashion, documentary and the urban environment. This module aims to:
This module will introduce students to the photographic studio and digital darkroom. This module aims to:
This module aims to:
This module provides an introduction to the expanding and inter-disciplinary field of photography, focusing on London as its main site of exploration. This module aims to:
This module uses contemporary professional editorial photographic practice as a framework to explore specialist pathways in portraiture, fashion and fine art. This module aims to:
This module will explore ‘the other’ and our relationship with objects, environments and society. This module aims to:
This module explores the idea of identity as a conceptual framework in photographic and artistic practice. This module aims to:
This module takes an interdisciplinary approach to the critical study of historical and contemporary photographic practice. This module aims to:
This module will develop the knowledge and skills that are required to operate as an independent professional photographer. This module aims to:
In this module students will develop a self-initiated project proposal that consolidates their personal photographic direction and interests. This module aims to:
This module will develop the student’s ability to formulate and write a critically informed photographic project proposal. This module aims to:
This module facilitates students in developing an in-depth research project culminating in an extended written essay. This module aims to:
You can find more information about this course in the programme specification.
The photography work that our students create is of an exceptional standard. Each year, our final year students, some of whom are award winners, exhibit their work at our Hendon Show.
Follow our Instagram account to keep up with live course updates and new student and alumni work.
Take a look at our 2022 degree show magazine to see a showcase of our students work.
This degree will prepare you for a successful career in the creative industries. Our students go on to fill a range of roles in the photographic industry and beyond; we have alumni working as freelance commercial photographers, editorial photographers, photographers working with still life and e-commerce; we have alumni with successful art practices who exhibit internationally and gain public funding and commissions to support their art practice; some of our alumni have gone on to curate exhibitions, work in publicly funded and commercial galleries and have secured positions as photo editors at national and international publications. Many of our students choose to assist professional photographers after university with many going on to establish their own commercial practice or manage commercial studio spaces.
Many of our students take up post-graduate study after their BA degree with many undertaking MA or MFA degrees and PhDs. Some of our alumni are now pursuing academic careers as either technicians or lecturers on photography courses at Middlesex or elsewhere.
Many of the skills you learn throughout the BA Photography degree are transferable to other industries, creative or otherwise, and help students achieve employment in many fields. Employers across the board look for skills in critical thinking, problem solving, interpersonal relations, time and finance management, all of which are embedded into our BA Photography degree.
There are two base rooms for use by BA Photography students each equipped with visual aids and tables.used for tutorials, seminars and critiques as well as for lectures by visiting speakers.
The Photographic studios in the basement of the grove building offer a variety of spaces for photographing at different scales. The infinity cove is used for a wide range of portrait and full figure or group photography applications. There are areas which can be used for three dimensional, portraiture, close up and macro photographic work. ‘Colorama’ systems are provided for easy change of background colour and effects. The professional level lighting equipment and lighting tracks available throughout the studio includes Bowens synchronised flash units. Canon EOS 5D Mk III full frame digital cameras with a range of lenses are available for use in the studio, as well as a Hasselblad film camera with a wide range of lenses and backs. Phase One equipment is also available.
The digital darkroom is a state of the art digital photographic editing and output facility, which is probably the best of its kind in the UK. The area has over 56 calibrated Apple Macintosh-Pro workstations networked to a series of professional level Epson A2 photographic printers using the latest industry standard software and K3 pigment inks producing high quality prints. There are also five Hasselblad Flextight film scanners, two flat bed scanners offering scans up to A3 and a daylight-viewing booth. All the workstations and printers are calibrated and colour managed. The area is staffed with expert specialist technicians who work with students to help them achieve their creative goals.
For colour, we have a number of individual booths each light tight and equipped with newly serviced DeVere 504 colour enlargers, Kaiser and Durst colour enlargers. A Colenta RA480 (800mm) colour printer is installed in the darkroom.
Middlesex has one Black and White Darkroom with 15 enlargers and a print developing area. DeVere 504 enlargers with condenser, cold cathode and Ilford Multigrade heads are available. There are also and DeVere 203 enlargers and a number of Durst and Kaiser enlargers as well. Negatives from 35mmm to 5 x 4 can be printed. A separate darkroom for higher quality prints (eg black and white fibre based paper) is also available.
A range of cameras including 35mm, 645, 6x7 medium format as well as digital cameras (Canon 5D MkII, 5D MkIII and 650D) and 5x4 technical field cameras can be taken on location. In addition location lighting equipment kits can be borrowed.
Black and white darkroom
Dark room area
Digital darkroom suite for retouching, printing and scanning
Finishing area
Flextight scanners
Photography studio
The Kit Hub - camera and equipment booking
Having studied an MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art, Philippe has gained a diverse range of professional experience from working with commercial photographers and contemporary international artists. Additionally, he has acquired an advanced knowledge of digital imaging technology, techniques and printing. Philippe is currently completing a photographic portraiture commission and producing new photographic / video work in London.
Alison graduated from Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Art & Design with a BA Hons in Professional Media: Photography. She has worked in London since 2000 in the Fashion and Editorial Photography industry and for five years as first assistant to the fashion photographer Tim Walker. This role involved organising and handling photographic equipment and lighting during photo shoots, print production as well as co-ordinating the printing/framing and installation of his recent retrospective 'Pictures' at the Design Museum in London.
Gavin Fernandes graduated in BA Hons Graphic Design at Middlesex University and MA Fashion Photography at London College of Fashion. His visual narratives Monarchs of the East End and Empire Line were presented as solo exhibitions at Maison Des Arts de Creteil, Paris and Rich Mix Cultural Foundation, London in 2007, and at Maison Folie, Wazemmes, Lille, 2006.
Work from his master's degree was selected by The Photographers’ Gallery in London for their inaugural group show freshfacedandwildeyed08 in 2008. He has also exhibited in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum; Whitechapel Art Gallery; Institute of Contemporary Arts; Royal Academy of Arts; Barbican Centre; National Maritime Museum and Museum of London. In 2011 he exhibited at the Harris Museum, Preston, UK where his work was acquired into its Photography and New Media permanent collection.
His photographic work has been featured in the publications Dazed & Confused; i-D; Tank; The Observer; The Guardian and The Independent; and a portfolio of his images appeared as a dedicated chapter in the book British Asian Style: Fashion and Textiles/Past and Present by V&A Publishing, 2009. His research and professional practice unite his experiences of fashion direction and photography to interrogate socio-political themes around cultural identity; religion; feminine empowerment and gender.
Currently undertaking a practice-led PhD at London College of Communi- cation on the multi-model rhetoric of online disinformation. Also founder / curator of online contemporary photography platform XLVI Space.
Has recently exhibited work in Braga, Portugal, Paris and Arles, France and Bologna and Padua, Italy as well as in solo and group exhibitions across the UK. Recently shortlisted for the Images Vevey Prize 2021.
Graduated from Sunderland University with a degree in painting. In 1996, Scalo published Richard’s photographs taken of his own family in a book ‘Ray’s a Laugh’ with a short validation from the American photographer Rob- ert Frank. In 1997 Billingham was the first recipient of the Citibank Private Bank Photography Prize (now the Deutsche Borse Photography Prize) and included in a number of important group shows, most notably ‘Sensation’ at the Royal Academy, London. Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2001 for his photography and video work.
Awarded the Sargeant Fellowship at the British School at Rome in 2002. Spent next few years travelling and making a body of work called ‘Zoo’ Show of work in the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art in Melbourne in 2007- 8. Has lectured and taught in Yale, University of North Texas, the National Art School, Sydney and particularly values the exchange of ideas between teachers and students. Has been a part time senior lecturer on the BA Fine Art- Photography course at the University of Gloucester since 2006 and is cur- rently working on a number of photography and film projects. A recent film ‘Siberian Tiger’ was broadcast on Channel 4. Wrote and directed ‘Liaz and Ray’, a film based on his book ‘Ray’s a Laugh’. This was BAFTA nominated and also winner of the Lisbon and Estoril Juy Special Prize and awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Locarno Film Festival 2018.
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Start: October 2023, EU/International induction: September 2024
Duration: 3 years full-time, Usually 6 years part-time
Code: P303
Start: October 2023, EU/International induction: September 2024
Duration: 3 years full-time
Code: WF30
Start: October 2023
Duration: 1 year full-time, + 3 years full-time
Code: See How to apply tab
