module specification

FA6009 Professional Practice 2: Fashion Photography is a subject-specific module supporting students to further develop their professional and academic skills, including their practical and conceptual understanding of the codes, conventions and issues associated with display and presentation.  Students are expected to synthesise the experience and knowledge gained over the course, and employ a range of transferable skills in communication, negotiation, analysis, project planning and project management.

The module includes lectures and workshops to support Fashion Photography students in presenting to their peers a business or marketing plan, a working document that they will continue to develop, test and revise over the course of the year. A schedule of tutorials, supervision, technical input and workshops, as appropriate are available to enable students to realise their plans in a business or marketing plan or funding application for a photography business or career at the end of the module.

The FA6009 Professional Practice 2: Fashion Photography module serves and sustains an award on the BA Fashion Photography course only, delivered in a seamless and integral relationship with the work of other core studio practice modules on Level 6. Students are expected to investigate and develop critical and aesthetic working relationships between and across the Level 6 modules.

The module aims to let students show they have acquired coherent and detailed knowledge of specific skills in the business of fashion photography and are able to deploy critical thinking with accuracy in applying for funding, setting up a career and obtaining clients for their photography. A key objective of the module is to foster in students an understanding of the ethical obligations they have towards clients, models, colleagues on any fashion shoot and in any business dealings.

The module also aims to provide students with work-related learning about social media platforms and websites to develop a wider public and new audiences for fashion photography, with a view to creating and updating a sustainable legacy of fashion photography career assets to aid employability.

Completion and pass (120 credits) of previous level.

At the beginning of the module, its aims, key concepts and milestones will be outlined to all students. In the second session students will establish a working code of ethics for the group – ascertaining and publishing their own conduct towards clients, models, agents and other fashion photographers (LO1).

There will then be teamwork sessions and guided independent study tasks on the development of a business or marketing plan (LO4).

Several sessions will be assigned to the use of marketing and social media in creating audience for publication or exhibition (LO3).

Tuition will be dedicated to each student creating, updating and uploading image and text content for the publication of their own website featuring their photography (LO2) with a link to the student’s updated employment Curriculum Vitae.

The module will first be assessed for a personal statement of fashion photography ethics, as formulated in a student team. The module will then be assessed for a fashion photography student's business/marketing plan or funding application, as well as use of marketing and social media in building audience for their work. This begins at the start of the academic year. There will also be an assessment of updated student website featuring their own fashion photographs and CV.

Scheduled teaching ensures that independent study is effective and addresses the learning outcomes and assessment tasks. Students are expected to (and to have the opportunity to) continue with their studies outside of scheduled classes. There will be a range of learning strategies deployed and individual learning styles will be accommodated. The module’s learning outcomes, its contents and delivery, have been scrutinised and will be regularly reviewed to ensure an inclusive approach to pedagogic practice.

The module and course utilise the University’s blended learning platform to support and reinforce learning, to foster peer-to-peer communication and to facilitate tutorial support for students. Reflective learning is promoted through assessment items and interim formative feedback points that ask students to reflect on their progress, seek help where they identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes, and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, students build a body of work, including reflections on progress and achievement.

The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-related learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal development planning. Through these initiatives, students are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of their disciplines, the various opportunities available to them, and how to shape their learning according to their ambitions.

On completing the module, the student should be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and professional responsibilities appropriate to the practice of fashion photography;
2. update and extend a professional, public website featuring fashion photographs, linking to a CV describing education, work experience, skills and responsibilities;
3. advocate for aesthetic values and critical thinking in fashion photography by using different social media platforms;
4. set out in a business plan or funding application the planned use of business relationships in the different roles of an extended team in fashion photography (client, director, models, agents, owners).

The module will be assessed for a photography student's organisation of materials and space, tools, equipment and tasks either in publication of or in exhibition of their major project, including use of marketing and social media in building audience for their work. This begins at the start of the academic year. There will also be an assessment of updated student website and CV, as well as for show proposal, exhibition agreement and risk assessment. 

The assessment strategy includes formative assessments throughout the level, with tutorial feedback designed to encourage and help students to develop and improve their work. These inform the student of their progress over the course. An interim review offers a specific opportunity to reflect on the work in relation to the module’s learning outcomes and this together with finished project work and supporting material will inform the assessment panel at the summative assessment at the end of the level.

Students will evaluate their own learning on the module using the criteria published below and write a short critical evaluation (summary statement) of their work. This will provide the basis for discussion at the assessment feedback session after the formal coursework assessment has taken place.

Summative assessment takes place at the end of the module in two key areas; Prospectus (a business and/or marketing plan or an application for Arts Council funding) and a Professional Practice folder. Written feedback addresses the strengths and weaknesses of individual presentations in relation to the grading criteria.

Work in both assessment items will be assessed against the learning outcomes in relation to the following criteria:

• appropriate use of research methods and enquiry;
• quality of analysis and interpretation;
• knowledge and relevance in the Photography subject;
• quality of communication and presentation;
• appropriate use of problem solving, testing and experimentation;
• management of own learning and personal professional development.

Core Textbooks:
Blanks, T. (2013) New Fashion Photography, Munich: Prestel
Jansen, C. (2017) Girls on Girls: Art and Photography in the Age of the Female Gaze, London: Laurence King
Keaney, M. (2014) Fashion Photography Next, London: Thames & Hudson
Remy, P. (2014), The Art of Fashion Photography, Munich: Prestel
Shinkle, E. (ed.) (2012) Fashion as Photograph: Viewing and Reviewing Images of Fashion, London: I.B.Tauris

Other Textbooks:
Bray, S. and Stern, J. (2014) Photography and Psychoanalysis: The Development of Emotional Persuasion in Image Making, Rhodes: Photography and Consciousness
Hack, J. and Furniss, J.A. (2011) Making It Up as We Go Along – The Dazed & Confused Book, London: Dazed & Confused
Jaeger, A. (2010) Image Makers, Image Takers, London: Thames and Hudson
Sigurjonsdottir, A. and Langkjaer, M.A. (2011) Images in Time: Flashing Forward, Backward, in Front and Behind. Photography in Fashion, Advertising and the Press, Copenhagen: University of Copenhagen

Journals:
Accent magazine, London www.accent-magazine.com
Aperture, New York: Aperture Foundation  https://aperture.org
Atlas Magazine, London www.theatlasmagazine.com/
Pylot magazine London www.pylotmagazine.com
True Photojournal London: Antenne Books www.truephotojournal.com

Websites:
International Center of Photography, https://www.icp.org/collections
Association of Photographers http://www.the-aop.org 
Royal Photographic Society www.rps.org
Magnum Photography https://www.magnumphotos.com
Show Studio http://www.showstudio.com

Social media
@theatlasmagazine
@ifyouleavestagram
@pylotmgazine