module specification

The module PH6003 Professional Practice 2: Fashion Photography serves and sustains the award in the BA Fashion Photography course only, delivered in a seamless and integral relationship with the work of other core modules being studied in the level, including the Critical and Contextual Studies modules.

Students are expected to synthesise and consolidate the experience and knowledge gained over the course, contextualising own practice within photographic frameworks such as commissions, publications, competitions, exhibitions. Students will explore career paths and outline how to continue to develop in a professional capacity, employing a range of subject-specific and transferable skills in communication, negotiation, analysis, project planning and project management.

The module supports students in acquiring coherent and detailed knowledge of specific skills in the business of fashion photography, becoming able to deploy critical thinking with accuracy in outlining a business plan, 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 an understanding of marketing 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.

Pre-requisite: PH5002

At the beginning of the module, its aims and key concepts will be outlined to all students.

There will seminars as well a group critiques and tutorials that will guide students in developing a critical understanding of professional contexts and practices to suit their individual career aspirations. Through practical workshops finalised at promoting employability, students will develop in a professional capacity and will be supported in contextualising their work within different frameworks such as photographic commissions, exhibitions, competitions and publication (Semester 1: Learning Outcome 1 and 2).

In the second semester, a schedule of seminars, workshops and tutorials will engage with business practices that will consider the various roles within an extended fashion team (such as photographer, stylist, agent, model, client).
The module will support employability through the development of professional practice tasks, culminating in a business and marketing plan outlining future careers in the photographic industry. Students will proactively build a professional profile and understand how to disseminate their practices to audiences (Semester 2: Learning Outcome 3 and 4).

Scheduled teaching provides the guidance and foundation to ensure that independent study is effective in addressing the module’s learning outcomes and assessment tasks.

In-class activity makes use of varied student-centred approaches such as active, flipped and blended learning, so that a range of learning strategies is deployed, and individual learning styles are accommodated. Information is provided through a range of means and sources to minimise and remove barriers to successful progress through the module. The course team seeks to embed the University’s Education for Social Justice Framework in fostering learning that is enjoyable, accessible, relevant and that takes account of the social and cultural context and capital of its students.

Activities foster peer-to-peer community building and support for learning. Interim formative feedback points help students to reflect on their progress and receive help to identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes. Throughout the module, students work on a series of set practical and professional practice tasks that develop their technical and professional understanding.

The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-based learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal and career 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.

1. demonstrate and consolidate an understanding of professional contexts and practices appropriate to individual career aspirations;

2. demonstrate a critical engagement with photographic developments, contextualising own practice and outlining how to continue to develop professional capacity;

3. demonstrate the proactive development, planning and implementation of a business idea relevant to photographic practices that considers the various roles in an extended fashion photography team (such as but not limited to photographer, stylist, agent, model, client).

4. demonstrate the creation of an individual professional profile finalised at the marketing and dissemination of individual practice to specialist and non-specialist audiences

The assessment strategy includes formative assessments that will take place at mid-semester in the form of tutorial or review with feedback designed to encourage and help students to develop and improve their work. These will inform the student of their progress through the module.
Summative assessment takes place in week 13 (Week 1 of January Assessment period)
and week 29.

At the Semester 1 summative submission point students will submit the following elements covering LO1 and LO2:
• A journal outlining the development, experimentation, research, evaluation to complete a set of tasks and outcomes

At the Semester 2 summative submission point students will submit the following elements covering LO3 and LO4.
• A journal outlining the development, experimentation, research, evaluation to complete a set of tasks and outcomes
• A business and marketing plan

Feedback will address the strengths and areas for development of individual summative submissions in relation to the learning outcomes and assessment criteria.

Work will be assessed against the learning outcomes in relation to the following criteria:
• Appropriate use of problem solving, testing and experimentation
• Appropriate use of research methods and enquiry
• Quality of analysis and interpretation
• Knowledge of relevant photographic and creative techniques and practices
• Quality of communication and presentation
• Management of own learning and personal professional development

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