Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course. It is suited to pupils wishing to expand their portfolio or learn essential skills in photography.
Why take this course?
The National Progression Award (NPA) in Photography is designed to develop your knowledge and understanding in practical photography, and is aimed at those who may want to explore their interest in the subject and perhaps progress to more advanced studies at a later stage.
The content of the course will promote your confidence in everyday photography skills, in particular focusing on gathering and selecting images, identifying key components, labelling and storing digital files and mounting and presenting final images. You will use simple automatic camera functions to capture high quality images, and work with peers to evaluate your work.
What you will experience
The content of the course will allow you to develop a range of transferrable skills in digital literacy, communication, organisation and planning. You will work towards the following units:
- Understanding Photography
- Photographing People
- Photographing Places
- Working with Photographs
Throughout this course, you will learn to understand artistic concepts including colour and mood, style and posing, technical approaches and lighting, as well as skills relating to management, editing, storage and the filing of digital data.
Teaching will take the form of lecturer-led discussions and presentations, and you will have access to appropriate software and hardware in the College’s computer studios. The course is very practical so you will have space and time to develop your skills in a hands-on setting.
You will be provided with feedback on your images via unit assessments. Evidence to support assessment will be gathered throughout the course, on a continuous basis.
Key Facts
Everything you need to know about applying for this course.
What you will need
You will be required to have an A3 layout or sketchpad and a 4GB memory stick. Access to a camera is highly recommended.
Opportunities
Whether you wish to progress in your studies or enter the world of work, North East Scotland College has excellent progression opportunities, with links to eight universities across Scotland and great relationships with industry employers.
Education at NESCol
Upon successful completion of this course, you may be able to progress to one of the following full-time courses at North East Scotland College:
University
Successful completion of this course can help to support portfolio development for those who aspire to complete further creative studies at degree level.
Employment
You may find a variety of entry-level job opportunities available in the wide-ranging creative industries upon successful completion of this course.
Student Stories
Oleksandra Ivanova
Art, Design & Photography
HNC Fashion Business
“I loved attending NESCol, it’s a welcoming and supportive environment.”
Read more about Oleksandra's story
Jenny Ross
Art, Design & Photography
HND Art & Design
“I would certainly recommend NESCol to anyone and everyone. It really is the most amazing experience, and one I wished I had the chance to do so much earlier in my life.”
Read more about Jenny's story
Cosmin Mihai
Art, Design & Photography
HND Textiles
“I would recommend this course to whoever thinks this is the path in life they have to take. You will find support from tutors and classmates, and you will also make some friends too.”
Read more about Cosmin's story
Jeremy Varcl
Art, Design & Photography
Creative & Digital Media Foundation Apprenticeship
“The Foundation Apprenticeship has helped me grow my connections, expand on my professional skills such as accounting and communication, and add to my game design portfolio.”
Read more about Jeremy's story
Jack Coutts
Art, Design & Photography
HND Textiles
“The opportunities you get with this course are amazing, and that includes what you get taught in the classroom along with the trips, events and everything in between.”
Read more about Jack's story
Lucy Wiseman
Art, Design & Photography
HND Textiles
“NESCol has helped me figure it out and get ready, without feeling too rushed to go to university.”
Read more about Lucy's story
Lane Craigie
Art, Design & Photography
HNC Fashion Business
“This was the role I went to College for and I achieved it within one year of finishing my HNC! The course gave me a good foundation to build my career from.”
Read more about Lane's story
Katherine Martin
Art, Design & Photography
HND Contemporary Art Practice
“Coming to College turned out to be the best decision I could have made. I grew in confidence, and it really prepared me for university.”
Read more about Katherine's story
Amanda Charteris
Art, Design & Photography
HND Textiles
“I’m living proof that it is never too late to follow your dreams. I’m amazed at how far I’ve come in such a short time and studying at NESCol really gave me the confidence to go on to university.”
Read more about Amanda's story
Nora Bandyopadhyay
Art, Design & Photography
HND Textiles
“Never stop learning. Life is what you make of it. When you grow older, your priorities change. I decided to follow my heart and I am so much happier learning and being creative.”
Read more about Nora's story
Applications
This course is only available to pupils in S4 to S6 across Aberdeen City, giving pupils the opportunity to experience life as a College student whilst staying on at school.
Please note, applications for schools courses must be submitted by a member of school staff.
Currently unavailable
This course is currently unavailable for booking. Why not join our mailing list to be the first to know when bookings re-open? Don’t worry – you can choose to only hear about part-time, full-time or distance learning courses and we’ll only be in touch when we’ve got something important to tell you. Alternatively, you can browse our distance learning courses and start learning straight away!
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