Photography Courses

What will I do on the photography course?

At CPIT’s School of Art and Design the catchwords are ‘industry expectation’, and the photography programmes reflect this by being highly practical. You’ll learn the skills to become an effective visual communicator using photography in a professional context. You’ll develop your aesthetic awareness and apply it across a range of photography genre.

By the end of the each CPIT photography programme you’ll have produced a range of images that will exhibit your individual talents as a photographer. You will also be ready to apply your knowledge professionally, by developing a career in the photographic or allied industries, or by integrating your photographic knowledge into an alternative career i.e. design, advertising etc.

Subjects

Diploma in Photographic Imaging

This diploma is a smorgasbord of photographic tastes which enables you to experiment to find your niche. Workshop based courses focus on either aesthetic or technical learning with both course types being taught concurrently. A third category of courses teaches the theory needed for a wider appreciation of the photographic medium or for professional application.

Aesthetics focused courses include:

• Available Light (Portrait and Wedding)
  Find out how flexible daylight and window light really is, and get people shots that please
• Photojournalism 1 and 2
  Sum it up in one shot, or tell the complete story. This is all about people photography and what Henri Cartier-Bresson called ‘the decisive moment’.
• Studio 1 and 2
  Portrait, stills, fashion and corporate images, making those studio lights sing.
• Creative Post-Production
  Using Photoshop to create special effects.
• Image Concepts
  Character creation, often used in advertising shots.
• Photographic Design
  Get composition sorted and learn about design elements and design terminology
• Project Studies
  In your last term, you’ll elect a photographic genre of your choice and show us what you can do.

Technical courses include:

• Technical Practice
  Technical processes support aesthetics focused courses.
• Film Technology
  Process and digitally proof your black and white films.
• Colour Technology
  Get to know colour negative and transparency films, practice colour theory and colour design, finish with cross-processing through professional labs.
• Digital Imaging
  Get your Photoshop skills up to scratch and learn the art of film scanning.
• Introduction to Colour Management
  Make sure what comes out of the inkjet printers closely matches the image on your computer screen. This involves Photoshop, ColorSync, spiders and mice (not the furry ones though!)

Knowledge content courses include:

• Contextual Studies
  The historical contexts in which photography developed and the cutting edge of contemporary work, based on the analysis of famous shooters and images.
• Physics & Philosophy
  Sounds heavy, but it’s really quite fun. The qualities and uniqueness of light, conceptual thinking, reliability of our senses, aesthetics and ethics and debates about the difference between art and design.
• New Media
  Get to know a range of digital applications including QuickTimeVR, Flash animation, digital video, interactive & web design, 3D modelling & animation.
• Professional Practice
  Fine-tune your job search skills, including your CV and portfolio preparation.
• Photography and Associated Industries
  Meet the pros during fifteen, two hour sessions in classes at CPIT.

Diploma in Professional Photography (Level 6)

The CPIT Diploma in Professional Photography offers specialist photographic training to a professional level. Most of the courses are designed to develop industry level skills in particular photographic genre, enabling you to become a specialist in a range of professional photographic fields.

The courses are:

• Digital Post-Production/Pre-Press
  Professionally process your project images ready for digital media, commercial press (offset press) and photographic reproduction (photo lab)
• Creative Lighting
  Get creative with location/field based photographic projects and turbo charge those portable lights
• Digital Imaging
  Another must in today’s world, to make your images glow or add special effects.
• Professional & Business Practice
  Making a living is a must in life, get the skills you need to set up your freelance business or make you more attractive to employers
• Technical Practice
  Technical aspects professionals require, including 4x5 camera systems, digital cameras, film characteristics of a range of films, colour temperature and colour control, digital communication technology.
• Interactive Design
  Learn digital interactive media (Flash), create a CD-ROM based portfolio, work with sound, think like digital designers think and you’ll be a better image supplier.
• Major Studies
  A 320 hour project that pulls everything together in the second semester. It’s a great showcase of your talents and it’ll be shown in the end of year exhibition in a public gallery space.
• Industry Involvement
  We are professionals, and we expect you to become one too. You’ll be required to attend a specified number of photography association meetings (NZIPP/AIPA) to meet working photographers in an official forum.

What will I do after the photography course?

Photography and allied industries offer a remarkable variety of professional opportunities. Journalism/editorial, portrait/wedding, advertising/commercial, events, stock libraries, company representative, wholesale/retail/laboratory and a range of digital design media, are just a few of the careers. Besides all this, photographic imaging is a wonderful vehicle for self-expression and is recognised worldwide as a major art form.

CPIT staff maintain close relationships with the photographic industry and are proactive in linking students with potential employers.

For further information please contact us.