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Undergraduate

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography

A girl squatting in a 'I Love London' hoodie
Johana Kasalicka | BA (Hons) Fashion Photography | UAL Graduate Showcase | London College of Fashion | University of Arts London
College
London College of Fashion
UCAS code
W641
Start date
September 2024
Course length
3 years (optional 1 year placement)

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography prepares students to become professional and innovative fashion image makers, destined for a career in the creative industries.

This course applies industry innovation and practice to academic study and encourages engagement with still imagery, fashion film & new media. The practical and theoretical study of fashion photography forms the basis of this discipline, with students focusing on the exploration of identity, community, sustainability and diversity in an increasingly digital world.

Course subject to re-approval

Please note that this course is undergoing re-approval. This is the process by which we ensure the course continues to provide a high quality academic experience. During re-approval there may be some changes to the course content displayed on this page. Please contact us if you have any questions about the course.

Why choose this course at London College of Fashion

  • Learn from industry practitioners: the staff team are industry professionals with a range of expertise across fashion photography, moving image, new media, publishing and research.
  • Industry links: internationally renowned visiting lecturers give exclusive insight into current industry practices and set live briefs.
  • Career opportunities: graduates establish themselves in industry, often as freelance fashion photographers and creative directors working with major magazines, brands and clients.

Open days

There are currently no Open Days scheduled for this course, please check back at a later date.

Scholarships, bursaries and awards

Course overview

Introduction 

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography will teach you the technical skills of photography whilst supporting you to develop a personal aesthetic and take creative risks across commercial and editorial contexts. 

What to expect 

  • You will have the opportunity to take part in both industry collaborations and academic research projects, benefitting from the extensive network of high-profile academics and creatives across UAL. 

  • You will become familiar with location and studio shooting.

  • You will explore digital image production, manipulation and new media practices. You will also have the opportunity to develop skills in analogue practices using our spacious darkrooms. 

  • Collaboration is important for the course and you will be encouraged to work in teams and build work relationships with fellow students who are stylists, hair and make-up artists, and fashion illustrators. 

  • You will be encouraged to develop your authentic take on fashion image making, informed by an awareness for contemporary social and cultural issues and the transformative power of technology. 

  • By the end of the course you will be fully equipped to enter the industry as a professional and original image maker with excellent contextual awareness. 

Work experience and opportunities 

You will have the opportunity to take part in industry collaborations.

Recent projects have been with Wallpaper*, Dazed and Confused, ID magazine, Webber Represents, Elizabeth Arden, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever and Mr. Porter.

You will also have the opportunity to undertake a short-term work placement as part of your degree which will provide valuable industry experience before graduation. Graduates from this course are working successfully across a broad range of briefs, including fashion, lifestyle, music and advertising. Alumni include Coco Capitán, Nadine Ijewere and Olivia Rose. 

Mode of study 

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography runs for 90 weeks in full time mode. It is divided into 3 stages over 3 academic years. Each stage lasts 30 weeks. 

Climate, Social and Racial Justice

We are committed to ensuring that your skills are set within an ethical framework and are working to embed UAL’s Principles for Climate, Social and Racial Justice into the course.

Course units

Year one 

Introduction to Fashion Photography  aims to introduce you to your course and its subject specialism as well as to effective learning and studentship at undergraduate level. It will orientate you to the practices and knowledge base needed to understand your discipline and help you to develop your skills for independent and collaborative learning, reflection and your own self-development. Students come from many diverse educational backgrounds and a part of this unit will enable to reflect on your own background and how that shapes the way you approach to your course.  

The Capturing Fashion unit will consider the fundamental practice of photography and the ways in which it forms the foundation for fashion image practice. Consideration will be given to genres, photographic visual codes/conventions, diversity, and associated key practitioners/movements in a global context. Students will be encouraged to explore and experiment with the construction of fashion imagery, incorporating ideological, conceptual, historical, ethical and technical aspects, and consideration of the crucial role that collaboration plays in fashion photography and fashion image practice.  

Fashion Cultures and Histories introduces the Cultural and Historical Studies approach to fashion and related areas. The unit provides a broad overview of the subject and introduces key concepts and ways of thinking that will form the basis of subsequent study. It will also inform decisions regarding the Fashion Cultures and Histories unit that is chosen for future study. 

Better Lives will provide you with a solid understanding of LCF’s core values and how they connect to your practice. As part of this unit, you will explore diversity, social responsibility and sustainability, themes which you will then apply to a selected project. Your thinking is more important than a finished piece of work at this point. Fashion can change lives; through teaching, specialist research, and collaborative work, this unit will get you thinking differently.  

Alongside this, Collaborative Practice: Fashion Spreads emphasises the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature inherent in contemporary fashion media practice. The editorial format will be the focus for this unit, as an opportunity to communicate specific contemporary narratives for fashion consumption that are conceptualised, constructed, art directed, and resolved through collective enterprise and cooperation. You will explore the impact of fashion image in a print/online magazine context and how this is disseminated and received for a diverse audience and in a global context. Utilising teamwork to create contemporary fashion stories you will consider the overlapping roles and responsibilities of each specialism within Fashion Media practice. 

Year two 

The Cultural and Historical Studies Unit Critical Issues in Fashion Research will broaden or deepen your learning in areas relating to your interests. You will have the opportunity to participate in lectures, seminars and workshops with students from other courses within your School, and will read relevant academic texts and complete a formal academic essay for assessment. 

Interaction within and across fashion and media is at the heart of the Fashion Interactions unit, as well as introducing you to the notion of a real-life commission that will provide you with a forum to place your work in the public domain. The unit will provide you with an introduction to fashion fil so you can start identifying who your potential future clients might be and will invite you to consider where your fashion film might become visible by looking at contemporary brands, platforms and new and emerging technologies in the context of the fashion and photographic industries. The unit will introduce you to the relationship between moving image production, commissioning agencies and audiences and will assist you in preparing for professional practice. 

The Situating Your Practice unit has two pathways: 

Fashioned Spaces: This unit will offer an opportunity to reflect on your developing practise, and consider how your work is situated with regards to contemporary fashion image making, and dissemination. The unit will offer you the opportunity to showcase your specialist creative practice, and curate, produce and display your innovative body of work within a specific context.  

Media Placement: This unit aims to develop your professional skills within an industry environment. On your placement, you will be able to experience the pace, atmosphere and discipline of working in the industry, gaining practical experience of the associated roles, functions and operations. With guidance from LCF Graduate Futures, you will be expected to engage and be proactive in securing your own work experience that is suitable to your own personal development, skills, course requirements and career aspirations.  

The Fashion Image Futures unit will require you to consider your personal interest and approach to fashion image generation and dissemination producing content for contemporary fashion media sites. You will consider contemporary platforms and their appropriate processes to inform your individual direction for your creative and intellectual investigation. Reflection on previous work will help you to consider your practice and potential direction for your future in the fashion industry. 

Optional Diploma Year

CCI Creative Computing

Between years 2 and 3, you can undertake the year-long Diploma in Creative Computing. This will develop your skills in creative computing alongside your degree. After successfully completing the diploma and your undergraduate degree, you’ll graduate with an enhanced degree: BA (Hons) Fashion Photography (with Creative Computing).

CCI Apple Diploma 

Between years 2 and 3, you can undertake the year-long Diploma in Apple Development. This will give you an opportunity to become an accredited apple developer alongside your degree. After successfully completing the diploma and your undergraduate degree, you’ll graduate with an enhanced degree: BA (Hons) Fashion Photography (with Apple Development).

Industry DIPS 

This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. With support from your tutors, you’ll undertake an industry placement for a minimum of 100 days/20 weeks. As well as developing industry skills, you’ll gain an additional qualification upon successful completion. 

Enterprise DIPS 

This optional diploma can be taken between years 2 and 3. With support from your tutors, you’ll undertake an enterprise placement year where you will explore a business idea from proposal to minimal viable product (MVP). As well as developing enterprise skills, you’ll gain an additional qualification upon successful completion.

Year three 

The  Collaborative Experimental Practice  unit will offer you an opportunity to explore and expand the parameters of your work by engaging in collaborations that facilitate experimentation, creative thinking, practical testing and reflective problem solving. Creative outcomes and focused experimentation deriving from this unit could inform the process that you explore and expand upon in your Personal and Professional Project. 

You will complete a major piece of written work for the Dissertation Media unit. The overall aim of the dissertation is to provide an opportunity for you to demonstrate your understanding of the critical and analytical perspectives developed within cultural and historical theory, and your ability to apply those perspectives in a specific study. You will undertake a substantial piece of structured primary and secondary research that critically engages with cultural issues relating to fashion, the body, performance, or the media and communications industries and which reflects on contemporary critical debates and concerns. 

Finally, the Personal and Professional Project unit provides a framework to produce a substantial body of work to an advanced conceptual and technical level, in addition to an industry-ready portfolio.

Learning and teaching methods

The following teaching and learning methods are employed to support the integrated aims of the course outcomes:

  • Formal lecture programme.
  • Practical demonstrations.
  • Seminars.
  • Tutorials.
  • Masterclasses.
  • Critical self and peer appraisal.
  • External guest speakers
  • Self directed independent study.

Graduate Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the UAL Showcase

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography student work by Eliza Hill

BA (Hons) Fashion Photography student work by Coco Captain

Latest news from this course

Staff

Itai Doron

Itai Doron is the Programme Director for Fashion Media courses. He is an established photographer with particular interests in fashion, portraiture, social documentary, body politics, identity and queer theory. Working as a lens-based artist since graduation from Goldsmiths College of Art, Itai has twice received the UAL research project award to develop a body of work on immigration, combining social documentary with notions of fashion. Itai has a proven track record of public dissemination of visual and written work through exhibitions, publications, and academic research and was invited to deliver talks and lectures about his research at various international academic conferences. He has exhibited at the White Cube gallery in London, and participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions in the UK, Europe, Japan, Israel and the United States. He has authored a selection of photography books, including End Of Real in 2005, Yassin in 2009, Chokras’ Mahal (Boys' Palace) in 2011, and Fifteen Minutes With You in 2012.

Michiel Meewis

Michiel Meewis is a Dutch photographer and Course Leader on the BA (Hons) Fashion Photography course at LCF. As an alumnus of the London College of Fashion with a Masters in Fashion Photography himself, Michiel was awarded first place in the ‘fashion’ category the International Photography Awards 2012. His photographic series have been featured on record covers and numerous publications including British Vogue, Wallpaper*, Fucking Young! Magazine, Port and l’Officiel amongst others. Michiel’s practice as a photographer, mainly exploring the changing perception of masculinity within menswear fashion over time, has resulted in his work being exhibited nationally and internationally. He also works closely with companies such as Lacoste, Viktor & Rolf, Heineken, United Nude, Dior Homme, Lacoste and Loewe, developing and building relationships to support the student experience in every way. He obtained his BFT (Bachelor Film and Television) at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy with his exam film ‘About Roses’, which was nominated for a Student Oscar® by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the category of ‘Best Foreign Film’.

Natalia Payne

Natalie Payne is a lecturer and photographer from Cape Town, South Africa. Photography has been central to both her professional career and creative practice. She has extensive experience in fashion and advertising image-making, having photographed a diverse range of campaigns for South African and international advertising agencies, as well as editorial work for lifestyle and fashion magazines. In her art practice, she employs photography as a means to explore the intertwining of identity and the ‘everyday’ in the context of a decolonising and globalised society. She holds a Masters in Photography from the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie, Arles, and a Masters in Fine Art, from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, both awarded with distinction. Her work has been exhibited in a number of solo and group photography shows, as well as published in magazines and books in South Africa and France.

Mikloai Berg

Mikolai Berg is currently a lecturer on BA (Hons) Fashion Photography at The London College of Fashion. His professional background is in photography, moving image, and production. Mikolai’s visual practice focuses on commercial and editorial photography of children’s and young adult fashion. After graduating in Photography at the London College of Communication he moved on to a range of photography-based work. He has a wealth of experience in local and international productions, for a wide range of clients.

This includes being a pioneer in the transition of analogue to digital in visual communications, as well as acquiring a thorough knowledge of the processes involved in all aspects of image making industries.

Over the last decade he has successfully established himself in his own niche in fashion photography, collaborating with brands such as Kenzo, Stella McCartney, Hunter Boots and River Island, as well having his work published in Vogue, Collezione, Telegraph Magazine and Sunday Times Style.

Jade Gough

Jade is a visual artist and lecturer. Fascinated by the use of images as a tool for discourse and concerned with the role that the fashion image plays in shaping contemporary culture, freedoms and identities Jade has worked in London, Paris and New York as a practitioner and educator for over a decade. Using time-based media to explore themes of belonging, identity, self and otherness, existentialism and experience, Jade has exhibited internationally, working alongside photographers such as Mark Borthwick, Rinko Kawauchi, Tom Craig, J H Engstrom, and Martin Parr. Her strong working relationships with leading designers, brands, agencies and publishers enables a holistic approach to commercial projects and industry commissions in interpellation with research. Utilizing the still and moving image, performance, new media and the written word, she continues to seek the creation of innovative visual languages and aids autonomous students in developing their own practice toward fulfilling careers within industry.

Fees and funding

Home fee

£9,250 per year

This fee is correct for entry in autumn 2024 and is subject to change for entry in autumn 2025.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students.

Home fees are currently charged to UK nationals and UK residents who meet the rules. However, the rules are complex. Find out more about our tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£28,570 per year

This fee is correct for entry in autumn 2024 and is subject to change for entry in autumn 2025.

Tuition fees for international students may increase by up to 5% in each future year of your course.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

Scholarship search

Entry requirements

The standard minimum entry requirements for this course are:

One or a combination of the following accepted full level 3 qualifications.

  • 112 UCAS tariff points from two or more A Levels (preferred subjects include Art, Design, Fashion, Media Studies and Photography);
  • Distinction at Foundation Diploma in Art and Design;
  • Distinction, Merit, Merit at BTEC Extended Diploma (preferred subjects Art & Design);
  • Merit at UAL Extended Diploma;
  • Access Diploma or 112 new UCAS tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma;
  • 112 new UCAS tariff points from a combination of the above qualifications or an equivalent full Level 3 qualification;
  • or equivalent EU or non-EU qualifications such as International Baccalaureate Diploma at 25 points minimum;
  • and three GCSE passes at grade A*-C or grade 9-4.

Entry to this course will also be determined by assessment of your portfolio.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

  • Related academic or work experience
  • The quality of the personal statement
  • A strong academic or other professional reference
  • OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

English Language Requirements

IELTS level 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Please check our main English Language Requirements 

Selection criteria

The course team seeks to recruit students who can demonstrate:

  • An ability to communicate ideas visually
  • A commitment to and knowledge of critical debate around the body and its representation
  • An ability to cope with the academic demands of the course
  • A commitment to self-motivated study
  • An interest in the fashion imaging industry
  • A portfolio showcasing photographic imagery indicating an appreciation of contemporary fashion image making.

Apply now

Application deadline

31 January 2024 at 18:00 (UK time)

If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Apply to UAL

Home students can apply to this course through UCAS with the following codes:

University code:

U65

UCAS code:

W641

Start your application

Apply now

Application deadline

31 January 2024 at 18:00 (UK time)

If there are places available after this date, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Apply to UAL

International students can apply to this course through UCAS with the following codes:

University code:

U65

UCAS code:

W641

Start your application
or

Apply with a UAL Representative

Based across the world, our local UAL representatives can support you with your application from your home country. Check to see if there is a representative available in your country currently.

Find your representative

How to apply

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement.

Personal statement advice

Your personal statement should be maximum 4,000 characters and cover the following:

  • Why have you chosen this course? What excites you about the subject?
  • How does your previous or current study relate to the course?
  • Have you got any work experience that might help you?
  • Have any life experiences influenced your decision to apply for this course?
  • What skills do you have that make you perfect for this course?
  • What plans and ambitions do you have for your future career?

Visit the UCAS advice page and our personal statement advice page for more support.

Step 2: Digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit this via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.

Digital portfolio advice

Your portfolio should consist of recent work that reflects your creative strengths.

It should:

  • be maximum 30 pages
  • demonstrate your technical skills and ability to generate original photographic concepts
  • highlight your awareness and interest in fashion photography
  • include experimental work and research to demonstrate your creative processes and development techniques
  • be organised in a clear narrative to illustrate your ability to edit and present your work effectively.

For more support, see our Portfolio advice and PebblePad advice.

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice.

You also need to know

Communicating with you

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal.

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer. This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

You must apply in the year that you intend to start your course. If you are made an offer and your circumstances change, you can submit a deferral request to defer your place by 1 academic year. You must have met your conditions by 31 August 2024. If you need an English language test in order to meet the entry requirements, the test must be valid on the deferred start date of your course. If not, you will need to reapply. Requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Contextual Admissions

This course is part of the Contextual Admissions scheme.

This scheme helps us better understand your personal circumstances so that we can assess your application fairly and in context. This ensures that your individual merit and creative potential can shine through, no matter what opportunities and experiences you have received.

Careers

Careers

All of our undergraduate courses offer career development, so that you become a creative thinker, making effective contributions to your relevant sector of the fashion industry.

LCF offers students the opportunity to develop Personal and Professional Development (PPD) skills while studying through:
  • An on-course work experience or placement year. Please note, this is not available on every course; please see the Course Details section for information about work placement opportunities.
  • Access to to speaker programmes and events featuring alumni and industry.
  • Access to careers activities, such as CV clinics and one-to-one advice sessions.
  • Access to a graduate careers service
  • Access to a live jobsboard for all years.
  • Advice on setting up your own brand or company.
Graduates who wish to continue their education at postgraduate level can progress to suitable courses within the College, the University or elsewhere.

Career paths

Graduates from this course are working successfully across a broad range of briefs, including fashion, lifestyle, music and advertising. Alumni include Coco Capitán, Nadine Ijewere and Nadia Lee Cohen.

Technical skills acquired on the course can facilitate the opportunity for employment opportunities in post-production roles: Photographic retoucher, Digital Operative. The ability to professionally manage various post-production processes can offer a very lucrative avenue for employment, and broaden the scope for potential career paths within the fashion image industry.