Facilities
From the latest high-end professional equipment, to fully tooled up darkrooms and printing, scanning, and post-production suites, to dedicated photography studios and bookbinding facilities, to specialised craft workshops and an incredibly extensive photobook library, you will have easy access to all these facilities from early morning until 10pm every day, 7 days a week. All our facilities are located in our modern city centre campus, gathered together in one location!
Equipment Store:
As a documentary photographer, you inevitably need access to and knowledge of photography gear. Whether this is a standard SLR to shoot 35mm film, or a digital medium format camera to capture high-res files, whether this is an LED panel for additional lighting during shoots, or directional microphones for producing films, our Media Store has an extensive range of equipment available for you to use on location or in the studio. They will be able to provide you with advice on which gear to choose for your projects, and how to put them to good use.
Photography Studios:
Whilst most documentary photography tends to take place on location, you can make use of our fully equipped photography studios if your project needs a more conceptual approach. The studios come complete with various backdrops, daylight, continuous, and artificial light set ups, and infinity curves.
Darkrooms:
Once you have captured your images, post-production is inevitably next. This can take the form of developing your film, and spending time in the darkroom to print your negatives to your satisfaction on fibre-based papers. Alternatively, you can make use of the fully automated dry-to-dry analogue printing facilities for B&W, or our colour-negative processing services.
Post-production:
You can also digitise your negatives using our industry standard Imacon scanners. Using our calibrated monitors and Adobe Creative Suite you can work on your digital files and ensure they meet professional standards. Your digital images can then be printed on our high-quality inkjet printers, which can go up to 60 inches wide using our proffessional RIP software. You will be trained in creating printing profiles and paper types, thus ensuring a high-quality output. Technical staff with extensive experience of fine print processes, are available to assist you.
Photobook and zine making:
Many documentary photography projects see the light of day as photobooks or zines. You will therefore be trained in how to create, design, and produce publications, and we have a range of specialist printing, cutting and binding facilities at your disposal.
Library:
Our library has one of the best collections of photobooks in Europe, available to serve as a source of inspiration for your studies. It is continuously kept up to date with new publications, but also contains incredibly rare and important publications, and unique archives such as the David Hurn collection and the Newport Survey archive. Librarians with
Fabrication Workshops:
You will exhibit your photographs during your degree, and some of you might want to venture into creating site-specific or multimedia pieces. Our craft workshop enables you to produce frames, vitrines, and pedestals, or to mount your work onto MDF, aluminium and other materials. You also have access to our 3D print studio and laser-cutting facilities. Specialist staff with extensive knowledge of fabrication are on site to advise and assist you.
Access:
You will find that our facilities are not just up to the highest standard and open for use every day to 10pm, 7 days a week, but being located in one place means maximum convenience. This is especially the case if you choose to live in one of the amazing city centre modern halls of residence, 1 mins walk from the campus.