Full Time

Duration: Twenty-One Weeks

Course commences on the following dates:

IC 25-01 : 22 January – 13 June 2025

IC 25-02 : 3 July – 28 November 2025

*Dates may change.*

Time: Mon – Fri     09h00 – 17h00

Cost:     R14 000 for South African students and students from the continent.

R 30 000 International students.

Please note that a registration fee of R1, 100 is required on application.

Equipment deposits are currently set as follows:

R500.00

Summary

The Intermediate Course is a 6-month full time photography course. It is designed to further introduce students to the broader field of photography. The course aims at equipping the photographer with technical, conceptual, creative and professional skills and knowledge relevant to the broader creative industry. On completion of this course the student will be able to practice as either an entry professional level inhouse photographer, retouch artist, freelance photographer in various fields, or establish a small-medium photography enterprise. Equipped with a comprehensive set of skills the student is enabled to choose a field of specialisation (social documentary, commercial, art/concept) to optimally operate in.

As a new practitioner the student is in a position to undertake modest professional assignments and charge entry-level fees for doing so. S/he should also be able to work as a photographer’s assistant on more ambitious assignments within the various streams of photography. The intermediate course gives you a clear basis from where you can launch into the Advanced Programme in Photography or the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Programme.

Outcomes

While there is a lot of thinking, reading, discussing and debating involved in the course, we believe strongly that the knowledge you acquire must be evident in the work that you actually produce as a photographer. Therefore we seek to measure your learning on the course through tasks that are practical and applied. By the end of the Foundation course you will be able to:

● Efficiently operate digital and analogue SLR cameras by using most of the advanced and customised settings.
● Demonstrate competency in working within a studio photographing models and products.
● Use some of the advanced tools and presets on Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
● Critically engage with different forms of visual materials and relate them back to your photography practice.
● Compile a diverse and comprehensive professional photography portfolio that may include a detailed project funding proposal.
● Conceptualise, plan and execute a long term photography visual narrative that explores creatively a topic/theme that has social relevance.
● Tackle a variety of photographic assignments from clients with satisfactory quality of work.

Modules

Technical Practice

Tech Practice module serves several purposes. Initially it is a recap of the technical skills learned at a foundation level. It then builds up on these skills and knowledge with more advanced usage of customised settings and photographing modes of the digital camera. There is also new methods and material of digital printing that is introduced at the intermediate level. Analogue photography and printing continues and new printing techniques are also introduced.  Studio photography and lighting is the main new skill that is introduced that was not taught in the foundation level.

Post Production

This module introduces the student to some of the advanced features of Adobe Photoshop. It also serves as an introduction to Adobe Lightroom. Student will learn effective and quick methods of editing batch images, labelling them, applying special effects (presets and preparing images to an acceptable standard for printing and digital presentation/publishing. Ethics and the dos and don’ts of digital image manipulation or enhancement are discussed throughout the course.

Visual Studies

Visual Studies expands visual literacy gained in the foundations and adds more themes from the fine art and art history. Advertising, films, music videos and new media that are looked at critically. This is a very theoretical module, there is a lot of discussion, debate and critical/research writing about photography and visuals in general.

Professional Practice

The module delves deeper into the business practice of photography. It explores new ways of providing students with the opportunities and challenges to develop practical strategies to establish professional creative careers and a meaningful way to sustain a livelihood. The module covers a wide range of topics which include amongst others:

● Negotiate a brief with a client
● Observe etiquette and practical aspects of working in a studio environment
● Produce a personal development plan based on a realistic assessment of your current position and circumstances
● Produce a personal financial plan based on a realistic assessment of your current position and circumstances
● Produce credible and professionally presented marketing material related to your practice as a photographer
● Identify sources of finance and funding for the development and realization of a body of independent, creative work
● Demonstrate an understanding of the legal implications of different aspects of photography (constitutional law and freedom of expression, copyright, contracts, labour law)
● Understand the legal and tax implications for different forms of business entity and identify an appropriate business entity for your future practice as a photographer
● Demonstrate insight into the ethical implications of your practice as a photographer

Visual Narrative

This module encourages and challenges the student to use images creatively to tell a compelling, cohesive and socially significant visual story. The student goes through a mentoring process of researching a photo story idea/theme, deciding the best approach to the story, choosing creative technical  approach to the story, writing project description and presenting the completed story on a variety of platforms. The student is expected to execute two adequately developed visual narratives.

Applied Photography

This module is aimed at sufficiently preparing the student for entry into the professional photography work environment. The student is instructed and assessed at through a variety of practical pseudo-professional commercial assignments. These tasks are designed to establish a set of photographic skills, professional conduct and confidence to complete real client’s photographic needs. The module is key to developing an acceptable commercial photography portfolio.

Assessment

The Market Photo Workshop employs a comprehensive approach to assessment that is focused on ensuring that you, the learner, are able to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to be a photographer. Each session that we have planned (outlined below) involves learning something new, and through observation and demonstration, the MPW facilitators and co-ordinators are able to support you in ensuring that you achieve these results for each session. There are also ‘Assessment Focus’ sessions that concentrate on ensuring that you have grasped all the various conceptual, technical and practical skills that you have been exposed to.

For your final assessment, you will be required to produce a body of work in order to demonstrate that you have grasped the basic technical/practical skills outlined above. This body of work will be presented in portfolio format, and as a small exhibition. Your portfolio and exhibition will be accompanied by written tasks aimed at demonstrating your grasp of the professional practice and visual literacy aspects of the course and you will be required to do a brief verbal presentation of your work. An assessment report will be issued approximately seven days after the exhibition portfolio assessment indicating whether you have achieved all the outcomes, and identifying areas of strength and weakness in your work.

Methodology

Each week is structured around a range of sessions that involve both intensive contact time with trainers and course coordinators, as well as for students to have the opportunity to work independently, photographing and processing photographs, working in the computer lab, and spending time in the library.Each session with facilitators involves an exciting and stimulating mixture of delivery methods aimed at ensuring that you emerge from the course able to confidently and independently apply the skills and knowledge that you have acquired.

Equipment and Resources

The Market Photo Workshop provides the use of cameras and equipment during your course. Equipment can only be rented between these times: Monday to Friday: 08:45 – 09:00, 12:45 – 13:30 and 15:00 – 15:45 .

> You will have to pay R500 which covers all equipment utilised during the course. If you damage or lose the camera the Market Photo Workshop will keep your deposit, and you will have to pay another R500 deposit (please see the Camera Rental Policy for more information).