- An undergraduate course
in
Engineering, Technology and Design.
Digital photography: creating and sharing better images
- On this page
Whether you’re new to digital photography or want to improve your existing skills, this ten-week online course will develop your ability to create and share digital images you are proud of. If you’re just starting out, you’ll be able to compare notes with many other people in the same situation. If you’re already a keen amateur digital photographer, being part of an active online community will develop your fluency. Visually focused, with text kept to a minimum, the course will develop your technical, visual and creative skills. A series of weekly hands-on assignments allows you to practise the skills you’ll learn.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | T189 |
| Credits | 10 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 1 Computer-marked assignment (CMA) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
Register for the course
What you will study
The course is designed to be studied over a ten-week period, with approximately ten hours of study each week. There are two pieces of work that must be submitted during the course, however, to get the most out of the course we advise that you also take part in the weekly photo assignments (not assessed), and if you miss a week, that you are able to find time to catch up (for example, spend 20 hours the following week).
The course is a creative mix of practice, learning, sharing and reflection:
- Practice: each week you do a practical photographic activity that broadens and strengthens your photographic experience. Together these activities form the basis of your portfolio that you’ll draw upon for your end-of-module assessment.
- Learning: each week you learn about different aspects of photographic techniques, as well as relevant aspects of the technology behind digital photography.
- Sharing and reflection: each week you share your work within the T189 online community of photographers. You’ll steadily develop your ability to reflect upon your own and others’ work, and to write about your increasing visual awareness.
The course will:
- teach you the key principles of capturing digital images and manipulating these with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom for PC or Mac
- equip you with basic skills to navigate technological developments in digital photography
- teach you how to critically evaluate your own and others’ work in the spirit of continuous technical and artistic improvement
- encourage you to experiment with the principles of digital photography and imaging as part of a supportive online community
- help you to develop a portfolio to be proud of.
Software
The image editing software is Adobe Photoshop LightRoom for PC or Mac, which will be provided (and is yours to keep after the course has finished), and by the end of the course you’ll have a good grasp of it. (There is no requirement to use this particular software if you already use an alternative photo-editing package).
Our new Level 1 60-credit course Design thinking: creativity for the 21st century (U101) complements this course.
You will learn
The course will introduce the full range of basic aspects of digital photography including:
- ‘ways of seeing’ and the elements of composition
- the basic principles of capturing light information digitally (e.g. sensors, memory, file types)
- the digital workflow (capture, organise, edit and share)
- how to control exposure
- how to control focus and Depth of Field
- digital colour management – an introduction
- how to print and project your images
- how to technically and creatively improve your own or others’ images using Photoshop Elements.
Entry
This course will appeal to a wide variety of people: those completely new to photography; those wanting to make the transition from film to digital photography; and amateur photographers, wanting to top up their skills and be part of an online community sharing and improving photographs.
The course does not assume any prior knowledge of photographic techniques or digital photo-editing skills. We assume that you might be fairly new to computing but are not a complete beginner.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
Although you don’t need to have had much experience with a computer, you’ll need to install software and get an account with an internet service provider (ISP) before the course begins. You also need to be able to manage your computer files competently and use basic software such as a word processor and web browser. If you don’t feel comfortable about doing that on your own, you might want to take a basic introductory course at a local college before you start the course.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The course is delivered wholly online, requiring extensive use of the internet and electronic communications. If you use special hardware or software you must, well before the course begins, find out whether it will work with the course software. The course has a good proportion of practical photographic work and requires you to be able to take digital photographs in a variety of settings. Written transcripts of any audio components are available. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting Your Needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Your course materials will be provided online. This includes the Adobe Lightroom software and you will get different versions depending on whether you have Windows XP or a more recent operating system.
You will need
A camera that will enable you to manipulate and share your images as digital files. Obviously a digital camera is designed to do this – your digital camera should be 2 mega-pixels or more. It would also be acceptable to submit digitised versions of images captured using a film camera. Whatever camera you use, it is preferable if it has some controls or settings (e.g. shutter speed, aperture or automatic settings such as ‘sport’, ‘landscape’ or ‘portrait’), as the course will teach you about the full range of controls and settings that a photographer uses. However it will also be possible to complete the course using a basic camera with little or no control over its settings.
If you have Windows XP operating system on your computer you will need at least 1 GB RAM to run the Lightroom software. If you have more recent versions of Windows or Apple Mac OSx 10.6.8 or later, you will need at least 2 GB RAM.
As part of the course you’ll be asked to share your images. You’ll need to have access to an internet connection to be able to upload your images to the photosharing website and to view and comment on other people’s photographs.
We recommend that you have broadband access to the internet as you are likely to be spending most of your time studying online and/or downloading material from the website. Without it you may incur extra charges to your telephone bill.
Computing requirements
You will need a computer with internet access to study this course. It includes online activities – you can only access using a web browser with Flash and Java – and some course software provided on disk.
- If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer running Windows since 2006 you should have no problems completing the computer-based activities.
- If you’ve got a netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device check our Technical requirements section.
- If you have an Apple Mac or Linux computer – please note that you can only use it for this course by running Windows on it using Boot Camp or a similar dual-boot system.
You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.
Teaching and assessment
Study support
The course is taught entirely online and you will not have an individual tutor. You will have access to online student self-help forums that you are strongly encouraged to participate in, as they are an excellent source of support and information. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your end-of-module assessment (EMA).
The EMA comprises a portfolio of your images that you have captured or worked upon that demonstrates your knowledge, understanding and skills. A short piece of written work assesses your ability to articulate your visual awareness and your knowledge of the principles and techniques of digital photography.
Professional recognition
Recognised by The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) as suitable preparatory work and a foundation for a Licentiateship Distinction (LRPS) in still photography. For more information about the RPS visit their website.
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012 and May 2013. We expect it to be available twice a year.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
Student Reviews
“An outstanding course. When I started I thought I was quite a good photographer, but I am now much better. ...”
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“An enjoyable course, and well-paced to maximise learning for relatively little effort. My overall satisfaction was however marred by repeated ...”
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Distance learning
The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.
For more information about distance learning at the OU read Study explained.
| Course facts | |
|---|---|
| About this course: | |
| Course code | T189 |
| Credits | 10 |
| OU Level | 1 |
| SCQF level | 7 |
| FHEQ level | 4 |
| Course work includes: | |
| 1 Computer-marked assignment (CMA) | |
| End-of-module assessment | |
| No residential school | |
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