Product Photography and Lighting Courses in the UK

Hi Everyone

I've been reading around the forum and I have concluded that this is the most

incredible photographic resource site I have ever seen, I am grateful to have

so much information at my fingertips.

Whilst I am not new to photography I nevertheless wish to develop both strong

product photography skills and a much deeper understanding of professional

studio product lighting techniques so that I might eventually produce

commercially viable work. My experience has, to date, been outdoors and has

used only natural light, so I am very aware that switching to a studio

environment will be a steep learning curve. Before I purchase any equipment I

feel the best way forward is to gain some hands-on, practical education on

product photography and lighting as a whole, but I am having trouble locating

suitable training courses in the UK (I'm based in the South).

If any of you could point me in the right direction I would be very grateful

indeed.

Kind regards

Lindsay

Hi,

I trained in the early 1980's to be a studio advertising photographer at West Bromwich college in the West Mids..it was a 2 year full time course. I think you may only find a training course aimed at product/ advertising work within the full time vocational course area and even then probably only as part of a larger general photographic course...and I doubt there are any part time courses.

There are now many photographic colleges all over the UK, especially in London, usually part of a much larger further education college or university, so I would let google help you and contact the photo colleges in your area, but I would guess you will only find full time courses.

cheers Steve.M.

Hi Steve

It was good to hear from you and I agree, it is only in the context of a full-time course that I will find what I am looking for. It is at times like this when I wish I had discovered photography twenty years ago! Unfortunately I can't take time out, much as I would like to. I have some product shooting experience so I think my only option is to make use of the three day intensive workshops (they're on studio lighting) which I've managed to find, and then build on that with a great deal of practice and hard graft. I did find some evening classes at my local college, but they weren't geared up for what I have in mind. I'm so often told that unless you begin your photography career in your early twenties, it will not be an option for you in 'later life'. I'm 40, and quite resourceful, and I'd like to think that new horizons are still open to me, providing I stick with it.

Regards

Lindsay

Lindsay,

I've been doing partt-me, mainly evening, courses for many years. TVU, the new name for Reading University, is absolutely brilliant and has tons of equipment for its students. Right now I am doing an advanced wet darkroom course at the Bracknell and Wokingham college, which is not as big as TVU (which is a property university) but it's great nonetheless. Another good one is Farnborough tech. Then there's Brooklands but that's not very well stocked with kit. Further South Bornemouth and Southampton universities also have great photography courses. A quick way to get an idea of colleges is by looking on www.hotcourses.com. Hope this helps,

Fred