Diploma in Contemporary Photography

Alysa Wakefield gets to travel and works with other photographers. Picture / Graeme Sedal

THE QUALIFICATION
What: Diploma in Contemporary Photography (level 6)
Where: Unitec, Mt Albert Campus
Phone: 09 815 2945 / 0800 10 95 10
Email: courses@unitec.ac.nz
Web: www.unitec.ac.nz
Course costs: $4610 (pay for own film, paper and camera although Unitec also hires cameras)
Starting salary: Photography assistants average $25,000 a year. Mac operators could potentially earn more than $1000 a week but such work is irregular.

Fashion shoots, advertising campaigns, catalogues, weddings; the range within commercial photography is diverse.

Unitec's contemporary photography diploma combines traditional practice, digital technologies and business studies to prepare students for the challenges of the industry.

The full time, two-year qualification explores the genres of documentary, portrait, advertising, illustrative, fashion and art photography. Classes involve theory, demonstration and practical assignments.

Topics include large format photography and digital photography, manipulation of images in various formats, integrating of text and graphics and knowledge of printing, pre-press and image output.

Formal business study skills are taught and students do industry placements. The programme emphasises the work place reality that there are no "jobs" as such; that students need to work towards self employment.

Applicants need 54 level two NCEA credits over four subjects, or equivalent. This must include four reading and four writing English credits.

A portfolio consisting of 20 transparencies with at least 12 in black and white is also required. Preference will be given to applicants with proof of aptitude through portfolios and photography school subjects or photographic work experience. International students need IELTS (academic) of no less than six with no score under five, or the equivalent.

The course, which takes 18-20 people, starts in February.

Graduates usually freelance with some starting their own businesses. Others assist established photographers.

THE GRADUATE
Alysa Wakefield, 22
Freelance photographer and part time assistant for Plump Studios

I graduated at the end of last year and now freelance as an assistant to Leon (Plump Studios) and as a Mac operator for other photographers.

As a Mac operator I accompany photographers on shoots, making sure everything is compatible with the camera and computer, then digitally convert raw file formats and do basic colour correcting. I'm constantly meeting photographers who offer jobs when they come through or when I'm on other shoots.

I was always fascinated with photography which I did in 6th and 7th form. After school I went overseas, then came back and started a business degree.

I chose Unitec because I didn't have the arts background for art school. The course was great. It is hands on with small classes so you get lots of attention and the tutors are fabulous.

The 80 hours industry placement gave us the opportunity to put into practice what we had learned and make contacts in the workplace. I initially organised work experience at a large photography studio but found it hard to get enough hands-on experience so moved to Plump Studios with Leon, where I now am working.

I really like helping on the production side, organising things like food, call sheets and props.

EMPLOYER
Leon Rose
Photographer/head of Plump Studios

I give talks to Unitec photography students and met Alysa after telling lecturers I was expanding and looking for an assistant.

She works well here. She initially did raw processing of images and minor retouching but now also helps a lot with production.

We do a wide variety of work. Recently we did a shoot in the Cook Islands for their tourism board; a couple of days later we were shooting pots and pans for The Warehouse.

In my opinion Unitec's course is the best for commercial photography because it isn't too art based and involves real world learning, including work experience.

While I used to believe you didn't need to do a course to enter the industry, I think it is important today because of the advances in technology that students need to become familiar with. Unitec keeps up to date with all the equipment and also covers the basics, such as using a darkroom.

The down side of a course is that after spending time and money on the course, some graduates think they are trained photographers - and they're not. They've still got to build up experience, rapport and contacts.

There are few full time jobs around so you have to create your own work. And it is not always the most talented photographer who is most successful, but the ones who develop contacts, good technical and communication skills and work hard.