Immerse yourself in Bristol’s vibrant photography scene and learn from some of the field’s most acclaimed artists and practitioners. This degree, in collaboration directly with industry, offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop your craft alongside names like Magnum Photos and Sony, gaining experience in every facet of photographic practice–from commissioned assignments to exhibition and publishing.
You’ll dive deep into the art of visual storytelling, honing specialist skills in composition, lighting, portfolio and photobook production, as well as digital and darkroom printing. This hands-on course enables you to create stunning images from day one, working on client-driven projects and curating your own exhibitions. With a strong emphasis on co-creation and networking, you’ll graduate with the versatility, technical expertise, and industry connections needed to launch a rewarding career in photography.
From day one, you’ll be creating incredible images. You’ll work on projects for clients, create and curate your own exhibitions, as well as building the wider skills needed to launch a rewarding career in photography.
Equipment
Photography studio
Colour darkroom
Large format digital print centre
Alternative printing workshop
Dry mount hot press
35mm, medium format and large format analogue cameras
Full-frame DSLR cameras
Mirrorless and APSC cameras
Location lighting kits
Adobe Creative Cloud
Capture One
Shoot and exhibit your first major project as you develop your creative voice through hands-on briefs inspired by real industry work. Build confidence in both studio and location photography, and experiment with darkroom and digital techniques – learning to shoot, print, and deliver to a professional standard.
Create zines and portfolios using dry toner and archival pigment printing, while exploring the wider world of photography, from art and design to publishing and commercial practice, to begin finding your place within it.
Year 2
Design, shoot and produce a public exhibition of your work in Bristol. Collaborate with external clients and create a new publication from the ground up, gaining experience in editorial design and the realities of creative, cultural, and commercial commissions.
Experiment with alternative and sustainable printing processes, produce a photobook, and start shaping your professional future by exploring career routes and what it takes to build a fulfilling, sustainable creative practice.
Year 3
Over the year, you’ll develop a major photographic project and, together with your cohort, create a collective publication and exhibition, both in Bristol and beyond. Professional placements will give you real-world experience and help you plan your next steps after graduation. Explore routes into publishing and exhibiting including getting your work seen in festivals, exhibitions, photobooks and the press.
By the end of the year, you’ll have shared your final project as a graduate photobook edition–your launchpad into the creative industries.
Student Work
See the bold, original photography our students are producing. From first frame to final print, it’s all about exploring ideas, mastering technique and creating images that tell stories.
An introduction into the creation and production of photographic projects. Learn how to design, shoot and exhibit your first major project.
On Assignment
Through live, in-house briefs, you’ll learn how to shoot, print and deliver a professional assignment. Explore colour and black and white darkroom printing, while developing skills in the photographic studio and digital photography.
Presenting Photography
Elevate your work to disseminate in industry. Explore the design and production of photographic zines and portfolios, while experimenting with key printing technologies including dry toner presses and archival pigment printing.
Navigating Professional Practice
A deep-dive into the broad field of photographic and creative professional contexts, from art to commerce, design and publishing.
Developing Photographic Projects
Design, shoot and produce a public exhibition of photography in Bristol. Discover the digital horizons of photography and learn to collaborate with subject specialists to critically develop your projects.
Working with Industry
Work with real clients to level up your photographic and professional skills on set, in a commercial context. Collaborate in groups to design a brand new publication, and explore the opportunities afforded with creative, cultural and commercial commissions.
Print, Design and Publication
Expand your printing skills through a deep dive into alternative, historical and sustainable printing processes. Develop skills in design through an in-depth look at the production of a photobook.
Exploring Professional Practice
Discover where employment and other commercial opportunities exist within photography. Through practical tasks and projects, you’ll identify personal career ambitions and develop an understanding of sustainable career development.
Devising Photographic Projects
Design and build your final photographic project ready for publication and exhibition.
Applying Professional Practice
Accelerate your path into industry through professional placements. Plan your progression post graduation.
Disseminating Photographic Projects
Find out how to get your work shown in exhibitions, books, magazines, newspapers, festivals and more, whilst building your own graduate exhibition. Learn about the routes and business of publication, and disseminate your final photographic project into the industry as a photobook edition.
Prepare for Career Success
Future Skills is an innovative careers programme pioneered by Kingston University and tuned for Boomsatsuma that helps you develop the professional skills that creative businesses are looking for. Embedded within your course, Future Skills spotlights nine graduate attributes: creative problem solving, digital competency, being enterprising, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, resilience and self-awareness.
Year 1 – Navigate
Meet students across courses during three creative challenges in film, photography and games. We’ll get you set up with a personal tutor that will help you shape a personal development plan.
Year 2 – Explore
Take part in a virtual design competition that explores the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Build skills in co-creation across disciplines, project planning, pitching and critical thinking. Revisit and refine your personal development plan.
Year 3 – Apply
Extend your professional skills by pitching a creative idea that has commercial potential. Continuing to work with your personal tutor, extend your personal development plan to life after undergraduate study.
Popular Roles
Beyond a career as a Photographer, this degree will open pathways to you such as
Digital Operator, Printer, Bookmaker, Photo Agent and Art Director. You might also explore careers in publishing and design. Whether it’s Art Director or Picture Editor of a magazine, or Gallery Assistant or Gallerist for a gallery, there are a wealth of job opportunities in the photography industry that are waiting for you.
taught by experts
Course Staff
HE Head of Photography
Samuel Fordham
HE Photography Lecturer
Jamie Murray
“Our collaboration with the talented students at Boomsatsuma gave us the opportunity to connect with emerging talent and showcase our product in a fresh light. We gave full creative rein to the students who, guided by the academic staff, were not only great to work with but consummate professionals through the day of the shoot.”
Guided By industry
Industry Collaborations
At Boomsatsuma, learning goes way beyond the classroom. From day one, you’ll be working on real projects with real industry partners.
Here are just a few examples of how we collaborate with the creative world around us.
Bristol Photo Festival
Students at all levels worked alongside exhibiting artist Amak Mahmoodian to create their own responses to her work, which were then showcased as part of the exhibition itself. They also connected with the BPF team at IC Visual Lab, gaining insights into the world of arts, publishing, and what it takes to bring events like photography festivals to life.
Specialist Workshops
Our students enjoy specialist workshops where they can try something new and work with external educators. Recent workshops including capturing commercial photography for the award-winning brand Finisterre in collaboration with Sony, zine production with Matt Martin, founder of Photocopy Club and the Photobook Cafe, and alternative and sustainable printing with Lucy Helton.
Photo Frome
Students engage with the photo festival in a number of ways including our own Boomsatsuma exhibition, running the ‘Faces of Frome’ portrait and archive project, curating exhibitions and doing live event photography and videography. Our students have also gone on to be finalists in the student award and open call categories as well as having a group show in the Silk Mill in collaboration with an external curator.
What Our Students Say
Hear from the people living it – what it is like, how it feels and why it matters
“My time at Boomsatsuma was life-changing, boosting my confidence and turning my passions into a career, I’m now a full-time professional property photographer. The supportive team felt like family, always pushing each other to achieve great things.”
“Boomsatsuma gave me the space to be myself, with incredible support from Sam Fordham, Jamie Murray, Laura Mallet, and the team. I highly recommend it—it’s truly changed my life.”
Choose Your Future
Why Photography and Print at Boomsatsuma?
Practicing Creatives
Your lecturers aren’t just educators. They’re active, practicing artists with a genuine passion for photography and the creative potential and opportunities it opens up
Real World Experiences
Work directly and collaboratively with industry experts through modules and workshops in the production and presentation of exhibitions, publications and assignments
Portfolio Building
Build a professional portfolio of the highest technical and aesthetic standards to enable progression into your chosen area of employment, whether that be as a freelance photographer, working for a company or continuing your education at MA level
Applying?
We welcome applications from imaginative and motivated people from all backgrounds.
A range of qualifications are accepted, with common ones listed below. Applicants are also considered on an individual basis. So even if you don’t have the grades, you can contact us to talk about your options.
UCAS Tariff: 96 Points
A Level: CCC
BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM
T Level: M
Access to HE Diploma: M – 45 Credits
We interview for this course. Please see the Course FAQs below for details.
Fees and Funding
Annual fees for UK full time students studying an undergraduate degree at Boomsatsuma, awarded by Kingston University London, are as follows:
2024/25: £9,250
2025/26: £9,535
For more information about tuition fees and funding, see Kingston University’s Guidance.
If you have questions about student finance, or need some help, call us or enquire at an Open Day.
Where Are We?
Tobacco Factory
Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1TF
Course FAQs
This course is validated by Kingston University London and is supported closely by Kingston School of Art. Kingston University has been recognised with a TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) Gold award for their commitment to high quality teaching.
Kingston University awards our degrees, meaning that you’ll graduate with a degree certificate from Kingston University. Boomsatsuma follows Kingston University quality assurance and enhancement processes, including those related to assessment, course monitoring, and student feedback.
We interview for this course to make sure that you’re a great fit for Boomsatsuma and that Boomsatsuma is the right place for you. We think it’s essential to meet everyone who wishes to study here, both to get to know you better and to give you a chance to experience our approach first hand.
Interviews are in person where possible, and cover topics such as your interest in the subject, your goals, and your motivations for studying with us. You may also have the opportunity to share any recent work with our staff during the interview.
We are currently accepting transfers directly into Level 5 (year 2) of this course. If you have successfully completed, or expect to complete 120 credits at Level 4 (year 1) of your undergraduate course at another university, you may be eligible to apply.
If you’d like to transfer to Boomsatsuma, please contact us using the phone number or email address at the bottom of this webpage. We’ll talk to you about your situation, run through the details of this course, and outline the options available to you.
Whatever you’re facing – academic challenges, mental health, finances or planning your next steps – we’ve got your back. Our Student Support team is here to listen, guide and help you make the most of your time at Boomsatsuma.
We offer academic advice, wellbeing sessions, coaching and counselling, listening sessions and advice drop-ins. We can also help with applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
Boomsatsuma doesn’t have its own halls, but we can help you with house-hunting. We provide links to trusted letting agencies and work in partnership with C J Hole to help you find the right place to live while studying.
If you’re facing financial challenges, we’re here to help. Our Student Support team can provide guidance on budgeting and exploring financial support options. Contact us at education@boomsatsuma.com to book a session with our Student Support Advisor.
While this course doesn’t include a formal placement year, it’s designed to provide industry insight at every level. We collaborate with partners to set live briefs, arrange freelance commissions and offer work experience opportunities. Industry professionals regularly visit Boomsatsuma to deliver talks and masterclasses, giving you direct access to expert knowledge and networking opportunities.
We’re well connected within Bristol’s Creative Industries and beyond – and we’re here to help you build your own connections too.
Students studying this course enrol with Kingston University and become members of Kingston Students’ Union automatically. There are also a range of Boomsatsuma clubs and societies that you can join, run by our students, alongside opportunities to participate in boom socials, trips, and networking events.
