I would like to take the opportunity to inform you about a new course that started at Falmouth University College in beautiful Cornwall/UK.
It is a three year BA(Hons) Press/Editorial Photography programme, based in a new building – “Photo Centre”,(Just outside Falmouth) purposely designed with absolutely fantastic facilities in both analog and digital technologies. Digital suites have 70 stations and scanners for up to 5×4 negs, huge darkrooms with 35 to 5×4 enlargers for colour and B&W hand-printed work, and a well dedicated technical support for digital processing with chromogenic outcome machines and inject printers (large poster size prints).
With a few words a complete in-house photographic lab with very low cost printout for the students (if they choose to print by hand, then it is just the cost of their paper), and free unlimited film processing on automatic units (slide, c41,b+w).
The studios are well equipped with the latest flash lighting suspended systems and there is access for large objects like props or vehicles.

Well, why am I saying all this? I teach there – as a P/T lecturer- and I am extremely enthusiastic about the prospects this course can offer to Editorial/Documentary photography in the UK. I personally have to travel 600 miles every week there and back for at least 24 weeks a year and that requires a lot of motivation.
The course covers all disciplines of Press and Editorial work, and welcomes students who like to do Photojournalism, Sports, Fashion/Life style, Social and Environmental Landscape, News etc.- more or less all the categories of photography that appear in the World Press Photo Awards.

The course also encourages the students to work on long term projects. In the current climate where almost every person in the developed world carries some kind of camera, and there are websites selling amateur pictures for reasonable fees, it is almost impossible for the professional to compete with the public in news photography. With this in mind we have to offer something else and what we do with our cameras becomes crucial, that means spending time, working on long-term projects, on themes and ideas that we really care about.

We have decided to train all our students in traditional and digital technologies (some colleges have closed down the Analog programmes) because of the high demand from students and professionals to carry on using film and it looks that is here to stay. At the same time we have up to date digital facilities and our own Press Room which functions as an Editorial Desk.

The course has joined the “Magnum Education Partnership” with benefits to the students, e.g. Visiting lectures from Magnum Photographers, professional practice lectures with Magnum staff, individual visits to Magnum Print Room, PV invitations, internships etc. There is also an extensive Visiting Lecturer programme throughout the year.

We just have started our first year with an extremely enthusiastic group of students, and the prospects for the future look very positive judging from the interest we have so far.
Please contact me if you have any questions or even better you can contact Mal Stone – Course Leader for “BA(Hons)Press Photography” – at 01326 253764, or mal.stone@falmouth.ac.uk