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By Sulagna Chatterjee
13 November 2009
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It is said that learning is a continuous process. No matter how much you seem to know about a subject you are still driven to learn some more. Arts and other creative streams ingrain the same quest for perfection in their disciples, pushing them to produce something better every time. The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad is one such institute which completely supports and encourages creative expression through its quality courses.
The National Institute of Design (NID) is internationally renowned as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the fields of design, art and research. The Business Week, USA has listed NID among the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world. Among the numerous courses this institute provides, it’s well acclaimed for its Post Graduate Certificate Course in Photography Design.
The Course:
The unique twin certificate course is designed to ensure students get an encouraging and creative environment to hone their skills and develop their distinct style. The course puts equal emphasis on theory and hands on knowledge keeping the industry needs and the real world practicality in mind. It is specifically designed for students who come with a Bachelor’s degree in photography and who intend to take their learning a step further. The course magnifies research in areas like history, critique and theory of photography practice. At the same time, the program keeps students abreast with the new block of technology and helps them develop expertise in digital photography.
The course runs over four semesters (2 year) full-time and offers students the opportunity to undertake part of the second semester at the University College of Creative Arts, Farnham, UK. Students who opt to study part of their course in UK, are awarded another post graduate certificate namely ‘Master of Fine Art in Photography’ from the Farnham University at the end of the course.
Eligibility Criteria:
The institute accepts students coming from a foray of academic back grounds including first degree courses in photography and also a range of other streams like BFA/B.Arch/B.Des/B.Litt/Graduation in Comm. Media, Film and TV, Mass Media/or Equivalent/ or Graduates in any discipline with one year relevant industry experience/ creative pursuits.
Artistic prowess or proclivity is one of the chief criterions to get admitted into the institute and the screening process is therefore based on the assessment of the portfolio sent by the applicants. The portfolio can comprise of photographs or other forms of creative expression which can help the authorities gauge the students’ aptitude for the subject. Selected candidates are expected to have basic equipments such as a Digital or Analogue SLR. Specialist equipment and other facilities are further provided by the institute during the course.
Admission Information:
Forms and information can be obtained from the NID Academic Office by sending a Demand Draft of Rs. 1500 of any nationalised bank drawn in favour of “National Institute of Design”, payable at Ahmedabad.
Forms downloaded from NID's website (www.nid.edu) and sent along with the required amount of DD drawn are also accepted. Photo courtesy National Institute of Design.
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By Sulagna Chatterjee
06 October 2009
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The National Academy of Photography (NAP), based in Kolkata, provides a unique platform for anyone interested in pursuing a career in professional photography or those looking to simply improve their photography skills. This photography academy is the first of its kind in Eastern India. The training techniques at the institute are both innovative and intense and the course curriculum has been drawn out carefully by a distinguished faculty of award winning photographers. Be it fashion photography, glamour, wildlife, portrait, advertising, commercial, journalism or digital imaging– NAP proposes to empower the students with the right techniques and encourage them to bring to the fore their own distinct style.
The institute, a non-trading centre of excellence in the field of photography, aspires to see the medium through an all-new vista. The prime focus at NAP is on creativity and on nurturing the passion within, without which no art is complete. Photography, too, is no static art form and at NAP students are encouraged to view it with an open mind and use their own sensibilities and interpretations to produce great images.
Of the several part time courses offered at the institute, the professional course on Intensive Photography and Dark Room (B&W, Colour) Processing Techniques is perhaps the most popular among amateur and advanced amateur photographers. The four month course covers everything in the realm of photography, starting with the basic principles of photography, darkroom technique, B&W processing, colour printing to the different genres like product photography, still life photography and outdoor shooting.
If you are looking for a more intensive course you can go for the six month part time course on Professional Digital Photography. A certified course like the previous one, this one walks you through all the nerve points of modern day digital photography. The course syllabus covers topics like basic principles of digital photography, film versus digital photography, basic digital camera shooting techniques, portrait photography, fashion photography and empowering images with Photoshop.
Those interested in fashion photography, can try the three month part-time course on Professional Fashion Photography. As interesting as the course sounds, the institute brings in professional award-winning fashion photographers to throw light on composition and lighting techniques, figure shape study, glamour photography and light schemes on different costumes and figures.
The three month certified course on Product and Still Life Photography is also very good which covers technical aspects like frame and picture, shadow, lighting techniques, shooting beers, spirits and wines, jewellery, food, cosmetics and lifestyle. If you are interested in photography but short on time to take up a month long course, then the short 5 Day Workshop on Professional Fashion Photography offered by the institute is another good option.
It is important to note that all these courses are certified and conducted by top professionals and experts in the field of photography. Photo courtesy National Academy of Photography. |
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By Sagar Sheldekar
07 September 2009
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 The digital age has changed the way we live our lives. The technological advances have revolutionized every single aspect of life and photography is no different. The simplest yet the most sophisticated point-and-shoot cameras of leading camera brands have won over more converts than ever before in the history of photography. Yet, turning into a professional photographer is a whole different ball game.
The formula for success for a photographer today is not just about mastering the present but also keeping up with the future. An amateur photographer faces the uphill task of mastering the basics and developing a stronghold on the ever evolving digital tools of photography at the same time. In this scenario, a professional and specialised photography course can go a long way in helping budding photographers close this gap and can empower them with the necessary skills required to enter this creative industry. The Light & Life Academy in India is currently playing this role to perfection.
The Light & Life Academy is the one of the most reputed and largest professional photography institutes in India. A non-profit Educational Trust, the academy was founded by the celebrated advertising photographer, Iqbal K Mohamed and his wife Anuradha Iqbal. Established across a four acre mountain top in the beautiful Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu, the institute has adopted a holistic approach for imparting the artistic and scientific facets of photography to its students with equal emphasis on aesthetics and techniques.
The Light & Life Academy (LLA) offers stream lined and career-oriented courses for amateur and professional photographers by providing access to the latest technological equipment and techniques under the guidance of its esteemed faculty of leading Indian and international photographers. The programmes on offer include a full-time One-Year PG Diploma in Professional Photography, a 100-day photojournalism programme and several short duration photography workshops.
Introduced in 2006/07, the one year PG Diploma is the institute’s flagship programme designed for aspiring photographers who are eager to make a foothold in the image making industry. The course offers a lot of options and depending on your proclivity you can choose to specialise in Portrait photography, Fashion photography, Architecture & Interiors photography, Travel photography, Nature photography and Fine art Photography. The course aims at helping amateur photographers scale the learning curve quicker and better understand the hardware and software developments of professional digital photography. As far as the methodology is concerned, the course includes lectures, slide shows of the work done by faculty members and international artists, demos, assignments, web research and critique sessions. The fees for the one-year diploma amount to a total of Rs. 4,15,000 which includes a security deposit of Rs. 30,000 which is returned after the completion of the course.
Practising photographers, advanced amateurs and photojournalists can opt for the short duration workshops of their specific areas of interest offered by LLA. The workshops follow the “hands-on training” approach and cover Fundamentals of Creative Photography, Nature, Travel, Digital Capture & Post-Production and Digital Photojournalism among other topics. Lectures, slide shows and demos and shooting are incorporated in the daily sessions and  the second day of the workshops, the images taken on the previous day are critiqued by the faculty members to ensure fast and continuous learning.
For more information you can visit http://www.llacademy.org/.
Photo courtesy Light and Life Academy.
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