Bachelor Photography (ft & pt)

Study profile

Photography is a wide field with multiple possibilities for image-making, meaning-making, and sharing the stories of our worlds. For you to develop and sustain your independent practice in this dynamically evolving field, our four-year study programme will support you in defining your specific interests and solidifying your original, yet informed, photographic voice.

Our programme is centred on the making and understanding of images. It starts with a variety of short-term photography assignments, progressing towards longer-term, self-directed projects which culminate in bold and thought-provoking presentations. Throughout the study, we encourage you to stay open to experimentation and embrace discoveries that emerge in this process.

Collective learning is at the core of our department. Students and teachers all engage through active participation and peer-to-peer learning. You will work with peers from different international backgrounds, and this diversity of cultures will enrich your artistic, personal and professional growth.

Photography is a form of infrastructure that helps us to navigate the world. You might choose to use it to tell a story entangled with a lived reality, or as a starting point for a critical inquiry into contemporary visual culture. Whichever path you choose — we expect a strong engagement with the world, a desire for impact, and willingness to investigate appropriate techniques, methodologies, and discourses.

By the time of graduation, you will direct your work and recognise your local, international, and digital audiences. You’ll be equipped with all the professional tools to position your own practice in the contemporary photography field, and beyond.

In the video below, students, teachers, and heads of department tell you more about the BA Photography programme:

Why choose Photography at KABK

You will learn to become an independent maker and thinker. Our courses are taught by an international team of more than 30 professionals working across various disciplines (see the ‘List of Staff’ tab to get to know them).

Each of our teachers brings their own expertise to help you learn critical skills, the process and methods of making, and grow confidence in presenting and positioning yourself as a photographer or visual artist.

You will acquire competencies in image-making, theory, project development, professional skills, and technical proficiency. Next to photography, you will acquire a foundation in bookmaking and graphic design, publication strategies, spatial installations, moving image and new technologies.

Full access to Academy’s Workshops (darkroom, wood, metal, textile, 3D, etc.) enriches your work with tools & techniques complimenting your photographic language, allowing you to explore unconventional and innovative ways of image production and distribution.

You will become a part of a community that grows by sharing diverse experiences and exchanging knowledge. Our emphasis on collective learning expands into numerous possibilities for collaborations with students of other departments, including the new academy-wide Common Ground course. Further on, through the KABK network you will build access to the Dutch, European and international photography scenes.

Is this study for you?

• You are passionate about creating images and eager to reflect on their meaning.
• You are resilient and empathetic - with or without a camera in your hand.
• You are interested in visual communication and curious to connect your work to the cultural & socio-political realities of our times.
• You are willing to research various approaches to image-making before choosing your future photography practice, and excited to explore wider photography fields (editor, curator, etc).

Full-time or Part-time Compact Programme?

We offer both a Full-time (FT) Photography Programme and a Part-time Compact (PTC) Programme. Both FT & PTC are 4-year programmes. Please refer to Part-time Compact to decide which programme fits your personal situation best. If you work 2 days per week, we advise you to look at the Part-time Compact Programme.