Speos - Full year professional photography program

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:: 32-WEEK PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAM

The 32-week Professional Photography Program is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in photography.

The first part comprises the core courses, which cover all aspects of modern photography: photojournalism, studio photography, fashion photography, computer imaging, visual identity, as well as the history of photography. Top-level professionals hold the courses and monitor the students’ individual acquisition of skills. Outside of class, students independently organize their shooting sessions and post-production, with the continual guidance of their supervisors.

© Diego Ravier

During the second part, the students improve their practical skills and broaden their range of knowledge. Depending on their career choice, they specialize either in studio photography or in photojournalism, and select two or three complementary options. Courses in computer imaging remain compulsory for both specializations.
The last week of the second part is dedicated to the set-up of the students’ end-of-the-year exhibition on the school premises, an important event visited by established photographers, photo agencies, iconographers and the press. The students also have the possibility to exhibit their work on the web.

:: Courses:

Please note that it is not possible to choose individual courses "à la carte", as the curriculum is designed as a coherent whole.

-> Computer Imaging I and II
-> Commercial Studio I
-> Photojournalism and Documentary I
-> Visual Identity I and II
-> Image Management and Publication
-> Printing Techniques I and II
-> History of Photography/Museum and Gallery Visits I and II
-> Essentials of Photography
-> Commercial Studio II/Style and Composition
-> Photojournalism: The Photo Essay
-> Lighting techniques for Photo-Documentary
-> Essentials of Video for Photographers
-> Meeting with Paolo Roversi: Fashion photography
-> Meeting with Peter Lindbergh: Fashion photography

-> Computer Imaging I and II

- 3 hours per week

This core course in 2 parts helps participants to acquire digital imaging techniques. Students learn how to edit and manipulate digital images with Adobe Photoshop and to understand the parallels between digital and conventional film photography. They also learn how to print, scan, retouch and transform images, as well as to create their own website.		© Meggan Gould

-> Commercial Studio I

- 3 hours per week


The first part is dedicated to the acquisition of the techniques essential to studio shooting, as well as to the treatment of digital images. Students are initiated to the Stop-System, different types of lighting, the general principles of balanced light sources, as well as different types of cameras, from 35mm to the large format. An introduction to the “Style and Composition” class (held in the second part) will initiate the students to the notions of style and composition in professional photography.		© Natalia KhengJu

-> Photojournalism and Documentary I

- 3 hours per week

The course is designed to give an overview of photojournalism, focusing on three main areas - place, event and theme.

"Chinese new year "© Mark Weidorn		Assignments include the coverage of events in Paris and a long-term documentary project on a Parisian neighborhood. Spéos has access to the Reuters photo-base for consultation of news, sports, and feature photos.

-> Visual Identity I and II

- 3 hours per week

© Pierre Phérivong - Sara Davis		This course aims at encouraging students to develop their own ideas and concepts and turn them into “photographic realities”. It provides them with the critical tools to discuss and analyze their own photos as well as those of their fellow students, so as to give constructive criticism using the basic rules of composition and their own sense of aesthetics. At the end of the second part, students are able to understand how an image is constructed, how to present it in a more efficient way, how to develop a certain photographic coherence and their own “visual signature”.

-> Image management and publication

- 3 hours per week

This course helps photographers to manage their image stock: how to caption a picture, to assign the right key-words, to fill in the IPTC fields… All of these are essential for any photographer to locate their pictures and to have them published.

-> Printing Techniques I and II

- 1,5 hours per week: 1st semester
- 3 hours per week: 2nd semester

© Iris Hrasovec		The course covers printing techniques with the programs Photoshop and Lightroom on Fuji Frontier or Durst Lambda printers as well as large-format ink-jet printers. Color management principles will be studied within the graphic chain of a typical digital lab (screen, printer, viewing booth). Students will gain the necessary knowledge to obtain high quality prints, true to their digital shots, whether by themselves or through a professional lab.

-> History of Photography / Museum and Gallery Visits I and II

- 3 hours per week

La Maison Niepce
© Pierre-Yves Mahe Combining lectures with visits to museums and galleries, this course aims at giving an overview of the history of photography and the constantly evolving photographic processes, from their origins in France to the present day.
Emphasis is placed on the analysis of real prints rather than reproductions, taking advantage of the rich photographic resources available in the museums and galleries of Paris. Whenever possible, meetings with photographers will be organized.

Visits include museums as La Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Le Centre National de la Photographie, Le Musée Carnavalet, Le Musée d'Orsay and others. Gallery visits focus on current temporary exhibitions in Paris, including photographic events such as the "Mois de la Photo" in fall.

-> Essentials of Photography

This course deals with certain purely practical aspects of the photographic technique. The work carried out by the students during the week will be analysed.
Various lecturers also come to share their experience with the students and talk about the practical aspects of their life as photographers.

-> Commercial Studio II/Style and Composition

- 6 hours per week

© Sophie Mei Dalby & Tom Bolwell		The weekly sessions become simulations of professional studio shootings in the form of 6-hour workdays. Different topics with specific technical constraints will be dealt with, so as to perfect the knowledge acquired in the first part and to adopt a work methodology covering the different market sectors. Emphasis is put on the notion of teamwork, in close collaboration with the “Style and Composition” course, which provides the students with the topics and a network of young designers, and thus opens up the studio activities to the outside world.

-> Photojournalism: The Photo Essay

- 3 hours per week


This advanced course in photojournalism is designed for students who have the maturity and skills to work on long-term thematic projects, meeting with the instructor for weekly critiques. Assignments include event photojournalism in Paris during spring, short photo essays and a long-term project.		© Michael Sawyer

-> Lighting techniques for Photo-Documentary

- 3 hours per week


It aims at mastering all lighting techniques, improving one's use of the camera and of natural or artificial light. After completing this course, the student will be able to face all technical situations outside.		© Stéphane Dujardin

-> Essentials of Video for Photographers

- 3 hours every 2 weeks

This course will teach the basics of film-making for short promotional or experimental films. The students will learn how to enhance their photographic work through animated pictures using the appropriate software.
The exercises will address very different subjects in order to let the students experience their own approach to video, whatever filming method chosen. Documentary, fiction, family, animation, publicity films will be studied as well as experimental or institutional ones...

-> Meeting with Paolo Roversi: Fashion photography

- On selection / according to his availability

© Sylvaine Le Roux		This class is not part of the curriculum proper. Students are admitted according to their portfolio, motivation and results. A fashion photographer of world renown, Paolo Roversi directs the most talented students of each year.

-> Meeting with Peter Lindbergh: Fashion photography

- According to his availability

		This class is not part of the curriculum proper. It will be held at the end of the academic year. A mutual exchange between the students and Peter Lindbergh, about the different realities of the world of fashion.