
We want to see evidence of your passion for the subject, your engagement with photography, and all things creative outside of your studies. Tell us about exhibitions you’ve been to and magazines you read, or even relevant websites you subscribe to.
Whether it's an exhibition you've visited or an artist who inspires you, drawing on your photography influences is key to an impressive photography personal statement.
Be mindful of the course you’re applying for – don’t talk only about portraits or Rankin if the course you’re applying for has a broad-based curriculum (and high application numbers). Instead, focus on your passion, insights, and experience in photography, so you can stand out in a competitive field.
We want to see evidence of your passion for the subject, your engagement with photography, and all things creative outside of your studies. Tell us about exhibitions you’ve been to and magazines you read, or even relevant websites you subscribe to.
This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.
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This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.
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This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.
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The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?
It could be things like a project you’ve started off your own back – for example, photographing families, events,or weddings for free to build up your portfolio, or raising money for a charity through a bake sale and posting photographs online. Relate what you learned from those projects, whether it was empathy and a greater understanding of people, lighting or learning to photograph outdoors, or simply the best size and quality of photographs for social media apps.
What skills have you learned from volunteering or other jobs you’ve done, whether it’s customer service skills in a bakery or time management in an office role?
You could also relay how you’ve planned your time revising for your A levels or equivalent while balancing a part-time job or caring duties.
It’s ok to talk about a particular style of photography you enjoy or you’re interested in, whether it’s fashion, advertising, editorial, documentary, or wildlife, but be mindful of being too prescriptive when it comes to specifying a particular photography genre in your personal statement if the course you’re applying for covers a broader range of styles. It’s great if you can link back to something you've learned in your business, art and design, or photography studies, or seen in Wired Magazine, at the British Wildlife Photography Awards or from a visit to the V&A Museum.