Biennial Photography Course

Course Overview

IIF Biennial Photography Course trains professional photographers from scratch, providing them with a deep knowledge of photography techniques, languages and genres.

It is not necessary to have previous experience in photography to enroll, since the course tarts from scratch. However, it is recommended to have a a reflex/mirrorless digital camera: you will start using it in the first weeks of the course, even though in the first semester you will mainly shoot with view cameras.

There isn’t an admission test, but the number of places is limited. Students can skip the first year of our Biennial Photography Course and move up to the second by sending us a portfolio with studio and outdoor portrait, landscape and still life photographs. IIF faculty will judge the quality of photographs, and students’ photographic techniques and visual communication skills.

All classes are taught in Italian, therefore we request a certificate of Italian (level B2 or higher). We accept certificates issued by the following institutions: CILS, CELI, PLIDA, AIL.

IIF teaching approach is complete and practical. In this course you’ll study all the main photography genres, from portrait to still life, from fashion to nude, from reportage to landscape. In addition, you’ll delve into modern shooting techniques, editing, videomaking and planning.

During both years you will study the history and criticism of photography. Moreover, you will have postproduction classes involving the use of Lightroom and Photoshop in the first year and advanced Photoshop and Indesign classes in the second.

Commercial and artistic collaborations

In the second year you will also have meetings with professionals from the commercial sector, such as lawyers, accountants, agents etc. They will help you prepare for the photography market and teach you how to introduce yourself professionally.

In their second year, students will have the chance to take part in exhibitions, photo books, photography festivals, commercial projects for clients working in several sectors (fashion, food, design, music, events), experiencing the working environment from the beginning.

At the end of the course, not only will students’s portfolios cover all the main photography genres, but they’ll also include photos commissioned by our clients and taken at real events.

Placement

Istituto Italiano di Fotografia has several business partners, so that its students and former students have the chance to work with several brands, agencies and publishing houses.

You can tell how well our system works by looking at our former students CVs: they are successful professional photographers working in different sectors: fashion, food, events, reportage and so on.

Course structure and schedule

Duration of the course: 2 years | 1st year, from October 2, 2023 to June 2024; 2nd year, from mid-September 2024 to July 2025.

Schedule: 1st year, from Monday to Friday, in the morning or in the afternoon (chosen by the student) | 2nd year, from Monday to Friday, in the afternoon. On Saturday you can use the studios for free to practise (upon reservation).

Tuition Fees

Cost: € 7.900 for the first year | € 9.000 for the second year.

We offer scholarships, and you can pay with a one-off payment, in installments or ask for a zero-interest loan. You can find more information in the course brochure.