Meet brilliant BTEC Photography student Keira Richards who took advantage of the many amazing opportunities here and was the official photographer at many different college events:
Why did you choose to study a BTEC and why did you choose Kingston College?
In high school I always found much more enjoyment in the creative lessons like art or drama which is why I decided a BTEC would be better for me, especially in photography since it allowed me to express myself and experiment with lots of new techniques and ideas.
Your plans after you complete your course?
I am progressing to BA (Hons) Photography at University of the Creative Arts. There I hope to gain more experience with real photography jobs and work on being able to verbally express my ideas more effectively. I'm not going to pretend like I know exactly where my life is going to go after that because in all honesty I’m not sure but I hope that continuing with my studies in photography helps to paint a clearer picture of where I'll be in 10 years.
Favourite part of your course?
The best part of the course was doing the Final Major Project. While it is a lot of work and you do have to structure your time very well, it’s also so rewarding seeing this idea that you come up with, completely from scratch, come to life.
Is College life what you expected? Have there been any surprises?
I was surprised at just how many opportunities there were. I have always loved music and it would be my dream to be a concert photographer but I had no idea how to get into that business. Luckily for me my amazing tutor recommended me to go and shoot for a new up-and-coming band at their first gig which ended up growing my confidence in my solo photography and since then I have been the photographer at many different college events.
Any advice to those thinking about applying for your course?
Go for it!! Don’t be afraid to join if you don’t know a lot about cameras or software because you learn all about it in the first year while also doing various projects to grow your creative ideas. Also, never be afraid to ask your tutors for advice. If there’s something you don't understand they will time the time to make sure you get comfortable with the subject.
Any amazing tutors or met great new friends?
I was the only person from my secondary school who came to Kingston College so obviously I was very nervous that I wouldn’t be able to make any friends but I can happily say that I met 4 of the most amazing people who are definitely my friends for life.
