Image displaying a digital camera with overlay text: photographer level four apprenticeship programme

During Your Programme

These web pages aim to provide a handy access point for information that you will need during your apprenticeship programme.

On this page:

Your Tutors & Coaches

Anthony Milner - Digital Marketing Tutor

Anthony Milner
Tutor & Coach

John Warden
Skills Coach

Paula Wakelin

Paula Wakelin
Progress Adviser

Explaining the Roles

There are three key roles in the team which will support your apprenticeship. Some members of staff cover more than one of these.

Your tutor will lead you through your workshops or seminars and deliver a large proportion of the knowledge elements of your apprenticeship with you.

Your coach will meet with you each month to help develop and evidence your skills and behaviours within the workplace. Your line manager will attend part of this session. They will help you gather evidence to demonstrate your overall competency.

Your learner progress adviser will help provide additional support where needed and monitor your progress. You will meet with them, and your line manager, every three months.

Your E-Portfolio: OneFile

We use One File as our e-portfolio system. This is where your assignments will be set, you will submit your work and you will log your off-the-job training.

Your regular reviews will be stored on here as will some resources for your course. You will complete a learning journal, be able to monitor your progress towards your Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours and refer to your workplace training plan.

Our training video covers all the key features of OneFile you need to know. Visit the Support and FAQs page if you have questions or issues.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

During your Photographer apprenticeship you will learn to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and behaviours.

  • K1: Range of functions, roles and skills within photo imaging and employers and professional bodies representing the industry.
  • K2: Approaches to and resources for maintaining up-to-date knowledge of existing and evolving technology, trends and platforms.
  • K3: Own responsibilities towards health and safety and how to recognise and address environmental hazards in their workplace.
  • K4: Legislation, regulations and guidance for the photo imaging industry including copyright and intellectual property, GDPR, model release and photography of children.
  • K5: Insurance requirements including professional indemnity and public liability.
  • K6: Camera settings and the relationship between; aperture, shutter speed and ISO.
  • K7: How to interpret a photographic brief prior to a shoot including client/colleague engagement.
  • K8: Potential factors that can affect what can be achieved upon receiving the brief including aesthetics, own personal style, legal and ethical matters.
  • K9: Resource requirements including budget, time, suppliers, technical specifications and sustainability considerations.
  • K10: Own business or organisation’s strategy and objectives, the business environment and business issues related to photographic projects and customer needs.
  • K11: How and when to work independently or interact within a team, understanding own role within the organisation.
  • K12: Importance of communications and customer/client service to the organisation, including how to handle enquiries, comments and complaints.
  • K13: How to safely set up, operate and store photographic equipment in different environments and situations.
  • K14: Causes of common faults/issues in photographic equipment, fault- finding, the maintenance and fixing of faults and knowing when to escalate an issue.
  • K15: Principles of light including using available light combinations (e.g., daylight, free- standing lights and camera mounted flash), lenses and exposure.
  • K16: Principles of composition such as rule of thirds, leading lines and symmetry.
  • K17: End-to-end photographic workflow and planning process, the key stages including postproduction and own role and responsibilities within this.
  • K18: Importance of metadata and keywording in allowing for the search and proper identifications of stored images and how to enter key metadata to store specific information in photo editing software in the workplace.
  • K19: Range of available industry-standard software relevant to image retouching and how to use it.
  • K20: Colour management – the reasons for, and use of, colour profiles and the calibration of monitors for printing purposes.
  • K21: How to manage different formats, including the digitisation of historic images and how to convert file formats, selecting the most appropriate file format and the significance of lossy or lossless compression.
  • K22: Concepts and techniques of video editing required to construct video sequences and edit points to tell a story using industry-standard editing systems.
  • K23: How to make sure the imaging system is secure, free from viruses and password protected.
  • K24: Own organisation’s procedures relating to sending and receiving material in the format to meet the customer/client brief.

  • S1: Comply with legislation, regulations and guidance including copyright and health & safety.
     
  • S2: Provide necessary permissions for use of images and issue licenses for own work as required.
     
  • S3: Use reliable information to keep up-to-date with the new tools, equipment, and other related technology, and how they affect own work.
     
  • S4: Discuss with the customer/client the purpose of the work, objectives, the deadline, budget and amount of flexibility in meeting the brief.
     
  • S5: Use the information gathered from the customer/client to review, evaluate and select the preferred approach to the work.
     
  • S6: Prepare and present the possible approaches to the brief to the client/customer.
     
  • S7: Identify and mitigate health and safety issues likely to arise from the brief.
     
  • S8: Manage own workload and operate both individually and as part of a wider photographic team, keeping internal and external stakeholders updated on progress and reporting any issues arising.
     
  • S9: Manage developing situations with customers/clients such as customer relations, complaints, dissatisfaction and business environment and know when to escalate these as required.
     
  • S10: Select equipment and resources suitable for the task considering, the end purpose of the imagery, the location and existing light conditions.
     
  • S11: Assemble and position equipment safely, checking for any issues and carrying out repairs as required.
     
  • S12: Determine the camera settings and lighting arrangements to meet the task and adjust if required.
     
  • S13: Take images that achieve the viewpoint, composition and point of focus.
     
  • S14: Record, clearly and accurately, information required throughout workflow.
     
  • S15: Embed copyright and other key metadata information in images in standard image file formats.
     
  • S16: Assign keywords to classify images including by content, topic and concept.
     
  • S17: Manage key metadata so it is preserved throughout the workflow to storage.
     
  • S18: Export finished content or work-in-progress with metadata, from post-production systems to the customer/client.
     
  • S19: Determine an agreed approach with the client/customer to be adopted for retouching the image(s) in line with their requirements.
     
  • S20: Produce retouched images, check the quality of the retouched images against client requirements and workplace standards.
     
  • S21: Follow protocol to save the retouched image files in the correct format ready for outputting or storage.
     
  • S22: Implement workplace security procedures to check the system security, virus protection and file security.
     
  • S23: Diagnose any problems in the imaging system using problem solving techniques.
     
  • S24: Review and implement procedures in place to maintain a history of all image files.
     
  • S25: Undertake continuing professional development within the role, reflecting systematically on progress and identifying opportunities for meaningful improvement.

  • B1: Works collaboratively to build and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, customers/clients and suppliers. 
     
  • B2: Takes ownership of work, with a strong work ethic and commitment to achieving high standards. 
     
  • B3: Committed to keeping up to date with new technologies, including viable sustainability solutions, and industry best practice. Resourceful in finding creative solutions to solve problems. 
     
  • B4: Works in a professional and ethical manner, embracing equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 
     
  • B5: Reflective. Considers the results of the images or videography created and identifies areas for improvement or re-use. 

Membership of the Master Photographers Association

Photography apprentices with JGA are entitled to complimentary membership of the Master Photographers Association (MPA), a professional membership body for photographers. The MPA is run by photographers for photographers and is committed to sharing knowledge and experience to help guide you in your apprenticeship and onward as a professional photographer. With a qualification and mentoring system designed to promote continued professional development, the MPA are recognised leaders in setting the standards of professional photography today.

You will be sent an email with further information and joining instructions. Contact your tutor if you have not seen this or have any questions.

Off-the-Job Training

You will need to dedicate around 20% of your working hours to your learning and development, which equates to around one day a week.

How Can I Evidence My Learning?

Your coach and tutor will work with you to best gather evidence of your training. This can take various forms.

Functional Skills

Each Apprenticeship standard requires you to hold a certificate to at least a Level 2 in Math and English. If you do not have copies of your certificates, or if they are not held on the learner record service, then you will need to undertake the Functional Skills course.

Completing Your Apprenticeship

End Point Assessment (EPA) is the process at the end of your programme for you to demonstrate to a third party assessor that you have acquired the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard. This will only happen once yourself, your line manager and Skills Coach have agreed that you are ready.

Safeguarding, Prevent, Welfare & British Values

Paula Wakelin
Paula WakelinSafeguarding & Prevent Officer
There is nothing more important than keeping you safe. If you or someone you know is at risk, click on the button below to raise your concerns.

We are strongly committed to practices that protect you from the risk of abuse, neglect or significant harm. Our staff recognise and accept their responsibility to develop an awareness of the risks and issues involved in safeguarding. All staff and learners should have zero tolerance for abuse, bullying, neglect and violence.

Prevent is about safeguarding people and communities from the threat of terrorism. At the heart of Prevent is safeguarding children and adults and providing early intervention to protect and divert people away from being drawn into terrorist activity.

We provide expert support to help you on your apprenticeship journey. This includes mental health and neurodiversity, careers guidance and academic and financial challenges.

We want to help you achieve your full potential. We offer careers consultancy to ensure you have impartial and constructive information and guidance to help you decide and then to action your career decisions.

We aim to create an equal, diverse, inclusive and respectful culture. All of us contribute towards this culture through our actions and words. JGA aims to address any barriers to equality in our systems, policies and decision making as well as in our behaviour and ways of working.

The Fundamental British Values underpin what it is to be a citizen in a modern and diverse United Kingdom, valuing our community and celebrating diversity.

There is a code of conduct which applies to you and all learners on our programmes. This lays out the expectations for your behaviour whilst on the apprenticeship.