Second year – Professional Biennial Photography Course – Advanced eDucation

Goals and admissions

The second year of the Professional Biennial Photography Course is a specialization year for those who already have some experience in the photographic field and want to improve and perfect themselves by attending a professional school.
To apply directly to the second year of the Professional Biennial Photography Course you have to send in:

• your CV
• a portfolio with in studio and on location portraits, landscape photographs and in-studio still life photographs. The photos should be displayed in a PDF and divided in the different photographic genres, or you can send the individual files divided by genres in different folders. It’s possible to additionally send in images from other genres or articulate projects. It’s advised to send 20 to 30 photos.
  You have to send everything to [email protected] through WeTransfer or Drive. IIF faculty will judge the quality of your photographs and the level of your photographic techniques and visual communication skills.

Usually, we will get back to you with an answer in 10 days max. The possible outcomes can be: you are admitted to the second year, you are admitted to the second year but you will have to attend some supplementary lessons, you are not admitted to the second year and are advised to start from the first year. The number of participants is limited. Applications are open until full capacity is reached.

Moreover, since all classes are taught in Italian we request a certificate of Italian (level B2 or higher). We accept the following certificates: CILS (CILS 2 or higher); CELI (CELI level 3 or higher); PLIDA (PLIDA B2 or higher); AIL/DILI (AIL/DILI B2 or higher). If you don’t have a certificate, you can take an online evaluation test with our partner school for a small fee.

Course program

In this specialization year you will study and practice all the main photography genres: from fashion to food photography, from nude art to reportage, from beauty photography to video making. Classes are going to be both theoretical and practical, and you will also learn how to post-produce and edit photographs. 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.

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. Moreover, students will have the chance to take part in exhibitions, photo books, photography festivals, and work on 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’ portfolios cover all the main photography genres, but they’ll also include photos commissioned by our clients and taken at real events.

Job 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: they are successful professional photographers working in different sectors, from fashion to food, from events to reportage.

Course structure and schedule

Duration of the course: 1 year, from September 16, 2024 to the end of June/the beginning of July 2025.

Frequency: from Monday to Friday, from 14:30 to 17:30/18:30. On Saturday you can use the studios for free to practise (upon reservation).

Tuition Fees

€ 9,200

We offer scholarships, and early bird promotions for one-off payments. You can also pay in installments or ask for a zero-interest loan.

Download the course brochure here and write to the Orientation Office to ask for the full technical file of the course: [email protected]

Orientation interview

Call us to receive more information: 02 58105598/7623/7139, or write to [email protected] and book an orientation interview with the Orientation Office.