Program presentation
Created and launched for the first two years by Dominique Issermann, Paolo Roversi and Spéos, this program is aimed at students who wish to evolve exclusively in the domains of fashion, luxury and beauty. Students have the opportunity to work on products of major brands such as Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Gucci, Issey Miyake, La Prairie, Lacoste, Dior, Longchamp… with an artistic direction respecting the brand universe of these big names. This intensive and exclusive program takes place in Paris in 1 year, from October to September of the following year, in English only.
Objectives
This program is for students who wish to pursue a career in fashion, luxury and beauty photography. The official program is delivered by Spéos and their teachers. The artistic direction has been given to Azadeh Zoraghi, Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director of Narcisse Magazine.
This program provides students with the foundations necessary to develop a critical reflection on fashion / luxury / beauty photography, while providing technical advice and educational support to develop their individual practice.
Pre-requisites
Students who aren’t native speakers of English need to have a language level validated by an English language test at B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The language requirement needs to be submitted at the beginning of the program.
Diploma: Title of Entrepreneurial Photographer RNCP level 6 (certification RNCP39859 registered on 28/11/2024, delivered by Spéos)
Exit level: EQF Level 6 (European Qualification Framework)
> Understanding the Certification RNCP 6 (PDF)
Next session: September 2025 – July 2026
Language of instruction: English
Tuition:
– France, European Union nationals: €27,900
– International students: €27,900
Structure of the Fashion, Luxury & Beauty Photography Program
The first semester comprises the core courses, which cover all aspects of professional photography, from September to December. Top-level professionals hold the courses and monitor the students’ individual acquisition of skills. Outside of class, students independently organize their shooting sessions and post-production, under the continual guidance of Spéos studio teacher.
During the second semester, from January to May, students improve their practical skills and develop their knowledge. They start a personal production cycle under the artistic direction of Azadeh Zoraghi, working on products of major brands such as Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Kenzo, Gucci, Issey Miyake, La Prairie, Lacoste, Dior, Longchamp…
The best work of the students will be submitted to the brands for possible publications on their social networks.
The last week of the second semester is dedicated to the set-up of the students’ end-of-the-year exhibition on the school premises – an important event visited by established photographers, picture editors, news and advertising agencies. The students also have the possibility to exhibit their work online in the web galleries.
The Expert Modules aim at deepening the students’ previous knowledge and skills in those areas that are most demanded by the professional market. Each module takes place over several weeks, in June and July.
Courses and conferences are taught by experienced and recognized professionals who share their experience and know-how from their respective fields of expertise. These speakers emphasize the practical ownership of these skills and offer students valuable experience gain for their own personal projects.
> See the list of lecturers year by year
In July, the students participate in the design and creation of a magazine featuring their own photographic work to promote their achievements. This magazine is entirely designed by and for the students, with an editorial written by one or several of them.
The last step is the Professional Project, during which students reflect on their position at the beginning of their career and write their business plan. This stage runs in parallel with the Expert Modules.
Course description
Essentials of Photography
Semester I: 1h30/week
This course is dedicated to the acquisition of techniques essential to the practice of professional photography. Combining theory and practical exercises, it allows students:
– to learn and practice the Stop-System, the global learning method of light control in photography, a method developed by Spéos,
– to understand and know how to define its settings when taking pictures,
– to understand the techniques inherent in shooting and to anticipate post-production,
– to understand the operation of different types of cameras, including the large-format camera.
The elements covered will allow students to make relevant technical choices according to the desired result. Whatever the situation, in studio or on location, indoors or outdoors, this course will enable them to deal with the possible constraints encountered when taking pictures.
Studio
Semester I: 6 hours/week
This course is dedicated to the acquisition of the techniques essential to studio shoots, as well as to the treatment of digital images. Students are initiated to:
– the Stop-System,
– different types of lighting,
– the general principles of balanced light sources,
– as well as different types of cameras, from 35mm to the large format.
The purpose of this first part is to broaden and consolidate the field of knowledge in order to develop and develop a creative approach. An introduction to the “Style and Composition” class will initiate the students to the notions of style and composition in professional photography.
Conception of Men’s & Women’s Fashion / Beauty & Still Life
Semester I: 3 hours/week
This course aims to understand the history of fashion, its codes of visual communication, the modus operandi of the industry, as well as the main professions involved in the creation of fashion images – whether they are used for advertising, editorial, web or social networks.
Using concrete examples, students follow the creation of a campaign from the marketing brief and the brand platform to the final delivery, through the following steps:
– the creative development by the artistic director and their creative brief,
– the choice of photographer,
– the constitution of the production team and the creative team on the set, including hairdresser, makeup artist, stylist and set design,
– their response to the creative brief with the negociations to consider,
– the pre-production meeting (PPM),
– the management of the set and the different people involved,
– client management,
– the choice of photos, compositions, retouching, color profiles, print proofing, cropping, insertion of other elements such as packshots and typography, as well as other parameters according to the requested use.
Students will then discuss the differences between the domains of beauty, luxury and fashion, before finishing with an approach to still life.
At the end of the first semester, students will thus perfectly master all aspects within fashion, luxury and beauty photography.
Computer Imaging
Semester I: 3 hours/week
This course aims to:
– understand what the main parameters and formats of digital images are,
– learn how to manage a stream of digital images and retouch photos using Lightroom software,
– discover the Photoshop application and design a layout using this software.
Image Management and Publication
Semester: 3 hours/week
This course helps photographers to manage their image stock with guidance on how to caption a picture, to assign the right key-words, to fill in the IPTC data. All of these are essential for any photographer to locate their pictures and to have them published.
Printing Techniques
Semester I: 1h30/week
The course covers printing techniques with the programs Photoshop and Lightroom on Fuji Frontier or Durst Lambda printers as well as large-format ink-jet printers. Color management principles will be studied within the graphic chain of a typical digital lab (screen, printer, viewing booth). Students will gain the necessary knowledge to obtain high quality prints, true to their digital shots, whether by themselves or through a professional lab.
Photographic Culture
Semester I: 2 hours/week
This course explores the history of photography from its origins to the present, presenting the major periods and key moments that have made photography an essential means of communication. The works and careers of photographers who have left their mark on history will be presented, particularly those who have elevated reportage and documentary photography to the status of art. The great names of advertising and fashion photography will also be explored, highlighting the evolution of the field through technological advances.
Meet the Profession
Semester I: 2 hours/week
The purpose of these meetings is to present a variety of professional careers within the photography industry, aiming at broadening the students horizons with regard to future career plans. Speakers include:
– former students of the school who present their activity,
– professionals in fields related to photography,
– representatives of major brands of photographic equipment, demonstrating new materials and presenting trends in the evolution of the profession.
These meetings bring together students from all programs and are held in English.
Studio
Semester II: 3 hours/week
The weekly sessions enrich, complement and support the 6-hour production classes, giving students time to:
— conduct guided research
— create moodboards
— develop specific lighting setups (prelighting)
Emphasis is put on finding practical, individual solutions to the diverse problems related to professional image production, both in classes and for their own portfolio. Working within the constraints of the industry, students learn to communicate with their teams to create original images which reflect their visual identity.
Production of Men’s & Women’s Fashion / Beauty & Still Life
Semester II: 6 hours every other week
In the second half of the program, students move into the production phase with products from high-end fashion, beauty and luxury brands: Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Kenzo, Gucci, Issey Miyake, La Prairie, Lacoste, Dior, Longchamp… The photos produced during those shoots are required to follow the artistic direction anchored in the distinct universe of each of these brands.
Students thus put into practice what they learned during the first semester, with the aim of mastering all skills necessary on a concrete job, and start building a book. They receive several practical cases, for which they must bring creative proposals, build teams, launch production, review the proposals of all parts involved and coordinate their efforts, so as to achieve the image they require.
After their casting and the organization of their pre-production meeting, the students must:
– take pictures and produce photos in accordance with the market positioning defined for the product, as well as its by-products, such as backstage photos and films in different formats (Boomerang mini-videos, animated GIFs, cinemagraphs, moving images),
– follow-up post-production: choice of images, retouching and editing/cropping, layout and final presentation.
During all these stages, the students are supervised and their progress is controlled by their instructors, who give them advice and directions, allowing them to become more and more professional.
Next to photos of luxury still life, students also practise fashion photography with models.
At the end of the second semester, they will have to create their books and build their own visual identity as well as the corresponding pitch. The best works will then be presented to the brands or magazines.
Computer Imaging
Semester II: 3 hours/week
This advanced level course in Photoshop will conduct students to acquire digital imaging techniques on a professional level, in-depth retouching of images and design of photomontages. The students thus will be capable of providing high quality post-production after their shooting sessions in the studio.
Image Management and Publication
Semester II: 3 hours/week
In the second part of the program, the course covers the following topics:
– add value to a photo stock with a good knowledge of captioning and keyword management,
– find sources of information for photographers,
– know the photo market,
– develop an Internet strategy: create a website using a CMS (Content Management System), SEO (Search Engine Optimization), know how to use blogs and social networks for photographers.
Printing Techniques
Semester II: 1h30/week
Continuation of semester I towards a more advanced level.
Meet the Profession
Semester II: 2 hours/week
Continuation of semester I towards a more advanced level.
Video for Photographers: the Essentials
Semester II: 3 hours/week
This course aims to:
– provide students with the basics of audiovisual production in the field of promotional or experimental short films,
– teach them how to enhance their photographic work with the animated image,
– train them in software specific to this type of creation.
The assignments will focus on diverse topics so that students can experience their own approach to video making, regardless of the shooting mode used: documentary film, fiction film, family and animated film, experimental film, advertising and institutional.
Expert Modules: June – July
The Expert Modules take place in June and July. They last for 9 weeks and are designed to strengthen students’ professional skills in business and marketing. Students can enroll directly after completing their program or return to take these modules in subsequent years. They are structured as follows:
- Photography Business Module (5 weeks): management, business development, promoting and showcasing a photographic work; business plan development; professional simulation around a brand.
- Specialization Module (3 weeks):
Advanced Studio for students specializing in studio photography,
Advanced Photo Reportage for those specializing in documentary photography. - Business Plan and Final Jury (last week).
In parallel to these modules, two workshops are offered:
– magazine design workshop,
– introductory workshop on Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Expert Module – The Photography Business
Duration: 5 weeks
These 5 weeks are dedicated to acquiring key skills through lectures and practical workshops covering the following topics:
- Legal framework: understanding image rights, intellectual property, and the basics of contracts.
- Financial management: learning how to create a budget, invoice services, anticipate cash flow needs, and set rates.
- Marketing and communication: structuring one’s communication, personal branding, launching a business, acquiring first clients, and creating a powerful message.
- Business plan: building a business plan closely linked to one’s portfolio and target market to develop a consistent and actionable business strategy.
One week is dedicated to a professional simulation around a brand (workshop): students respond to a real brief under the supervision of a branding expert. They must propose a concept that is both aesthetically and commercially viable, in a competitive team-based environment.
Expert Modules – Specialization Areas
Duration: 3 weeks
These 3 weeks focus on the specialization area chosen by the student during their studies: advanced studio for those specializing in studio photography, advanced photo reportage for students specializing in documentary photography and photojournalism.
Three-hour sessions are organized where students interact with professionals in the field. Various guest speakers share their experiences, explain their working methods, communicate best practices, and give practical advice.
They present the professional landscape the students will enter, the key contacts they will encounter, and the organization of the relevant market. They also detail the expectations of the various industry players, their relationships with photographers, their selection criteria, and what may lead them to favor one profile over another. Professional behavior and common mistakes to avoid are also covered.
Each session ends with a critical portfolio review, providing valuable feedback from various experts.
These sessions are led by industry professionals and image experts, including:
- Studio: photographer’s agents, art directors and creative directors in advertising or communication agencies, brand managers, producers, art buyers, stylists, magazine editors, studio managers.
- Photo Reportage: photo editors, chief editors, festival directors, agents, iconographers, photojournalists of various specialties (including a workshop with a Magnum Photos photographer), magazine editors, photo agencies, photo editors.
Development of an Individual Professional Project
In parallel with the Expert Modules, students work on their own professional project, which they plan to launch after completing their studies at Spéos. Through regular discussions with the teaching team and guest speakers, who help them reflect on their positioning at the start of their careers, students progress through the strategic, marketing, technical, and financial phases, culminating in the development of a business launch plan.
The final week is dedicated to individual work to complete the business plan, which will be presented to a professional jury at the end of July.
Workshop – SLIDE Magazine Design
In late June–early July, students participate in the design of the school’s internal magazine: SLIDE. This magazine is created by and for the students, under the direction of Azadeh Zoraghi, editor-in-chief of Narcisse magazine, and with the technical assistance of a graphic designer. Students are introduced to editorial magazine production through layout design and editorial line development.
They discover how images gain meaning through layout, while respecting the style and sensibility of each contributor. Through this image curation, the diverse universes and personal visions of each photographer are showcased: fashion, photo reportage, visual arts, and advertising.
Workshop – Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)
This workshop explores current uses of generative AI in artistic creation, with technical, ethical, and legal contexts. The goal is to provide a foundation for integrating these tools into an artistic and commercial practice:
- Learn to use MidJourney and Discord to generate innovative images.
- Design detailed prompts and apply different visual styles.
- Create cohesive image series that blend photography, art, and technology.
Skills developed
• Analyze the brief of a photographic commission through discussions with the relevant client(s) to ensure that the requirements, constraints, and expectations of the photographic project are taken into account.
• Define the intentions and objectives of an original idea developed as a photographer, by researching and gathering information on the chosen subject and its context, in order to present the project to potential buyers (brands, magazines, newspapers, image banks, art galleries, etc.).
• Provide initial responses to a client by suggesting possible execution methods and contexts for a photographic project to meet their artistic and/or communication impact expectations.
• Develop a creative proposal by creating a mood board or an intention note to validate the visual and artistic universe of a future photographic project with the relevant client.
• Present a visual mock-up of a photographic project to a client or funder, explaining the conceptual choices to gain their support and formal approval.
• Assess the logistical and financial constraints of a photographic project based on its intentions and objectives to develop an action plan and a preliminary budget.
• Evaluate the execution timeline of a photographic service by identifying project milestones and creating a detailed schedule to ensure that estimated deadlines meet the requested timeline.
• Assemble the necessary technical and artistic team for a photographic project to ensure the presence of the required skills to complete the project.
• Select the necessary technical equipment for a photo shoot, ensuring that contractual agreements with third parties and subcontractors comply with applicable regulations to guarantee the technical and operational feasibility of the shoot.
• Obtain the necessary permits and accreditations from the relevant entities prior to a photo project to ensure legal and regulatory compliance for the shoot.
• Brief a photo production team by presenting the original idea, visual and artistic universe, and creative choices of a project so that each team member can meaningfully contribute to the realization of the artistic vision.
• Lead a photo production team by using appropriate communication tools, including adaptations for potential disabilities, to ensure that each team member understands their role and objectives.
• Organize the installation and setup of a photo shoot in a studio or outdoor location, both logistically and in terms of personnel, while ensuring compliance with safety, ethical, and environmental protection regulations to guarantee optimal, safe and sustainable working conditions.
• Supervise the artistic staging and lighting of a photographic set by making the necessary adjustments to create the desired execution conditions and ensure the project’s artistic treatment.
• Capture images by applying a unique artistic vision and creativity to produce visuals match both the initial concept and the photographer’s visual signature.
• Select (edit) the most consistent and successful images from all captured shots to match the original intent.
• Perform digital image processing and retouching critically and aesthetically to express creativity, enhance visual quality, or adapt to different distribution formats while maintaining professional ethical standards.
• Prepare images for client delivery by ensuring that their specifications (size, file format, sampling depth, resolution, color space) meet the digital quality standards required for their intended use.
• Oversee the printing process to obtain professional-quality prints that faithfully reproduce the digital image appearance as seen on screen.
• Implement secure and sustainable backup and storage solutions to prevent the loss of images and work, while facilitating image sharing and portfolio promotion.
• Efficiently manage your photo inventory by logically and rigorously indexing the image collection to optimize usage and archiving.
• Identify the relevant market segments within photography based on personal preferences and market conditions to develop a professional business plan.
• Select the most appropriate legal, social, and tax status for the intended photography activities by comparing the financial, social, and tax implications, and studying their possible complementarities to establish the business structure.
• Develop a short- and medium-term business plan by synthesizing and analyzing its components to create a detailed roadmap for launching, developing, and managing a photography business.
• Define an equipment strategy for professional photography, computing, and storage that aligns with the business plan.
• Ensure compliance with legal, insurance, and consumer mediation obligations related to a photography business, adhering to current regulations to implement public communication and prevention measures.
• Draft a standard commercial contract that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the photographer and the client to clarify the elements and costs of the service, while protecting the photographer’s liability.
• Develop a unique visual and editorial identity using original iconographic and editorial criteria to become easily recognizable as a professional photographer.
• Establish a distinctive professional photography offering tailored to target markets, while continually adapting to emerging trends to maintain a competitive advantage in terms of value proposition.
• Integrate ethical use of AI in professional photography by establishing communication protocols for clients and/or the public to ensure the integrity of non-AI-generated images while identifying AI-generated images.
• Implement sustainable practices throughout the creation and marketing process of professional photo projects to reduce their environmentall footprint.
• Develop a pricing model based on economic analysis that aligns with targeted market segments and the financial viability of the business, ensuring fair and competitive pricing with transparency to clients.
• Monitor the financial performance of the business in compliance with regulatory requirements for the chosen status, tax obligations, and revenue tracking to optimize profits while maintaining business sustainability.
• Develop a portfolio of reference works showcasing the photographer’s visual signature and market positioning to provide potential buyers with a representative overview of expertise, areas of activity, and artistic identity.
• Design a website aligned with the business strategy, highlighting talent and photographic works to promote services and establish a strong digital presence.
• Implement a diversified multi-channel communication strategy by maintaining an updated website, optimizing social media presence, and refining publication strategies to strengthen brand identity, enhance online reputation, and attract new clients.
• Promote and distribute the photography offerings to professionals and the general public, including through events, to increase visibility and reputation.
• Develop a professional network both physically and online by expanding industry connections and identifying influential networks within the photography industry to explore new market and business opportunities.
• Actively seek out client referrals, distributors, and image banks to enhance the value of photographic archives and increase revenue.
• Conduct ongoing market research to identify societal changes, artistic trends, and technological innovations related to photography in order to explore new opportunities, strategies, and potential risks to the business.
Pedagogical approach
The teaching method is essentially based on real-life practice, an essential element of learning.
Classes are held in small groups to ensure a personalised, continuous approach, allowing students to develop their own style and sensitivity (excellent student/teacher ratio).
The school has developed its own teaching method: the Stop-System, a global learning method for controlling light in photography.
The courses are taught by recognised professionals and creatives who ensure that students acquire the knowledge they need.
Outside the classroom, students organize their own shoots, either in the studio or on location.
Spéos provides students with spacious facilities equipped with top-of-the-range photographic equipment.
The school has a number of spacious studios, all very well equipped: Phase One back rooms, Foba column stands, the best brands of flashes, projectors, lights and a wide range of accessories to style every shot. The school’s computer rooms are equipped with Apple computers, Eizo calibrated screens and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite.
Students can also borrow photographic equipment on a daily basis: the school lends out a large number of flash kits, sound kits, video kits and telephoto lenses for working outdoors, evenings and weekends included.
- Continuous assessment.
- Practical work situations.
- Tests at the beginning and end of the semester, to assess students’ acquisition of knowledge.
- Half-yearly examinations in the form of graded exercises.
- Completion of a professional portfolio and end-of-year exhibition.
- Examination by 2 separate juries.
- Creation of a business plan.
Students’ testimonials and works
Sahar: “What I like at Spéos is that we have a big range of equipment and flashes. Spéos gave me the tools to do what I really love in photography”
Henrik: “I came to Spéos to learn more about light; studio class was amazing”
Karl: “For me photography is how you see the world, and Spéos helped me into projecting this path into reality”
Lyna: “Spéos helped me improve my skills into beauty photography”
The web galleries present a selection of works that students have made during their time at Spéos.
Enrollment and Contact
Registrations are open all year round and subject to availability.
Feel free to contact Spéos if you have any questions about this program.
At any time you are most welcome to come and visit the school, just make an appointment!