A new £7m photography centre is poised to open at the University College Falmouth, Cornwall in July with the aim of delivering a new range of photography courses from September.

The two-storey Falmouth Photography Centre will combine traditional chemical darkroom facilities with digital imaging and printing equipment.

?Falmouth has taught photography for almost 20 years and this huge investment in new facilities and courses means we will be able to offer a combination of broad-based and specialist degrees with access to some of the best image making facilities in the country,? said course leader Dave Matthews.

The emphasis will be on digital imaging but organisers also promise improvements in b&w facilities because they say ?it is so fundamental to understanding photographic practice at all levels?.

An ?electronic picture desk? will form part of the new Press Photography BA course where students will be able to learn about picture editing, transmission of images and production of work for local, national and international publications.

There will also be facilities for those taking a new BA course in marine and natural history photography. The centre will also host a new MA course in Professional Photography.

The ground floor will boast four large ?double height? studios, two smaller studios, b&w darkrooms, a print finishing room and large format inkjet printers.

While, upstairs will contain ?digital photographic workshops?, with work stations and tutorial rooms.

The centre will form the ?centrepiece? of a new £70m Combined Universities in Cornwall campus, shared with the University of Exeter.

? The picture shows an artist’s impression of the new centre.