Korda applied for a place at Harrow Technical College, near London, to study photography at age fifteen. He was accepted at the college, based not on his academic results, but on the quality of his photographs. While studying photography, Korda ran Harrow Technical College's Folk Club, and was spotted by the manager of Bluesology, a band formed by Elton John and Rod Stewart. The manager soon took Korda to meet Beatles publisher Stephen James and introduced him to Elton John (still called Reg Dwight).