The Photography/Video program prepares students for careers ranging from fine art to commercial photography. A central premise of the program is that ideas and techniques are inextricably intertwined, and must be explored together. Courses emphasize the importance of grasping the principles and concepts behind both new and traditional imaging media, recognizing that students must acquire a firm grounding in basic ideas and techniques to be able to respond effectively to future change. Students produce work on a regular basis for group and individual critiques, as well as produce a senior project for exhibition during the spring semester of their final year. At every level, students are expected to spend substantial amounts of time outside of class perfecting their skills.
Photography/Video facilities include digital and wet darkrooms, which cover everything from basic to advanced needs, providing students with a wide range of experiences from traditional black and white film to state of the art color prints using archival pigment ink sets, with opportunities to work in digital from cellphone to DSLR and medium format, and in film from roll to sheet. DASL (Digital Art Services Lab) provides a real world digital service bureau experience allowing students to produce prints of all sizes. It is available for students from all concentrations. Cameras in various formats, tripods, lighting equipment, and other accessories are available for student use. Our lighting studio is available for individual student sessions. Other facilities throughout the department are available for individual projects, such as wood and metal labs, print shop and bookbinding, laser cutting, and 3D printing.
Video provides students with a chance to explore the use of time-based images in an art context. A diverse range of approaches is encouraged from single- to multi-channel narratives, displayed in all forms from projections to web and installations, dealing with personally and socially meaningful subjects. In addition, the rich history of the medium is explored through screenings of important videos and discussions based on contemporary critical ideas about the medium. A range of digital cameras and editing stations is available for students to use.
