The Photography Area encourages students to see, think, and create through the lens of a constantly evolving medium. We approach photography as an expressive art form that can move fluidly through the full lineage of photographic invention, from early analog experiments to emerging digital practices. It is both a mode of exploration and a medium that transforms with its social and technological contexts, continuing to expand what it can be and do.
Students begin in one of three introductory courses focused on digital, darkroom, or hybrid processes. Each Photo I course builds strong visual and technical foundations while encouraging experimentation and personal expression. From there, students progress to intermediate and advanced courses such as Photo II: Expansive Practice,Decolonizing the Camera, Adv Photo: Skills and Concepts, and Adv Photo: Individual Projects, where they deepen their understanding of image-making, interpretation, and conceptual development through creating cohesive bodies of work. Recent special topics courses include Art and Activism, Queering Art Practice, The Ethics of Representation, andLighting for the People.
At all levels, students connect making with meaning. Through hands-on experimentation, critical dialogue, and engagement with contemporary issues, they explore how photographic media can be constructed and reimagined to strengthen their artistic vision. Collaboration, curiosity, and interdisciplinary exchange are central to the program, cultivating a dynamic community of artists who approach image-making as both a creative and cultural act.