2nd Year Curriculum

2nd year dives deeper into technical aspects of the studio, digital photography, and video while also further exploring the critical aspects of photographic and video practice in all disciplines available to our student body as potential career paths.

Studio I | PHD-2040

The techniques of shooting in the studio are covered in this course. Working in both a daylight studio and in a studio with incandescent lights and strobe lighting will be explored. Exercises in still life, portraiture and other aspects of studio photography and video will be given; 4x5", medium format, 35mm cameras and digital capture will be used.

Studio II | PHD-2045 

This is the second part of a two-semester course. Please see PHD-2040 for course description. Note: Students must register for the spring semester course section that corresponds to their fall section of this course.

Critique I & II | PHD-2060 & PHD-2065 

Critique initiates an in-depth conversation about photography and video as driven by content, and each student’s exploration of subject matter. Intention and articulation will be emphasized. Note: Please bring your portfolio to the first session. 

Visual Literacy | PHD-2075 

This course covers the history of photography from the postwar period to present day, articulating movements, tendencies and styles that have positioned the medium as a central visual art as well as a social, cultural, and political currency. We will identify the prominent figures that appear in contemporary photographic canons while addressing the inherent bias of singular histories. By the end of the course, students will not only be literate in naming and recognizing familiar figures in the medium’s recent practice but should also be able to articulate their own needs in deeply understanding specific photographic histories while being aware of others.

Video II | PHD-2090 

This course expands upon the technical concepts introduced in PHD-1110, Video I. Its emphasis will be on an enhanced understanding of the medium through critical discourse. 

Intermediate Digital Photography | PHD-2092 through PHD-2096 

Having mastered fundamental digital processes, each student chooses an area of digital specialization of interest and relevance to their future photographic activity. Please refer to individual course descriptions that follow. 

Art History & Humanities