The photography department emphasizes the use of the photographic medium as an artistic tool. While some courses address commercial issues, the thrust of the department is toward producing visual artists who use photography as a primary means of expression. A variety of formats are integrated within a curriculum that includes experimental, narrative, and documentary approaches to the medium. Students are trained in B&W and color wet processes, studio practices, digital technologies and a variety of historical techniques. A senior exhibition marks the culmination of the program of study.
The photography department is housed in Taub Hall and the Renée Samuels Center and supports two multiple-station, black-and-white darkrooms equipped with Beseler 23CII and 45M enlargers, a color lab that includes a Colenta color print processor and Beseler and Durst 4x5 enlargers, film loading and processing rooms, and a finishing area for mounting, matting, and storage. The department maintains a shooting studio outfitted with overhead quartz, fluorescent, and strobe lighting systems, backdrops and assorted camera supports. The studio also contains a 4x5 view camera with a Leaf Aptus digital back and an 8x10 film camera. In addition, there is a large number of 4x5 view camera kits available for individual student use. The department includes a state of the art digital lab equipped with Apple Macintosh computers and a variety of scanners, printers, and digital cameras.