PNCA : programs : bfa : photography

Photography

“People use photography in a myriad of ways now. At PNCA, we encourage that. It’s about the vision and how you bring yourself into the image.”
— Sally Schoolmaster, Department Chair

Download Photography Program Requirements

PNCA’s Photography department is dedicated to the melding of traditional photographic method with contemporary multidisciplinary practices. The program helps students develop a high degree of professional proficiency— shaping them into creative citizens who have the ability to work collaboratively and adapt to the changes and explorations in our ever-evolving culture.

The Photography curriculum prepares students to communicate powerfully and to critically examine the challenges of photographic expression in the contemporary art landscape. Through courses that stress both the theory and practice of photography, students acquire technical competency and an awareness of the cultural and historical context that shapes their work.

Students learn both digital and analog techniques. They work with black and white and color media as well as alternative and hybrid imaging processes. Visiting artists, process workshops, studio critiques, and the city’s active photography community enrich the experience.

In his thesis work, photography major Matthew Miller ‘12 hoped to subvert the viewer’s possible bias and prejudices about guns and to create space for open-minded discourse by photographing handguns and live ammunition. Photo by Kaija Cornett ‘12.