Photography

College of Arts and Letters, Department of Design

Program Description

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography at Sacramento State is aimed at educating students in contemporary photographic methodologies and in the current situation of photography, its use and its communicative effects. The curriculum is designed to give students a broad exposure to not only the technologies, processes, and models of contemporary practice, but also to introduce them to the aesthetic, cultural, and ethical dialogues surround the use and role of photography in our society. The program does not aim to create, specifically, studio artists or commercial practitioners, but to give students the tools to act in a world where such models are concurrent and highly overlap. We wish our students to be adaptable in a changing landscape of photographic practice, and to be successful and responsible in their role shaping how and what images communicate.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography is intended for students who are interested in pursuing careers as photographic image makers. The program provides students with the technical, creative, and critical thinking skills needed to practice in a variety of fields including art, design, editorial, and production. The breadth of courses in the program reflects the importance of both a liberal arts background and professional preparation in the field. Courses encompass the study of photographic and graphic history and theory, aesthetics, design, contemporary digital and analog photographic practice, lighting, complex planning, and professional practice.

Degree Program

BFA in Photography

Special Features

  • Among the facilities available for Photography students is a large digital lab furnished with Macintosh computers, large format inkjet printers, and film and flatbed scanners. There is also an alternative process facility, a well-equipped chemical darkroom, and a studio lighting facility.
  • The Photography program has a generous collection of equipment available for student checkout that includes small, medium and large format cameras, various lenses, tripods, and portable lighting equipment.
  • A Design Department gallery on the 4th floor of Mariposa Hall that regularly exhibits student work.

Career Possibilities

Photography is one of the most widely used forms of visual communication in our world today. As the technology to create and share visual imagery has become more accessible and expedient, photographs have taken on a vital role in how we share complex visual information. We use it both to form and communicate the sense of who and what we are via social media, and it is an important tool in the material and mental exploration and interpretation of our world. The Photography degree at Sacramento State prepares students to thoughtfully engage in the production, interpretation, and presentation of photographic images, asking them to consider how these images can be created and used in the world, whether in personal, social, or professional contexts.  While gaining technical skills in the production of photographs, students engage rigorously in the conceptual discourse surrounding photographic images (their use and meaning) and are encouraged to consider the application of photographs broadly and with flexibility. Students who earn a degree in Photography can bring this expertise to all career fields, whether these are the more traditional photographic careers that occur in the fine arts, commercial photography, journalism, or editorial work, or in the any of the myriad professions that need and rely on photographic imagery to help define, gather, and assess information, or communicate who and what they are.

Contact Information

Richard Pratt, Department of Design Chair
Mystique Horton, Administrative Support Coordinator
Mariposa Hall 5001
(916) 278-3962
FAX (916) 278-6116
Photography Program Website

Faculty

DERTINGER, DOUG

POOR, NIGEL

SHEPARD, NICK