Art Degrees Online

Commercial Photography — Diploma
CREATING IMAGES IN A DIGITAL WORLD

Commercial photographers with solid digital photography skills contribute images to a variety of fields from magazines to television, books to advertising. In this certificate program, students learn the fundamental skills needed to begin an exciting career in entry-level positions with advertising photographers or agencies.

What You’ll Study:
• Begin with the history and principles of photography.
• Move on to large format photography and digital photographic production.
• Continue with lighting, studio skills, and digital photographic illustration.

Total Credit Hours: 40
5 Quarters
Curriculum
First Quarter
P111 Principles of Photography show details
CAA106 Introduction to Design Applications show details
Second Quarter
P103 Large-Format Photography show details
P104 Digital Photographic Production show details
Third Quarter
P106 History and Survey of Photography show details
P201 Lighting show details
Fourth Quarter
P203 Studio show details
P207 Digital Darkroom show details
Fifth Quarter
P204 Digital Photographic Illustration I show details
Program Elective I

The Photography program’s wide breadth of traditional and cutting-edge processes is unique to the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Students learn about 35mm, digital, medium-and large-format cameras, black and white printing, digital output, color shooting, experimental photography and digital video. They have the opportunity (also unique to AAC) to link photographic theory and practice to other artistic disciplines.

The major provides a blend of theoretical and real-world instruction that enables students to build careers as commercial photographers, professional artists, photojournalists, and in other disciplines. Many graduates move on to grad school or pursue careers in the gallery or museum world.

T
he Photography program’s wide breadth of traditional and cutting-edge processes is unique to the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Students learn about 35mm, digital, medium and large-format cameras, black and white printing, digital output, color shooting, experimental photography and digital video. They have the opportunity (also unique to AAC) to link photographic theory and practice to other artistic disciplines.

The major provides a blend of theoretical and real-world instruction that enables students to build careers as commercial photographers, professional artists, photojournalists, and in other disciplines. Many graduates move on to grad school or pursue careers in the gallery or museum world.

Associate in Science
Major Code – PHTC.AAS

Prepares students for positions in the photographic profession. Students satisfactorily completing this program will have the necessary skills and knowledge to qualify for entrance positions as darkroom technicians, commercial photographers, portrait photographers, photojournalists and general photographic technicians.

Students must provide for their own use the following equipment: digital camera (of design approved by instructor), light meter, flash unit and tripod.
Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (18 Semester Hours)
Communication – 9 Hours
Speech
ENGL 1301 – Freshman Composition I
ENGL 1302 – Freshman Composition II
Humanities/Fine Arts – 3 Hours
ARTS 2356 – Fundamentals of Photography I
Mathematics/Natural Sciences – 3 Hours
MATH 1332 – Contemporary Mathematics I

(or any college level Mathematics course)
Social/Behavioral Sciences – 3 Hours
Social/Behavioral Science
Major Course Requirements (36 Semester Hours)
ARTS 2357 – Fundamentals of Photography II
PHTC 1300 – Photo Digital Imaging I
PHTC 1313 – History of Photography
PHTC 1341 – Color Photography I
PHTC 1343 – Expressive Photography
PHTC 1345 – Illustrative Photography I
PHTC 1353 – Portraiture I
PHTC 2341 – Color Photography II
PHTC 2343 – Portfolio Development
PHTC 2345 – Illustrative Photography II
PHTC 2349 – Photo Digital Imaging II
PHTC 2353 – Portraiture II
Related Required Courses (9 Semester Hours)
COMM 1337 – Television Production
Select One of the Following:
COMM 1307 – Introduction to Mass Communication
COMM 2327 – Introduction to Advertising
Select One of the Following:
ARTC 1325 – Introduction to Computer Graphics
BCIS 1305 – Business Computer Applications
Photo Practicum or Electives (5-6 Semester Hours)
Total (68-69 Semester Hours)

After gaining an understanding of the history of photography and the body of criticism surrounding it, students are encouraged to explore new techniques and develop their own vision.

The photography program provides a strong technical and aesthetic foundation in black-and-white and color photography, and in analog and digital imaging. Coursework focuses on the use of various kinds of equipment, ranging from view cameras to Polaroids; digital photography techniques; and printing techniques including alternative printmaking, fine black- and-white printing, palladium printing, toning, multiple image-making, and collage.

Facilities include 11,000 square feet of work stations, darkrooms with full ventilation, and galleries. New printing facilities accommodate mural-size prints and nonsilver processes as well as color or monochrome processes.

The photography program recently has welcomed visiting artists James Casebere, Lois Conner, Linda Connor, Joan Fontecuberta, Peter Garfield, Ed Grazda, Vik Muniz, Rebecca Solnit, and Kim Yasuda.

The A-4 Photography Gallery features changing exhibitions of work by outside artists, and internships are available with the Museum of Fine Arts, the Polaroid Corporation, and various commercial photographers.

The goal of FIT’s Photography Department is to instill in its students a solid foundation of photographic knowledge and experience to enable them to move on to satisfying careers. FIT students graduate with more than a diploma; they leave with a portfolio of work that meet the highest professional standards, thanks to the department’s extensive real-world commercial project assignments.

Successful commercial photographers are able to tell a story and much more, creating eye-catching images that effectively communicate a mood, a mindset, or a message. In the fields of advertising, communications, fine arts, fashion, and publishing, talented and professionally trained photographers are highly valued and much in demand today.

PHOTOGRAPHY FACILITIES:
TRADITION AND TECHNOLOGY

When it comes to transforming a vision into a finished product, today’s photographers have many exciting new tools at their disposal. FIT’s Photography program emphasizes proficiency in new digital technologies enabling students to do things previously thought impossible. All of FIT’s photography facilities are professionally equipped, including large, fully-furnished photography studios in the Art and Design Center, and darkrooms that accommodate more than 40 people to service students’ in-house printing and processing needs.

NON-CREDIT OFFERINGS

In addition to its credit curriculum, the Photography Department also plays host to a number of special courses, including a series of non-credit courses for professional and novice photographers. Through the Office for Professional Training, they offer a popular series of non-credit seminars each focusing on specific topics such as food photography, location fashion photography, and web design. There are also a variety of free seminars, lectures, and workshops specifically for high school teachers, and yearly seminars for high school students on how to prepare a portfolio.