Photography
Program Description
The mission of the Foothill College Photography Department is to provide outstanding instruction in creative image-making and the use of photographic techniques for vocational, general education, and transfer students. Students are encouraged to develop their personal vision while gaining technical competency and examining photography's role in shaping visual culture, both past and present. Course topics include digital photography, studio lighting, portraiture, darkroom processes, visual storytelling, photojournalism, photo-criticism, and portfolio preparation and presentation.
Learn more about the program on the Photography website.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to produce images that demonstrate knowledge of photography's visual and expressive elements (light, color, and composition), using standard professional equipment and production processes.
- Students will be able to analyze how images reflect and shape our culture and assess the contributions made in the field by people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities for graduates may include: advertising photographer, aerial and underwater photographer, art collector, art critic, art documentation photographer, art writer and blogger, commercial photographer (architectural), commercial photographer (portrait), commercial photographer (product), commercial printing and reproduction, corporate photographer, darkroom lab technician and/or manager, digital photography technician, digital photographic illustrator, documentary and editorial photographer, photography teacher, fashion photographer, film-set photographer, fine art photographer, fine art printing assistant, forensic photographer, freelance photographer, gallerist or art dealer, graphic artist, laboratory manager, nature photographer, photo editor, photo-historian, manager for fine art or commercial photography studio, photographic assistant, photographic retoucher, photojournalist, professional photography-laboratory custom printer, photographic sales, sports photographer, stock photographer, studio and wedding photography, theater production photographer, travel and stock photography, wedding and event photographer.
Award Type(s)
- AA = Associate in Arts Degree
- CA = Certificate of Achievement
Units Required
- Major: 40
- Certificate(s): 16-24
Additional Information
Note: Please contact department faculty for information about recommended course sequence to assist with student success. Faculty contact information is available on the Photography website.
Associate Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| English Proficiency | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| ENGL 1A | COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| ENGL 1AH | HONORS COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| ESLL 26 | ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING | 5 |
| or equivalent | ||
| Ethnic Studies | ||
| Any course in the ETHN (Ethnic Studies) subject code, currently approved for Area F of CSU GE and Area 7 of IGETC | ||
| Mathematics Proficiency | ||
| College-level math course at or above the level of Intermediate Algebra | ||
A minimum of 90 units is required1 to include:
- Completion of one of the following general education patterns: Foothill General Education, CSU General Education Breadth Requirements or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)
- Core courses (16 units)
- Support courses (24 units)
- 1
Additional elective course work may be necessary to meet the 90-unit minimum requirement for the associate degree.
Note: All courses pertaining to the major must be taken for a letter grade. In addition, a grade of "C" or better is required for all core and support courses used for the degree or certificates.
Core and Support Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 10 | HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOT 57B | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or GID 60 & GID 61 | CAREERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS and PORTFOLIO | |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| Support Courses | ||
| Select 24 units from the following: | 24 | |
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS III | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | ||
or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 11H | HONORS CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOTOJOURNALISM | ||
| STUDIO LIGHTING TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| LECTURE TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES III | ||
| LANDSCAPE FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| SOCIAL CONCERNS FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| DOCUMENTARY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| MUSEUM/GALLERY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| COLOR THEORY | ||
| GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO I | ||
| CAREERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS | ||
| PORTFOLIO | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF MEDIA PRODUCTION | ||
| Total Units | 40 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.
Note: Courses listed in both the core and support sections may be completed only once for credit to satisfy either the core or support course requirement.
Certificate Requirements
Certificate of Achievement in Photography
Units: 24
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 57B | PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| Support Courses | ||
| Select 12 units from the following: | 12 | |
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS III | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | ||
or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
or PHOT 11H | HONORS CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOTOJOURNALISM | ||
| STUDIO LIGHTING TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| LECTURE TOPICS IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES III | ||
| LANDSCAPE FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| SOCIAL CONCERNS FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| DOCUMENTARY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| MUSEUM/GALLERY FIELD STUDY IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| Total Units | 24 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.
Certificate of Achievement in Photography Criticism
Units: 17-17.5
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHOT 8 | PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | 5 |
| or PHOT 8H | HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES | |
| PHOT 10 | HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or PHOT 10H | HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| PHOT 11 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | 4 |
| or PHOT 11H | HONORS CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| And one course from the following: | 4-4.5 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO ART | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FILM & MEDIA CRITICISM | ||
| Total Units | 17-17.5 | |
Certificate of Achievement in Commercial Photography
Units: 16
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| PHOT 74A | STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | 4 |
| And one course from the following: | 4 | |
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | ||
| PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II | ||
| PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II | ||
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.
Certificate of Achievement in Digital Photography Techniques
Units: 16
There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PHOT 4A | PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I | 4 |
| PHOT 5 | INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 1 | 4 |
| PHOT 72 | LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN | 4 |
| PHOT 74A | STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I | 4 |
| Total Units | 16 | |
- 1
PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.