Academic Catalog

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

English Proficiency
Select one of the following:
ENGL 1ACOMPOSITION & READING5
ENGL 1AHHONORS COMPOSITION & READING5
ESLL 26ADVANCED COMPOSITION & READING5
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

Core Courses
PHOT 5INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 14
PHOT 10HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY4
or PHOT 10H HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOT 57BPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY4
or GID 60
GID 61
CAREERS IN THE VISUAL ARTS
and PORTFOLIO
PHOT 72LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN4
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
HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
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 Units40
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.

Core Courses
PHOT 5INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 14
PHOT 57BPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY4
PHOT 72LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN4
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
HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
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 Units24
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.

PHOT 8PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES5
or PHOT 8H HONORS PHOTOGRAPHY OF AMERICAN CULTURES
PHOT 10HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY4
or PHOT 10H HONORS HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOT 11CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN PHOTOGRAPHY4
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 Units17-17.5

Certificate of Achievement in Commercial Photography

Units: 16

There are no English or mathematics proficiencies required for this certificate.

PHOT 5INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 14
PHOT 72LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN4
PHOT 74ASTUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I4
And one course from the following:4
PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I
PHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS II
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES II
Total Units16
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.

PHOT 4APHOTOSHOP FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS I4
PHOT 5INTRODUCTION TO PHOTOGRAPHY 14
PHOT 72LIGHTROOM & PHOTOGRAPHIC DESIGN4
PHOT 74ASTUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES I4
Total Units16
1

PHOT 5 is recommended as the first course in the sequence.