Photography 1A offers a comprehensive introduction to photography as an art form. The course introduces students to the fundamental concepts and techniques of photography through the study of its history and major practitioners. Students will explore various approaches to black-and-white photography, beginning with photograms and continuing with pinhole photography and 35mm film cameras. They will create their own photograms, use pinhole cameras to produce negatives and positive prints, and learn how to process black-and-white film and make enlargements.

Portrait photography is a major focus of the course. The work of renowned portrait photographers such as Arnold Newman, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, Annie Leibovitz, and Yousuf Karsh will be studied and discussed. By the end of the semester, students will complete a final project centered on either a portrait or self-portrait.

Photography 1B builds on the skills developed in Photography 1A. In this course, students will learn basic lighting techniques and explore more advanced strategies while using DSLR cameras. Still life, landscape, and documentary photography are the three major themes of the class. The work of a variety of photographers, including Aaron Siskind, Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier Bresson, Robert Frank, W. Eugene Smith, Sebastião Salgado, and others, will be presented and discussed.

By the end of the semester, students will research the life and artistic style of a photographer who has made significant aesthetic contributions to the history of photography. The final project will consist of creating a cohesive series of images that demonstrate thematic unity.