Photography concentrates on the practice of photography as a fine art – a means personal expression. Students explore photographic materials and practices in order to create challenging and stimulating images. The school promotes an interdisciplinary approach. Students are encouraged investigate photography's historical and contemporary relationships with other disciplines, theory and culture. This awareness fosters critical thinking and studio critique skills, which ultimately generates more informed, intelligent, and nuanced artistic production. The Photography Program is an investigation into visual literacy focusing on the creative possibilities of lens-based imaging. Beginning with the introductory course, students create work that combines concept and technique. Emphasis is placed on the student's personal growth through aesthetic and intellectual development. Students explore photographic materials and practices in order to create challenging and stimulating images. Through extensive studio critiques, students and faculty discuss aesthetic choices and possibilities to make the most effective work possible. Technical competence is vital to this process of artistic growth. The curriculum provides a solid technical foundation on which to develop a student's ideas. The photography area offers students a wide variety of courses that cover both traditional and digital processes. These courses consist of an introductory black and white darkroom course that teaches students camera controls, film processing, and wet lab printing. The introductory digital photography course focuses on the proper use of digital files, digital camera controls and the basics of Photoshop. The remaining courses provide a wide variety of instruction and include Intermediate Black and White Photography, Studio Lighting, 19th Century Processes, and History of Photography.