Texas Tech University :: School Of Art
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Photography

imageWelcome to the Texas Tech University School of Art Photography Area. Photography students take the required the freshman core curriculum as well as other introductory studio art classes. After taking Photographic Arts I, students interested in the photography emphasis will submit materials for a portfolio review. The accepted students can then declare photography as their emphasis. Portfolios are reviewed at the end of both spring and fall semesters.

Photography emphasis students are required to take a photographic history class and a variety of courses in photographic techniques and perspectives relevant to the appreciation and production of photography as a fine art. Studio practice includes both black and white film and print processing and color digital shooting and printing. Advanced classes cover topics such as experimental cameras, documentary photography, lighting studio and artist's books. All this leads to the production of a personal portfolio and participation in a group exhibition during the final semester. The SRO Photo Gallery, in the subbasement of the Art building, provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to judge submitted artworks by artists from throughout the country and then see the resulting exhibitions. Visiting photographic artists provide outside stimulus through lectures, workshops and individual critiques of student work.

Beginning in Photo One, students must have their own digital SLR. All students enrolled in photography courses starting with Intermediate Photo (Art 3326, BW or Color) are required to have a laptop per our specifications. Details can be found on the Laptop Initiative webpage. You are welcome to contact your instructor if you have any questions about these requirements.

Facilities

Galleries: Landmark Arts features the Landmark Gallery, the Studio Gallery, and the SRO Photo Gallery with monthly shows by photographers from throughout the nation.

Computer Lab:  Our computer labs are located in the Architecture building, second floor. One lab is a desktop lab with Mac computers that are updated every semester with the most recent software and hardware. The second lab is a laptop lab that provides large monitors for connection to laptops for ease of image editing. The lab has scanners for transparency and reflective originals and for graduate student use we have an Imacon film scanner and an Epson 750v. We have a full service printing area with laser and ink jet printers. The largest plotters can print up to 44 inches wide on a variety of paper surfaces.

Photography lab: Our photographic facilities include advanced and basic black and white darkrooms, a small book arts lab, a dry room for mounting and print finishing, and a lighting studio with both strobes and hot lights.

Curriculum

Texas Tech offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with a specialization in Studio Art and an emphasis in Photography. Course offerings include basic photography (3325), intermediate Black and White Darkroom photography and intermediate Color Digital photography (3326), basic and advanced digital imaging (Art 3329,4329), photography history (Art 3380), and advanced topics (Art 4325) which rotate between: experimental cameras, documentary, artists' books, and studio photography. Our focus in fine art photography is on research as a form of creative problem solving, on exploration that is disciplined but open ended and that involves both individual and group interactions and communication. Within the Studio Art specialization, a student may, with guidance from an advisor, take a distribution of courses that combine digital media, photography and printmaking. This combination of courses will enable students to experiment with various media and digital imagery in creating fine art.