Photo

Areas of Study:

Photography

The photography program prepares students to be professionals in their field.   The study of photography can be applied in a range of professions, including commercial studio work, photo editing in publications, working with photography collections in museums and teaching at the high school or college level.   The curriculum is carefully designed to prepare the student to be qualified to enter a career or a graduate program with a strong portfolio and the needed technical skills.

Long Dress by Kenda North The photography program at UTA was established in 1971.  The rapid shift to digital technologies in the past few years has resulted in profound changes in the methods that we use to capture images and produce prints.  The faculty have embraced the digital world while maintaining a strong commitment to traditional methods.  We believe that the best photographers are able to produce images to communicate and express ideas. The program offers great diversity of curriculum, approach and technology.  We have complete facilities for both ‘wet’ darkroom processing and digital work. 

The five full-time faculty in photography represent a wide range of expertise and experience in the field.   All faculty are exhibiting artists, have vast professional experience and come from a national base of graduate study.   Students are encouraged to work with all faculty throughout their studies.   The intermediate photo course is our ‘gateway’ upper level course, providing the foundation for all advanced classes.   The advanced classes are devoted to specific technical skills and the development of personal expression into a visual statement.  We schedule a portfolio review for each student at least twice during their studies, attended by the entire photography faculty and any other faculty in the Department invited by the student.

Our darkroom facilities include large beginning and advanced black and white labs, a separate area dedicated to alternative processes and a spacious area for print finishing. The area maintains a working studio with strobe lighting and digital input capabilities as well as large format cameras. Our digital facilities include a PC lab dedicated to black and white printing, with two new Epson 2400 printers and an Epson 4000 printer. This lab is used by the Intermediate Photo students. Our upper level students have access to a lab with new iMac computers and multiple scanners. The upper level students use a new digital printing room for output, which has two Epson 4800 printers, one 7800 and one 9800. These resources enable students to print from 8 x 10 to 44" wide on either gloss or matt paper. We also provide 35mm, medium, large format, Holga and several mid range and high end digital cameras for checkout.

UTA photography graduates and faculty are making their mark on the professional world. Our BFA graduates are currently doing the following:

MFA programs:

Michael Gonzeles completed his degree at the University of Arizona, Hannah Frieser completed her MFA at Texas Women’s University,  Oscar Plascencia completed his MFA work at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Jennifer Tyner completed her MA in Photographic Preservation and Collections Management at Ryerson University in Toronto, Trentyn Fator is in the MFA program at the University of Houston, Jennifer Gooch has started MFA work at Carnegie Mellon University.

Professional Positions:

Hannah Frieser (BFA ‘00) is Assistant Director at Lightwork in Syracuse, NY.; Jennifer Tyner is a Digital Image Archivist at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Eric Miller works for the city of Houston; Gerardo Gibbs is an art handler with Nerwin and Martin in Fort Worth; Cara Conner is the studio manager for Dick Patrick Studios in Dallas; Billy Brumley and Jaclyn Haley are working as independent photographers in Dallas; Julia Newman is working as a wedding and portrait photographer in Boston.  Don Tarvin works with Rusty Hill Studio; Matt Cooper works with Manny Rodriguez Studio. Mark Calvert works as a commercial photographer for R & J Creative Images in Dallas.

Teaching Positions:

Oscar Plascencia recently returned to the area and is teaching at Tarrant County College and at in the photo area at UTA! Michael Gonzales is currently teaching with the community college system in Houston.  Prince Thomas completed his MFA in photography/digital imaging at the University of Houston and is an associate professor at Lamar University in Beaumont, TX.

Awards:

Holly Gray won a scholarship to the 2006 Photoshop World in Las Vegas.  Michael Gonzales (undergrad studies in photography) won first place in a competition sponsored by the Agfa Corporation.  In addition to receiving a Hasselblad camera, Michael’s winning image will be printed on packages of multi contrast photo paper for a year.  (The winning image was made with a Holga camera!) He recently received an award from En Foco and exhibited work in NYC.

Exhibits:

Wendy Lastovia has her work featured on the website www.alternativephotography.com; Ratsamee Suvannachakkham recently exhibited at the Bathouse Gallery in Dallas; Manuel Pecina recently exhibited at the Canvas Gallery in Dallas; Paul Leicht exhibited with the metrognome collective in FortWorth and is working for the

Non-profit organization (www.metrognomecollective.com); Vishal Malhotra has had his photographs on several covers of the Fort Worth Weekly.

Courses

2359 - Introduction to Photography
Basic photographic imaging. Assignments emphasize an artistic approach and include black-and-white materials, darkroom procedure, and color transparencies.

3360 - Intermediate Photography
A continuation of ART 2359 with emphasis on advanced control of black-and-white photographic materials and the development of a deeper understanding of photographic history and criticism.

4344 - Alternative Photographic Processes
Methods of manipulating the photographic image. Techniques may include manipulative printing, computer imaging, blueprint, brownprint, platinum/palladium, transfers, silkscreen, intaglio, and lithography.

4348 - Digital Alternative Photographic Techniques
This course explores methods of integrating digital imaging with historic and contemporary photographic processes, with an emphasis on using computers as tools for creative expression.

4359 - Advanced Photography
This course encourages students to use a variety of photographic processes (B & W, color, non-silver, computer imaging, etc.) with an emphasis on the development of a personal stance. Students will work on individual projects and present work in an environment of critical discussion.

4360 - Color Photography
The development of an aesthetic and critical response toward photographic color. Techniques include exposure and printing of color negatives as well as the use of digital technology.

4363 - Studio Photography
The theory and practice of situational photography. Studio lighting and large format camera techniques.

4364 - Commercial Photography
Methods and techniques of advertising and commercial photography. Students will produce projects integrating technical concerns with commercial concepts. Emphasis on portfolio development.

4370 -Staged Environments
This course concentrates on the conceptualization, development and execution of tableaus designed exclusively for the camera. Lectures, readings and presentations will cover view cameras, studio lighting, set design, scouting locations, using props and working with models.

4392 - Special Studies: Staged Environments
Special course work in new or experimental offerings for which there is immediate need and for which special resources are available.

Facilities

(over 7,500 sq. ft.) in the Fine Arts Building:

STUDENT WORK & PHOTO GALLERY

Faculty

Kenda North, Professor (Area Coordinator)
(Kenda North’s research focus is color photography.  She is currently represented by Craighead Green Gallery, Dallas.)

Andrew Ortiz, Associate Professor
(Andy Ortiz specializes in digital imaging; his mural size images are exhibited nationally.)

Leighton McWilliams, Assistant Professor
(Leighton McWilliams’s research focus is photo constructions, large format and studio photography; his recent work has been featured in many one person exhibitions.)

Bryan Florentin, Senior Lecture
(Bryan Florentin’s research is on installation/mixed media/critical theory.  He is currently developing new installation work involving projections, images, objects and short narrative texts.)

René West, Senior Lecturer
(René West’s research focus is the merging of digital technology and historical photographic processes; in addition she performs regularly as a singer/songwriter.)

Alison Hahn, Adjunct Professor

DEGREE PLAN

Download the Photography degree plan here.