The Grossmont College Photography Program is unique and distinctive as the level of instruction about photography goes well beyond the limited purview of craft and aesthetics. As the power of the photographic image in our culture and its multiple functions in society continues to be an important component of communication, the Program addresses the students' relationship to the medium and photography's role and function as a personal, societal and cultural activity.
Faculty and staff that are actively practicing photographers within a variety of fine art and/or commercial environments, including gallery and museum exhibitions as well as professional studio contexts.
Unique and dynamic curriculum which is a blend of critical discussion and photographic practice that reflects focused and individualized attention on developing and nurturing the students' photographic interests and educational goals.
State-of-the-art facility of over 5,000 square feet of working studio space, including two Apple iMac digital labs with Epson inkjet printers, a 19 - station print darkroom for print processing from 35mm to 4x5 film, a 1000 square foot studio with a Profoto track lighting system of 10 strobes suspended from the ceiling as well as an alternative/historical processes lab.
The Photography Program offers an AA in Studio Art - Photography degree and a Certificate of Achievement - Photography, providing for an in-depth study into the practice and critical discourse of photography, photographic seeing and lens-based culture as a visual document of creative expression and communication. The fundamentals of photographic practice are set within a series of foundation, intermediate and advanced courses which reference the rich history in relationship to contemporary approaches, including analog, digital, studio and alternative processes. With such an intensive program of study, students have the opportunity to define his or her path, whether it is to transfer to a four-year institution, portfolio and professional career development and/or personal enrichment.