Join the Digital Photography community through the classroom

By: Daniel Kraus, Digital Photography Certificate Faculty

The Digital Photography Certificate program at University of the Arts is the ideal place for those who are eager to start a career in photography or give their passion more direction. The program is distinct in offering students two tracks to follow, so you can decide how you want your development to be shaped and what pace is right for you. The curriculum’s trajectory address photographic technique, software skills, artistry, and career development, resulting in a full understanding of the medium. Courses present opportunities to connect you with Philadelphia’s thriving arts community where you’ll attend artist’s lectures, exhibitions, and hear advice from photo-industry professionals. 

Within a few class sessions it becomes clear how quickly students develop an interest in one another’s work, leading to great peer-to-peer interactions. You’ll build a community around yourself that gives critical and useful feedback to help you focus and strengthen your skills.

The certificate classes create a cohort that is inspiring to see as an instructor. Within a few class sessions it becomes clear how quickly students develop an interest in one another’s work, leading to great peer-to-peer interactions. You’ll build a community around yourself that gives critical and useful feedback to help you focus and strengthen your skills. Courses are often structured around out of class photo assignments, lectures that explore contemporary issues, demonstrations on technique, and critiques that give you the beneficial insight of your classmates. 

The depth of courses in the certificate program teaches you to integrate artistry and professionalism for your developing career. You will learn the necessary industry software by taking classes specifically on Lightroom and Photoshop and also be creatively challenged by courses that show students how to develop a portfolio of creative work and even self publish a photo-book. Rather than focusing solely on technique and software programs, you will be challenged to unite ideas with technique to create photographs that have meaning and usefulness in the creative market. This point was driven home by the advice given by the photography editor of Philadelphia Magazine during our Digital Photo 2 course this past Spring.

The proximity of the University of the Arts to major photography institutions is truly remarkable. As a student, you'll have the opportunity to meet important and local photographers and curators at places like the Print Center. You will also experience the latest in contemporary photo exhibitions at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, and look at the city’s historical collection of photographs at the Library Company or the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

While teaching in the Digital Photography Certificate program, it’s been inspiring to see the diverse student-body in the classroom. You’ll work with students who come from various career fields, backgrounds, and age groups who bring together a wealth of knowledge from various viewpoints and artistic interests. I truly see this as one of the biggest strengthens of the certificate program, as traditional college classrooms do not have this same cross section of people in the classroom. You will have the opportunity to gain in understanding by studying with students who help you identify your successes and learn from your failures in an empathic community.