Photography

The Masters of Fine Arts program in Photography combines aesthetic and expressive development with advanced theoretical, conceptual, and technical training in photography. It prepares students to be fine artists and successful professionals.

Courses in advanced photographic techniques are taken alongside graduate seminars and independent study under the supervision of the graduate faculty, one of the most distinguished groups of teaching photographers in the country.

The graduate program utilizes two separate darkrooms and state of the art facilities, which are the most extensive and advanced in the Midwest. The Digital Imaging Lab includes more than 120 workstations, highly sophisticated scanning equipment, and an assortment of large-format printers. There are two studios with an extensive array of professional lighting equipment, numerous 8 x 10 and 4 x 5 cameras, medium format and digital cameras, and other digital equipment. The photography department also works closely with the Art & Design department’s 3,000+ sq foot Photo Print Media lab, which features media ranging from hand book-binding to experimental photo/graphic techniques.

Throughout the year the photography department sponsors seminars, workshops, and lectures by visiting artists and professional photographers of national and international rank. Recent guest photographers have included: Tina Barney, Edward Burtynsky, Elinor Carucci, Roy DeCarava, Bruce Davidson, joan Fontecuberta, Frank Gohlke, Jim Goldberg, Nan Goldin, Lauren Greenfield, Robert Heinecken, David Hilliard, Atta Kim, Mark Klett, An-My Lee, Mary Ellen Mark, Susan Meiselas, Duane Michels, Richard Misrach, Abelardo Morell, Vik Muniz, Nicholas Nixon, Catherine Opie, Martin Parr, Andres Serrano, Paul Shambroom, Fazal Sheikh, Toshio Shibata, Stephen Shore, Lorna Simpson, Alec Soth, Joel Sternfeld, Larry Sultan, Alex Webb, Carrie Mae Weems, and William Wegman.

DEPARTMENTAL CONTACT INFORMATION
Department Chair: Bob Thall
Graduate Coordinator: Paul D’Amato 312-369-7036 pdamato@colum.edu
Graduate Contact: Bill Guy 312-369-7329 wguy@colum.edu
Office Information: 600 S. Michigan, Suite 1200 Phone: 312-344-7328 or x 7321