An advanced study of people photography, this course will focus on the development of the photographic and social skills of the commercial photographer. This course will examine the effects of light, camera choice, and subject pose on reproducing the human form as a photograph. The student will learn to develop strategies for photographing people, build upon lighting skills, and improve photographic styling techniques. Casting and directing models, as well as the role of a professional photographic team will be included in the lectures, demonstrations, and assignments.

Business Practices for Professional Photographers will provide advertising photography students with an understanding of the business practices and principles of freelancing. Through discussions and lectures from expert guest speakers, the class will cover such topics as entry level jobs, licensing/copyright, marketing, pricing, insurance, taxes, team building and other necessary plans to run a successful small business. Students will create a business plan that will require them to do research on their desired geographic market post-graduation. They will determine career and financial goals that will result in a functional plan based on the realities of their projected financial needs. Additionally, they will learn how to break into the industry as new college graduates and will learn what is required to become a freelancer and business owner. DBA, LLCs, insurance, taxes, and more will be covered.

This course offers photography students a unique opportunity to participate in a one-week intensive workshop that travels to New York City, a center of the advertising photography industry. Through this field trip and accompanying lectures and studio visits, students will experience the field of professional photography and related industries in New York City. The trip provides a broad view of advertising and editorial photography within the city, highlighting diverse and mainstream voices in the industry. Students meet with a variety of photographers, art directors, designers, filmmakers, photo editors, photographer agents, assistants, and RIT alumni. Students will also visit photography studios, advertising agencies, graphic design studios, magazines, galleries, and museums, ensuring comprehensive exposure to well-established and emerging myriad talents in the field. **Fee: A course fee applied via student account**

This course will introduce students to the field of assignment photography. Students will create images from assignments that relate to projects they could encounter after graduation. They will be instructed in the basic photographic skills needed in the photography industry. Practical use of exposure metering and digital workflow will be discussed. Training will be provided in the use of professional cameras and lighting equipment, as well as developing marketing materials. Portraiture and still life photography will be covered both in the studio and on location. Students will learn about career choices available in the photography industry as well as encourage students to develop their own artistic vision.

This course examines the intersections of race, civil rights, and photography in the United States. Students will learn critical concepts in the field of photography, such as visibility, performativity, and the gaze. Students will also learn to critically engage with, deconstruct, and analyze issues of race and civil rights in the production and dissemination of photography. Students will uncover a spectrum of historical and co-occurring debates about the significance of vision in marking race in the context of the United States. Questions we will ask throughout the class are: How does photography contribute to the construction of race? How does the photograph function as evidence of the markings and conservation of race in America? Students will explore a variety of photographic practices, including vernacular photography and daguerreotypes from the nineteen-century. We will examine 1960s photojournalism and the documentary work of photographers like Gordon Parks, and investigate activist photography of the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Panthers, and Black Lives Matter. Finally, students will investigate the works of contemporary artists, such as Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems, Lyle Ashton Harris, and Joshua Rashaad McFadden.

Photography Independent Study will provide students with the ability to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. Students, with the assistance of a faculty adviser, will propose a course of study. Photography Independent Study students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll.