Photography
Apply for AdmissionWhy Study Photography
Our Photography program provides a strong foundation in professional practices, technical skills, visual literacy, and creative expression—whether your goal is to transfer to a four-year college, build a career in photography, or explore photography for personal enrichment.
Coursework includes traditional black-and-white film processing and printing, digital photography, post-processing and digital printing, photojournalism, studio lighting, photographic history and criticism, and professional practices that prepare students for working in the field.
You are encouraged to develop your own unique photographic voice while building strong technical skills and exploring photography’s role in society and culture.
An advisory board of industry leaders works alongside our renowned photography faculty to help ensure that our curriculum reflects current practices in the field and provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue careers in photography.
What you can do with a degree in Photography
A major in Photography can prepare you for:
- Freelance Photographer
- Studio Photographer
- Digital Technician (Digitech)
- Commercial Photographer
- Photojournalist or Documentary Photographer
- Digital Imaging & Printing Specialist
- Darkroom & Analog Photography Specialist
- Photography Assistant or Digital Technician
- Visual Content Creator
Fall '26 Gallery 6100 Philip Sager: Family Frames
On view in Gallery 6100 (building 6100, room 6104) is Family Frames, a powerful and haunting interactive exhibition by Bay Area artist Philip Sager. Family Frames explores loss, memory, and the fate of private history in public life. Dr. Sager enlarges childhood photographs and wheat-pastes them onto walls throughout San Francisco, surrendering them to weather, time, and strangers.
More about the exhibition
Fall '26 KCI Gallery Ellen Konar and Steve Goldbland: Cut Short
On view in the Krause Center for Innovation Gallery (building 4000, lower level) is Cut Short: Felled, Fallen, and Forgotten, a spectacular and deeply moving exhibition by life partners and Bay Area artists Ellen Konar and Steve Goldband. Cut Short is an elegy for felled trees, honoring their majesty and mourning their loss.
More about the exhibitionUpcoming Artist Talks
More Resources
Questions About Credit vs. Non-Credit Classes
If you have questions about which path or certificate is right for you, contact Photography Department Chair Judy Walgren at walgrenjudith@fhda.edu.
Support Our Photography Programs
Your generosity will help with purchases, events, exhibitions, student awards and more.
We appreciate your support and donation!
Degrees & Certificates
View the list below for programs offered at Foothill. Then select a program map for a possible schedule that fulfills program and college requirements.
For program requirements and full course listings, view degrees and certificates information.
View the academic catalog for the photography department certificate of proficiency requirements.
- Photo Criticism Skills Certificate
View the academic catalog for the photography department certificate of completion requirements.
After five years of teaching myself, Foothill’s photography program provided the technical rigor and professional insight I was missing. It gave me the confidence to transition from a hobbyist to a business owner capable of taking on high-level professional jobs.
Michael MolcsanPhotography
Ways to Experience More!
At Foothill, we offer many opportunities to get involved outside the classroom.
Research & Service Leadership Symposium
Showcase your ideas and creativity at Foothill’s annual symposium, where students present research, service projects, and creative work through talks, posters, performances, and art exhibitions.
Global Experiential Learning
Travel, study, and gain real-world experience through Foothill’s faculty-led global programs. Explore new cultures, earn academic credit, and participate in service learning, research, and study abroad around the world.
Humanities Scholars Work Experience
Gain real-world experience through paid internships with mission-driven nonprofit organizations. Build professional skills, connect coursework to careers, and work with community partners across the region.
IDEA Lab
Create, record, and experiment in Foothill’s Interdisciplinary Electronic Arts Lab, a creative hub supporting music technology, media, photography, graphic design, and digital arts.
Related Programs and Degrees
