Photography at Pratt
The Photography curriculum provides an extensive photographic education through a series of core classes that promote students’ technical and conceptual development.
Students are expected to establish their photographic practices through the study of analog and digital processes within a deeper understanding of the histories and theories of the medium. Given the central role that images play in our lives, demonstrating literacy in photography has taken on new meaning, new urgency, and new forms.
Student Work
Look at these bodies of work that our current Photography students are producing. Through concentrated learning about photographic processes, critical discourse, and exposure to contemporary art, you’ll develop your own visual language and artistic voice.
The Experience
Our photographic production spaces are at the core of your educational experience at Pratt. The digital labs, analog darkrooms, and lighting studio are creative environments that foster community and function as an extension of the classroom. The atmosphere and culture of these spaces are centralized around promoting skill-building, creativity, and the exploration of materials and processes. Students are encouraged to expand upon what they learn in class, experiment with both concept and form, and question the boundaries of the photographic medium.
Labs and Facilities
At Pratt, our labs and facilities are capable of supporting a wide range of photographic practices. Our darkrooms can accommodate negative formats ranging from 35mm to 4×5 sheet film. They also provide areas for print finishing. Our digital labs feature state-of-the-art Apple computers, Epson printers, film digitization stations, and a Risograph Digital Duplicator for independent book publications. In the department’s lighting studio, Profoto and Lowell lighting equipment, stands, dollies and seamless backdrops make learning about studio shoots an important part of the professional experience.
For more information, please visit the Pratt Photography Facilities Page.
Internships
Students have the opportunity to explore different sectors of the field through their choice of internships at various art institutions, galleries, and studios such as the Whitney Museum of Art, Conveyor Arts, Distributed Art Publishers (D.A.P.), David LaChapelle Studio, and Diverse Works to name a few. An internship provides students with real-world work experience. During their course of study, students have the option to complete an internship for program credit. A Pratt faculty advisor guides each student until their learning objectives are met.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. In addition to partnering with universities abroad, Pratt Photography has abroad opportunities as part of Pratt Berlin, a semester-long program where students will take Pratt course offerings with Pratt faculty while living in Berlin, Germany. Similarly, the Photography Department has elective courses with short-term travel components embedded into the curriculum, which include opportunities to travel and study during spring break in Havana, Cuba, or San Juan, Puerto Rico. See where you can go.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of design critical to address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learning resources.
Our Faculty
At Pratt, the Photography Department’s faculty members are distinguished artists and creative professionals who are committed to developing and nurturing the creative potential of each individual student. The faculty come from diverse professional and educational backgrounds representing the intersectional nature of the photographic arts. This plurality of experiences and approaches creates a singular education experience tailored to the unique needs of the student body. See the full list of faculty and administrative staff here.
Our Alumni
Pratt’s distinguished alumni are leading diverse and thriving careers, creating and expanding upon the visual culture of our present-day world.
Where They Work
- Programs Manager, Baxter St. Camera Club of New York
- Assistant Collections Manager, Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Founder, Blue Hour Press
- Editor-In-Chief, The Daring
- Commissioned Photographer, The New York Times Magazine
- Archivist, Alexander Gray Associates Gallery
Stories of Success
Ready for More?
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