SHSU Photo Program Introduction

Introduction

Overview

Brochure

History

The Photography Program at Sam Houston State University provides an opportunity to acquire the various technical and aesthetic skills necessary to prepare for a career in professional photography. The program offers instructional emphasis in commercial illustration, portraiture, color printing, digital, and fine photography. Professional competence is achieved through a strong curriculum that includes a wide variety of practical photographic applications, four full time faculty members, and facilities that are among the finest available. Together with a broad general education foundation and a minor field of the student's choice, graduates of our program are well prepared to enter the exciting, challenging, and rewarding field of visual communication well into the 21st century.

The Photography Program at Sam Houston State University is one of the strongest, most respected, and best known in Texas and the Southwest. Our graduates work throughout the region and across the country as commercial, portrait, scientific and medical photographers, computer artists, photographic lab technicians, and teachers.
Our approach to studying and learning about this important medium of photographic communication is a joint one between professors and students and is centered around “real world” hands-on experiences. These learning experiences are specifically designed to familiarize you with all aspects (both practical and theoretical) of the photographic medium and prepare you for a meaningful and creative professional life in one the many career paths available to you upon graduation. Along with information presented in the classroom, we provide opportunities to gain important practical learning experiences in our own labs and studios and, for advanced students, internship programs with ongoing photographic businesses throughout the state of Texas. Many of our students are also involved with the operation of our own Photographic Gallery, which displays the work of both students and faculty, as well as solicited artwork from photographers throughout the United States.

Facilities
Our Program is housed on the third floor of the Dan Rather Communications Building, in space that was designed specifically to be used as a photographic facility. As a result, the studios, labs, and classrooms are state-of-the-art, spacious, and efficient. From the first photographic class you take you will begin to work and learn in all areas of our facility, using professional level equipment which we maintain and provide specifically for this purpose. You will work alongside other students at all levels of experience and develop a camaraderie that is truly conducive to the development of your individual creative talents.

Student Support
The Sam Houston Photographic Society is a student organization both established and run by the students themselves. Its purpose is to support the work of all photography students through ongoing activities which include social gatherings, fund raising activities, field trips, guest speakers, print competitions, and numerous publications. Most of our students have found the Photo Society to be an important part of the many supporting activities available to all SHSU students campus-wide.

Choices and Possibilities
The Photography Program offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees specifically in photography. Within each of these degree paths we have designed the flexibility needed to allow you to tailor the degree to your needs. Beyond a core group of courses which provide the foundation common to all the various career paths you might wish to pursue, we offer advanced courses in a variety of areas. These would include the specialty areas of portrait photography, commercial photography, digital photography, fine art photography, and the teaching of photography. In more than 25 courses we cover a broad range of photographic principles and practices taught by a full time teaching staff. Our professors are experts in their various fields and come from a wide range of backgrounds, education, and experiences. Their personal approach is reflected in our small class size and low teacher-student ratio.
Ultimately, the success of any program is judged by the success of its graduates. The Sam Houston State University Photography Program takes pride of the many and varied accomplishments of our graduates. Throughout Texas and the United States our former students are engaged in useful and meaningful careers in all aspects of visual communication.
For those interested in photography as a career or those who just enjoy creating photographs, the Photography Program at SHSU has it all: caring, experienced teachers; excellent equipment and facilities; and a vibrant, enriching atmosphere in which to learn and grow.

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Photography Program Brochure

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Sam Houston State University (SHSU) was originally named Sam Houston State Teachers College. The college was established and maintained for the definite purpose of preparing competent teachers for the public schools of the state. In addition to the preparation of teachers, SHSU offered courses leading to a liberal arts degree and courses required for entrance into professional schools of medicine, law, engineering, dentistry, and other professions.

The department of journalism was founded upon the principle that a competent journalist must possess a broad and thorough general education, in addition to a sound working knowledge of the theory and technique of the profession. In 1947, journalism majors were expected to gather a working knowledge of photography, including printing, developing, cropping, and the general accepted techniques used in photography and photo-engraving. The photography program was initially established to provide elective courses only. The sole faculty member, Earl B. Moore, was a technical specialist in photography and exclusively taught photography courses. Later, in 1950, he became the director of photography and established a working laboratory, utilizing the latest equipment in press, commercial, and fashion photography. During this period, the photography laboratory, printing plant, and photo-engraving plant were organized within the Journalism Department.

Until 1951, photography, printing, and photo-engraving courses could be taken only as electives. Photo-engraving became the first of the three allowed to be elected as a minor. The same year, SHSU established the graphic arts curriculum which was subdivided into four areas of specialization: Photography, Printing, Photo-engraving, and Advertising Art. A Bachelor of Arts degree was then obtainable in graphic arts.
In 1959, Madison Wolf, M.A., who was an assistant professor and director of photo-engraving, became the director of the division. A major change took place during the 1960's when photography, formerly a branch of the graphic arts division, was granted departmental status. The new department immediately acquired color processing equipment, offering students an opportunity to learn and practice their skills in the color photographic laboratory.

In recognition of the broadened scope of the College, the legislature in 1965 changed its name to Sam Houston College. In 1967, Roy G. Clark, Ph.D. became the director of the Departments of Journalism, Photography, Photo-engraving, and Printing. In 1974, the Photography and printing branches became subdivisions of the Industrial Education and Technology Department in the newly established the College of Applied Arts and Science.

SHSU renamed some of its various subdivisions in 1982. The College of Applied Arts and Science became the College of Education and Applied Science, and the Industrial Education and Technology Department was renamed the Industrial Technology Department. In 1982 the Photography Department became a program in the Industrial Technology Department. In 1983, the program established a graduate program and began offering a Master of Arts degree in photography. The Industrial Technology Department was renamed the Technology and Photography Department in 1992 in order order to acknowledge the growth and substance of its photography subdivision.

In 1985 the Photography Program moved into a brand new facility in what is now the Dan Rather Communications Building with the Department of Public Communication. In 1990 the photography faculty first considered realigning the program with the Division of Public Communication. The subject was first discussed with Dean Carl Harris (College of Education and Applied Science) and Dean Richard Cording (College of Arts and Sciences) in 1991 and 1992 a formal proposal to realign the Photography Program with the Division of Public Communication was sent to Academic Vice President Marks by the Photography Faculty. In the fall of 1993 the Academic Program Review Committee was formed and their final report delivered to Dr. Marks in the summer of 1994. This report recommended that the Photography Program be realigned with the Department of Public Communication.

In the Fall of 1995, because of its close association both physically and educationally, the Photography Program became part of the Department of Public Communication joining the Journalism, Speech Communication, and Radio/Television Programs.

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