Freelance Photography Certificate Program Review Presentation April 29th, 2015

Program Description The Freelance photography certificate leads to small business opportunities in commercial photography and transfer to four year universities. A Freelance Photography A.A. degree is in the curriculum process now. All courses in the certificate and degree are transfer level and require reading and research across the curriculum enhancing basic skills for all students. Our Studio Art Education approach to curriculum creates photographers who are visual problem solvers. Brief Description of your program. Who are you? One Slide, 2 minutes

Strength: Student Work visit www.facebook.com/photographyarc

Benchmarks Our Students are active in the Sacramento photography world through gallery exhibits, The Professional Photographers of Sacramento Valley and Viewpoint Photographic Art Center. Fashion Week 2014

Benchmarks We have an advisory board made up of the most prominent photographers in the Sacramento region whose specialties range from fine art and gallery operation, to wedding and event photography, including commercial photography and lab management.

Benchmarks Our students are running photography businesses in their communities. http://www.myeden08.com/#/1166_HOME

Benchmarks http://www.katarinacsphotography.com

Benchmarks Our students get published in major magazines Katarina Stanic Photography IKON magazine - October 2014 Issue

Benchmarks http://larissakimmey.com/home.html

Benchmarks www.kyledokaphotography.com

Benchmarks http://www.melissauroff.com

Benchmarks http://www.travcannphoto.com

Benchmarks Even our busiest students enhance their income with photography skills learned at American River College

Benchmarks under construction: https://www.facebook.com/goodomenphotography Many more…..

Benchmarks Our students exhibit and sell fine art photographs.

Facilities: Strength and Weakness Computer lab is great. Our funding does not cover necessary upgrades and other Art department and FAA division funds are necessary to support the lab.

Facilities: Strength and Weakness Critique space is inadequate to see artwork over computers.

Facilities: Strengths Wet-lab image processing leads to creative visual problem solving and is still required by universities and recommended by our advisory board.

Facilities: Strengths Work such as this piece by Melissa Uroff is a direct result of experience in ARTPH 340 Alternative Process Photography wet-lab. Melissa pays her Sacramento rent selling these one of a kind portraits.

Facilities: Strengths Our wet-lab continues to serve 100+ students a semester. Other institutions are struggling to return to wet-lab or alternative process photography to their programs.

Facilities: Weakness Studio Lighting Class cap is 18 students. The Studio Lighting space holds 6 students and 4 lights stands max.

Weakness During shoots such as these only 1-2 student photographers fit in the studio space and students have no access to the space outside of class time.

Strength: Web and Social Media Presence visit www. facebook Strength: Web and Social Media Presence visit www.facebook.com/photographyarc www.sayreciprocity.wordpress.com www.photographyarc.org

Strength: Student Work visit www.facebook.com/photographyarc

Program -- Strengths Highly educated professional photographers who exhibit and publish nationally are instructing all courses. Wisely selected courses and curriculum overseen by our advisory board lead to student success. Entry level professional gear recommended by our advisory board is available for student use. Students are often working as freelance photographers before leaving the program.

Program -- Challenges Our students have no access to the Lab outside of class time. All other Sacramento area photography programs provide 6-9 hours of monitored open lab time per week through the use of Photo IA’s. Our funding is low compared to the expense of professional photography. Due to course section cuts during the recent recession the program takes 4-5 semesters to complete.

Planning Implications Provide safe and effective access to the photography lab through IA support. Provide software, hardware, and lab facility essential to professional photography through continued funding support. Provide regional and national conference and workshop attendance for photography faculty to stay current in industry trends and standards. Continue to meet the recommendations and guidance of our advisory board.