When many people think of film majors, they often think of the motion picture, of Hollywood (or Bollywood), of movies. But without still photography, the motion picture would have never been developed. There are many differences in degrees for film majors. Many film schools offer programs in photography to international students which are not the same as other film majors like film production or cinema and media studies. So what are the differences in degrees for film majors studying photography?
There are many different areas an international student can specialize and study photography in. Some of these specializations include advertising, photojournalist, visual media, fine arts, and commercial photography.
Although a creative major, when you study photography you’ll find that it’s a very technical major as well. Like film majors who study the basics of a video camera and video editing software, a photography major will study the basics of their still camera and photo editing software. Some of the photography basics include black and white photography, color photography, digital photography, darkroom procedures, aesthetics, composition and color balance.
International students studying photography will also learn about point of view techniques, how to use lenses and tripods, and how to shoot indoors and outdoors.
A variety of cameras can be used when studying photography such as 35mm cameras or digital SLR cameras.
Typical classes a photography major might take are black and white photography, digital photography, lighting techniques, photojournalism, and two-dimensional design.
Helpful high school classes or general education classes include art history, chemistry, commercial art, fine art, computer graphics, photography, and world history. Working for the school newspaper or yearbook might also be helpful in developing skills in photography.
When looking at photography programs at different colleges and universities make sure to find out if the program is geared more to commercial photography, advertising, journalism or art. These can lead to very different ways to study photography and your work will be guided by principles specific to the goal of the program.
Although there are many differences in degrees for film majors, photography students will learn skills similar to film students such as how to work a camera, a composition of a shot, and lighting.