Major in Photography
Become a photographer • Learn new mediums • Impact the industry
Make your vision a reality and build a marketable portfolio
At JBU, you'll practice the art and science of photography. With a study and practice of studio photography, fine art photography and social documentary, you will be equipped to enter the variety of industries that rely on images to convey information, create emotion and tell stories. In JBU's program, you'll work with both analog (film) and digital cameras, gain experience with a variety of mediums, use traditional and digital darkrooms and learn cutting-edge editing software.
Discover how JBU will equip you for a successful career in photography
What to expect as a Photography student at JBU
Work in Fantastic Facilities
Learn in our three art buildings that include two 3-story facilities featuring classrooms, a theater, two galleries, photo and cinema studios, MAC labs and a printmaking workshop. Also new is an "art barn" with additional large spaces for a state-of-the-art photo studio, drawing and painting classrooms, wood shop, ceramics studio and individual artist stations.
Tour the World
Tour across Europe with other photography majors, visiting an array of collections for student exposure, study, inspiration, and, best of all, college credit.
Display Your Creativity
Choose your favorite work from the year and display it at JBU’s Annual Student Art Show, a highlight on the JBU academic calendar.
Explore the Art Gallery
Our art gallery, listed as the second best in NWA, hosts a myriad of professional artists and their work, providing students direct contact with professionals in their field.
Establish a Solid Foundation
You'll learn the basic techniques of exposure, composition and formal aesthetics before moving onto more complex forms of visual literacy and artistic critique.
Gain Great Exposure
Every year, seniors display their best work for potential employers, like Hallmark, Walmart, Saatchi and Saatchi X, and Acumen Brands at the JBU Portfolio Show.
Alumni Profile
Andrew Albright '16 & Will Echols '17
Andrew Albright and Will Echols are started Gordon’s portraits, a free portrait service aimed at preserving memories for low-income families in Siloam Springs and Eastern Oklahoma. The people this organization will help are the communities of Siloam Springs and Eastern Oklahoma. “We just wanted to give back and gain some experience,” Albright said. “Will and I both enjoy photography a lot, and we want to get better. We thought it’d be a good idea to give back to people.”
Watch students practice the Wet Plate Collodion process as part of the Alternative Darkroom course
What can you do with a photography degree?
Fashion Photography
Fashion photographers are called upon to conceptualize and direct the photo shoots. Often these photographs are intended for publication and advertisement for specific designers and product lines.
Editorial Photography
Photographers illustrate a story or an idea within the context of a publication, particularly that of a magazine, newspaper, or online publication.
Event Photography
This type of photography captures a myriad of events (weddings, birthdays, baby showers, bar mitzvahs, wedding anniversaries, parties) and simple family or child photos for sentimental records.
Food Photography
Food photographers must be masters of light and technique in order to create appealing images of food for advertisements, brochures, menus, and the like.
Still Life Photography
Still life photographers focus on capturing inanimate objects such as scenery and architecture.
Crime Scene Photography
Photographers in this field are required to know how to use an infrared camera for the sake of evidence documentation.
Meet our Photography professors
