The Photography and Video program at Montserrat is more diverse and dynamic than ever before. The program immerses students in photo studies, time based/video, and traditional 2D photographic media. Because of the critical and technological environment of photographic studies, we require students to take a sequence of courses, which support a broad range of approaches and imaging applications. Students complete their studies with the production of a comprehensive body of work that demonstrates fluency in contemporary photographic media language.

The Photography and Video department offers a full range of classes from traditional photographic processes to digital and electronic media forms. From the onset, courses engage students with the potential of the expanded media environment that now includes still, video, sound, and multimedia forms of expression. Progressive course offerings also provide for a range of technical and conceptual points of departure and aesthetic investigations. Yet in the department, the basic tenets and vocabulary of photographic imaging endures. Using film or flash ram, still or video imaging systems, with or without sound we are still looking through the lens of a camera. Issues of representation, the construction of content and meaning, the communication of ideas, and the dissemination of information continue to be integral components of the photographic dialogue.

The Photography and Video department's facilities and technology support all course offerings. Our darkroom handles formats ranging from 35mm to 4x5" negatives. Our shooting studio is equipped with strobes and continuous light systems, computer and archiving stations, and proofing devices. Our digital labs utilize Macintosh computers along with the most current editing software. Students also use professional digital cameras, flatbed scanners, high-resolution film scanners, archiving hardware, media converters, a 44" wide-format archival inkjet printer, small format archival inkjet printers and color and black and white proofing devices. Still and video cameras, tripods, portable lighting kits, and other equipment are available for students for in-class and off-campus work.