Photography Program

Our Photography program provides in-depth study focused specifically on the understanding of photographs: what they do, how they function, and how to make them. 

From the history of photography to advanced digital practices, students learn what it means to make photographs today. 

Students begin with the traditional practice of film and large-format photography and then work their way to building a robust digital practice. Students experiment with the material forms of book-making and video art as well as conceptual ideas within a larger art world context.

What sets Purchase Photography apart

  • Exhibition: Senior year culminates in a solo thesis exhibition, giving students experience developing, editing, installing, and presenting a sustained body of work.
  • Build your New York network: Purchase is 30 miles from Manhattan, connecting students to museums, galleries, studios, internships, visiting artists, and alumni.

“Studying photography is no longer only about making images, although that is a large part of what we do. It is about using images and understanding how they function; from social movements and documenting injustice to telling our own story and cultivating a heightened sense of awareness, photographs have the capacity to impact our lives today more than ever.”
—Joshua Lutz, Professor of Photography-Chair

From our Students and Faculty

Photography Recognition

Best Photography Program

Best Bachelor’s in Photography

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SUNY Purchase Photography