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Photo I is a semester course that introduces the four major areas of study in the fine arts: Themes and Forms; Core Concepts; Techniques and Tools; and Culture & History. The course is designed to provide a strong foundation in traditional black and white photography techniques, while building a strong foundation in the visual arts. Signature experiences will be tempered by smaller assignments, technical lessons and demonstrations. Photo I is designed to provide a foundation that students will refer to in all future courses in the fine arts and photography.

Photo II is a semester course that introduces the four major areas of study in the fine arts: Themes and Forms; Core Concepts; Techniques and Tools; and Culture & History. The course is designed to provide a strong foundation in digital photography techniques, while building a strong foundation in the visual arts. Signature experiences will be tempered by smaller assignments, technical lessons and demonstrations. Photo II is designed to provide a strong foundation that students will refer to in all future courses in the fine arts and photography.

PhotoIII is a year long course designed for students who are seriously interested inphotography as their artistic medium. Students will start creating pieces thatcan be used within a college portfolio. At this advanced level students will befamiliar with the idea of signature experiences: they will be accustomed toproducing major projects which stratify the areas of study through the spiraltheory. Through this course students will explore movements and themes throughoutart and photographic history and develop photographs through proposed questionsand themes. Advanced techniques will be introduced based on the aesthetic needsof the student. The course will provide guidance toward technical competence,visual understanding, and the ability to communicate ideas and conceptsclearly. Students are expected to engage in running critical dialogues: toself-critique. They will rely on their peers as a constant source of formal andinformal feedback.

AP Photo is a year-long course is designed for students who are seriously interested in the practical experience of art-making, including thecreation of a college portfolio. The core of the course consists of intensive, guided exploration of media, demonstrations, reference gathering, inspirational lectures and presentations, weekly group or individual critiques, reflections, and frequent sketch booking. The work from fall semester is structured and varied, and will make up the majority of the Breadth of the AP exam, and the bulk of the college portfolio if applicable. The fall semester is comprised of teacher-initiated assignments. Students will have time to experiment with media and concepts. The spring semester will be devoted to developing a body of work for the Concentration section of the AP exam, and for the solo exhibit at the district wide Arts Extravaganza. Students are expected to work more independently in the spring: mastering their media and engaging deeply with the themes and content of the concentration. In building the portfolio, students experience a variety of concepts, techniques and approaches designed to help them demonstrate their abilities as well as their versatility with techniques, problem solving, and conceptualization.