The FIT Photography Program

by Dan Wagner

All Photos © FIT 2020

Whether you’re graduating from high school, transferring from another college, or pursuing a career change, selecting the college photography program that best suits your needs can be daunting. While a student’s top priority is generally finding a program matching career goals, factors such as cost, location, and reputation also come into play.

For students seriously considering studying photography, New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, or FIT, can be an attractive option.

For this article, I reviewed the FIT photography syllabus, and spoke with photography department chair, Brad Paris. (Full disclosure: I’m an FIT alumni, and former adjunct professor.)

At FIT, students are able to smoothly transition from associate to bachelor’s degrees. To make it easier for students to customize their education, there are opportunities to earn an associate degree in one major, and follow it up with bachelor’s degree in a complementary major.

Many photography programs include both students with advanced photography skills, and novices. To encourage students of all levels, FIT strives to give students opportunities to work to their highest ability. For example, they can complete an assignment illustrating depth-of-field in a straightforward manner, or treat it like a professional shoot with models and props. Naturally, there will always be students who put forth a greater effort. The positive side of this dynamic is that it helps energize classes, and set the bar higher. Department chair Brad Paris sums up this philosophy with the words, “There’s always room to do an amazing job!” The takeaway is that students get out of their FIT education what they put into it.

One type of class photo students especially value are the business-related classes that give them a foundation in preparing photography estimates, pre- and post-production planning, cost analysis, and more.

Studio classwork is enhanced with visiting photographer lectures called Photo Talks; one-hour auditorium meetings with guest lecturers called Creative Approaches; photography critiques; and visits from photo reps, editors, and producers. To top it all off, there is an annual portfolio review with photo industry leaders and recent alumni.

Photography graduates leave FIT armed not only with an AA or BA degree, but also with a portfolio of professional caliber work that provides a competitive advantage in the fields of communications, advertising, fashion, fine arts, and publishing.

Currently, the FIT freshman photography program consists of four sections. Each section has approximately twenty-five students. Ultimately, about half of these one hundred students elect to pursue a photography BFA.

This informal Q&A with FIT Photography Department Chair Brad Paris offers deeper insight into life as an FIT photo major.

DW: Brad, What equipment do students need to own?

BP: Students need to arrive with a DSLR or mirrorless camera, tripod, and a laptop.

DW: Are students exposed to video editing? What are the job prospects for video?

BP: Yes. There are some students, who by the time they’re graduating aren’t really shooting still photography anymore. Their final projects can be finished films. We’ve had students become video editors, DP’s, and fully move into the motion world.

DW: That’s great. What about the students who prefer being still photographers?

BP: The majority of students still go into still photography. There are also students who combine both worlds. For example, one graduate worked at Refinery 29 creating animated GIFs, which are essentially animated still lifes.

DW: Do graduates still begin their careers as photographer assistants?

BP: It’s not like it was. When I graduated, most of my classmates moved to New York, LA, or Chicago and became photo assistants. They did that until they opened their own studios. Today, approximately ten percent of graduates choose this path. But today there are also many new avenues, such as becoming photo editors, retouchers, and even brand managers. A brand manager can work as an editor, producer, social media manager, and also create content. One can apply their FIT photo program education to jobs that might not currently exist.

The problem with assisting is that you mostly meet photographers. And then when you want to start shooting, that competitive network doesn’t necessarily help.

DW: What are the facilities like? Are there still three main photo studios?

BP: We now have four studio spaces – one for each class section. The extra studio space was added when we created the BFA program. All the studios have room for multiple shooting setups. We have a new digital print lab with a complete array of computers and printers. The lab has made it much easier to teach the output side of photography.

DW: Has the darkroom and equipment room changed much over the years?

BP: The darkroom is pretty much the same. It can accommodate a whole class, and features film processing equipment, enlargers, and free chemistry. Students are able to check out darkroom peripherals, strobes, and other gear from the equipment room.

DW: How does FIT prepare students for commercial photography work?

BP:  FIT is weighted more toward the commercial side of photography than the fine art side, although we’re trying to shift it a bit more toward the fine art side. I think the ideal commercial photographer right now has a portfolio that looks a little fine art, but has the technical skills to shoot a catalog job. To this end, we teach students how to manage a commercial workflow, and use programs like Photoshop and Lightroom.

DW What’s the feedback from the students?

BP: They always want more studio time. In the past the classes were very long to allow for extra shooting time during class. Now we’ve shortened the classes, and expanded the open studio time to allow students to complete assignments on their own schedules. In general, the three-hour class time is devoted more to lectures, demos, and critiques, rather than shooting. Open studio time is also available on the weekends.

DW: Does the photo program still supply models for students?

BP: We do, but a lot less than in the past. We want students to go out and find their own models. There are so many ways to get interesting people to shoot in New York City, that they don’t need us to bring them in. In fact, I have freshmen students who are test shooting with model agencies.

DW: What percentage of the photography program is fashion photography?

BP: I’d say that 30 to 50% percent are doing fashion photography at any given time. Perhaps two thirds enter the program with the expectation of becoming a fashion photographer. But then other avenues open up to them. For instance, few people come in expecting to become a still life photographer, but then they start doing it, and really develop a love for it. Some students get really interested in fine art photography and doing conceptual projects. It’s not that they’re necessarily trying to pursue it as a career, but that’s just what they find intellectually stimulating when they’re in school. This year, two of our graduates are going on to Yale’s prestigious MFA program.