Photography & Filmmaking

Unleash your inner photographer

Chemeketa has a great selection of classes available in photography and filmmaking offered though the Visual Communications program. Courses cover many aspects of modern photography, including digital photography, studio photography, documentary photography, and portraiture. While most of our classes are taught using digital SLRs (single lens reflex cameras), we also offer several traditional black-and-white film classes that routinely fill. Visual Communications is home to the only true darkroom in any public college in Oregon, making us a unique place to hone your photographic skills.

Camera requirements for photography courses

The most common question we are asked is "What camera is needed for the digital photography courses?"

For students planning to join the Visual Communications Program:

Students in the Visual Communications program are required to take classes in digital photography (ART265 and ART266), and filmmaking as part of the degree requirements for interactive media students). We recommend a digital SLR with at least 12 megapixels of resolution.

Students in the program are often purchased Canon or Nikon cameras, but other brands of SLRs will work just fine.

For non-Visual Communications students:

A digital SLR is required for the ART265 Digital Photography 1, which is a prerequisite course for everyone wishing to take our other more advanced digital photography courses. Unless you plan on also taking the filmmaking courses your camera does not need to have HD video capabilities.

For students with a point and shoot "pocket" camera we have a course just for you: ART261D General Photography: Digital.

Filmmaking courses

For students interested in our filmmaking courses, we recommend you provide your own video camera that records HD video and has an external microphone jack. However, we do have a limited number of video cameras for group use.

Photography and Filmmaking courses available from VC

Our photography courses available from the Visual Communications program in cooperation with the Art program. Our filmmaking courses are listed under FLM.

Classes Listed Under ART »Classes Listed Under FLM »