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Technical college photography programs
are ready for their closeup

FOR CHRIS AND Debbie Lowry, it was love at first photo shoot, when the couple met at North Georgia Technical College’s Commercial Photography program in 1987.

“I got to know her that first quarter and decided that she was the one,” Chris says.

Today, the Lowrys own Classic Impressions Portrait Studios Inc., a successful photography studio in Rome, Ga. They photograph weddings, family portraits, proms and corporate events. Their home studio contains a huge selection of sets for posing, including a Victorian porch (popular for proms) and a set that resembles an old-time general store. “It’s got the Little House on the Prairie look, so it’s good for families who come in denim,” Debbie says.

Their work is rewarding, because the Lowrys capture special life moments through pictures. “It’s really great to hear how much the photographs mean to people, and to know you’ve provided them with memories,” Debbie says.

What helps the Lowrys accomplish this, is that at North Georgia Tech, students learn more than just technical photographic skills. Creative design is required to stage a shot, and photographers need strong people skills to work with different personality types, North Georgia Tech Commercial Photography Department Chairman Richard Smith says.

The Lowrys both praise North Georgia Tech’s photography program for its well-rounded approach. “We got a good overall education of photography, including advanced technical skills. It helped us build our creativity,” Chris says.

North Georgia Tech’s commitment to creative arts technologies is evident in its plans for a new building (42,886 square feet) that will house the Commercial Photography program, as well as a recently approved program in Graphic Arts and Printing. The college plan includes certificate programs in video and multimedia production.

“The workforce that is devoted to technical creativity is seeing remarkable growth, and at North Georgia Tech we feel this new direction is our way of responding to the demands of the expanded creative economy,” says North Georgia Tech President Dr. Ruth Nichols.

In the last decade, photography has undergone a seismic change, as digital technology began to replace film. The implications for professional photographers are significant — there’s no film to develop, and with digital cameras, the images can be viewed instantly.

Yet, the basic photographic skills remain the same. A good photographer must understand lighting, composition and perspective.

North Georgia Tech and Gwinnett Technical College both have long-established Commercial Photography degree programs, and graduates are landing jobs in fashion, portraiture, commercial photography and photojournalism. The colleges teach the basics, but also keep up with the cutting edge.

North Georgia Tech’s Commercial Photography program boasts new digital cameras, says Smith. Digital photography allows for faster teaching, he says. “Before, you had to process the film, print the print and go through quite a bit before the students see what they’ve shot. With digital, it’s instantly there on the computer. You see the results right away.”

Smith maintains strong ties with the Georgia Professional Photographers Association (GPPA), which holds its annual week-long professional school at North Georgia Tech each spring.

“We get equipment donations from GPPA; they are on our advisory committee, and they are an excellent source for students looking for jobs,” Smith says.

Most photography schools focus on one genre: fine art photography or photojournalism, for example. But technical colleges are unique because they train photographers across many areas, including portraiture, technical lab skills, still-life and action photography, says Kim Harkins, who started the Commercial Photography program at Gwinnett Tech 20 years ago. “What we do best is help them figure out what they do best.”

Harkins also helps her students land career-launching internships. Last year, she contacted fashion photographer Markus Klinko of Markus Klinko & Indrani Studios in New York City to inquire about an internship for student Joseph Borduin.

Klinko, whose work has appeared in such magazines as Vanity Fair and GQ, agreed to offer the internship, but with one catch: Borduin had to start in two days. “I dropped everything that I was doing and moved to New York City,” Borduin recalls.

His first assignment: Working on a photography shoot for mega-celebrity Beyonce and her Dangerously in Love CD cover. “It was simply incredible,” Borduin says. “She was so much fun to work with on the set.”

Four months later, he was hired.

For Borduin, the job is a dream come true. He’s since worked on shoots with celebrities like Britney Spears, Jay Z and Georgia’s own OutKast.

“Students like Joseph are benefiting from the hands-on experience they receive and turning that into a solid future for themselves,” says Gwinnett Tech President Sharon Rigsby.

“Our program, and technical colleges as a whole, are preparing students for the real world, and his success is evidence of that.”

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