The Voice - Student Newspaper

Photography department encourages students to explore technologically advanced art program at Glendale Community College

There are more Glendale Community College (GCC) students that are interested in digital photography with each passing year.

One of the main reasons that the demand for photography classes have been on the rise is because so many students have cameras for leisure and an increasing interest in capturing active moments of their lives. Websites such as facebook and myspace provide student the opportunity to share their photography with one another digitally.

When Photography adviser, Dean Terasaki, first began the photography program at GCC 23 years ago, he had a class of only four students.

Since then the class size has increased significantly, he now has 28 students enrolled.

He mainly teaches black and white photography because it is one of the more popular styles of photography.

About 3 years before he started teaching students about photography, Terasaki took his photography work to the public.

"Right, now, I encourage student to think about their photography signifiers for something in their life or experience. The photography is more just in the window," Terasaki shared.

Though GCC has updated its photography department with remodels in 2001 to the darkroom laboratories and the latest digital photo laboratory in 2007, there is a nearby photography competitor.

Phoenix College (PC) has opened a new photography and fine arts building on their campus last month.

However, in rebuttal to photography enrollment at PC rather than GCC, Terasaki stated, "Most students make a decision about classes or make their decision about what college to attend based on how close the drive is."

The GCC photography department offers a full-time lab technician, an excellent full-time facility, and a fantastic group of adjustment instructors.

Terasakai offers information that "We [GCC] have planned to extend the digital technology in the traditional lab in the future."

The outlook for the photography program at GCC will be more popular than ever in a time frame of less than 10 years.

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