PHOTOGRAPHY

 

Our MFA program in Photography is consistently ranked top 10 in the country by the US News & World Report Graduate School Report

The Photography Program is a fluid investigation into visual literacy focusing on the creative possibilities of lens-based imaging.

Beginning with the introductory course, students create work that combines concept and technique with an awareness of contemporary art theory. Emphasis is placed on the student’s personal growth through aesthetic and intellectual development. This rigorous education in contemporary artistic and cultural practices, accompanied by classes in photographic history, enables students to develop a critical understanding of how photographic practices form and reflect our world.

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FACILITIES

The photography area’s facilities serve several hundred students every semester as they explore the art of photography in all its manifestations. Recognizing the need for contemporary, yet diverse workspaces we offer state-of-the-art digital labs, fully functional darkrooms and non-silver labs, a well-equipped lighting studio, and an in-depth installation and performance space.

We have two digital labs, one for undergraduates and one for graduate students. The undergraduate lab is equipped with one Epson P9000 and one Canon Pro-4100 (44” wide prints), one Canon Pro-2100 (24” wide prints), and five Canon Pro-1000’s (13” wide prints). The graduate lab is equipped with one Epson 9900 and one Canon Pro-4100 (44” wide prints), an Imacon 949, one Howtek D4000 Drum Scanner, and one Epson V850 Pro (flatbed scanner). The black & white facilities consist of a gang darkroom with 12 enlargers (Saunders LPL, Omega D2, Besseler), each capable of printing negatives up to 4×5”.

We also have a range of digital cameras, lighting kits, large format cameras, and medium format cameras, as well as many other items available for checkout to enrolled students. Equipment is available for checkout Monday-Friday, from 9am-4pm, for a period of three days (longer-term accommodations can be made for specific projects).

Please see the link below to reserve workstations:
Photo Area Bookings

Photo Lab Hours:

Monday-Thursday: 9am-9pm
Friday: 9am-5pm
Saturday-Sunday: 12pm-5pm

FACULTY

headshot of Jim Stone

Jim Stone

Distinguished Professor

Jim Stone is an exhibiting artist who uses photography. He studied mechanical engineering and architecture while an undergraduate at MIT, but turned to photography while taking classes there from Minor White...

Meggan Gould

Meggan Gould

Professor

Meggan Gould’s photographic work primarily seeks to visualize the act of seeing in new ways, using photographs and the act of photographing as a departure point in various groups of work. She is a graduate of...

Patrick Manning

Patrick Manning

Associate Professor

Patrick Craig Manning is an Associate Professor of Photography at the University of New Mexico. Born in Seattle, WA, he received degrees in photography and archeology from the University of Washington and his MFA...

Sara Abbaspour

Sara Abbaspour

Assistant Professor

Sara Abbaspour's photographic work draws on influences from her background in urban studies. While embracing a herstorical approach, her photographs often seem timeless and placeless...

PROGRAM HISTORY

The University of New Mexico’s photography program was one of the first MFA programs in photography in the country, awarding its first degrees in 1968. 

Under the direction of Clinton Adams, who served as the Dean of the College of Fine Arts from 1961-1976, the photography studio art and history of photography programs began to take shape at both the undergraduate and graduate level during the 1960s. The University Art Museum’s collection of photographs grew substantially under the leadership of Van Deren Coke, who was hired to be the chair of the Art department and the first director of the museum in 1962; the museum now maintains one of the most significant collections of photographs housed at a public university in this country. 

Beaumont Newhall, photo historian and author of the seminal textbook The History of Photography, was hired in 1971, and contributed significantly to the development of the graduate program in the history of photography. The studio faculty during the 1970s expanded to include Wayne “Rod” Lazorik, Tom Barrow, and Betty Hahn. Patrick Nagatani was hired in 1986 and taught until his retirement in 2001. The curriculum was rewritten in the late 1990s to include color and digital photography. Recent and current faculty include Adrienne Salinger (1997- 2018), Jim Stone (1998-present), Joyce Neimanas (2004-2010), Jocelyn Nevel (2001-2005), Patrick Craig Manning (2006-present), Meggan Gould (2012-present), Mark McKnight (2020-2022), and Sara Abbaspour (2023-present).

The structure of the MFA program has changed substantially since the program began. Until 1996, a thesis body of work constituted the MA; an MFA was awarded after a student had completed a 100-page dissertation of original research. These requirements were changed in 1996, and the MFA is awarded on the basis of a solo exhibition, a catalog, and a public talk. 

UNM Photo Alumni