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BOSTON UNIVERSITY > CENTER FOR DIGITAL IMAGING ARTS WORDS BY CLAUDIA PAREDES
Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts offers its students a unique photography program, among many others. What makes this program unique is that the instructors not only teach with passion, but have personal knowledge of the specific field of study. Plus, they still have connections to other working professionals through businesses, and freelance projects, which make them very valuable to the students.
CDIA only recruits the best faculty for their programs. From the beginning they have had a core of top, internationally known artists working with them. For example, Cary Wolinsky, photography consulting director, has been shooting assignments for National Geographic for 35 years and Rob Van Patten, Waltham's photography program director, is a noted fashion photographer.
From the start, they have wanted people of a high caliber to represent the photography program. Over time, through their connections and the school's, CDIA network has grown.
Professional Photography Certificate is a two-year certificate program that concentrates strictly on photography. At CDIA they teach in a studio setting, where people are working with practicing professionals in an apprentice-like kind of environment. Students studying photography can attend CDIA full-time and part-time. In fact, 60 percent go full- time and 40 percent attend part-time. This program allows the part-time students to hold any range of jobs, from lawyers to photographers.
There are various fields of photography that students can enter. Some people have missions, like photojournalism or documentary. Others go into weddings, corporate events, or family events. Photography is a degree that comes with many opportunities. At CDIA they encourage students to keep an open mind when they begin the program. They touch on many different areas of photography throughout the two years, and many students are surprised at what they find themselves drawn to.
The program is set up to get a foundation in everything: wedding and events, fashion, product, post production, journalistic, studio, corporate. CDIA encourages students to be willing to take on a variety of assignments when they are starting out, just as they are getting trained. They are trained in the full span of working professionally as photographers.
Students will learn and address areas like composition; the aesthetic training is woven into the craft training, through critiques and students looking at each other's work. The photographic seeing module is designed to help students expand their mind, see the extraordinary in the ordinary, change focus, and foster a creative mindset.
The Big Shots lecture series has become well known on campus where professionals come in to lecture, share demos, and provide portfolio reviews. The purpose is to inspire and learn from the masters and to continue the learning process outside of the classroom. At CDIA you learn by doing, but creativity can be certainly encouraged and massaged.
After finishing the program, photography students take on a variety of work, including freelance. However, there have also been students who have gone on to work for publications like National Geographic.
Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts takes a unique approach to learning. Whatever you field of study may be: filmmaking, photography, 3D animation, graphic and web design, audio production or web development, CDIA will give you all the necessary skills you need to succeed in the industry. Their instructors have spent many years working in their specific fields, and the majority continues to be professionally active. The curriculum is intensive and very hands-on. Instructors are ready to provide you with real-world experience you are looking for.
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