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Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Photography Program

Photography Program Facilities Details

The following is a list of equipment available to every Photography Major at Drexel. Incoming students are only required to bring a 35mm film camera that can be used on a manual setting.

CAMERAS

  • 8x10 Large Format Camera: A beautiful camera that produces negatives that are eight inches by ten inches. Giving extreme crispness and image quality.
  • 4x5 Large Format Cameras (8): During the Large Format class, each student is given their own camera for the term The program also has accessories and additional lenses: 75mm, 90mm, 125mm, 135mm, 150mm, and 210mm.
  • 4x5 Toyo Field Cameras (15): These simplified 4x5 cameras are meant for travel. Housed in a backpack, the camera allows for the crispness of a 4x5 while on the move.
  • 4x5 Shen Hao Field Cameras (8): These 4x5 cameras are meant for travel as well, but allow for all the movements of a traditional Large Format Camera.
  • Hasselblad Medium Format Cameras (15): Each camera comes fitted with an 80mm lens and multiple accessories available to the students. These include 4 full extension tube sets, Polaroid backs, and several different lens: 50mm, 60mm, 120mm, and 150mm.
  • Phase One Digital Backs (7): These 16 Mega Pixel backs are an industry standard. They attach to the back of a medium format (Hasselblad) or Large Format camera. They allow our students to use the traditional cameras with new technology, using the same equipment and technology that is being used by professionals today. It is a great advantage to our students who are seeking to work in a commercial field.
  • G4 Laptops: Four G4 laptops that can be checked out and tethered to the digital cameras.

STUDIO EQUIPMENT

  • Speedotron Studio: Studio Strobes are used by both commercial and fine art photographers to control or manipulate the light on set or location. In our generous studio space there is enough equipment for 6 people to shoot at the same time.
  • Calumet Travellite Location Kits (3): Portable lighting kits designed for lighting out of the studio. Giving students the same control over light as in the studio. Two small bags contain everything needed for location lighting.
  • Hot Lights: Tungsten Light Kits can be used for location or studio lighting. These can be checked out by any photo student.
  • Accessories: The program provides all the essentials needed to successfully shoot in the studio, including soft boxes, umbrellas, stands, backdrops, canvases, reflectors, beauty dishes, and more.

DARKROOM EQUIPMENT

  • Critique Room: This room is for lectures and critiques. It also doubles as a workroom for print finishing and other miscellaneous items. It has great, even lighting, perfect for critique and print evaluation.
  • Advanced Lab: This large lab consists of 6 different areas which are used by photo majors only.
    • Classroom Area: This area is used for about half of the upper level courses. It acts as a classroom and a social space when classes are not in session.
    • Archival Wash & Developing Area: This space is used for archival processing of prints, film developing, and print drying. In addition, it is used for print flattening, shooting slides, and dry mounting.
    • Advanced Darkroom: The advanced darkroom consists of 15 individual printing rooms. Each room contains one enlarger that can print 35mm, 4x5 (large format), and 120mm (medium format) black and white and color film. This room is used by freshman, sophomores, and juniors, with approximately 50 students a term eligible for use, there is never a problem getting an enlarging space. All black and white printing chemicals and color chemistry in this lab are supplied by the program for the students. For color printing the program has a colex printer. The colex produces up to 16 x 20 prints which are processed in 5 minutes.
    • Non-Silver and Sheet Film Room: These rooms, each designed for their particular purpose, are used for 4x5 film development, toning, and non-silver processing (cyanotypes, tintypes, albumen, palladium, salt printing and other non-silver processes). Also located in our sheet film room is our 8 x 10 enlarger. Both rooms can be checked out and used for more controlled and private printing.
    • Senior Darkrooms: These 4 rooms are a great feature of our program. They are shared by two or three seniors, each senior is given a key to their darkroom as well as the lab itself allowing them to have unlimited access.
      Each room contains one enlarger that can print 35mm, 4x5, or 120mm black and white or color film. In addition all of the negative holders and lenses necessary for any type of usage are located in each darkroom so the student is completely self contained. Each darkroom also contains a large sink for printing, storage space, drying racks, and water temperature control. The students appreciate the privacy, access, and ability to make the space their own.
    • “The Cage”: The cage houses all of our camera equipment and enlarging accessories for checkout. The cage is also home to the full-time photography department staff offices as well as student work studies who check out darkroom equipment to other students. The cage provides a constant presence in the lab if a student needs printing advice, technical assistance or any other help.. Most photo students with a work-study grant work in the cage.

DIGITAL LABS & EQUIPMENT

  • Basic Lab - Room 402: This lab is used as flex space for photo majors as well as the classroom for two non-major offered classes. This lab consists of 16 Apple iMacs, with Intel processors and the latest software and equipment including: Adobe Creative Suite CS3, InDesign, Epson 3800 Printers and more.
  • Intermediate Lab – Room 406: This lab consists of 6 Intel powered Apple iMac workstations as well as the Imacon Scanner Station. It also contains our large format printers, Epson 7800 & 7880, and Epson 3800 printers, in addition to all the latest programs. This lab is used as open lab space for students.
  • Advanced Digital Lab – Room 404: This lab consists of 16 Apple G5 workstations, with all the latest programs. The lab has 8 Epson 4800 printers, one Epson V700 scanner for each station (16), as well as air guns for scanning purposes. It is mostly used as a classroom and open lab space.
  • Senior Digital Lab – Room 404B: This lab is a new addition to our program. It consists of 5 Apple G5 workstations, with all the latest software, Epson v700 scanners, and various printers from the list below. This room is a privilege for our seniors as it allows them a private space to work, with unrestricted 24 hour access.

The following are descriptions of all the equipment contained within the four labs described above.

  • G5 Computers with 20” Flat Cinema Displays (23): The program runs every industry standard program on our computers and they are accessible to every photo student. Programs include Photoshop CS3, Illustrator, In Design, C1 Capture Pro, and many more. The flat panel monitors used with these towers are constantly calibrated for accuracy.
  • 20” Apple Intel iMac Computers (22): The program runs every industry standard program on our computers and they are accessible to every photo student. Programs include Photoshop CS3, Illustrator, In Design, C1 Capture Pro, and many more.
  • Epson 4800 Printers (8): Archival Printers (prints will last 100+ years) designed for roll and sheet paper and print up to 17” across at any length. They produce beautiful black and white and color images.
  • Epson 3800 Printers (14): Archival Printers (prints will last 100+ years) designed exclusively for sheet paper, printing up to 17” across. The 3800’s have superior sheet handling capability. These produce great color and black and white images.
  • Epson 7800 Printer (1): Archival Printers (prints will last 100+ years) designed for roll and sheet paper and print up to 24” across at any length. They produce beautiful black and white and color images.
  • Epson 7880 Printer (2): Archival Printers (prints will last 100+ years) designed for roll and sheet paper and print up to 24” across at any length. They produce beautiful black and white and color images.
  • Epson V700 (21): These new Epson scanners will scan prints, transparencies, negatives, or flat objects and produce high resolution files. They produce beautiful image quality for images printed up to 16x20.
  • Imacon Virtual Drum Scanner (1): This scanner was our solution to the costly Drum Scan. This scanner will match high the quality of a drum scan and is cost-free to our students. A trained work-study will scan negatives for all of our students.