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Scripps College of Communication
Schoonover Center
1 Ohio University
Athens OH 45701-2979
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Visual Communication — Commercial Photography Major
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Commercial Photography Major B.S.

The Commercial Photography major focuses on advertising photography, product and still-life photography, fashion and portrait photography, architectural and interior design photography, and the business aspects of operating a photographic studio. 

Commercial photography graduates go on to become studio owners, magazine photo editors, digital editors and photographers within the advertising industry.

Students in the Commercial Photography major photograph work with a variety of subject matter — both in the studio and on location. Using sophisticated lighting techniques and deliberate styling, students create beautifully lighted photographs that transport viewers into another world.

Student Work

Storytelling is Our Passion.

Students in this major are interested in visual communication and storytelling through interactive websites, mobile platforms, and other methods, including motion graphics (animation), video, and informational graphics.

On the first floor of Schoonover, the School of Visual Communication runs a gallery. Rotating regularly between student and alumni shows, students can not only show their work, but gain experience participating in the exhibitions.

The VisCom Focus Gallery

Photo by Leanne Siupinys, OHIO student

Photo by Leanne Siupinys

Careers with a Commercial Photography B.S. Degree

Successful graduates with a Commercial Photography major find employment in the commercial photography industry or start their own businesses as freelance visual communicators.

Visual Communication alumni have successful careers in the industry and work for a variety of studios, including BurkleHagen Photography (Cleveland); Matt Reese Photo (Columbus); Versatile Studios (New York City); Power Creative (Louisville, Ky.); DSW Shoes (Columbus); Abercrombie & Fitch (Columbus); Richard Reinsdorf Photography (Los Angeles, Calif.); Matt Reese Photo (Columbus); Sarah Silver (New York City); Sarah Kehoe Photography, (New York City); Wayfair.com (Cincinnati); Liz Von Hoene Photography (Atlanta, Ga.); Amazon (Kentucky); Marie Claire Magazine (New York City); Outsider Magazine (Santa Fe, N.M.); One Kreate (Columbus); Santa Fe Photographic Workshops (Santa Fe, N.M.); Danielle Levitt Studio (Los Angeles, Calif.); Athens Photographic Project, Athen, Ohio); Kinopicz American (Columbus), and Westlight Studios (Franklin, Tenn.).

Hands holding a mobile phone

Internship Spotlight: Hadley Fain

Hadley Fain was a studio intern in summer 2025, serving as a mix between production and photo assistant at BurkleHagen Studio. 

"The most vital lesson I've learned from this internship is that the quality of your work is important, but your relationship with a client is even more important. BurkleHagen produces fantastic work, but what stands out more is how they treat clients, both new and existing, when they come in," Fain says.

More on Hadley Fain's Internship on Instagram

Hadley Fain

Admission Requirements

The School of Visual Communication requires an informal interview for admission to the program. During this interview, we would like to learn more about your creative goals and review any examples of creative work you can provide. This is also an opportunity for you to learn about us. If you don’t have a portfolio or other examples of your work, we still want to talk to you. We encourage you to apply and visit, even if you don’t have a formal portfolio. For additional information about general admission guidelines please visit Undergraduate Admissions. Transfer students should view Transferring to VisCom.

Visual Communication Portfolio Review

  • Tuition & Fees

    OHIO is committed to your lifelong success through our Guarantee+, which offers fixed tuition and fees, a graduation plan and lifelong benefits to our students. We're continuously striving to make college more affordable and accessible, while maintaining the high quality and value of an OHIO education.

    Tuition & Fees

  • Financial Aid & Scholarships

    Our Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships provides services to students and parents both in-person and remotely. You can visit our office on the ground floor of Chubb Hall or reach us at financial.aid@ohio.edu or 740.593.4141.

    Financial Aid & Scholarships

Commercial Photography B.S. Courses & Curriculum

View Courses & Degree Requirements in the Official Academic Catalog

The Visual Commercial bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in commercial photography is a 120-credit hour program that includes a major core of study, general liberal arts classes, a focus on a specialization area and an internship. In our program, students start studying photography and making photos in their first semester.

Internship Requirement

An advisor-approved internship is required for the degree in Visual Communication. Internships should be approximately 400 hours of paid and supervised work in your field. Many students have more than one internship experience prior to graduation.

Facilities & Equipment

  • Equipment Checkout Room

    VisCom also supplies an Equipment Checkout Room with the support of Nikon, Canon, Mamiya Corporation of America and Sony. Students can check out DSLR cameras, lenses, lighting gear, audio equipment, video equipment, a 360-degree camera, tripods other stabilization tools.

    A form will be emailed to students every year to gain access to the equipment room. If you did not receive this form or cannot find it, contact Josh Birnbaum at birnbaum@ohio.edu or (740)-597-1778.

  • Computer Labs

    The School of Visual Communication uses Apple computers and predominantly the Adobe Creative Suite. We are pleased to provide computer labs with Apple computers, the Adobe Creative Suite and other software needed for classes. These labs also have open hours in the evenings, as do other labs on campus, and have color printers and photo printers students can use with purchase of a print card.

  • Photography Studios

    Within the Schoonover building, VisCom also has two photographic studios available, including state of the art lighting equipment, dressing rooms and a cyclorama (“cyc”) wall.

In the News: A weekend of experiential learning in Cleveland

Students visit alumnus Andrew Burkle, the lead creative and partner at Cleveland-based BurkleHagen Studio, an upscale commercial photo studio specializing in food photography.
About the Experiential Learning Weekend

Ready to Get Started?

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