Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
Students in the professional photography program at the Nova Scotia Community College are speaking out about the institution’s decision not to offer the program in the 2027-28 academic year.
Those in their second and final year will get to complete their studies before the change.
But several said the situation has not been ideal.
“We got told before we entered the program that one of our two studios was being taken over by incoming nursing students,” said Samantha Drane. “We’re all disheartened and we don’t know why this is going on.”
Annelise LeBlanc, who wants to go into professional sports photography, said the program is an important one for a craft that is becoming something of a lost art.
“You can get photos on your phone, but they don’t tell much of a story as the camera does. You can take such a good photo and you can see such an amazing story behind that,” LeBlanc said.
Rise in AI makes craft critical, say students
When people see her taking photos, she is often asked about the program by others who are interested in taking it.
“There’s going to be a lot less people coming into the arts and into the photography industry,” she said.
Given the rapid growth in artificial intelligence that sometimes makes it difficult to know which photos are real, Willow Ryer, who is also part of the cohort, believes the craft is more important than ever.
“With all the AI and all of the fake news, we need some people out there on the ground reporting on it and being able to document it in a way that is not fake. It is real, it is honest, it is believable,” Ryer said.
Labour market drives programming, says NSCC
In a statement, the NSCC said it makes decisions about programming based on factors such as “community, labour market, program enrolment health and employment needs.”
It said the photography program has had a “very low historical enrolment from 2021 onward,” and has also been affected by rules that have changed for international students.
The conversion of a studio into a classroom for nursing students, the statement said, was a response to labour force needs.
“This is an illustration of the ebb and flow of our program line up and our continual efforts to quickly respond to critical needs in our province’s workforce.”
However, the college describes its decision as a “program reduction” and not a suspension, noting it could return in the future if there is a demand within the labour market.
MORE TOP STORIES