NMU Photography Program

Digital Methods 📸 students presented their final projects over the last two weeks. Ten-image portfolios exploring a wide variety of self-directed topics ranging from identity to athleticism, mental health to fashion, from documenting the mundane to staging moments of fairytale. Students used techniques such as self-portraiture, long-exposures, thermal-imaging cameras, studio lighting, and collage to achieve their work and ✨WOWZA✨ they did not disappoint! What a way to round out the end of the semester. Congratulations to everyone on their remarkable work this semester. #hotdamn @nmuart #sharenmu @northernmichiganu

Hey Photo Clubbers! We have a very special guest speaker this week! Join us on Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30PM in the Art and Design building room 169 to hear from Sabrina Langdon, one of the most successful photography entrepreneurs in Marquette! She’s an alumni of the Art Education and Photography program here, and specializes in portrait, wedding, and commercial photography. She will be talking about the mechanics of a photography business, how you can start one, and other professional development skills that are great for any of those trying to enter the professional photography space post-grad. This event is presented by the NMU School of Art and Design

@nmuphoto students installed work at @thecribmqt in downtown Marquette this week 😍 You’ll want to add this to your list of things to do! Treat yourself to a coffee while you’re there (and don’t forget to tip your barista!) ❤️☕️📸 @nmuart @northernmichiganu #sharenmu #marquettemichigan #downtownmarquette

Stepping into the studio, the outside world fades away. For Autumn, the studio isn’t just a workspace. It’s an intimate, vulnerable environment where exploration takes shape and creativity deepens. From experimenting with lighting to navigating new artistic processes, every moment inside becomes part of the work itself. Through her time at NMU, she’s discovered more than new techniques. She’s found a community, a passion, and a place that fuels her growth. The Van Dyke Brown process is an earthy, historic photographic method that demands patience, precision, and care. It’s deeply rewarding, proof that meaningful art often lives in the details. “NMU has opened so many paths for me… I have fallen in love with this place.”- Autumn Mann #nmuart

Student Spotlight: Meet Richard! Richard Jacobson is a nontraditional student and freelance artist whose work is deeply rooted in personal experience. For a recent class project, he created a series titled: “The Burden of Being Spared”, exploring his journey as an organ transplant survivor and the mental health challenges that have come with it. Through this work, he reflects on the weight of survival, the complexities of healing, and the emotions that often go unspoken. Richard is also colorblind, but it has never held him back from creating art or shaping his identity as an artist. Instead, he embraces it and shares it openly in hopes of encouraging others. He wants people who may feel limited or uncertain to know they are not alone, and that there is always space for them to create, express, and be seen. Thank you Richard for not only sharing your art, but your story as well! The first page portrait was created by Aaron Houston.

Meet Ashlyn! Ashlyn is a recent NMU Photography alum. She now runs @ashlynrosestudios ! Here's what Ashlyn has to say: "I am from Montague, Michigan, and decided to move back home. I married my high school sweetheart and chose to pursue a photo business to continue my passion for creating. My work now, compared to college, is a lot more “mild,” but I do really miss the Y2K era of creating I had. I still wish to go back to it one day! Since my time at NMU, I have come to appreciate the storytelling aspect of portraits more! I want to capture more than just the photo; I want my viewers to feel the moment. So a lot of my favorite details to focus on are hands, sentimental items, and overall movement within the images." Book Ashlyn for all your romantic photography adventures! Congratulations! #nmuart #nmualumni

Meet Turner Miles! As president of NMU Photo Club, Turner Miles has helped turn the club into a space where photographers can grow, collaborate, and get real-world experience. One of his favorite moments? Hosting the Kaden Staley guest speaker talk, where the NMU alum and MTU Photo Director shared insights with students preparing to enter the photography industry. Beyond exploring the outdoors, Turner and the Photo Club E-board have worked to bring professional opportunities to students, including shooting marketing photos for Superior Culture and helping photograph the UP200 to support the race’s marketing efforts. #nmuart

Hey Photo Clubbers! Looking to get out, get work done, make friends, and eat some food and build a creative community? Come hang out at 6:30pm tomorrow! We’ll be meeting in the darkroom in the downstairs section of the Art and Design building. What’ll we be doing? We’ll be just hanging out, making friends, bouncing creative ideas off each other, have access to studios (if you’re permitted), get feedback about your work, learn from peers, eat pizza, drink soda, and make friends! You do not need to be a photo student to come! Just come with yourself, something to work on, and your creativity! Hope to see you there, and be sure to DM us if you have any questions!

📸 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: SEEN/UNSEEN NMU photography students & recent alumni — this one’s for you! SEEN/UNSEEN is our annual juried student photography exhibition, celebrating the wide range of work being made by photographers at NMU. The theme is intentionally broad and open-ended—almost anything can fit. ✨ Work does not need to be made for class ✨ Literal, conceptual, abstract, personal—it’s all welcome ✨ Selected work will be printed + framed by NMU Photo 📍 The Crib + Art & Design Lobby 📅 Submission deadline: WEDNESDAY, JAN 28 Submit up to 3 images. You probably already have work that fits 👀 🔗 Link in bio #SeenUnseen #NMUArt #NMUPhoto #StudentPhotography #JuriedExhibition

🎨 Art & Design Scholarships are OPEN! 🎨 We’ve added NEW Art & Design scholarship opportunities and expanded support for the upcoming year, with over $25,000 available. 🗓 Applications Due Monday, Feb 16 💡 Don’t forget to also apply for NMU Foundation scholarships! You can use the same portfolio! 🔗 Details + applications: link in bio // or visit: art.nmu.edu

We had so much fun hanging out in the darkroom making photograms with our majors for a day! 📸 Thanks for coming to experience the magic of the darkroom and analog photography! If I can, I’ll mail out any leftover prints to your art teachers! @nmuart @nmu.theatre.and.dance @northernmichiganu @mshs_art

Hey Photo Clubbers! We have exciting news as we have our first ever guest photographer coming in to give a talk, Q&A, and workshop to Photo Club. Come learn on October 24 at 4PM in Art and Design room 165 for the talk, and stick around after for an Astrophotography workshop! Kaden Staley is an NMU Photography alumni and also a former Photo Club member! He has years of professional, landscape, astro, and freelance photography experience. If you are an aspiring photographer of any genre, you’ll learn a ton from him! Here’s his short bio: “Kaden Staley is a photographer living and working in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan. Natural landscapes, night skies, and passionate storytelling of exploration and science have defined his career. Kaden began his career as a Student Creator while earning his BFA from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. After graduating in 2021, he worked across the Midwest as a freelance photographer and digital technician for clients like Ford, GM, The Nature Conservancy, NOAA, HED Design, and PEA Group.” This event is sponsored by NMU School of Art and Design #nmuphotoclub #sharenmu @northernmichiganu