Advanced Career Education Center at Hermitage
🔍 Program: Commercial Photography Program
Travel to ACE from your Homeschool on Day 1 or Day 2 after your first class of the day.
ACE Classes run from 10:30am – 3:15pm
Year 1
Commercial Photography I Honors
1 credit (36 weeks)
Seminar Honors
2 credits (36 weeks)
Year 2
Commercial Photography II Honors
2 credits (36 weeks)
Independent Study Honors
1 credit (36 weeks)
Return to your homeschool for end of the day dismissal.
🧠 Learning & Coursework
This program provides comprehensive training through a combination of classroom instruction and hands‑on experiences in photography, graphic design, and media production. Coursework builds a strong foundation in visual communication and creative industries while emphasizing technical accuracy, planning, and professional standards.
📸 Hands‑On Production & Creative Workload
Commercial Photography is a production‑driven course. Students regularly stage, shoot, edit, and present professional‑quality images using industry‑standard cameras, lighting equipment, and software. Projects require sustained focus, attention to detail, and meeting deadlines, often with work completed both during and outside of class time.
📜 Student Leadership & Professional Expectations
Students are expected to participate in SkillsUSA, a national career and technical student organization that emphasizes leadership, teamwork, professionalism, and technical skill development within the skilled trades.
In addition to earning course credit, students will work toward industry‑recognized credentials, including:
📁 Portfolio Development - Students build and refine a professional portfolio showcasing their technical and creative skills.
Portfolios are developed to support college applications, internships, and job interviews, and reflect industry expectations for presentation, consistency, and quality.
These credentials allow students to graduate with documented skills, certifications, and career preparation—not just a grade.
🔍 Program Prerequisites
‼️Special Note: Seniors may be accepted on a case by case basis with the understanding that they will not be able to complete all program offerings in 1 year and may not be considered a CTE completer.
🧠 Creative Critique & Professional Feedback
Instruction includes regular critique and revision. Students are expected to evaluate their own work, respond to feedback, and make technical and creative adjustments to meet project expectations. This mirrors professional photography environments, where revision and refinement are standard practice.
👔 Professional Conduct & Daily Expectations
This course operates with expectations aligned to professional creative and media production environments. Students are expected to:
Purchase specific work attire for daily wear when attending ACE classes and events
Display a visible ID badge at all times
Demonstrate professional behavior, punctuality, accountability, and respectful communication
⬇️ Work attire sample images appear in the image below ⬇️
2 years (6 HS credits) – Advanced Career Education (ACE) Center at Hermitage
This is designed to be completed in two years during the 11th and 12th grades.
Year 1 (Junior Year)
Commercial Photography I - 1 credit (Honors): Students will learn essential technical skills and use various technologies, including digital cameras, design software, and editing tools, to create, process, and present professional-quality commercial images.
Seminar - 2 credit (Honors): This honors-level course is designed to support students pursuing advanced Career and Technical Education pathways that culminate in industry-recognized credentials, state licensure, professional certification, or specialized workforce training. Course content varies by program area and provides structured opportunities for students to refine technical competencies, complete credentialing requirements, engage in professional skill development, and participate in authentic career experiences.
Year 2 ( Senior Year)
In Commercial Photography II - 2 credits (Honors): students are taught industry-relevant technical skills and have the opportunity to work with a variety of technology, including digital cameras, lighting, design software, and editing tools to stage, shoot, process, print, and present professional-grade images while developing a portfolio for a career as a commercial photographer. Students will develop an understanding of photography’s influence in society and strategize how they may perform in the professional industry, using their technical and creative knowledge.
Independent Study - 1 credit (Honors): Students complete individualized learning activities that may include licensure preparation, capstone projects, portfolio development, career research, workplace communication, leadership training, customer relations, job acquisition strategies, and High-Quality Work-Based Learning (HQWBL) experiences. Through collaboration with industry and community partners, students apply classroom learning in professional settings while developing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for success in postsecondary education and high-demand careers.
