New photography minor is “more than just taking pictures”

By Gabriela Tobar

RIDER students can now capture more than just memories, thanks to a new photography minor that was introduced into the curriculum in fall 2025. 

The new 12-credit minor consists of four classes, allowing students to gain hands-on experience with photography. 

Jessi Oliano, a photography professor at Rider and two-time alumnus, shares how creating the photography minor was a project in the making for the past four years. 

Oliano said she began her research for the minor back in 2021 when she realized that many students had shown interest in her base photography class; so much so that there was almost always a waitlist for the course.

“If there would’ve been a minor in photography [when she was at Rider], I would’ve picked that up too. I’ve always had a passion for photography, it always interested me,” Oliano said. “As a Rider alum, I’m just excited to see this happen for our students and I’m excited to see what they can do with this.”

Oliano believes that photography has sparked more interest because we live in a world where photos can tell more to a story than actual words. 

“We’re living in a visual first-culture,” Oliano said. “If you think about it, 90% of what our brain processes in any moment, is visual and photography drives that engagement.” 

Since many of the media programs fall under the Department of Communication,  Journalism and Media, Oliano felt that this minor would tie it all together. 

One of the four classes required in this minor is a photojournalism class which found its way back into the curriculum. 

According to Barbara Boyer, a journalism professor at Rider and an alumnus, photojournalism was her favorite class when she was a student. 

“I think this is such a great course because we live in such a visual world right now and the more photography and video skills that we could bring to our students, I think it will make them all the more marketable,” Boyer said. “Whether they pursue journalism, photography or public relations, just understanding the visual arts involving news is an important aspect of the curriculum. I think it’ll be a really beneficial class for our students.” 

Boyer’s experience with photojournalism began when she worked at The Rider News as their photographer. She carried the skills she learned in that job, she carried with her into her career post-grad.

Boyer said she was invited by Oliano to teach a course in the spring 2026 semester, which she is looking forward to.  

The ethics surrounding photojournalism

Often, Boyer pointed out, news and media present images that may raise ethical questions. 

“There’s a lot of discussion on the ethics of these graphic images that are available,” she said. “Just because they’re available, it doesn’t mean that they should be used.”

One of the goals for the new photojournalism course is to teach students how to become more considerate of the ethical questions posed in photojournalism. 

“That will be part of the class, for students to understand where to draw the line ethically when dealing with graphic images,” Boyer said. 

According to Oliano, students will learn how to capture images that convey a narrative, focusing on candid shots, coverage and ethical considerations in photojournalism. 

“We might have an event on campus that this class can cover and now we’re doing a little bit more hands-on real world scenarios, which is awesome,” Oliano said. 

Accessing cameras and equipment at Rider has never been an issue for students and with a new minor that will not change. 

When asked if there would be any new equipment, Oliano said, “Because this is brand new, we’re still   working on all the details with that.” 

She emphasized that students will have access to the Rider TV studio, working alongside Video Technologies Coordinator Scott Alboum. 

While Oliano allows students to capture images with their phones, she mostly encourages them to take advantage of renting the equipment available. 

With hopes of the photojournalism class to begin this upcoming spring, Oliano aims to encourage students to use digital single-lens reflex cameras. 

“I think that would be at the discretion of the professor and see what they say, but we are really pushing to make this feel like a real elevated course, an elevated minor,” Oliano said. 

Although Oliano could not give much detail yet, she mentioned that there are a few selected alumni lined up to return as guest lecturers. 

“I can’t tell you their names yet, but I can tell you that they have really exciting careers in photography and across multiple industries too,” Oliano said. 

Oliano hopes that the new photography minor allows students to view photography in a broader light.

“I want it to be more than just taking pictures for students. I want to give them the skills and the confidence to tell stories… and to see the world in new ways,” Oliano said. “If we can do that with this new minor, then it’s going to be a success.”