Photography degree programs help students harness their creativity and technical ability in order to create beautiful or necessary photographs for any number of industries. For example, a student pursuing an online photography degree will need to learn how to capture elegant portraits as well as pictures or images of inanimate objects and landscapes. Students also need to understand the role of lighting, composition, shape, shadow, negative space, and background so they can use the factors to create photographs that inspire. Generally speaking, a bachelor's degree in photography requires four years of full-time study if no transfer credit applies. Students may be able to transfer credits from previous degree programs, and many programs in this realm do not require a minimum SAT or ACT score to apply.