Photography Schools: have you been to one? Was it worthwhile?

Photography Schools

I was just curious if any of you have gone to a College, University or Photo School of any kind. If so what one did you go to and what did you think about what you were taught (i.e. did you learn enough about the business side of photography or just about the tech side).

The reason I am asking is because I have looked for a long time for a Photo School that would teach the business side mainly, but was not able to find one that I liked until recently. I found what I was looking for in Hallmark Institute of Photography in Massachusetts. I will be attending Hallmark starting in Sept. If anyone here has attended Hallmark I would like to hear what your thoughts are on your expierience there.

All the feedback I get will help me greatly in giving my Best Friend (also a Photographer and my Business Partner) some direction for a school to attend.

Thanks in Advance,
C. Racca

Thanks Christopher for raising this important issue! I hope we get at least one person to give feedback.

Asher

okay, I'll jump in:

after three years of applied art school in Vevey; photography section (type: old fashioned"classical" photography school) I studied for 6 years "visual communication,"- what a word!! - in a (german) university, with big emphasis on photography. Type : academy, with rather free rules, no technical stuff.

None of these schools tought me about the business-side.

Guys,

I moved the thread here to be free of moderators permission to post! The orginal forum is only for posting course offerings that you are giving!

There I have to approve each offering. Here you say what you wish!

Asher

Workshops

I have been to the Santa Fe Workshops three times. The classes there are a full intense week in Santa Fe, New Mexico and are mostly professional level requiring a portfolio. I will keep going there probably once a year because there is always a class worthwhile for me. There are classes on every possible photographic subject relating to photography. I have also taken courses at the Julia Dean Workshops but they are usually three day type classes.

Guys,

If you have great courses to recommend or photographs that the workshops motivated you to make, could you share them?

asher

Three Taken:

I took Beginning Photography at the Santa Fe Workshops in 2001 with Sarah Meeghan Lee. I was not a beginner, but, the class was a gift. That class was using e-6 and I've never scanned my images from the course. We learned far more than the basics. A year ago Sarah taught a street portrait class in San Francisco and I took that with my husband - it was a gift to him. Sarah is a photographer based in Mexico City for the Los Angeles Times and the most patient and enthusiastic teacher I have had anywhere.

I took in 2003 a class from Carlan Tapp called Finding Your Photographic Voice. It was about the spiritual side of photography and creating a style. Again, that was pre digital for me. Carlan teaches at the University level and was a former assistant to Ansel Adams. (www.carlantapp.com)

Earlier this year, I took a Lighting on Location Photography class. We were both in a variety of great locations. The teacher had not taught before and we did learn about using various modifiers and shot in a variety of settings. There were some components of the class that were disappointing - mostly because of the instructor. I am going to take another Studio Lighting workshop there sometime in the next year because of the issue I had (actually we were paired, a student dropped out and left me solo) - I made lemonade, electing to work in the studio, rather than going on independent location with another pair of students - the studio manager worked with me one-on-one and I had a full day of playing with every possible lighting set up and modifiers with top notch equiptment. Actually, you could not buy a day anywhere to do that. I will go through some of the images that I took and post them in the next few days.

Antonelli College

I have an Associate's Degree in Photography from Antonelli College
in Cincinnati.
It is an excellent program that really focused on the business aspect of Photography. The placement rate is excellent. I certainly learned a great deal that I would not have learned elsewhere. Of course one of the things I learned is that I did NOT want to be a commercial Photographer! Seriously, tuff business, hats off to anybody who can make it work out!

Still, all in all a great experience that my wife will be paying for for the foreseable future...

Louis,

So what branch of photography do you do and what part of the training do you apply that you didn'y have before?

Asher

Hi

I can comment from both sides as a student and as a lecturer.

I studied photography for 3 years - National Diploma in Photography from Tchnikon Natal in South Africa. It was a great course, the emphasis was on commercial photography. However, there was not too much on the business end - only one of 18 subjects.

After over 20 years as a photographer, I wish there was more empahsis placed on how to run a business.

Warren Liebman said:

Hi

After over 20 years as a photographer, I wish there was more empahsis placed on how to run a business.

Click to expand...

Warren,

I have had a business/accounting consulting practice for 20 years. I am just starting a photography business. For years, I have worked with professionals, teaching them how to run a business. Photography and Art break many of the rules for traditional business. Most of the artistic clients I have worked with have a hard time fathoming the business side of business. There is so much of our own ego and emotion in this kind of business. It's the right brain vs. the left brain. I can help anyone with THEIR business. I can do my own Accounting/Consulting. But the photography? the heart says one thing and the brain says something else.