In our 25 years, we have partnered with some of the biggest, most reputable companies in the industry. We’ve worked with many of the best photographers and educators. We have led workshops in many countries, and in turn have welcomed eager students from every corner of the globe. In short, we have done a lot of building. So, in preparation of our incoming 25th class of Summer Intensive students, we have decided to continue building … in the more literal sense.

A couple weeks ago we began the renovation to a portion of our office space to make way for brand new studio bays for our students. Like any (every?) construction project, there has been dirt, dust, scheduling “challenges,” and noise. But that’s OK. It’s nothing compared to the noise our students will be able to make with images they will learn to create in this space. As we continue to make progress on this project, we’ll be posting photos here on the blog as well as Instagram (@RockyMountainSchoolOfPhoto), Twitter, (@RMSP_Tweets), Facebook and Google+. Please stay tuned for updates and to watch the progress. We know it’s going to be worth it!

And of course, the final project presentations were given in their last Visual Studies class. Throughout the entire course, instructor Eileen Rafferty has been educating, guiding and shepherding the students in the process of growing as artists in photography. The requirements of the presentations were that the artwork be presented in a way that helps tell “the story” of the piece and that the student write an artist statement to be read by them in class to fellow group members, staff and instructors and be critiqued. You can imagine how much blood, sweat and tears they pour into their final and we are truly blown away by what they come up with. The presentations are sometimes massive, sometimes miniscule and every size in between. Multiple images or a singular one, it’s a truly one-of-a-kind piece with true meaning behind each. The absolute last bit of inspirational learning experience the students have is a final large group lecture this morning with accomplished Canon Explorers of Light travel/nature photographer, Darrel Gulin.

Today is graduation day involving a gallery set up in the classrooms of the students’ collective finals, and reception for all of the students and their families in the RMSP Gallery. Then the graduation ceremony later this afternoon on the University of Montana campus with all of the RMSP instructors, staff, students, friends and family present. There will be a slideshow of work from each student, speeches by instructors and representative students, tears, laughter and hugs. A “last hurrah” and send-off appropriate for such an intensive, fulfilling experience these incredible individuals significantly contribute to. Another graduating class is born and we look forward see where their journeys in photography take them. Congratulations to the graduates of RMSP Summer Intensive 2012!

A portrait session in progress at the National Bison Range.

Here we are in Week 10 of SI 2012, and the students’ experience couldn’t be any busier. The end of their week last Saturday involved a fun field trip to the beautiful National Bison Range near Arlee, Montana. Instructor Doug Johnson brought the troops with him to practice their newly developed skills in landscape photography. So be it if wildflowers, wild animals and perhaps models in flowing garments were part of the scenery as well. What could be a more perfect portraiture backdrop than the spectacular Montana landscape!

This week began with critiques of their work created from the field shoot with Doug. Also, an introduction to HD video accessories and equipment as well as low-light & night photography. Joe Massa with Manfrotto and Gabe Biderman with B&H Photo/Video were in town to provide loaner gear and introduce the folks to an often new-to-them experience of shooting high definition video with their DSLR cameras AND the experience of shooting at night. The culmination of this was another field shoot with the purpose of trying this all out at the annual Western Montana Fair here in Missoula. The fair is a virtual cornucopia of sights, sounds, smells and characters, and is full of endless photo opportunities. The students had a blast!

Also during the week, their Edit class involved advanced compositing, creative retouching and the mimicking of black & white darkroom technique and film characteristics in Photoshop. In Visual Studies, the students were presented with ideas about fostering creativity in their lives. Creative thought is a necessary skill for every photographer to develop and is a key concept we emphasize throughout the program.

Gabe Biderman of B&H Photo/Video coaching the students on night photography at the Western Montana Fair.

And with this being the second to last week in SI, the students are putting the finishing touches on their final projects to be presented in Visual Studies next week. The lighting studios and presentation labs were available to all of the students this week for them to work on these important projects. With their projects they are perhaps exploring parts of themselves that may have never seen the light of day before. Quite an inspirational experience for everyone involved. We are greatly looking forward to witnessing the vision and skill they have developed over eleven short weeks, and then graduation day next Friday.

One more week left to share. Stay tuned!

Two more informative practical full group lectures were part of the curriculum this week with Jeff McLain speaking about the lighting and shooting of Interiors in a professional manner, and Eileen Rafferty discussing the potential of Working Professionally as an Artist. Also, a so-called “Canon Roundtable” was held by a camera expert for those shooting with the Canon brand of camera strictly to show them the finer menus and functions of their tools. A similar version of this for Nikon shooters will be held next week.

Happy Birthday to RMSP Director of Education Marcy James!

All of this in the shadow of the students’ all-important final project presentations which are due to take place in approximately a week and half. These projects represent the accumulation of the artistic, technical and personal journey each student has taken to reach this point with their passion in photography. Not an easy task to say the least. In addition, student preparations are taking place with providing submissions for RMSP publications, a group showing of RMSP student work at a local Missoula gallery, and the preparing of select images they wish have shown to friends, family and peers at the graduation ceremony on August 17.

If you’ve been following our posts on the progress of our students in the course, you’ll want to check out the last two weeks. They promise to be some of the more fun, intense and emotional of the entire experience!

Instructor Eileen Rafferty

Right about now, all of our Summer Intensive students are thinking, “Week 8 … How can it be week 8 already?!?!”

True to form, this is the about the time of the program when it dawns on everyone that there isn’t that much time left to their SI experience, but there is TONS of work to be done. And depending on how each student is accepting the workload, the fact that this was a four-day week is either a blessing or a curse.  We’re guessing it’s a blessing so they will have a minute or two to catch their breathe and recharge their batteries … literally and figuratively.

Last Friday saw the fourth and final optional publications critique, in which students interested in pursuing magazine or book work were able to have their images critiqued in that light. Later that evening, photojournalist and former shooter for the New York Daily News, Mike Albans presented a large group lecture on the topic of working as a photojournalist. His experiences, stories and images left more than a few jaws on the floor!

This week in classes, students had their second landscape photography session of the summer with instructor Doug Johnson. In Visual Studies, Elizabeth Stone gave presentations on different methods to present photographs, and in Edit Jeff McLain continued teaching each group how to use Photoshop to work with their images. In Light, instructor and associate professor of photojournalism at The University of Montana, Jeremy Lurgio introduced students to the ins-and-outs of working with on and off-camera flash. By the way, Jeremy’ s much anticipated multimedia exhibit, Lost & Found Montana opens next Friday in the RMSP Gallery. This exhibit documents the human side of 18 Montana towns: Nine that are scheduled to be wiped from the map, and nine that were spared. It promises to be a fantastic experience.

Throughout the week students also had time in the studio to practice their technique with studio lighting and familiarize themselves with all the equipment that goes along with it. As we predicted (because it happens every year!) there are a few students that entered the program with no interest in studio who are now having light bulbs go off (again … literally and figuratively).

That’s week 8 in a nutshell. Next week, the fun continues! Tune in next Friday to see the latest happenings in SI 2012.

Students practice their flash technique.

Students share their mid-term slideshows to their peers in last Friday’s mixer.

SI keeps rolling along and it’s already nearly the end of Week 7! At this stage, our students are progressing nicely with both their technical skill, comprehensive understanding and artistic pursuits. Last Friday the students presented their major slideshow projects in front of their peers and staff, which is truly an inspirational and emotional experience for all.

This was a week full of intensive study and practical application. It started with another round of Light Studies instruction involving studio equipment, print outsourcing preparation and advice in Output.  The students also received introductory instruction on the topic of photojournalism in Photo Studies, more advanced Photoshop instruction in Edit, and they delved deeper into the artistic process in Visual Studies.

Lighting instructor, Heather Anne Thomas, demonstrates food photography and lighting technique to the students.

To top things off there were optional publication-oriented critiques and special group lectures involving some amazing professional photographers. Speaking on the topic of pro sports photography and sharing his incredible body of work was accomplished Sports Illustrated staff photographer and Canon Explorer of Light, Peter Read Miller. Giving a comprehensive lecture entitled, “Food & Still Life Photography; Producing a Cookbook” was lighting instructor and portrait & food photographer, Heather Anne Thomas. Check out Heather’s bio here. And finally tonight is another informative presentation being given by experienced award-winning NYC photojournalist, Michael Albans.

Week 8 promises to be more of the same and concluding with the beginning of a long weekend off for all involved.

For an excellent peek into the experience of one of our current students along with his impressive slideshow, check out Charlie Bulla’s recent personal blog post he titled “Focused!”

As summer marches on, it was a big week in Missoula. Last Sunday marked the 6th annual Missoula Marathon, of which RMSP is a proud sponsor. We made our presence known to 5000+ racers during the Marathon Expo at Caras Park.

Week 6 is quickly coming to a close and the students have officially reached the midpoint of Summer Intensive. This is the point where they are critiqued one-on-one for the first time on their first major photographic project of the summer: their individual slideshows. This weeks culminates in a full-scale presentation of their unique vision in front of each other and the staff. This slideshow requires that they compile all of their technical learning, life-long experience and creativity into a simple slideshow of 20 to 30 images set to any piece music or song of their choice. Imagine a comprehensive mid-term exam in college, only in visual and auditory format. Simple, yet powerful, this project tends to bring out a story inside each photographer that otherwise may have never been told. Bravo to these brave folks for opening up, pushing through and getting it done!

Students working with ambient light in an interior courtyard of the historic Higgins Building in downtown Missoula; home of RMSP.

This week also included a great deal more studio lighting instruction in which the students learned the finer points and technical aspects of both artificial and ambient light, and how to the balance the two. The students were able to experiment with this knowledge during assisted lab time in and out of the studio. Week 6 also involved further learning of Adobe Photoshop in their Edit series of classes. They had lab time to work on their newly created images, and even more exploration of their artistic vision in Visual Studies classes too. With a huge amount of the technical instruction already under their belts, the students are now blossoming into their creative selves which helps them inform their individual expression and style – critical for any working photographer.

This is one heck of ride, and our students are rising to the challenge each day as it is presented to them. Week 7 will lead to more comprehensive instruction, application of their skills and further photographic magic. Stay tuned!

Output instructor, Kathy Eyster, critiques the students’ assignments.

They received their initial instruction on the topic of landscape photography in Photo Studies and will have an optional field shoot at 6 a.m. on Saturday (tomorrow) at a local cemetery. Also in the mix was their introduction to Adobe Photoshop with guided labs following in Editing, and digital fine print critiques of their assignments in Output. They received another round of Studio Lighting instruction involving  lighting technique and portraiture, and a related general group lecture on the all-important photographic subject of model releases. Quite a full two days (for some, three)!

Lighting instructor, Lark Gilmer Smothermon, gives the students pointers on lighting technique for portraits.

Looming on the horizon next week, the students’ slideshow presentations will finally be unveiled and critiqued. These are often one of the more meaningful experiences for them as they apply all of their experience, learning, inspiration and creativity thus far into this major project. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!

RMSP Education Coordinator, Jillian Shepard-Seaton, surrounded by gear (generously provided by Canon) checked out and returned by the students.

This week in Summer Intensive was all about the students rapidly learning advanced concepts in photography and digital technology. Over the previous weekend, the students were able to check out specific Canon cameras and lenses from our extensive “library” of gear. Canon is a tremendous Educational Partner of ours, and their support adds enhanced value to our program. The students always love the opportunity to shoot with these high-end tools throughout the summer and fall!

Week 4 included their third week of Output classes, and they began printing digitally with critiques involved for the first time. It also involved their last instructional class in Lightroom and they’re now off and running with using this workhorse image editing software, most likely for the rest of their photographic lives. Next week they will be introduced to Adobe Photoshop to be able to take their work to the next level and gain more creative control over their images.

Output instructor, Kathy Eyster, reviewing some of the first student prints of the summer.

In Photo Studies, they received instruction on macro photography techniques to add to their creative bag of tricks. In Light Studies, they were introduced to working in the studio with lighting equipment by experimenting with strobes, stands, softboxes, light meters and other fun studio toys! Throw in an an informative lecture on color theory in Visual Studies and an optional publications critique (meant to evaluate their work from the standpoint of being published in a variety of publications), and the students again received an immense amount of training in a short time period. At this point they’re getting very good at what they’re learning!

Lighting instructor, Jeff McLain, demonstrates the use of studio lighting equipment and hand-held light meters prior to the students shooting in the studio.

This is also the time during the program that the students begin developing a very major mid-term project outside of class: a thematic individual student slideshow set to music. These will be due for presentation in a little over a week.

The end of this week begins a five-day break for the students over the Fourth of July holiday. Many will either be traveling home or around Montana, perhaps to stunning Glacier or Yellowstone National Parks. Some will be enjoying much deserved quality time with visiting friends and relatives here in Missoula, which happens to be a great place to be in the summer…as the students are quickly discovering.

Students enjoying rodeo lecture by Keith Graham.

And the journey continues. This week in Summer Intensive is a particularly fun one for the students. First off, their experience involved a second week of digging into the nitty gritty of the Adobe Lightroom software in the Edit classes & labs working on their newly created images. Also, they learned about enhancement of their artistic process in Visual Studies, more advanced camera technique and had an introduction to the famous Ansel-Adams-created Zone System in Photo Studies, and prepared images for digital printing in the Output/Print Lab.

Keith Graham gets in the mindset of a cowboy when talking to the students about photographing rodeos.

In the mix was a guest lecture by University of Montana Associate Professor of Photojournalism, Keith Graham, all about photographing rodeos and the cowboy culture. This awesome lecture occurs this time year for a darn good reason. This coming weekend, many of the students and staff will be traveling to the Rocky Mountain Front town of Augusta, MT for one of the oldest and largest rodeo events in the state, the annual Augusta Rodeo. Next week, we’ll show you some behind-the-scenes examples of their efforts at this classic Montana experience.

Canon rep. Mike Gurley showing student how to take advantage of the scenery at sunrise shoot at Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge.

And to cap it all off, the school hosted our friend and regional Canon representative, Mike Gurley, who visits each summer to introduce the students to all kinds of Canon gear. Mike brought his load of goodies for the students to play with (can you say EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM lens?) on an extremely early morning sunrise shoot at the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge in the gorgeous Bitterroot Valley just south of Missoula.

Now, if that isn’t a full week, we don’t know what is. Did we mention it’s only Week 3? Stay tuned!