Paper Airplanes » Photo Weekend

Photo Op in Overland Park

Bob McGowan — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:26:33 +0000

In terms of a concluding event, we couldn’t have chosen a better place than Overland Park, Kansas to hold our last Photo Weekend of the season. This weekend, April 28-29, will be the final stop of a 14-city tour that began in January. The largest suburb in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Overland Park has been rated by major national publications as one of the “Top 10 Places Live in the U.S.” as well as one of the “Top 10 Places to Raise Your Kids.” Home to a solid and diverse economy, strong public and private school system, ample park and recreation opportunities, abundant public art works, the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead and Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park provides plenty of culture & activities for locals as well as a bit of a respite for the city-weary KC Metro residents & workers.

Kansas is chock-full of photographers who love to explore their world with a camera, and we’re excited to visit with some old friends and see new faces there. This go around, the tried-and-true team of instructors, Tim Cooper and Doug Johnson, will finish off the season with a flourish of inspiration and education. If you’ve had any have inkling to attend one of our Photo Weekends, whether you’re in the area or not, this will be your last chance to do so for quite some time. Maybe we’ll see you there???

If you’re interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in the Overland Park/Kansas City region. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Photographic Society of America – Region 6
Digital Dimensions & Beyond
Northland Photography Club
Kansas City Zoo Photo Club
Wyandotte Photography Club
Salt City Photography Club
Johnson County Photography Club
Image Makers Photo Club
The Kansas City Photography Meetup Group
Kansas City Adventure Club

And if you can’t join us for the Overland Park Photo Weekend, we’ll be returning to the area with instructor David Marx for our popular Foundation Workshop, Lightroom for Photographers on the Road in Overland Park on August 16-19, 2012.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Billings, Montana = Awesome Photo Weekend!

Andy Kemmis — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:00:24 +0000

Our team of Photo Weekend instructors have been criss-crossing the country since January. From Albany to Sacramento and many places in between, they have inspired, taught and laughed with hundreds of photographers. Well, this last weekend in Billings, MT was no exception! And since this was the only Photo Weekend of 2012 in our home state of Montana, we rolled out the red carpet a bit further with a couple bonus offerings.

On Friday night, RMSP co-owner/founder Neil Chaput de Saintonge offered the Billings community a free lecture on photography equipment and techniques for achieving sharper focus in your images. Our RMSP spy (aka Director of Education Marcy James) attended Neil’s lecture and was on top of it enough to send some photos back to headquarters. Looks like Neil had a few interested photographers show up to hear what he had to say!

The feedback we have heard from participants has been great so far. With Tim Cooper and Doug Johnson at the helm, it’s hard to imagine otherwise. Those guys are both amazing at the front of the room!

We extended a special invite to Billings-area High School students who are interested in photography to check out the Weekend and meet with Neil and Marcy. So excited by the number of students that showed up and expressed an interest! Then, the dynamic duo of Neil and Marcy offered complimentary portfolio reviews to anyone interested in working professionally. About 25 photographers took them up on their offer. Sounds like the reviews were great and the networking opportunities were wonderful for everyone!

All in all, we are unbelievably happy with the Billings Photo Weekend and appreciative with every person who shared their weekend with us. HUGE Thank You to the Billings photography community!

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Seattle in Our Sights!

Bob McGowan — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:27:21 +0000

The Great Northwest is exactly that – a true treasure of boundless beauty, commerce, culture and sometimes challenging climate. We here in Missoula, MT consider Seattle one of our major metropolitan neighbors – a short eight-hour drive over three states, three mountain passes and the spectacular Columbia River Gorge. Seattle is a bustling and lively arts oriented community and we can’t wait to encounter some of the freshest seafood and best quality coffee to be found anywhere – not to mention the excited enthusiasts that will joining us for our Photo Weekend being held in Bellevue, WA on April 21-22!

Bordered by the stunning Cascade Mountain range to the east and the Puget Sound inlet waterways to the west, Seattle is home to professional sports teams, vital cutting-edge technology industries, a ground-breaking music scene and even its very own iconic Space Needle. It ranks among some of the world’s most photogenic and superior quality-of-life cities in existence. Tourism being a main economic driver as well, the town thrives with bustling activity always happening in places like the Pike Place Market, Lake Washington, Seattle Center and the Central Waterfront. With the advent of the 1962 World’s Fair came the aforementioned Space Needle, Seattle’s monorail system and the popular water sculpture in Seattle Center. With tons of quaint and culturally diverse neighborhoods, Seattle boasts a population that values both lifestyle and creativity. It also happens to be a great place to be a photographer, and we eagerly await the time when our inspirational and talented instructor team of Tim Cooper and Doug Johnson can teach you, our honored attendee, a thing or two about using your camera and/or the Adobe Lightroom software program. We hope look forward to seeing you very soon!

If you’re interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in the Seattle region. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Seattle Photographic Society
Seattle Photography Group
Seattle Landscape Photography and Hiking
Cascadia Photography Group
Olympia Camera Club
South King County Amateur Shutterbugs
Seattle Momtogs
Boeing Employees’ Photographic Society
Seattle SMUG Photographer Meetup
Eastside Camera Club
Bainbridge Island Photo Club
Puget Sound Camera Club
Pilchuck Camera Club
Mount Baker Camera Club
Olympic Peaks Camera Club

And if you can’t join us for the Seattle Photo Weekend, we’ll be returning to the area with two fantastic workshops. Join us with instructor David Marx for our popular Foundation Workshop, Lightroom for Photographers on the Road in Seattle on July 26-29, 2012. Or join us for our Travel Workshop, Summer in the San Juan Islands on August 25-31, 2012 with instructor Eileen Rafferty.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Across the Great Divide…to Billings!

Bob McGowan — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:59:54 +0000

Montana is the fourth largest state in the Union in terms of land mass, and if you’ve ever driven its breadth from east to west or vice versa – over 600 miles in all – you would know that it’s definitely one long haul and includes climbs over several mountain ranges including the Continental Divide. Each year, we hold a Photo Weekend event in one of the four largest cities in our home state – including our hometown of Missoula. This year, we’re happy to return to Montana’s most populous city, Billings, located in the southern/central part of the state.

Billings is the business & industry capital of Montana and is the largest metropolitan area between Denver, CO, Calgary, AB to the south & north and between Sioux Falls, SD and Spokane, WA. east & west. There is vast rural territory in this part of the country, and it’s become the trade and distribution center for most of Montana, Northern Wyoming and western portions of North Dakota and South Dakota. It’s also the retail destination for much of the same area possessing the most hotel accommodations within a five state region and hosts a variety of conventions, concerts and sporting events. With the latest oil and natural gas boom happening in western North Dakota and eastern Montana, Billings’ economy is set to sky-rocket over the decade.

Geographically, it’s close in proximity to stunning mountain ranges, rivers, national parks, and natural areas, and is not without its fair share of nature and photography enthusiasts. Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Highway, the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument, Pictograph Cave State Park are all within easy driving distance. Each year we receive a contingent of folks from Billings in our Career Training program. We’re definitely excited to be returning to the area in April to bring the RMSP experience back to this neck of the woods with the excellent instructor team of Tim Cooper and Doug Johnson. And this time around, we have a few extra surprises in store. So if you happen to be in the region and are available for the weekend, you may just want to check it out!

And, if you’re interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in the Montana region. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Photographic Institute of the Yellowstone
Montana Shutterbug Association Meetup Group
Billings Camera Club
Photography Society of America – Region 7
Bozeman Camera Club
Great Falls Camera Club
Western Montana Photography Meetup Group
Rocky Mountain Photo Council

Join us for the Billings Photo Weekend on April 14-15, 2012. Also, consider furthering your education with our Foundation Workshop – Lightroom for Photographers on the Road on June 21-24, 2012 with instructor David Marx. Also, join David Marx and Doug Johnson for Landscapes and Lightroom in Big Sky, Montana on September 15-21, 2012 or our spectacular Travel Workshop – Yellowstone in Autumn on September 22-28, 2012. Register soon as spaces are limited.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Boise Weekend Assignment Results

Andy Kemmis — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 18:06:01 +0000

Woops! Looks like someone was too excited about St. Patrick’s Day on Friday and completely forgot to post the results from the Boise Photo Weekend. My apologies to our contributors. Looks like there is no pot o’ gold at the and of the rainbow for this blogger.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Albany on the Agenda!

Bob McGowan — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:52:35 +0000

It seems as if we’re bound and determined to visit state capitals this Photo Weekends season and Albany, New York is no exception. This is the first time visiting this fair city, and so far our reception has been enthusiastic and with open arms! One of the oldest English settlements of the original 13 U.S. colonies, Albany is known for its extensive history, culture, architecture, and institutions of higher education. Well, it’s about time we brought the RMSP experience here! Located on the banks of the Hudson River and centrally among the major metropolises of New York City, Buffalo, Montreal and Boston, it’s a historic transportation hub for journeys in any direction. It’s also part of a region called the Capital District consisting of the nearby cities of Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga Springs. We’re definitely stoked to see participants joining us for our Albany event hailing from all over the New England area as well as the local region itself. As folks from Montreal might say, “C’est tellement génial!” (that’s so awesome!)

As with most state capital cities, its demographics and culture are widely diverse with many music & arts venues, festivals and events taking place throughout the year. The Tulip Festival, one of Albany’s largest festivals, is set in its Washington Park and celebrates the city’s significant Dutch heritage. This traditional event marks the beginning of spring as thousands of tulips bloom in the park in early May. This alone sounds like a worthy and inspirational photogenic opportunity! This unique city offers a ton of said opportunities when it comes to historic preservation, parks and geography in the immediate vicinity. We’re honored to have Albany on our tour list, and instructors Tim Cooper and Doug Johnson will do their usual best to provide a worthwhile (and fun) educational experience for those attending the Photo Weekend in Albany on March 31 – April 1…so they can go capture those amazing tulips in May!

And, if you’re interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in the Albany region. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Albany Photography Meetup Group
Capital Region Photography Meetup Group
Two Rivers Photography Club
Schenectady Photographic Society
Greene County Camera Club
Westchester Photographic Society, Inc.
Color Camera Club of Westchester
Schoharie County Photo Club
Rockland Photography Club
Utica Camera Club

And if you can’t join us in Albany, we’ll be returning to the Northeast with instructor Doug Johnson and his popular and scenic Travel Workshop, The Coast of Maine and Acadia National Park on October 6-12, 2012.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Meet Roxanne Duffy, RMSP Photo Weekends Administrator!

Bob McGowan — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:19:52 +0000

In 2010, our Career Training program students hailed from most every state of the union with a small contingent from the state of Washington. Seattle native, Roxanne Duffy was one of the Washingtonians who quickly became enamored with the beauty, western culture and wide open spaces of Montana. After graduating, she decided that staying here made a great deal of sense to her, so she planted roots just north of Missoula where she resides to this day. Since gaining local status she has applied for, and landed several positions with RMSP including assisting in several of our Workshops, and is currently the administrator for our fourteen Photo Weekends events in 2012.

If you have attended any of these events this year, you have probably seen a very active and engaging person coordinating the entire event while also interacting with the excited and valued participants who join us. From setting up displays and materials to handling projection and sound equipment to directing various volunteers, Roxanne is a ball of energy who knows how to get things done! And we should warn you in advance that both her smile and laughter are quite contagious!!

Much behind-the-scenes time and effort goes into the planning of the Weekends each year with scheduling and contracting of venues, travel arrangements, shipping challenges, marketing of the various events and finally making it all run like clockwork on the days they take place. The responsibility of making it all run smoothly is the role of both Photo Weekends Director, Michelle Lousen, and the administrator. This is the first season for Roxanne in this role and she has doing a bang up job. Along with two instructors at each Weekend, she arrives a day in advance and makes it all run like clockwork from arrival to final tear down. From the rave reviews we’ve been reading and hearing so far, the impact of these fun and informative experiences are exceeding expectations. Obviously, the instructors deserve a huge of amount of credit for their ease and expertise in teaching both technical and creative material, and they are often whom the participants rightfully acknowledge. However, the experience would be entirely different without a dedicated, efficient, organized and enthusiastic administrator on site to help produce the quality that RMSP is known for.

In Roxanne’s case, her background has very much prepared her for this important role. With a former long-term corporate role in website development, major project and event coordination, client outreach, video production and photography – at one point she actually developed her own color film and prints for wedding clients (!) – her education and experience are a considerable asset to the Photo Weekends program and to RMSP in general. In the times she’s not traveling around the nation on this tour, she’s quietly working on several art and business projects. Interesting enough, one of these involves making homemade truffles and she plans to combine her fine art and portrait photography with the packaging of these unique culinary gifts. If you have a chance to meet Roxanne in person, you’ll notice a smile and ease of character that belies both her creative spirit and serious work ethic. We’re proud to have her on our team. If you have or will attend a RMSP Weekend this year, we hope you come to realize your experience is as much her responsibility as anyone elses. We happen to believe that Roxanne simply rocks!

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

Eyeing Indianapolis!

Bob McGowan — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:00:14 +0000

When we think of the Midwest of the U.S., Indianapolis is near the top of major cities that show up on our Photo Weekends tour map quite frequently. A big town with big ideas, big hearts and big minds hungry to learn about their passion of photography. Indy is the home of 500 miles of motor racing on a track nicknamed “The Brickyard,” the state capital of Indiana and most recently the NFL’s showcase event, the Super Bowl. The labels of The Amateur Sports Capital of the World and The Racing Capital of the World have both been applied to Indianapolis.The headquarters of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the main governing body for U.S. collegiate sports, is located here, as is the National Federation of State High School Associations. Academics are a lifeblood of its culture as well with no less than a dozen major universities and institutions of higher learning. As one of the fastest growing state capital cities in the U.S., the region is hotbed of industry, commerce, sports and creative energy. With over 200 municipal parks, a zoo, and multiple major museums including the historic Indianapolis Arts Center whose stated mission is “…to engage, enlighten, and inspire our community by providing interactive art education, outreach to underserved audiences, support of artists, and exposure to the visual arts.”

We couldn’t be happier to return to Indianapolis next month. Its geographic location in the heart of Indiana has also earned it the moniker of The Crossroads of America, with major roads leading out of the city in all directions to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland and St. Louis. We wouldn’t be surprised at all to see folks at our upcoming event from these areas. Tony Rizzuto and Eileen Rafferty are sure to enlighten and inspire the group there. So if you’re looking to get the inside scoop on your camera and photography, Indianapolis may be beckoning you to join us!

And, if you’re interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in the Indiana region. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Indianapolis Camera Club
Indy MU Photo Club
Indianapolis SMUG Meetup Group
Indy Media Artists Meetup Group
Riviera Camera Club
Photo Venture Camera Club
Bloomington Photography Club
3H Camera Club
Fort Wayne Photographers Club
Fine Arts Camera Club
Irvington Photo Club
Muncie Camera Club

Join us for the Indianapolis Photo Weekend on March 24-25, 2012. Also, consider furthering your education with our Foundation Workshop – Basic Photography in Indianapolis on October 13-19, 2012 with instructor Eileen Rafferty.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Boise Bound!

Bob McGowan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:15:28 +0000

The Rocky Mountain West region is comprised of a handful of states, and along with Montana, one of these is our western neighboring state of Idaho. Boise, the capital and economic engine of this beautiful state is one of our favorite places to set up shop to provide our brand of photography education. In a few weeks, we will be in this fair city for our Boise Photo Weekend and we hope to see many familiar faces while there. A plethora of our Career Training alumni hail from the area, almost as if there is a direct pipeline of photography-minded folks streaming northeast to Missoula every summer and fall to train with us. Boise’s historic character, lively cultural environment, urban life, open spaces and forward-thinking populace makes for a wonderful place to call home for many friends of RMSP. Boise State University is certainly a contributor to this atmosphere as well on the national collegiate football scene. If you’ve ever scene a game on TV played on a bright blue football field, it’s more than likely the home of the Boise State Broncos. The surrounding area is scenic and full of tremendous outdoor adventure opportunities including those of the photographic kind. This go around, instructors Tony Rizzuto and Doug Johnson will provide the Boise attendees with a learning experience delivered in a friendly environment. If you are in the area on March 10-11 and are looking for a fun and informative way to spend your weekend, we hope you’ll come join us!

If interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in Idaho. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Boise Camera Club
Boise Digital Photography Meetup Group
Camera Club of Eagle
Portneuf Valley Photographic Society
Eastern Idaho Photographic Society
High Desert Photographers
Sharp Shooters Camera Club
Magic Valley Camera Club

Join us for the Boise Photo Weekend on March 10-11, 2012. Also, consider furthering your education with our Foundation Workshop – Basic Photography in Boise with instructor Doug Johnson.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Atlanta on the Horizon!

Bob McGowan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:57:45 +0000

Many who are familiar with Rocky Mountain School of Photography may be aware of this bit of trivia: RMSP’s roots are in Atlanta, Georgia. In some ways, when we return to Atlanta for a Photo Weekend event every couple of years, it’s somewhat of a homecoming. Neil Chaput de Saintonge, founder and co-owner of RMSP, was an experienced photography instructor and owner of the Atlanta school, Southeastern Center for the Arts, for many years. The germ of the idea to start RMSP started there and for several years he and his wife, Jeanne, commuted back and forth between Atlanta and Missoula.

As the ninth-most populated metropolis in the country, Atlanta is a diverse cultural and economic urban environment. This historic city has developed into a vital hub of commerce, culture and modern day American flavor. Considered the “hip hop” music capitol of the U.S., there’s much in the way of entertainment, theater, museums, festivals, sports, etc., to keep the city’s population busy for centuries to come. The world came to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic Games and this experience only added to its already rich southern and ethnic traditions. The art of photography is definitely alive and well, and we believe one of our biggest fan bases lies in the heart of Atlanta. We hope to see many friendly familiar faces at our upcoming event there. Actually, Neil also founded one of the largest and most active photography groups in the area several decades ago – The Southeastern Photographic Society- and has maintained connection with them throughout the years. As you can probably guess, Neil has definitely left his mark on the area. There is definitely a huge community of passionate photographers who connect, share and inspire one another via the many active groups in the region. As for our weekend event, the amazing team of instructors Tony Rizzuto and Eileen Rafferty will be educating and inspiring the hometown crowd. We’re excited to be returning to Atlanta and once again experience an urban version of good old southern hospitality!

If interested in keeping your focus – pun intended – on photography after the Photo Weekend, consider joining one of the active photography groups below in the Atlanta area. What better way to stay active yourself than by being connected with like-minded enthusiasts?!

Atlanta Photography Group
Women in Focus
Atlanta Photography Society
Cobb Photographic Society
Georgia Nature Photographers’ Association
Roswell Photographic Society
Sweetwater Camera Club
Cherokee Photography Club
Athens Photography Guild
Middle Georgia Camera Club

Join us for the Atlanta Photo Weekend on March 3-4, 2012.

Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)