In looking back, we see that we’ve been looking forward all along. By the numbers, it’s easy to see how much we’ve grown. 1989: One darkroom, one classroom, two enterprising young instructors (our founders) and eight forward-thinking photography students. Today: 14 dedicated staff, 25 to 30 professional instructors and a bevy of assistants. More than 1,500 students have graduated from Summer Intensive. But, as always, the numbers are only half the story. The rest is an exciting journey about the ever-changing field of photography and a passionate belief in anticipating our students’ expectations. In the beginning, we taught on film. The wet darkroom was our workshop. And as the medium became more diverse, the tools more complicated, the possibilities more vast, RMSP followed suit. We soon introduced a series of digital workshops. Interest in the program exploded, prompting the decision to offer Digital Intensive, a six-week course featuring complete immersion in the “digital darkroom.” Finally, as more students sought bona fide professional careers, we incorporated Summer Intensive, Professional Studies and Digital Intensive under the Career Training banner. And, we categorized our Workshops into Foundation, Location, Shoot and Critique, and Digital Process and Print, to better meet the diverse educational goals of our students.   The experience at RMSP is amazing; almost something that cannot be described. It is so far from the idea of “you don’t know what you have until its gone” because when you are there, you KNOW you are immersed in something incredible. For me, as the days went on, I knew more and more that I was very fortunate to have stumbled upon RMSP. I couldn’t even fathom what would happen when it ended…. yet at the same time, it opened my eyes in so many ways, that I almost couldn’t wait to finish so I could continue on the journey that RMSP shot the starting gun for. I was already living in New York when I started RMSP. I was not working in photography but was taking B&W and color printing classes. Having already finished a couple degrees, I knew I didn’t want to spend 3 years in a photography school...but I also knew I wanted something serious, respected and challenging. During the last week of RMSP I started researching what kind of shooting jobs I wanted, and before I even made it home, I had booked my first job! (and consequently had a million questions about what to do…so I called one of my RMSP studio instructors and she walked me through it all!) And the rest is history. I have never looked back. I have continued full speed ahead since leaving Montana…and I love every minute of it. I shoot portraits commercially and am also always busy working on numerous personal projects.  Some of my very closest friends to this day are people I met during my summer 2003. They are all very unique relationships that I am forever grateful to RMSP for. We talk photography, we help each other on shoots, and most simply, we share the experience that was RMSP 2003. See more of Jami's work at www.jamisaunders.com 15 years ago this summer my life took an unexpected turn towards a career in photography, and it all started with the Summer Intensive program at RMSP. I had never seriously picked up a camera with the intent of doing anything more than capturing some snapshots. I was still young, a few years out of high school with pretty much no direction other than to ride my bike and snowboard as much as possible. I had always been creative, taking every art class possible in my school years. My mom, herself a landscape photographer, had read about the then-new RMSP in Missoula and thought I should consider it. The rest is history. That summer at RMSP shaped and changed my life forever. I went from knowing essentially nothing about photography and cameras, to assisting in a commercial photography studio within six months. The staff and the people I shared the experience with I will never forget. So much support and understanding in a completely positive learning environment. For 15 years photography has been my livelihood and my passion, and I have RMSP to thank for it. Congratulations on 20 years of inspiring and changing lives! See more of Derik's work at www.derikolsen.com Summer Intensive 2003 - What an experience. And after 18 years of active and reserve duty in the Marine Corps, I guess you could say I have had a few other experiences; yet, my summer at SI continues to be a standout.  Yes, it was hard work and long days, but it was worth the effort.  Especially when you are surrounded by students and instructors who are passionate about photography.  By the end of the summer I had not only gained important skills, but also met some great friends. Since SI 2003 I have continued to learn more about photography - both as an art and a business.  I have had the pleasure of founding and running SIAlumni.com, which allows me, and I hope other members, to stay in touch with some of the spirit of that summer. I continue to grow my nature portfolio and offer digital imaging services as part of my technology consulting business.  It's still hard work and long days, but I know that my summer in Montana was well spent. See more of Coby's work at www.cglusky.com It’s interesting to me how life leads its course, the sequence of events that build our lives. I once read that waves start and build on one end of an ocean, traveling and building, gaining and losing momentum along their way. I see the relevance of life like building blocks, but choose wisely.  I like to trust my intuitional sense and advance. In my case, these senses led me to RMSP. I knew it was next in my path and I trusted. It brought me from Alaska to Missoula and deep into many, many aspects of photography. It wet my hands in the dungeon darkroom, and led me a-field many an early morn. Classrooms spilled with exciting new technique and critique filled our ears, constructive, with a positive approach. Though, it unnerved me at the time, I now bow with gratitude. My experience as I often express it began with so much information, a giant network with a diverse field of instructors who had walked the field for years and made serious professional feats in photography. We heard their stories, their rises and falls and started to dream of our own. It was a giant sieve of the photography life, the world, pools of information swirling amongst our minds.  With the many approaches and aspects provided from this fabulous collection, came a unique strand of our own…new confidence in the field, bountiful collections of information, and a feeling of ability to step forward and make our next move.    Currently, I’ve made many additional moves and drifted a few oceans and find myself as a full time, fine art photographer. My experiences at RMSP were like invaluable seeds and they’ve since been planted and continue to grown.  See more of Josh's work at www.joshaxelrod.com Since attending SI in 1996, I have never waivered in my commitment to photography as a career. In that magic summer, I learned about Light in Montana. The intense schedule gave me a true sense of what it’s like to be a working photographer, to live and breathe photography. I’m still inspired by instructors who truly care about how much they can teach you, many of whom are still with RMSP. I’d always been a photographer, but SI unleashed my creativity and started my career as an artist. In 1997, I began as an event photographer in Seattle, then took my Polaroid Transfer Art to local art fairs , galleries, coffee shops and Seattle Magazine. My work is displayed in the W Hotel in Seattle, and was featured on the set of NBC’s “Frasier” for five years. I’ve sold my photographic artwork at the famous Pike Place Market in Seattle for the last ten years and it was used for the 2000 and 2003 PPM annual posters. At SI, I learned to previsualize my images, a skill that still fuels my creative work. That Summer, I found that to trust in and follow your own vision is the most important path you can take. I’m proud to be a Friend of RMSP. In 1995, on a whim and a prayer, I put my ordinary life on hold and embarked on an extraordinary journey. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, my decision to spend the summer in Montana studying photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography was life-changing.  It was the starting point of my becoming a professional photographer.  At an early age, I developed a passion for the outdoors while backpacking with my family in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.  I furthered my love and understanding of the natural world while earning a geology degree from Occidental College.  My geology career took me to remote places in Montana and Wyoming; places so wild and beautiful that a camera was always close at hand.  Twelve years ago, at the onset of Summer Intensive, I was a relative new-comer to photography.  I didn’t know much about technical aspects of a camera, and I knew even less about why an image moved me.  If I did come up with a good shot, it was most likely by accident.  I owned a basic SLR and some filters that I’d never used.  A tripod was definitely not in my arsenal.  I can remember driving up to Montana prior to the beginning of SI and having many anxieties about what I was doing, why I was doing it.  But during the very first meeting, my fears were allayed by Neil and Jeanne Chaput de Saintogne (co-founders of the school). They showed a genuine desire to help all students, regardless of skill level, and revealed themselves as warm, inviting, dedicated people who wanted the best for their students.  At SI, we quickly fell into a steady rhythm; we studied zone, the masters, landscapes, studio lighting, color, black and white, marketing and business, questions, more questions, and answers. For me, the rhythm slowly became a dance, a thirst, a relentless search and discovery. When you are in the most beautiful state in the country, with the most incredible light show every afternoon, being taught by highly skilled (and patient) photographers, how can you not become entrenched in capturing what your eye sees through the lens. Every waking moment became an opportunity to expand ones knowledge and widen ones focus. We were given assignments which challenged our technical knowledge and creative intuitions, thus uncovering new interests. Every day brought with it a new set of challenges, in unfamiliar locations, which only served to strengthen our understanding of photography at every level. Ordinary class assignments were transformed into deeply personal portfolios (I still use some of my images in presentations today). In the end, we were all changed…the way we viewed life through the lens, the way we used this instrument (the camera) to make a statement or convey a moment in time, and the way we saw ourselves.  Since graduating from SI in 1995, I have traded in my rock pick for a tripod and have made the transition from geologist to professional photographer. Although I began my photography career using film, I have now made the leap to digital capture.  I guess I would consider myself a photographer, trained in tradition but open to exploration. My work in photography has been all across the board, encompassing weddings, family portraits, on-site executive portraits, studio product work, architecture, commercial and residential real estate, and events.  Currently, my work focuses on marketing my Limited Edition photographic fine art prints on a purchase or lease basis. The prints are widely collected and exhibited and can be found in some of the finest residences in Orange County, and on the walls of numerous Southern California-based companies. Over the years, my work has been published in numerous books, periodicals, and commercial advertisements. I also produce assignment photography and stock photo images for the advertising industry and architectural/real estate industries. Some of my commercial clients include REI, American Express, Loan Advisors, Coastal Oak Realty, Cooper Mcmanus, Dream Homes, Meritage Realty, The Irvine Company, Principle Partners Inc., Orange County Performing Arts Center, Napa Valley Appellation, Hollis and Associates, Magellan Co., and a number of Fashion Island retailers. For me, Summer Intensive was a starting point in my photographic journey.  n such a dynamic field as photography, I can always learn from others so I find myself returning to RMSP to be inspired, to inspire others, to see things differently, to chase the light, and to nurture the love affair I have with state of Montana. I am on a continual learning path that I foresee will take a lifetime; and I am so excited about that. On a closing note, I would encourage all photographers, regardless of your level of expertise, to attend Summer Intensive, or any RMSP class.  It will change the way you see life through your lens, and the way you see yourself. But be prepared…you may never want to go home; and if you do, you will only dream of returning. See more of Ellen's work at www.ellenspots.com