Cherie Tolliver — Arizona

Course: Basic Photography

I was stuck and frustrated! I had a good camera, lots of ideas and knew what I wanted to capture in my photos, but I wasn't getting consistent results. I had read many photography books (even my camera's manual). I practiced skills presented on Internet tutorials and experimented with my DSLR for years. I had pieces of knowledge, some skills and an artistic vision, but the parts were not working together. It was way past time for me to find another way to nourish my passion.

That's when I decided to splurge and attend the RMSP Basic Photography Workshop. Why not let someone who is an expert help me improve my work? The weeklong class ended up being just what I needed to move forward.

The classroom work was organized, clear and intense. We would learn a new concept and then go out and shoot in the field to practice. Back in the classroom we would critique our images and reinforce what we had learned or determine why we had made mistakes. The learning environment was fast paced and fun. Criticism and suggestions were passed out kindly and with lots of humor to keep things light. The lead instructor Doug Johnson and his assistant Page were master communicators. They were able to challenge and assist a diverse group of learners in a professional but relaxed style that encouraged everyone to experiment and grow as photographers.

I was also very pleased that art and technique were blended together to encourage us to be more creative in our work. We learned the technical skills so we could capture our artistic vision. We learned to create differently by using our minds, our artistic ideas and our skills in a unified way.

The Basic Photography Workshop has opened up fantastic possibilities in upgrading my skills. I should have taken this class five years ago!