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When Neil and Jeanne Chaput de Saintonge came to
Missoula to teach a small photography class of eight students, they
didn’t quite know how successful their efforts would be. The only
thing they knew for certain was that the Missoula community felt
like a perfect fit.
“Right from the start, Missoula just felt like home to us,” Jeanne
says.
Sixteen years later, the enrollment at the Rocky Mountain School of
Photography rivals that of many small colleges in the state of
Montana. With more than 3200 students attending RMSP’s instructional
programs a year, the success of the school continues to be evident.
Q: What kind of
photography do students study at RMSP?
A: We believe in giving
students a solid foundation in photography. We feel that knowing the
basics and having the skill sets both technically and aesthetically
are the most important thing. Essentially, we give them a “tool box”
and teach them how to use the tools. They can choose to study color
or black and white, traditional or digital, landscapes or macro,
people or architecture. But they are still learning what its going
to take to make a great picture and how to use their tools to do
that. So really, they study photography and they learn how to use
the tools that they are interested in.
Q: How many different
programs does the school have and how long does each program last?
A: We have three types
of programs: Career Training, Photo Workshops and Weekends.
Our Career Training program offers three separate courses that move
a student in the direction of a photography career. They are all
designed in an “intensive” format that gives a tremendous amount of
information in a short period of time. We have found this format to
be very successful and desirable. Within the Career Training program
we offer three types of courses. Many students will take the three
courses together for a complete education, spending up to five
months in Missoula.
Summer Intensive is our 11-week foundation course. It is a very
complete program that gives students a strong technical, creative
and business education to launch a career in photography.
Digital Intensive is a six-week course designed to immerse the
students in a complete digital education. From digital capture to
digital work flow and printing, we are teaching students the
essentials for working in today’s professional photography world.
Our third course is Professional Studies. These are “mini”
intensives that take students to the next level in a specific field
of photography. Students spend a week to 10 days concentrating on a
specific skill set in relation to a desired area of photography such
as architecture, wedding, portraiture, nature and sports.
Our second program is Photo Workshops. These are designed for the
photography enthusiast – someone who doesn’t just enjoy photography,
but loves it. Participants want to know how to make a good
photograph, honest feedback and an education that supports their
enthusiasm. We teach four categories of these workshops. They are:
Foundation Workshops, Location Workshops, Process and Print
(digital) Workshops and Shoot and Critique.
Foundation Workshops are a progressive approach to learning
photography and provide a broad base of knowledge and skill. All of
these take place in Missoula.
Location Workshops are workshops that go to the right place at the
right time. They take place in spectacular locations all over the
country and the world. These include lectures on relevant subjects,
one-on-one assistance in the field and critiques. We offer about 30
of these a year.
Shoot and Critique workshops also go to beautiful locations but
students spend maximum time in the field. The focus is instructor
assistance while shooting on location. Extensive and thorough
feedback through the critique process then follows.
Process and Print refers to our digital workshops. We have a
stair-step approach to digital learning that allows students to
start where they are comfortable, while building upon their skills
with each workshop. All of the digital workshops take place in our
state-of-the-art digital labs here in Missoula.
And the third program we offer is Weekends. Every winter we take to
the road and tour cities throughout the United States and Canada.
These events are for avid photographers interested in improving
their skills. These weekend workshops offer students a selection
from eight to 15 classes during the weekend, in order to develop
skills and expand their knowledge.
Q:
What’s the most popular program at the school?
A: That would probably
be our flagship course mentioned earlier, the Summer Intensive. It
is what the school was founded on and continues to be a profound
experience in many ways for the 100-plus students who descend upon
Missoula every summer.
Q: Where’s the school
located?
A: Our offices, labs
and some classroom space are in the old federal bank building in
downtown Missoula at 210 North Higgins Avenue.
Q: Where do the
students at RMSP come from?
A: This last year we taught about 3200 students from across the
United States. And we also had students in our Summer Intensive
program from five foreign countries!
Q: What kind of
environment should a prospective student expect to find at RMSP?
A: That is a great
question because one of the things that make RMSP special is
something that has been called the “RMSP Experience.” We teach and
support students through the process of learning photography. The
instructors are down to earth, practicing professionals who are
outstanding teachers. Their main concern is giving a learning
experience that pays attention to where the students are and meeting
them at that place.
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