Brooks Institute wedding program

<p>HI, I'm new and I am extremely interested and serious about doing wedding photography as my career. I have been a second shooter at only 3 wedding and a few portrait engagement shoots on my own. I really want to learn and be a good photographer, not just somebody with a good camera. I have been reading books and stuff online and on here, but I recently came across a wedding photography program at Brook's Institute in Santa Barbara.<br>

I am curious on others professional thought's if this would be a good investment for me. It would be about $14,440 total. I am looking into student loans and etc. Looks like I might be able to get $9,500 paid for. I haven't agreed to it yet I want to make sure this wont be a waste. It's an 8 month program, every Sat & Sun with a few weekends off here and there.<br>

It sounds like it would teach me a lot and more that I would even doing 8 months of being a second shooter. I am just worried about the money, I don't mind paying for it if it's worth it. I really what to do it, but I am having misgivings. I would love to hear other professional photographer's thoughts. Did everyone here go to school or did you learn from experience?</p>

<p>here is a link to the program:<br>

http://www.brooks.edu/programs/stillphoto_wedding.asp</p>

 

<p>Mostly, I learned from experience, although I went to Brooks for a bit. Since the program is brand new, no one can tell you how good it is or whether it is worth it. As always, a lot depends on you. If you are resourceful, a fast learner, and have some practical smarts, you will probably be good apprenticing and second shooting, without having to be saddled with debt right out of the gate. On the other hand, if you do better in a structured learning environment, it might be worthwhile. At least you will have access to the stuff you need to know.</p>

<p>If you aren't getting a lot out of 8 months of second shooting, I'd maybe look for a different mentor. You should be learning a LOT, technically, artistically, and business-wise. In the wedding photography business, apprenticing and second shooting are the traditional ways of getting started. Particularly now, with the internet, you have access to tons of information. I never did when I was starting out.</p>

<p>Some self assessment and analysis is in order, and a real world look at whether you want to shell out the bucks. It takes a long time to pay off that kind of money.</p>

<p>Wedding photography isn't that hard and $14K isn’t chump change. If you have a strong background in photography, I see no reason to enroll in the program. You could easily learn all of what is being taught, on your own. However, it's likely that the program would speed up your learning curve. It's also possible that you could benefit more from a different type of instruction or program, meaning one that isn't so focused on weddings. I'd ask for a faculty list and check them out- see how many of them are shooting and if you like their work. Meet them too, if you can. In my opinion, a faculty that isn't top-notch isn't worth the $14K, the $ for supplies, and most importantly, 8 months of your energy. Ask for names of former students- are they shooting or are they working as waiters? Can you meet any students who are in your classes? A group of untalented or unmotivated students is a waste.</p>

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<p >I agree with Nadine. The right mentor is invaluable. Unfortunately, there are a LOT of wedding photographers who don't have too much "photographic" knowledge. It's literally an industry where anyone with a Rebel is a photographer. In the PPA world, you might start off with becoming a certified professional photographer. From there you might get your Master of Photography (M.Photog.) or your Photographic Craftsman (Cr.Photog.). After that comes a membership in ASP. ASP use to be by invitation only (I think now you can join after you get your Masters from PPA), but I have talked with ASP photographers and they <em>REALLY</em> know their stuff. My point being, look for mentors with some credentials. A fancy website and great marketing skills will take you a long ways, but do nothing to improve your photography. Besides that, join the PPA and/or your local chapter. Participate in print competitions, that is one way to get better fast. I might disagree that wedding photography "isn't' hard"; I actually think it is very hard. Many, probably most, professionals don't like doing wedding photography because there is so little return for so much work! Everyone assumes that an 8-hour wedding day is 8-hours of work. Don't I wish. You get an hour or more to do an engagement session of a happy couple and 5-minutes to pull off some great shots of the couple on the wedding day!</p>

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<p>there are more successful (profitable) photographer that are good with marketing skills than those with good photographic skills..</p>

<p>you might as well get a marketing degree than a photographic degree. Most clients won't care if you have a degree in photography or not. They'll look at your picture and decide for themselves if they like your pictures or not, regardless of what degree you have.</p>

<p>Just take a look at most of the famous wedding photographers out there, and check how many of them have a degree in photography.... not many.</p>

<p>I am an amateur photographer, I live in Santa Barbara, and I am always concerned when I hear that someone is thinking about enrolling at Brooks. This is a small city, and I run into many new Brooks students, enthusiastic about learning, as good students are no matter what they study. I also run into many former Brooks students, most of whom are not doing photography any more. I meet some as they're leaving town, when they have used photographic equipment advertised for sale. Somehow, I find little joy in the bargains they offer. To see a Brooks graduate shrug her shoulders and say, about a fine, heavy-duty tripod, "I'll never use it again," is really sad.</p>

<p>As Nadine pointed out, this is a new program at Brooks, so less is known about it. That's a positive thing. It is also positive for Brooks that Nadine, whose experience and expertise helps so many people here on photo.net, "went to Brooks for a bit." (Obviously, it didn't harm her.)</p>

<p>Ha ha...Hector. Whether Brooks damaged me is a question mark... :^) I was there for the first two semesters, I think. We had to learn on view cameras and I still have a Burke and James Orbit. I'd say that it certainly can't hurt <strong>IF</strong> you have the money and don't need to borrow. If you have to borrow to pay for tuition, that is another thing altogether. To me, this is the key thing.</p>

<p>The school is going to put their best face on things, so if you ask about the job landing rate, they are going to give you positive numbers, and push forward glowing examples of success stories among their students. In fact, Brooks has been in trouble before for making claims about the job landing rate of former students. Don't be gullible. I had student loans and it took me a long time to pay them off, and I didn't borrow anywhere near what you are saying. I'm not sorry I did it, but for wedding photography, you can get to the same end result if you are self motivated and use your head.</p>

<p>Nadine, I mean it. I know it sounds funny, because I'm damming Brooks with an exception to its usual pattern of discouraging its students, but the fact that you went there, even for a couple of semesters, is the best thing I've heard about Brooks in a long time. I don't have the experience, so I don't contribute to the wedding forum, but I've seen how much you help photographers. Now that Ellis doesn't seem to be posting, you and Matt are my main photo heroes. (Sorry to go off topic.)</p>

<p>Will the Brooks course get you into a management role to handle the wedding? You, the photographer, have to know when to be where, along with getting Uncle Harry to put his camera down as he tries his best to shoot over your ear, during the wedding.</p>

<p>Do you have good skills in handling stress? People under stress (some brides, and mother's of the bride) also need encouragement at times.</p>

<p>The price ($14K) is high for a job that will be done most often on a Saturday, providing you have the business knowledge to line up wedding dates after you have completed the course.</p>

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<p>Thank you everyone for you your responses! I think you have all made the choice easier. I don't think I am going to do this program. I was have misgivings about giving up my weekends and paying 14K. (and driving! I am currently in San Luis Obispo about 2hr drive each way) I pretty sure I am at a solid no. I am going to try and look up some past students that finished the program and also I am going to ask for a list of the instructors and look them up and see who would be teaching me. If there isn't anyone worth 14K and its just somebody reading a book - I can read a book. If by chance they do have some amazing photographer teaching I might think about it just to learn from them - but I think the feedback here has let me give into my misgivings. I am feel a lot stress already gone.</p>

<p>I am going to look for a another photographer to shadow and I am going to spend my weekends doing actual second shooting and studying on my own...and posting a lot here.</p>

<p>I know I want to do photography. I enjoy it and only want to learn more. I think I do really well with working with people and stress so far. On my first second shoot I had a Bride and Bridesmaid fighting with each other. It was tough but I am glad my first one was tough. I didn't run away and dealt with it.</p>

<p>Nadine you gave me courage with your comment of "...you can get to the same end result if you are self motivated and use your head." I know I can do this on my own and surly save myself a bunch of money in the long run.</p>

<p>The thing that really attracted me to it was the technical part. I feel like I am doing okay in people skills, and finding my own style but the technical part I feel there is so much to learn and I feel like I hardly know anything on that end. I am trying to learn - but reading books and looking for online videos sometimes only leads to more questions. But I need to learn how to walk before I run. I think I was getting too excited and just wanted to learn it all at once. So I think I will take my time and save my money.</p>

<p>Thank you all for your responses, I can tell everyone took the time to answer honestly and professionally and I appreciate the words of experience.</p>

<p>Don't overlook the community college programs in photography. I went to one in San Francisco--very low cost--some of them are even free. While probably a step or two below a specialized wedding course at Brooks, you can get a basic photography eduction--at least the basic technical stuff. Then, add that self motivation and use of brain, and you can go a long way. It is basically what I did, and without the internet, it takes far longer. I had to resort to things like wandering around in the photo store looking at things and trying to figure out what they were for and why one would want such a thing. I learned a lot this way.</p>

<p>The course I took was not academic--the slant was on commercial photography, so look carefully when you evaluate these programs.</p>

<p>I don't know anything about Brooks program, but I do have a bachelors degree in fine art photography, and communications photography. After I graduated I started shooting weddings and portraits, and before that 2nd shooting. What I learned in college, was mostly technical stuff like how to use the camera, and some studio lighting. What I learned from actually working in the field is how to be an artist, which was way more valuable than anything I learned in school. The best way to learn that is work for/with other photographers who you like their style. Study their images and think about how they accomplished what they captured, and then pay attention to what they are doing when you shoot with them. A lot of photographers out there just want to shoot, and they will gladly pay someone like you (if you know photoshop) to help them edit and or design their albums for them. That is how I got my start - and then eventually they might make you an associate photographer for their studio.</p>

<p>Don't waste your money. There are plenty of ways to learn online for free. Spend that money on some decent equipment and do a variety of workshops with photographers around the country. Much better spent.</p>

<p>My old Neighbor in Detroit in the 1960's went to Brooks in SoCal in the early 1950's and took commercial and wedding and industrial and portrait photography.</p>

<p>Maybe something is a miss here; Wedding stuff was taught at Brooks 1/2 century + ago.</p>

<p>His son learned wedding photography there in the late 1970's; and shot weddings in Detroit in the 1980's then went into commercial work</p>

<p> Santa Barbara is not a cheap place live; consider room and board too. One has also some Brooks courses in Ventura; at the old movie lot they bought. </p>

<p>In the early 50s, I'm sure Brooks was a different place. Same for when I was there. I'm also sure that they came out with the Wedding Program in response to two things. First, the proliferation of people wanting to be wedding photographers and second, the number of workshops being offered for people wanting to be wedding photographers. I'm sure they figure they should get their share of the money being spent.</p>

<p>I personally would save the 14 grand. If you have a good technical understanding of photography you can teach a lot to yourself. If not I would take 1 or 2 basic photography courses to learn the basics. I would also attend a couple of wedding photography seminars. Some of these seminars are taught by the finest studios in the world. I personally like David Ziser. Check out his book Captured by the Light. It is by far the best book about photography I have ever read (I own hundreds of books) Also look into podcasts there are a ton of them out there and you really can learn a lot. Invest in your equipment by pro level stuff that will last and take the punishment.</p>

<p>Thanks again for everyone's thoughts! I will continue learning by doing and save my money and def invest in some great gear. All you advice is extremely helpful and honest. Thank you!</p>

<p>I officially said no to the program today, I thought I would share my experience. When I call I told him I couldn't invest the momey for the program and it was just too many weekends where I could be shooting weddings. He said that I really should reconsider and asked me for my credit card number. I told him I would not give him my credit card number as I was not doing the program. He told he needed the cc number to complete my file. I refused.<br>

What a joke! I am SO glad everyone here backed my confidence up to where I didn't throw my money at this institution. I know I can do this without them, everyone here is great and I can't wait to continue learning.</p>

<p>Thanks for the tip for the book Brian, that book looks amazing. I just ordered it online and cannot wait to start it!</p>

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