Anyone have opinions of Julia Dean workshops in LA?

[s. roche]

Hi,

I'm new to the forums.

 

I'm in southern California, and found the Julia Dean workshops

through a google search. Just thought I would ask here if anyone has

participated in these workshops, has experience with them or an

opinion about them? I've seen the santa fe workshops mentioned on

these forums (through search) but little of julia dean. Thought I'd

take a shot and ask.

 

You can find them at www.juliadean.com

 

Looking forward to responses--thank you!

Stacy

[joe c.]

Welcome to the photo.net forums!

 

I have taken one class at Julia Dean Workshops, and it was a very positive experience. They have a week-long course on alternative processes (e.g., Holga, Polaroid transfers, pinhole, etc.), but because of my busy schedule, I took it as a one-day "crash course." I thought the instructors, including Julia herself, were very talented and, even more importantly, excellent teachers. They were also very down to earth in their style, creating a fun environment to experiment in. I plan on taking additional courses there in the future. I just received a note from them, that in addition to their Venice location, they will also be partnering with Samy's Camera to offer courses at their stores.

 

Another good thing about Julia Dean Workshops is the sense of community that exists there. For example, one of the photographs I took during that day won one of their photo contests, and there was a wonderful gallery opening for the show. There are all kinds of other activities like that in addition to the classes.

 

There are many other courses available in Southern California, depending on what you are looking for -- black & white prints vs. digital, one-day vs. multi-week time commitment, beginner vs. advanced, basic equipment technique vs. photography as a business vs. artistic background, and what geography is most desirable for you. Let us know more about your interests along those lines, and maybe others can chime in too.

 

Good luck with your search! Taking courses is a wondeful way to learn, as is this forum.

[s. roche]

Hi JoeC--thank you for the warm welcome!

 

Thank you for offering your feedback on the Julia Dean workshops. I'm glad to hear of their quality and supportive environment.

 

I'm trying to decide between taking an intro class with Julia (digital or film) in April or an intro to digital class with George Simian in January. I'm a total beginner to the study of photography. Have only taken photos casually up to now, so I'm looking to learn all that I can.

 

I'm also looking into possibly studying at a junior college--my local one doens't have a very good photo program. But I've heard santa monica, orange coast and pasadena city college are good photo programs--just have to decide which one... (lol). They are all about the same driving distance (give or take a little). So if anyone would care to weigh in on any of their programs--I'd appreciate it.

 

Then again, studying with julia dean workshops may suffice!

 

These forums are a fantastic resource--so glad I found it!

[joe c.]

Those all sound like great options. For a beginner, I would recommend taking the course locally, with enough time for assignments in between (I think that some of Julia Dean's courses are even spaced out every two weeks, which I think is a great idea), as opposed to a week-long course out of town such as Santa Fe or Brooks, but others may differ.

 

There are courses at other Southern California educational institutions such as UCLA Extension and Beverly Hills Adult School on the westside. There are some at camera stores such as the ones at Samy's in various locations or Paul's Photo in the South Bay. There are even some correspondence courses, such as New York Institute of Photography or betterphoto.com, but with so many great local options, you may not need to go that way.

 

I am sure others will know of some great classes in Southern California that I am not remembering off the top of my head. My last bit of advice... Don't forget to sometimes just go off on your own, wandering around a familiar or new place, with your camera in hand. Serendipity can be a great teacher too. Enjoy!

[michael_jenkins]

Stacy, I highly recommend the Orange Coast College program in Costa Mesa. Great facility. Good People. Their class schedule has been cutback a bit. I assume the California budget crisis has a lot to do with this. I'd bet this is a problem throught the public school system here in California. Give OCC a look. Mike

[s. roche]

Hi Michael--

 

Thank you for the recommendation of Orange Coast College--I appreciate your input! Do you have personal experience with their program, or are you familiar with thier reputation?

 

Are all the instructors with the program created equal (so to speak--lol), in other words do you recommend any one in particular for their intro course?

[maya p.]

Hi Stacy - I just finished Julia Dean's Beginner workshop a couple months ago and it was great. Because I am still on film, I found it very difficult to find a beginners class that would still cover film. Her class was my only option given my hectic work and family schedule and it worked out perfectly. Julia is such a wonderful, inspiring instructor and I felt like I came away with a very good understanding of all the technical aspects of photography. In addition, her weekly assignments really help you put together your understanding of the class material to practice. In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with any of the classes she has to offer. She has really taken upon herself to recruit great photographers to teach her classes so that she can offer a diverse selection of classes.

 

Good luck with your classes!

[s. roche]

Hi Maya--

Thanks so much for your response. I apologize that I am only now seeing your response to me! Julia is offering a beginning class in April for film and digital--I will definitely sign up!

 

Thanks so much!

 

Stacy :)