 Commercial
photographers are some of the highest paid professionals in the
industry. It's true, rates can run $1200, $2000, and even $5000
per day plus expenses. A career in commercial photography can be
pretty exciting while you are traveling around the world,
shooting an annual report, company brochure, travel essay, or an
advertisement for a global corporation.
Does this sound like the dream job? Well, it can be and the
The Commercial Photography program at Aspen Photo Workshops is
designed for aspiring and enthusiastic students who desire to
become a professional commercial photographer.
Maybe you have cameras and lights and feel you
are ready to compete. Do you have the essential skills to take
on jobs and create a quality product? Do you know whom to call? Do you know why you use an umbrella over a
lightbox for a portrait? Can you shoot food for a menu or a CEO
for an annual report? Do you know how to 'style' a shoe to
photograph? When should you create specular highlights instead
of diffused?
 Who do
you show your portfolio to? Do you even know what your portfolio
should include? What should you bid to shoot an annual report
for a week? $2000 or $12,000? To secure assignments who do you
market to? What is a better way to market, direct mail or source
book? Someone saw one of your photos and wants to use it in an
ad, do you know how much to charge? Can you price a stock photo
based on usage and market penetration? These and so many more
questions are the issues that a commercial photographer deals
with everyday.
The One Year Professional
Photographer Program is an online program and is completely
dedicated to teaching you how to compete in professional photography!
Having a screwdriver and
wrench does not make anyone an auto mechanic nor does a camera and
lights make anyone a commercial photographer. An exclusive set
of skills are required and the development of a business sense
as well. Successful commercial photographers know the business
inside and out and can shoot most anything that comes their way
and obtaining these skills takes time and commitment. Do you
have it?
Many general college programs teach basic through advanced
photography skills and it takes years. There are also private
professional schools as well. Have you checked out the costs at
those schools? One 10 month program in Massachusetts is $26,000.
Another very good school in Southern California does not even publish
their tuition. And there are many more very good schools
where tuition for the program is in the six figures. Can
you afford that?
What will you learn at a college or university with a
photography program? History of photography? Will public
speaking, math and physics be part of the program? How
about spending a year in the darkroom making prints? Printing is
fun, but how much of this will you use in a commercial
photography business that is totally digital? The world of
photography is now digital! Ask some working pros how much time
they spend in the darkroom these days and you will find the
established pros probably don't. They are busy
shooting and working in Photoshop™
and making big bucks.
 The
1 Year Professional Photography Program Aspen
Photo Workshops has carefully researched today's markets and the
demands placed on photographers today. In fact, we did not have
to go far as our instructors are working professionals who have
businesses and work in the field every day. The question was:
how can we provide an in-depth, accelerated, and intensive
program to meet the needs of aspiring pros who wish to work in
today's business? It is a demanding field requiring a precise
set of skills and a knowledge of an extensive set of creative
and technical processes. This research has resulted in this
photography program. Developed to take
beginning photographers from novices to pros with a portfolio to
show art directors and all in 1 year.
We will take full advantage of the most powerful education
tool in history; the internet. This will allow you to work from
your home, keep your current job, and learn as much as if you
were attending a photography school. Each week you will receive
a lesson related to a specific subject or photography category.
The lesson will include information behind the ideas, how the
sample images were done, lighting diagrams, and some lessons
will include video tutorials that you can watch on your
computer.
What will you learn:
- Portraiture
- Products
- Architecture
- Corporate and Industrial
- Advertising
- Fashion and Beauty
- Travel
- Food and Beverage
- Lifestyle
- Editorial
- Stock
and some Photoshop as well.
See more samples of photographs from this course.
You will also learn how to budget for your business and
studio, create marketing materials, design a portfolio,
determine your photography rates, bid on jobs, price stock
photography, find clients, seek a stock photo agency, and a lot
more.
Each lesson will include
information behind the ideas, how the sample images were done,
lighting diagrams, and some lessons will include video tutorials
that you can watch on your computer.
The Schedule
The program has been divided into three trimesters;
Foundation, Advanced, and The Professional Internship.
 The
Foundation trimester will include 12 lessons and 12
assignments and will focus on the introduction to all facets of
photography subjects including: studio lighting, portraits,
products, color management for lighting, location lighting,
flash, editorial, travel and leisure, corporate and industrial,
and stock photography.
The Advanced trimester will also include 12 lessons
and 12 assignments and will cover advanced techniques for
portraits, products, location lighting, architecture and
interiors, flash, stock, fashion, advertising, lifestyle, and
outdoor and adventure.
The Professional Internship trimester will also be 12
lesson and 12 assignments. Here you will begin assembling your
portfolio, develop marketing materials, begin seeking out
clients, and prepare your stock images for submitting to a stock
agent. Lessons will include The Annual Report, Production Stock,
a Business Brochure, a Travel Assignment, and an Architecture
assignment.
Program Options: For course participants who desire
additional hands on training, we offer the option at additional
cost, of visiting our studio in Oregon for any of several
options for photo shoots including portraits, products,
architecture, stock photography, and more.
Upon completion of the course in full, you will receive a
certificate of completion and have your portfolio reviewed and
critiqued by two working professionals not related to the course.
 Who
is the teacher?
Before you take a workshop anywhere,
you should be asking this question. Are they qualified to be
teaching this workshop? Has the instructor actually worked in
the business? What you learn and where you go with
photography depends on an experienced and qualified instructor
guiding you.
This course is
taught by
Charlie Borland,
veteran professional photographer for over 25 years. He has
traveled the U.S. and Internationally on assignment for many
magazines and large corporations including:
Xerox, NW Airlines, Fujitsu, Tektronix, Nike, Blue Cross,
Nationsbank, Precision Castparts Corp., Mentor Graphics, Texas
Instruments, Pacificorp, Cellular One, America West Airlines,
Sequent Computer, Early Winters, Cascade Bancorp, Associated
General Contractors, Sunset Magazine, Farmers Insurance, Key
Bank, Northwest Airlines,
and many more.
In 1990, with the success of his own photo
marketing, he started Borland Stock Photo in Portland, OR. This
boutique stock photo agency eventually represented the images of
50 photographers before being sold to FPG (later Getty), a NY
stock agent. In 2001, he co-founded
www.fogstock.com, an
online agency where he currently assists in image reviews and
works with the agencies many photographers to develop marketable
imagery in today's competitive environment.
This vast
experience in the profession, makes Charlie an excellent
instructor to assist YOU in
developing a marketable portfolio of images. He knows what the
clients want! Charlie is an enthusiastic instructor who will
leave you motivated and inspired!
For
more information, check out the following:
Motivation
Sample lesson
Required equipment
Course Requirements
Terms
Starting
September 3rd, 2008 and runs until July 2009. Space is limited and each candidate will be interviewed for
acceptance to the program.
Approximately 30 days prior to the program you will receive a
binder for your lessons with a schedule.
The price will be
$4795.00. If you are interested in
becoming a commercial photographer in our program, please email us at
info@aspenphotoworkshops.com or call 1-888-367-2107
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You'll never
know.....if you never go!
