6 Weeks

I'm moving from sunny Los Angeles to (wayy) upstate New York in 45 days. I will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology to get my BFA in photography. I have grown up in Los Angeles and love the West Coast. But, its time for a change.

I picked RIT for a number of reasons.
First, it was outside California. I would have loved to go to school in sunny San Francisco, but none of the schools really impressed me. In a perfect world, San Francisco Art Institute would be the best school ever, but its not and I didn't want to pick a school for location alone. This lead me to look else where.

Secondly, facilities and faculty.
I went Rochester last May to visit the school. Although it is nothing like big city Los Angeles, it was a beautiful. Lost of trees and green. Granted this was in the summer and probably the best time to visit but, as the cold starts coming, I will just have to acclimate. I met a number of teachers and students who were positive about the program . Will Dubois, the head of the photo department, went over my portfolio with me and talked about the program.
To complete my visit we took a tour of the school. The best part about this was the photo facilities. They have a very well equip digital lab, including Epson 7800s, 9800s and each of the 90 calibrated Mac pros has a Epson 3800 or 4800 attached. Seen here. The still have quite a few BW and color darkrooms. They also have over 30 fully equip studios, each with a 4x5 camera and strobes. (Do I sound like a RIT commercial? I kinda feel like it.) For me, equipment and facilities were a big part of my decision.

Lastly, I wanted a degree.
I struggled with the thought of skipping school and headed straight into assisting. While this was very tempting, I know having a BFA will be useful. I have thought of teaching part time as I run my business. I really love sharing with people. I think that is a large part of photography, showing what you have learned and exchanging ideas. This is how photography grows.
I would have to get an MFA to teach, which would be another two years of school, but I kind of look forward to it. I guess I have a little while before this has to all be figured out.

With that, I bid thee adieu and hope you enjoy the rest of my blog.
Yours,
Graham Walzer