President's Blog

On March 11, 2010 the world lost a great visual documentarian of the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s. Brooks Institute alumnus and photographer Charles Moore died of natural causes in Florida. He was 79. His vivid and iconic images of the civil rights movement in the south will live on. Moore captured widely published images of Martin Luther King, Jr. In the 2005 documentary Charles Moore: I Fight With My Camera, Moore said, “I knew that this was a man who was going to make a difference.” Moore’s ability to identify this coupled with the huge impact the civil rights movement was going to have contributed to his success as a visual journalist. But without his talent behind the camera, this may not have been enough.

After serving as a photographer in the Marine Corp, Moore decided to study fashion photography. I am proud to say that he chose Brooks Institute. He studied here in the 1950s.

See some of Moore’s work in his LA Times Obituary.

Brooks Institute Board of Trustees member & editor-in-chief of Rangefinder and AfterCapture magazines Bill Hurter shared his memory of Mr. Moore, “I knew Charles Moore from my days at American University. He, along with another friend named Arledge Armenaki, was responsible for getting me to come to Brooks.”

Mark Mosrie, President of the Alumni Association of Brooks Institute recalls meeting Mr. Moore, “[I] met him once when I was in school and he invited me to his home in Northern California. A few weeks later, I took him up on it and spent three days with him and his wife. I remember walking around his darkroom and seeing PrintFile negative sleeves containing his most famous images.

Few people make a real difference in the world through their craft but Charles Moore was one of those who did.

He was truly one of the extraordinary “Brookies” (Brooks Institute alumni) whose “passion, vision, and excellence” have changed the world.

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Brooks Institute is hosting an open house this Saturday, April 17 at its Ventura Campus to feature its two new certificate programs: Digital Cinema and Wedding Photography. The open house begins at 10:00 a.m.

This open house is designed to feature the two new intensive 8-month certificate programs that Brooks Institute will be offering in May: Digital Cinema Certificate Program and Wedding Photography Certificate Program.

Faculty members from the School of Film and School of Photography will be present to discuss both programs to prospective students.

Both programs will provide students with an intensive hands-on educational experience based on professional industry standards.

To make a reservation to attend this Saturday’s open house, contact the Brooks Institute Admissions Office at 888-304-3456.

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The Alumni Association of Brooks Institute (AABI) announced the winners of their first annual Visual Arts Contest. The theme for the contest was Nature vs. Man. This contest was open to all Brooks Institute Alumni and held on the official AABI Facebook Page. They had over 60 alumni participants submit more than 100 images.

The images went through a three-tiered judging process comprised of esteemed Brooks Institute faculty and alumni. Thank you to faculty members Bruce Burkhardt, Ralph Clevenger, Chuck Place, Bob Smith, and alumnus James Neihouse for giving their time to review the images and select the winners.

Without further ado, the winners are:

1^st Place: Paul Knudsen

2^nd Place: Joe Morahan

3^rd Place: Ashley Suzanne Taylor

Runners Up:

Gina Papadakis

Kodiak Greenwood

Willa Kveta

Congratulations Brookies!

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"Rodeo" Image by Emma Fernelius

Brooks Institute presents the grand opening of “Revelar los Enlaces,” a student-developed documentary of Chile. The documentary, which chronicles the country’s people, life and culture, will premier as a multi-media presentation April 8, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara. Immediately following the premier, an exhibit and artists’ reception displaying the students’ documentary prints will be held at Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27.

As the premier date approached, the Feb. 27, 2010 earthquake in Chile became a focal point for the documentary group. With relief efforts underway, the students at Brooks Institute teamed up with Direct Relief International, a California-based, non-profit organization that provides financial and medical support to those in need. All proceeds resulting in the sale of the book and DVD will be donated to help the people of Chile. The students also will be collecting donations and conducting print auctions at the three gallery opening events.

“Chile now has a home in my heart,” said visual journalism student and documentary co-producer Jeff Johns.  “I realized we have an unbelievable opportunity to use these products we created to gain attention, awareness and relief for the victims of this horrible earthquake. By turning our opening events into fund raising opportunities, we have high hopes of raising funds to immediately impact those in desperate need.”

Each year, the visual journalism program of Brooks Institute offers an international documentary trip for interested Visual Journalism, Professional Photography, Graphic Design and Film students. The class, which is staged in a different international location each year, is limited to the strongest applicants. In November and December 2009, the 16 selected students and instructor spent seven weeks in Chile. Upon their return, the students created projects to showcase their experiences from this documented trip, including a multimedia presentation, a print exhibition, Web site, book and a DVD.

Following this grand opening event on April 8 will be a special screening and multimedia presentation at Brooks Institute’s Ventura Campus Saturday, April 10 from 6 – 10 p.m.  A screening and print show will also be held at the Marriott Ventura Beach Thursday, April 15, from 5 – 7:30 p.m. Each event will be unique as the students bring their Chilean experience to Southern California.

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From Left to Right: Dr. Roger Andersen, Walter C. Douglas, Joyce Douglas Photo Credit: Nina Gomez

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with Walter C. Douglas, an early graduate of Brooks Institute. He attended from May of 1946 to May of 1948, just after serving in the military, when the school occupied a small space on the 900 block of State Street in Santa Barbara. We have come a long way since then, as we currently occupy four campuses in Ventura and Santa Barbara. Through the years, the values and quality of education are still intact. Walter shared his early experience and the path his photography took.

“When I was in school, if you couldn’t take it in three photographs, you might as well forget about it,” Walter shared with me when we sat down.

Walter specialized in black and white photography. “Color, I never did like,” shared Walter, “They had a dye transfer process that I couldn’t take because my hands were nervous from the war.  I am a black and white photographer.”

His black and white photography was fine-tuned through his education and practice at Brooks. “I photographed a beautiful girl, so sharp you could peel the makeup off of her face. It turned me off,” said Walter.

He turned his focus to portraiture and historic photography. Walter’s wife, Joyce, knew Ansel Adams and set Walter up with an opportunity to meet the iconic photographer. “We shook hands and he nearly knocked me off my feet. He was so strong.” The portrait he took is well known today.

Walter explained how he set up the session with Ansel. “It was a dark living room and the dining room was adjacent. I thought I would take my Ansel Adams book and have him autograph it.” Ansel asked Walter what he wanted him to do and Walter told him, “Take your left hand and move the left finger out, sign your name, and stop.” Walter continued, “He made it perfect.” Walter snapped the photo. He decided to take another one just to be sure, but during the second one, Ansel moved his left hand very slightly. They decided to take a third shot, just to be sure.

“I took three shots, and would you believe it? The first shot is always the best,” he shared.

Walter Douglas’s work is currently being scanned and saved by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. His work will serve as historical reference for future generations.

Brooks Institute has invited Walter and his family to be guests of honor at Brooks Institute’s 65^th Anniversary celebration to be held on October 17^th at the Marriott Ventura Beach.

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Benjamin Ariff

Professional Photographer and Brooks Institute graduate, Benjamin Ariff attended WPPI Las Vegas 2010, a trade show that attracts tens of thousands of photographers from around the world each year.

Benjamin had this to say about his experience:

I have the pleasure of sharing a booth with the nice folks from WPPI. 15,000 people from all around the world of all ages came to learn and discuss the growing popularity of wedding photography.  At my booth, I met people who spoke various languages and shared a wide array of cultural differences but shared the one similarity; an interest in wedding photography. Many people were interested in improving their knowledge and skill set.  The energy was high, the people were friendly, and everyone showed a great passion for photography. This show greatly highlighted the current trends and changes that are rapidly developing. Wedding photography is growing in popularity as a career and a viable source of income.  WPPI was well received giving all participants a solid idea of the current marketplace.

Brooks Institute is proud to support the continuation of education for photographers with our new Wedding Photography certificate program. This 24-credit certificate program is designed to be completed in four sessions over 32 weeks, preparing students to successfully pursue and/or further careers in the wedding photography industry. Graduates of the certificate program will be trained to approach weddings with artistic vision and demonstrate proficiency in the art of visual storytelling. This program emphasizes the skills required to work within varying wedding environments as well as the discipline necessary to work with this specific clientele from start to finish. Those interested in learning more about the Wedding Photography Certificate program can contact an admissions representative at (888) 276-4999.

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Brookies Danielle Sandoval and Devyn Arrey were on-hand to photograph celebrity attendees.

Eleven Brookies teamed up with Brooks Institute’s  Career Services team, Eli Davis, Daniel Smith, Katie Huber and Isis Wills and attended this year’s pre-Oscars events, specifically the Eco Red Carpet and celebrity portrait session for The American Red Cross and benefit for Haiti relief.

“It was an incredible experience for me to be a part of the Oscars pre-party celebration,” said Brookie Katie Fagan, “I volunteered to help these talented photographers, who were also donating their time and expertise, to raise funds for relief in Haiti. [The photographers] definitely taught me a thing or two while they worked with each star; however, I had a few tricks up my own sleeve and was able to problem-solve in some intense moments, thanks to the influence of some great Brooks faculty.”

Our Brookies photographed celebrities including Candy Spelling, Chelsea Hightower from Dancing with the Stars and Shar Jackson from Celebrity Fit Club. The career services team was present for the two day event and made a lot of great connections!

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The latest book from Graphic Design faculty member Barbara Obermeier, Photoshop Elements 8 For Dummies, will be making an appearance in episode 10 of NBC’s Parenthood this season. (Barbara just signed an agreement to allow them to use a copy for this hit show.) The show airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m.  Episode 10 should air in about nine weeks.  The book is co-written by Ted Padova.

Barbara Obermeier is the principal of Obermeier Design, a graphic design studio in California specializing in print and Web design. She is the author of more than a dozen books.

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Alumnus Alexander Haessner was recently profiled on Germany’s TVNTV for his participation in New York’s Fashion Week 2010. Since graduating from Brooks, Alexander has made New York his home.

http://www.tvntv.de/public/newyork.mov

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Left to right: Yao Shiguan, Professor & Vice Dean of Teaching, Administration Division; Xiong Ying, Dean of School of Foreign Languages; Dr. Roger Andersen, President, Brooks Institute; Kuang Guozhu, President, Dalian University of Technology Photo Credit: David Litschel

The three visitors from Dalian University of Technology were accompanied by Yuhsun Edward Shih, Ph.D., Director of International Admissions, Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The purpose of the visit was to meet with Dr. Roger Andersen and David Litschel, Vice President of Academic Affairs, to discuss ways in which the two institutions could cooperate in the future. Plans are to follow up with another meeting in March.

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