Kevin Tinney — Missouri

Course: Springfield Photo Weekend

I was surprised to learn RMSP was having a Photo Weekend event in my hometown of Springfield, MO. I decided to attend because I had plateaued in my ability, but I knew I could be better. I considered myself an advanced amateur and had developed my knowledge from books. I was interested in something to move me to the next level. I couldn’t have picked a better option than RMSP.

The cost of this weekend was unbelievably reasonable and in my opinion, the first class nature of the Weekend with Tim Cooper was worth the tuition and much more. The rest of the Weekend continued to build my knowledge and vastly improve my skill. The ability to choose between classes each session was a great advantage for me.

It’s one thing to have access to this type of knowledge, it’s another thing for it to be presented in such a way that it is easy, fun to learn, and sticks with you once you leave. Tony Rizzuto was such a fantastic instructor. Because of his humor and teaching style I can’t wait to attend another RMSP course with him. The instructors were subject-matter experts and used wonderful humor and photographic examples to share with us their experience and convey the information.

The interaction with the instructors, direct questions and benefit of other students’ questions cannot be matched by books or the internet. I feel like the curtain has been pulled back and I now have an enlightened view of not only what makes a person connect with a photograph, but how to accomplish this in my own work. It’s as if I suddenly can read a new language. I am most certainly a better photographer after this Weekend and I can’t wait until my next RMSP experience.