What Kind of Place Are We?
Richard Stromberg pioneered the principle: ...if you are a product of your environment, choose the environment you wish to become a product of... And thus it is so.
Richard Stromberg's Chicago Photography Classes is a program designed by many dedicated photographers, some with many years of experience and some with less experience but a great desire to understand and share this new, ever-changing and evolving digital universe. The program is staffed by volunteers, and many have more than 15 years of experience. They are passionate about sharing knowledge and mentoring people just starting out to learn photography.
Chicago Photography Classes prides itself on being "student centered," were for you, which means that we listen as well as teach. Teaching is not our hobby, or part time job, teaching for growth is what we do, it's who we are. The heart of the photography program is the volunteer instructors. They are highly motivated women and men who teach so they can share their knowledge with others. They in turn were taught by volunteers, and those volunteers were taught by volunteers and the chain goes back to 1969. No hourly wage can compensate them for their work. Money and a job is not their motivation for teaching, community is. Sharing with others what was shared with them. We encourage mentoring and tutoring because sharing your knowledge is a critical part of learning.
After completing the initial course, Photo I, a student has a very solid foundation on which to apply lifelong learning in the field. Over the years, Richard has taught more than 25,000 students. Some have gone on to make Photography their life's work, some students who are married with children have started part time Photography businesses from their homes, other have used their new photography skills in their work, for example a hair stylist will photograph their "cuts" so they can show their other clients. Many former students have sent their adult children to learn from him. Throughout the years two things have remained the same about Richard's classes: Laughter Will Be Heard & Learning Will Occur
