Brooks Institute of Photography

Recruitment Brochure

How do you start? What's it like to go to Brooks?

From your first day in class you will jump right into the actual planning and production of photographic images. You will learn by doing: you will physically operate large-format cameras, develop the film, and make prints. You will also study academics like English, math, business and marketing.

Large-format photography teaches you to think ahead and plan and solve problems. When you go to the trouble of setting up a large-format camera, you find yourself paying a lot of attention to your location, lighting, and time of day. You learn to plan the picture in advance to achieve pre-visualized results. Once you've mastered the basics on largeformat cameras, you will be proficient in handling any camera.

What's Santa Barbara like?

Santa Barbara is on the Pacific coast 90 miles north of Los Angeles. It's a small city (population about 80,000) with the conveniences and cultural amenities of a much larger community. The Brooks Institute campuses are in the foothills of the Santa Ynez mountains with a fine view of the ocean and Channel Islands.

After I graduate, what careers are waiting for me? How will I find a job?

There's a strong nationwide demand for trained photographers: visual communications is a fast-growing field. Photographers are needed in photojournalism, advertising, fashion, sports, movies, television, portraiture, computer graphics, space research, high technology, medicine, anthropology -just to name a few areas. Brooks Institute trains you not just to take pictures, but how to get jobs. Our entire curriculum is career-oriented. And our Alumni Services is always available to assist Brooks' graduates with resumes, and referrals to positions.

You'll become part of a network of photographers who look after each other, and our graduates often become employers who hire other Brooks' graduates.

Should I visit Brooks Institute before I enroll?

We strongly recommend it. You and your parents are invited to call or write for an appointment. You can talk to our staff, faculty, and current students. We also offer three-day workshops at various times during the year, when regular school is on break. You might like to learn more about Brooks Institute, and Santa Barbara, while taking one of these workshops.