Colorado Mountain College
“I have been blessed to meet and photograph people from all around the world. The friendships that have been built through photography is something that I am grateful for every day. I feel very honored to do what I do and very proud to provide the best service that I can for my clients.”
– David Gillette, photographer based in Vail, Colorado
Peter and Kelley Gibeon met as students in the professional photography program. They have built an incredibly successful architectural photography business together and collaborate with creatives from elite California golf communities, to Rocky Mountain recreation towns, Central American resorts, the French Riviera and beyond.
Visit gibeonphotography.com
“Titcomb Falls” by Dustin Gregory
“Green River Passing” by Antonio Tavoletti
CMC ArtShare will host an opening reception for “Current Works: Students of the Colorado Mountain College Professional Photography Program” at the CMC ArtShare Gallery March 22.
The show provides an opportunity for students in the college’s Isaacson School of Communication, Arts and Media to experience exhibiting their work in a public gallery and to share and discuss their work with members of the community. “Our students enjoy this real-world experience that goes beyond what they’re taught in the classroom,” said Derek Johnston, photography professor and program director.
The reception for “Current Works” will be held 6-8 p.m. on March 22 at the ArtShare Gallery at Morgridge Commons, 815 Cooper Ave., 2nd floor, in downtown Glenwood Springs. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served. Community members are welcomed and encouraged to attend.
The exhibit will remain on view in the gallery from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, March 20 through April 25. For more information, contact Julia Bennett at the CMC Foundation at 947-8360 or jlbennett@coloradomtn.edu, or visit cmcfoundation.org/events/.
“My First Idol” by Murphy McCoy
Originally from Buenos Aires, Guadalupe Laiz studied photography at CMC. In the fall of 2018, she signed a book deal with teNeues, a global publishing company, for her work photographing the horses of Iceland. She recently opened a gallery in Aspen.
Name
Guadalupe Laiz
Degree and year of graduation
Professional Photography (AAS), Class of 2014
Why did you choose to attend Colorado Mountain College?
I was looking for an affordable photography school, and I had a feeling that the CMC photo program had everything I was looking for.
What advice would you give a prospective student considering your major?
To take advantage of everything the school has to offer, to appreciate, listen to the teachers, who have years of experience and knowledge, and to focus and work very hard.
Where do you currently work? How has CMC prepared you for life after college?
I have been working as a freelance photographer for the past three years (I graduated 5 years ago). I recently opened my own gallery space where I sell my fine art photography in Aspen Colorado. So now I'm a business woman as well as a photographer. 😉
Visit QuadalupeLaiz.com
Colorado Mountain College Vail Valley in Edwards
Students in the Professional Photography Program at Colorado Mountain College have a history of earning national and international recognition for their work behind the lens.
In the last seven years, 15 students have earned accolades in the annual College Photographer of the Year (CPOY) Awards. This includes two 2018 winners, Stephanie Stocking and Dustin Gregory, who took home awards in the Interpretive Eye and Illustration categories.
This year's contest received nearly 10,000 images and multimedia projects entered by 550 student photographers from 126 colleges and universities in 17 countries.
“It’s rewarding,” said CMC Photography Professor Derek Johnston, “to see our students succeed like they have.”
Stephanie Stocking's image, 'Cisco Remains', won the Silver Award in the Interpretive Eye Category. The image features the relics of the once inhabited town of Cisco, Utah. It provides visitors a glimpse at the effects of economic downturn, the decline of the locomotive, and the construction of the nearby Interstate 70 that bypasses the town.
“I love seeing our small school go head to head with large art schools around the world,” Stocking said of the award. “It has given me a small bit of confidence and motivated me to start putting my work out there more.”
Dustin Gregory won an Award of Excellence for his photo illustration, 'Layers of Time: Day to Night in Canyonlands.' The image is a conceptual composite inspired by Stephen Wilkes Day to Night series. The image blends captures taken over a two-day period. The base image contains the storm cloud/rainbow and the night sky and lightning strikes were captured on adjacent evenings.
“It always feels good to get positive feedback on your work - especially in global competition,” Gregory said, adding the win is a small step on a much larger career journey.
“So, it’s back to square one and trying to get better every day”
Alumna Guadalupe Laiz knows that journey having been a former CPOY winner and a 2014 graduate of the Professional Photography Program. After doing some freelance work for five years, Laiz recently signed a book deal for her work on the horses of Iceland and she opened a gallery in Aspen.
Her advice to prospective students: “take advantage of everything the school has to offer,” including the college’s affordability and expert faculty.
“Appreciate and listen to the teachers, who have years of experience and knowledge,” noted Laiz. “Focus and work very hard,”
Johnston added the goal of the photography program is to prepare students to succeed in a competitive field.
“If you can make a living as a photographer,” he said, “I call that a success.
The college’s Professional Photography Program is under the umbrella of CMC’s Isaacson School.
Three Colorado Mountain College professional photography students have received high praise for their work from the international College Photographer of the Year contest. The contest received thousands of entries this year from over 600 students worldwide. Seven judges, from National Geographic magazine to Nikon, gathered at the University of Missouri during four days in November to select the winning images.
Receiving a Bronze prize in the Interpretive Eye category was Claire Clarke’s “The Gateway.” Clarke is working toward an associate degree in professional photography. She captured her image at Cap K Ranch up the Fryingpan River near Basalt.
“A Dedication to Bridger Reese,” by current full-time CMC professional photography student Lynzee Dorrenbacher, won an Award of Excellence in the Sports Features category. Dorrenbacher took the shot at a high school football game in Akron, Colo., as players carried the jersey of a teammate who was severely injured during a game.
Shannon Outing captured her image, “Sunrise on the Marsh,” while fly fishing for redfish in Venice, La., which earned an Award of Excellence in the Interpretive Eye category. Outing graduated from CMC’s professional photography program last summer.
The college’s Professional Photography Program is under the umbrella of CMC’s Isaacson School.
