A brilliant pianist has no need to look at the ivory, his hands know the way. This is also true with a great photographer, and the best photography programs instill this in their students. While allowing their talent to shine through students with excellent photography skills are able to function with their cameras instinctively. They are so familiar with their equipment and the training is so etched in their mind they are able to simply work, allowing their talent to show itself while the training keeps them on the path of correct procedure.The following is a short list of schools with excellent photography programs: Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara Ca., Brown College Mendota Heights, MN. Harrington College of Design, Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology, and Briarcliffe College. These are all notable schools that give fine photography training. These schools stay abreast of the latest technology in the business. Students are given the necessary training to keep them competitive in a highly competitive market. The best photography programs prepare a student to walk into any photography situation and go to work.The best photography programs teach a student to be creative without losing control of the elements needed to make a shoot successful. In the best photography programs students are encouraged to find their comfort zone and expand on it while learning the discipline required for success. The Photography business is extremely competitive and a good photography program does not allow its students to go out without having the skills necessary to compete. Many things are taught in the best photography programs: Video Photography, Film Photography, Visual Journalism, Still Life Photography, Advertising, Portrait, and Commercial Photography.A student learns and becomes proficient with their technical ability they are able to completely concentrate on there talent while taking care of the other aspects of the photography business. The camera is machinery a photography student must become familiar with; in a sense the camera is his lifeline. In the best photography programs the use of the camera becomes second nature the student has been trained so well.The camera and the hand of the artist has been the recorder of history for generations. The development of these skills has only come to fruition through training. People become so developed with this skill they almost function without thought of the technical, completely concentrating on the art, the way only an artist can do. The best photography programs have a hand on learning situation, allowing the student to make mistakes with the benefit of professional correction. We get unforgettable movie images and pictures of events that stay with us; this is partly due to reflective genius, and training given by the best photography programs. Photographic excellence is everywhere we look, and many places we don’t.