I took the Digital Cameras I class for the second time (took it first 5 years ago but never…read morefollowed through to buy a digital camera) with Chris Sanchez. It was crazy fun, and a wonderful introduction to the basics of a digital camera. I once again rented from BPW. I went for a Fuji mirrorless, since poking around had shown glowing reviews from professional photographers. Silly me! It was heavy and control-glutted. Not the camera for somebody who's new to digital photography. Fortunately, Chris saw me getting frustrated, so he swapped the Fuji out for a Nikon Z50 mirrorless. It wasn't perfect for me (I don't like how you can easily bump the "zoom" button on the monitor with your nose or finger and wind up with a WTF moment where you have no idea why you're suddenly looking at the subject super closeup. Also, the monitor is very funky: it blinks on and off constantly when you're trying to choose a setting or look at the display to review your photos). But it was miles easier to use than the Fuji, so word to the wise if you're new to digital, get baffled by too many controls, and/or don't like a super heavy camera; see if you can rent a mirrorless Nikon instead, if they have any to rent out. If not, try Borrow Lenses in Waltham. I'm renting a Nikon Z50 from them now. Anyway, more to the point, Chris is a remarkably good teacher. He breaks things down in uber simple terms, and then repeats himself when he says something that's important to remember, so it really sinks in and is easy to comprehend. I really enjoyed the actual shooting, too. We walked around shooting texture inside the studio building, since it was a rainy day. Playing with exposure, ISO and aperature really brought the lecture materials to life in a visceral way. His emphasis on underexposing a scene is so helpful: You can really see colors get richer and more saturated when you do that. It was a wonderful experience shooting in manual and seeing why you'd want to do that: your photos can really pop. I've already taken Chris's Digital Cameras II class, which delves into lenses and focus, as well as nighttime photography with Aaron. Those two workshops were just as excellent as Digital Camera I. I will absolutely take more workshops. First, though, I need to actually commit to a camera and buy it!

I just took the Digital Cameras I class with Haley, and it was a great experience. The class…read morecovered everything you need to get you shooting in manual mode, and to learn the basics of your camera. Haley was an excellent instructor who took time to answer everyone's questions while still covering all of the material. I'd definitely recommend this class to anyone looking to get into photography, and will seriously consider some of their other classes in the future!

Vail was amazing to work with. She picked up on my first call and quickly explained her services…read moreand which might be the best for my use case. The shoot went great, she was super receptive to what I was looking for and immediately knew how to get the affect. On top of that she's just a great human, making the whole process enjoyable. Very happy with my shots, I wanted something a little more experimental than a simple headshot for an editorial piece and she nailed it.

From a quick response to my inquiry, to explaining the process and giving great instructions while…read morein front of the camera, Vail is an all-around professional. I had trepidation about having a headshot done but Vail calmed my nerves and the session was great! I'm SO happy with the finished photos! If you need a professional headshot, hire Vail. DO it, you'll be amazed at the result.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Manyu. His knowledge and enthusiasm was just what I needed to get…read moreme started with my photography!

From the owner: Photography classesread more

I took a class with Suzanne Merritt when I was visiting Boston and had a fantastic time. I learned…read morehow to take my camera off automatic and actually learn how to use my camera. Suzanne has a real gift for explaining things and was extremely patient. The workshop was so much fun. We got handouts that I now keep in my camera bag for easy reference. We were given assignments and instructions before each activity. We had time then to practice then gather back as a group. After the class we went for coffee and had an opportunity to share our photos and get feedback from Suzanne. It was the best photography class I've ever had. I can't wait to take another when I return to Boston. I highly recommend the Curious Soul Photo School!

From the owner: Hands on photography classes, photo walks, photo tours, and field trips in Greater Boston…read more Professional, dedicated, experienced instructors. We believe it should be fun and easy to learn how to create beautiful images of Boston. Perfect for visitors and locals who want to learn to use their camera to its full potential while seeing the key sights and neighborhoods. Group size less than 10. Go at your own pace. We go slow to see more and be more connected to the experience, not just get the shot. Discover the beauty of Boston as seen by local professional photographers. Chinatown, North End, South End, Beacon Hill, Boston Gardens, just to name a few of our favorite destinations.

Last week, I went to the Opening Reception for the South Shore Art Center's current Media Mix…read moreexhibition (one of my pieces is in the show!) What a lovely evening! And, crowded, too -the entire gallery space was packed! There was food, beer, wine, live jazz music, awards, and lots of beautiful artwork! :) If you have never been, there are basically 2 main gallery spaces, the Bancroft Gallery & the Dillon Gallery. The Bancroft gallery is the larger space where Media Mix is being shown. I like this space very much! It has large walls on one side of it, and shorter walls on the other side with ample lighting. The walls seem to be some kind of upholstered plywood which makes for easy positioning of paintings. (No worrying about hiding nail holes!) There is also a hardwood floor which makes the entire space look modern and clean. The Dillon Gallery is smaller and darker. There was an exhibit of Italian paintings in there, which I enjoyed very much! This was really my first involvement with the South Shore Art Center, but overall, it seems to be a great place to view and learn about art! Everyone I met there is very friendly, and happy to meet local artists. It is also located in a beautiful town! I highly recommend stopping by to take a peek: http://blog.thelonebeader.com/2010/03/media-mix-opening-reception.html

From the owner: Art education for adults and children of all levels and abilities. The Artist-in-residence program…read moreis offered to schools in the region, bringing over 1400 4th and 5th graders to the Art Center each year. Rotating exhibitions of contemporary art by regional and national artists. Over 170 Juried Gallery Artists participate in exhibitions in the galleries at South Shore Art Center, the Paul Pratt Library and South Shore Conservatory in Hingham, MA. Annual Arts Festival on Father's Day Weekend draws over 9000 visitors to the three-day event.

Boston Photography Center is a group of local area photographers (both amateurs and professional.)…read more BPC sponsors events all around the greater Boston area and does a few road trips further abroad (NYC, Vermont, etc.) These are a great opportunity to get out and enjoy taking pictures in different environments and meet people with a similar interest in photography, compare notes on gear, etc. The web site and Facebook group also provide forums for offering help on technique, Photoshop and all sorts of other things. The BPC also sponsors photography classes for novices who want to learn how to get the most of our their DSLRs and trips to photography exhibits in local museums. It's a great group of people and every event I've attended has been a lot of fun. If you have an interest in photography give BPC a look.

I randomly found this place on the meetup site. http://photo.meetup.com/52…read more Basically, it's a group of local photographers (professional and the not-so-professional, like me) that meet up on a monthly basis to talk about various photo topics. Also on the meetup site, you can share your thoughts/question regarding photography on the message boards, and check out others' works! They also have various "click-and-shoot" outings. I went to the one going to Rockport a little while ago, it was fun. Check it out! http://www.bostonphotographycenter.com/

Attended the class on 8/27/11 in Boston in the Radisson Hotel. Being a beginner DSLR owner with a…read moreNikkon D3000, this was a great class to attend. Learned all about aperture, ISO, and shutter speed and how to manipulate each one to get the best shot. The agenda/layout of the class was also highly professional in that Okello has two large screens setup, 1 as a powerpoint presentation type slideshow that helps him explain his points, and a second which is directly linked to his cameras so we can see what exactly he is doing on his camera's real-time. You take many pictures during the actual class and can see how the different settings affect your shot. Highly recommend this course for a beginner DSLR owner.

Great class. Have a Nikon D5000 but still hadn't ventured off the preset program modes (granted I…read morecould change them between portrait, landscape, night-time, etc), and haven't had the time/patience to do a self study. Okello was very knowledgeable, very friendly, and a great teacher. He narrowed down the important need-to-know elements into step by step exercises so that it wasn't overwhelming. I will definitely be attending his next class!

Susannah was the perfect photographer for our son's nine month photoshoot. This was our first baby…read moreand first photoshoot aside from our wedding and it was absolutely perfect. Susannah met us in the morning to accommodate his nap schedule, which we appreciate deeply. While he was a bit overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the park in the morning we got some fun and serious photos. Susannah brought some toys that make noise to get the baby's attention and the novelty of them caught our son's attention better than toys from home. The bubble machine was also a nice touch. Overall she offers high quality service (photoshoot and editing) at a fair cost with a ton of flexibility. We will use her again if we choose to have another photoshoot. They grow so fast, it's great to have it documented in a professional way. 10/10 worth it!

Susannah is a wonderful photographer, and we can't wait to use her again for our family photos!…read more She took the time to get to know our kids (Age 7 and 5) and in doing so was able to catch the most adorable candids and their headshots captured their essence perfectly! She really took the time to get just the right backdrop and had locations scouted ahead of time which made things so easy! We would highly recommend her and you won't regret it!

Hands down the best wedding photographer! They made the day completely seamless and fun, and…read moredelivered a breathtaking gallery that captured every beautiful emotion perfectly. We 100% recommend them!

Rich is the best! We went to him to take our twin daughters Senior pictures and also had a Family…read morepicture taken as well. If you live in Holliston or the surrounding area, call Rich!

I've worked with Brianna a couple of times now and each time we meet it is nothing but an absolute…read morepleasure and treat to see her. Brianna is not only polite, easy to talk to, but she is also extremely professional. She takes her customers comfort, safety, and opinions very seriously and is always looking in their best interest with what is best for them. Recently, I wanted to have a spotty iPhone picture blown up and made on a canvas... However, I knew it was a poor quality photo and I had low expectations on how well it would come out but, still, the photo was special to me and I wanted it to be the best that it could. At first, I did look around to see what places could do this for me but I wanted reassurance that I wasn't going to pay and arm and a leg for something that I was going to be disappointed with in the end.. That's when I reached out to Brianna and asked if she had done these kind of projects. She said that she could absolutely help me achieve this. Not once was I ever held back from expressing what I wanted, what I didn't want or like, she made me feel so comfortable to give her direction on what I was looking for. She did her research, gave me options of canvases with pricing and even went above and beyond to reach out to other photography professionals to see if they had any further recommendations to perfect this image for me. I really, really felt like I was being taken care of. After Brianna did her magic, I think she could sense the level of nervousness I had with the photo getting blown up and making it more pixel-ly, so we met up for coffee and she presented in a BEAUTIFUL natural and organic folder, a proof. A PROOF. I was not only incredibly happy that she had offered this (free of charge, usually $50 fee) to give me a sense of "this is what it will look like" and "this is what your paying for" reassurance, but it immediately brought me to tears because she did such an outstanding job. Not even a week later, Brianna and I met back up and she gifted me in a cute bag, a wrapped canvas of the very special photo of my Grandmother and I who had passed a year ago. I truly cannot recommend Brianna enough for really going above and beyond to make me feel like I was getting the best of the best. From the entire process, down to the Thank You card she sent me (that had pressed flowered "Forget Me Nots" included!!!) this was nothing but a pleasant, fulfilling experience. THANK YOU, BRIANNA!

I have used Brianna Dalton photography since she started her company. She is a joy to work with and…read moremakes all her client feel comfortable when posing for pictures. She is a natural with the camera and captures the most amazing images some else else wouldn't see.