I took Tom's "DSLR/M Jumpstart" class this June. Glowing review follows…read more.. But first, a bit about me: I've been a latent photography maven since my early teens, starting with a Polaroid and quickly graduating to my dad's old Bell & Howell 35mm. As things often do, it found itself on a shelf until the advent of the iPhone and ever-present cameras. Discovering that I enjoy taking nice shots, but always knowing I could do better, I finally splurged on a "prosumer" Canon mirrorless. Not wanting to let it be relegated to the same fate as the B&H, I immediately went looking for some classes, and found Tom literally one neighborhood away. I immediately liked his no-nonsense commentary about how good photography connects us to our memories and what we experienced at the time, but also his keen level of humility; I think that's essential to being a good teacher, as hubris stands in the way of connection with students. When I arrived, Tom had a cozy kitchen table set up for three students, with brief handouts at the ready, and a table full of curios just begging for practice. Alas, one student was a no-show, but we had lively chat until Tom decided to get underway. There wasn't a single boring moment in the day; Tom immediately got both of us familiar with the controls on our fancy cameras, then started reviewing the basics of photography. It wasn't a theory class, per se, but he spent as much time as it took going over both how our cameras take photos, and how we perceive them. The room was set up for a simple PowerPoint-style presentation, but it was always in the background as we moved back and forth between our devices and discussion. Just setting expectations: about 75-80% of the class is "ground school" -- we worked with our cameras and settings indoors, practicing a bit on nearby objects, and then venturing outside for some practice. Tom made it fun, setting us up for a bit of a scavenger hunt in his back patio that's clearly designed to get us looking at the objects a little more deeply, and playing with focus and depth of field to achieve artistic effect. By the end of the day, I didn't feel like a "pro," by any stretch of imagination. But I did feel like I had the potential to get there. I haven't switched my camera back to "Auto" mode since the class. I've taken some lousy photos, and then realized what I'd done wrong. And I've taken some amazing shots. My only gripe about the class? It's too short. I left wondering, "ok, what next?" Tom offers a number of other opportunities like photo walks, and I'll be taking him up on them in the near future, but I definitely felt like there could have been a second day. That said, I think that's a good thing: the class achieves a "jump start" for new photographers, and leaves you wanting more.

If you're like me and bought a nice camera to better capture your life and travels, but then…read morerealized you had no idea how to actually use it, take Tom's DSLR/M Jumpstart to Photography class! Tom has a great way of breaking down concepts so they feel approachable rather than intimidating. The hands-on practice is incredibly helpful because you're not just learning the theory--you're immediately putting it into action. One of the biggest things I took away from the course was confidence. Sometimes all you need is someone knowledgeable to confirm that you're on the right track and help you understand what to work on next. This class did exactly that for me. Tom also reinforced something that seems obvious but is easy to forget: the best way to improve your photography is simply to get out and shoot. The more you practice, the more comfortable and intuitive it becomes. Whether you're a complete beginner or someone who has owned a camera for years but never moved beyond auto mode, I highly recommend this course. You'll leave with a much better understanding of your camera and the confidence to start taking the photos you've always wanted to capture.

Our son has joined Tara's photo school for three summers in a row. Tara gets the class to…read moredifferent, interesting places to take photos. She also has a teaching style that is both challenging and encouraging--helping students expand their technical skills and artistic vision. It has been fun for him, and exciting for us to see the growth in his work.

From the owner: We host exciting and educational experiences to help you learn to create incredible photographs to…read moremaster your craft! We offer classes, workshops and summer camp programs throughout the year!

I recently finished the Beginner and Intermediate 1-2 workshops at PhotoSprouts. Jordi is an…read moreamazing and incredibly knowledgeable instructor who knows how to break down technical settings so they actually make sense. Photosprouts provides their own mirrorless cameras and lenses for these workshops but you can bring your own as well. I brought my own and Jordi helped a ton with helping set it up and answered tons of my questions about when to use various features. The class structure is a mix of lectures and immediate hands-on exercises. The photowalks during the intermediate sessions were especially useful for applying manual settings to real-world scenes and learning how to compose shots on the fly. Getting that direct practice with my own gear was the biggest takeaway and I walked away with a much better handle on my camera. Highly recommend PhotoSprouts and I plan to take some of the more advanced workshops in the future!

Christina is the best!…read more I first came across PhotoSprouts when I took a beginner photography lesson in 2023 with Jordi. Afterwards I followed up with questions on what the best camera to buy for a safari would be, and PhotoSprouts owner Christina went above and beyond in helping me compare and contrast the 2 models and lens I was debating. She literally wrote me an essay and I remember being blown away. Fast forward to 2025 when I bought my first real camera (the Canon mirrorless one that she'd recommended two years ago) in advance of a safari honeymoon. I took 2 private lessons with her to learn how to use it. I'm a complete beginner (ex. I barely knew how to attach the lens and adapter to the camera base). Christina is knowledgeable, warm, and patient. She suggested we go to the SF Zoo to practice shooting different animals to best recreate what the honeymoon would be like. We started off with the basics (ex. aperture, ISO, shutter speed) in the Zoo cafe. Christina was prepared with printouts, props, and example pictures which helped me grasp the concepts faster. After we went through the 101 printout, we walked around the zoo to put the concepts in action. It was so helpful to have her next to me so I could ask her all my questions as they came up in real-time. For example, she pointed out that I had a tendency to over-expose my shots (because they looked dark on the LCD and viewfinder when we were out in the sun) and that I could be more aggressive when pressing + holding down the shutter release button. I also only had one battery which died within an hour, and she kindly lent me another for the remainder of class. I was amazed by how much I learned in the 2 hour lesson and took a follow-up lesson on how to import, store, and edit photos. Thank you Christina for the amazing classes and tips!

This review is massively overdue. I'm a former frequent flyer here, and I have to say TIF is my…read moreall-time favorite one-stop shop for anything photographic in the Bay Area. I started coming here six years ago to augment the lab time and instruction I was getting in school. Their darkroom was my happy place for a long time and was fairly priced. What impressed me the most about their gorgeous space was that they encouraged clients to get their work off their screens and onto the walls. Literally, any time I had a question about anything related to photography or printing, Stuart, Ed, Constance, Chrysta, or Nathan would make the time for me and help me out or give me feedback. I enjoyed printing there and always left feeling inspired because they were so kind, knowledgeable, and professional. If you'd like to learn about photography, I highly recommend checking out their services, classes, and workshops. I wish I could give them more than five stars!

A a small business owner I have never left another business a bad review, but this experience was…read moreunacceptable. My artwork was mishandled and the finished product I had hired them for was poorly executed and unusable. I had to take it to a qualified business afterwards who confirmed they did not do a good job. When I raised the issue, the owner and staff were dismissive, refused a refund, and ignored multiple emails and calls. Their unprofessional behavior was bizarre and astonishing. They clearly aren't equipped to handle valuable artwork. Save yourself the headache and take your projects elsewhere.

I've been following Bruce's Instagram account for some time and really enjoyed his photos and the…read morelocations he was using in the Bay Area. A friend recommended him, so I hired him to do a one-on-one session to help me with sunset photography. The session was awesome! Bruce is extremely knowledgeable about the area, he took us to a fantastic location for our sunset photos, and he answered a ton of questions I had about taking photos (framing the shot, settings, gear... etc.). I learned a LOT from the session and took one of my favorite photos ever. Overall, it was a great learning experience for me. I would highly recommend Bruce to anyone for one-on-one or a group session. He is amazing at what he does and he's honest about his input and feedback. I can't wait to schedule another session! Thanks, Bruce!

Building a new restaurant, Mersea, on Treasure Island, I've seen may of Bruce Getty's beautiful…read morephotography and own a few of his pieces, and the view from our restaurant on TI is spectacular, and the only person I had in mind to capture the SF Skyline beauty if Bruce. He is very professional and committed to providing the BEST view possible. His passion for his craft shows in the stunning photos. I look forward to his next set of photos for our new restaurant.

I highly recommend this photography class! Peter is a very skilled photographer and will explain…read morehow to work your camera and take beautiful photos. He will give you tips on how to se

I just finished Peter's class today. I've read so many things on the concepts of how the elements…read moreof apeture, shutter speed and ISO work, but I couldn't get the concepts to click to put it into action with my camera. I'm now walking away finally understanding the main concepts to get my DSLR out of AUTO and it has already significantly improved my photography. Peter was patient, funny and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to improve their skills. I will say that this is not a class for someone that doesn't know how to use their camera at all. You do need to know the basics of how to find and adjust settings and in my opinion you'll get way more out of the class . Thanks Peter for inspiring my creative side again!

These guys were great. I needed to have some photos made, and they went above and beyond to help…read moreme. They took the time to explain how to upload everything on the computer and walked me through the whole process. They also gave me helpful tips on the best time of the week to purchase the photos, which I really appreciated. Very helpful and easy to work with. Highly recommend.

i have a canon point and shoot. it's a hand me down from a family member and i've had it for the…read morelast few years. it's gone on numerous places and adventures with me. the lens is having issues. because of how old and how important it is, I was willing to pay someone to fix it for me. so Mikes Camera being the closest camera repair store to me, even though it's 30 minute drive for me. i called preemptively to make sure they would service it before i drove over. "i have a point and shoot that is having a lens issue. you guys do camera repairs right?" they said yes and i can stop by the shop for them to look at it! i drive over and wait a couple minutes to be helped. when i am helped, i set my camera down, and the worker says "i can't service your camera, canon has a 5 year service window and your camera is 2007? 2008?" you didn't think to mention that a major camera maker has a small service window, as many other camera companies probably have. you don't think to ask that on the phone, saving me the 30 mins there. 30 mins back to home? i was completely prepared to pay 35$+ for them to just spray some compressed air on my lens to release it and allow the lens to close. just as long as i could insure that i would be able to use it again. instead, i now wasted my afternoon and have to fix it myself. the best advice they gave me was to get a new camera? the whole point is its a family camera, it has memories, it does the job! the staff was nice about it. maybe shame on me for not knowing the service window on my camera i've never had issues with. but maybe as experts, they could have thought to mention or ask about it when i called preemptively.