I went to Mateo for help with my photo composition. I loved his calm and guiding style. We've reviewed many photos together and he's shared what stood out to him and how he processes an image when he looks at it critically. Having that "behind the scenes" insight into the thinking process was invaluable. It immeasureably helped me cultivate my own mental processes in preparing to shoot and in selecting and editing what comes out. He has a vast command of photographic and visual art history which he can bring to bear on all kinds of disparate types of images. It's amazing to compare one of your images to something done by some famous artist years before you. It creates a context for you. I imagine it will help me to develop an actual personal aesthetic and eye. The actual best part about Mateo's instruction is Mateo. He understands the vulnerability that comes with creating something and asking someone to give it a critical look. read more

Creative... Motivating... Energizing... Accomplished... I had the great pleasure to be a student of Mateo. I have never had a photography teacher that met me at my level of ability, then led me to the next level. We worked on camera technique, then dug deeply into composition theory and practice. When I felt daunted by my lack of talent, Mateo encouraged me to persist. Today I have a new friend in Mateo and an ongoing photographic art tutor and mentor. It's great! Mateo has deep artistic ability, built from a traditional art education experience at the San Francisco Art Institute for his BFA, then Yale University for his MFA in Photography. He takes this education and his years of experience creating his own wonderful artwork, and years of teaching others, and helped me find my own abilities. I will continue to learn from Mateo, and I highly recommend him for your own photographic art instruction. read more

I took an Introductory class to DSLR cameras and Mateo was the instructor. I loved his down to earth, laid-back approach to photography. He helped me understand the three cornerstones behind DSLR photography - aperture, shutter speed, and ISO with simple illustrations and shared many critical insights on the best way to produce a good image. He has encyclopedic knowledge on all modern DSLRs regardless of brand, no small feat. I walked out of the class having learned more about my Nikon than I did in a whole year reading manuals. He also had us outside taking pictures in what was an immersive experience that helped drive home what we had just learnt in class. I look forward to taking a follow-up class and would highly recommend his instruction and teaching to anyone who wants to learn more about photography. read more

I had my first photography 1-1 tutoring session with Mateo yesterday. I appreciated Mateo accommodating my schedule and home location for the tutoring session. I found our session very helpful for me to learn about: my new camera and lenses hardware; photography tips and techniques; tradeoffs between shutter, aperture, and ISO; depth of field and focal lengths; and exposure compensation settings. Mateo is clearly very skilled and experienced in photography as well as in teaching photography. He provides great tips and useful materials. His friendly teaching style makes learning photography fun. I am hoping to take more of Mateo's 1-1 tutoring and/or participate in the college courses he teaches. Thanks Mateo, I appreciate you getting me re-engaged in my photography hobby! read more

I took the two-hour introductory class with Mateo yesterday and, despite feeling as though I was drinking from a fire hydrant (a good thing!), I thought it was excellent: we covered a ton of material (starting with the pre-class worksheet, which forced me to become familiar with the camera's manual), took photos indoors and outdoors, and talked about the settings I might want to experiment with given the types of photography I am most interested in. If you find yourself wanting to move from taking pictures with your phone to something more robust / versatile, going to see Mateo with your new camera is (in my experience) a great way to begin the journey. I look forward to taking another class with him once I have experimented with the basics functions. Recommend. read more

I recently took Mateo's Introductory Class to DSLR. He was an excellent instructor...very knowledgeable with the process and history of fine art photography. He had a down to earth approach that worked well for me. Our class had a wide range of students with different interests and abilities. He was able to bring us together in such a way that we learned from him and each other. I learned a lot about my camera, making photos, and how to critique a photo. I looked forward to and enjoyed each class. I hope to have the opportunity to take more classes with Mateo in the future. read more

Mateo was an awesome photo instructor. I took several private lessons with him I was a total novice going in to our sessions and he tailored his teaching to meet my needs in a thoughtful manner. He was clear, focused, fun and easy to work with. He went as technical as my limits would allow while always bringing the lessons back to practical, clear usage. He followed up with notes and to see how I was doing and if I had any lingering questions. All in all - a fantastic experience and I would strongly recommend him to beginners or seasoned photographers alike. read more

My granddaughter and I took a class from Mateo at Newspace Center for Photography. It was a large class having students of diverse interests and background. His in class instruction was complete and easy to understand. He provided handouts for us to take with us. We then had time to experience shooting in several different situations. His approach was practical and and efficient with an upbeat and positive presentation. This was my first photography class and Mateo started me on the path to developing photography as a true hobby seeking to learn more. read more

I had a 1:1 session with Mateo to help me get from a point and click/auto setting to using othe rmodes on my camera. My 2 hour session with him taught me more than nearly 5 months of the reading and you tube tutorials did. he is very patient, gentle and funny - just the kind of instructor i like. i liked tha he had me fill out a questionaire prior to the class so he could gauge the level of my knowledge. and he had found my camera's manual online in case i forgot to bring it with me. i cannot wait to get out and start taking better pictures than before. read more

I took a DSLR class from Mateo and it truly changed my photography for the better. In one class I learned how to manually operate my aperture, ISO and shutter speed so that I can now take silky waterfall shots and also light painting shots. He was super charismatic and incredibly knowledgeable about the subject matter. His passion for photography also shines through. All of these characteristics made the class super enjoyable and fun as well as informative. I would happily take another class from Mateo. read more

I had become reliant on the "auto" mode on my DSLR Nikon and wanted to learn more about the other various settings. Mateo was the instructor at an introductory class at Newspace and he was great. He was able to make the learning process fun and he was truly engaged with all of the students in the class. His enthusiasm for photography is infectious and he encourages students to go beyond the mechanics of photography and to explore the creative composition aspects of creating digital images. read more

Meeting Mateo and being welcomed was a true pleasure. He guided me through the fundamentals and basics of my camera operation. At the end of my lesson, I was taking pictures of things that I was amazed by! With his almost 30 years of experience I felt that I was learning from a pro. His warm and friendly attitude made it a pleasurable experience and can't wait for my next lesson. Thanks Mateo! read more

Mateo is such an excellent teacher. He's very easy to work with and fun! He is also extremely generous with his knowledge and his time. I was lucky enough to get private lessons, and learned so much. He pretty much let me choose what I wanted to focus on, and the lessons were based on what I wanted to learn. Thanks Mateo! read more

I took a two hour class with Mateo and he covered all the basics about my camera settings as well as providing me with some hands on shooting practice. I feel generally more confident with using my camera for many different kind of pictures. I highly recommend taking a class from Him. read more

Mateo was a fantastic teacher. Very knowledgeable, conveys information clearly and concisely so that it makes sense, and is very patient. I very much enjoyed the two hours I got to spend learning my way around my new camera with Mateo as the guide. Highly recommend his lessons! read more

Mateo was really good at starting from the basics and explaining how the amount and duration of light falling on the sensor can allow you to capture so many wonderful things! I really recommend him for DSLR beginners. I'm planning to take an advance class with him in fall. read more

Such a great class! I really enjoyed the DSLR information and feel much more comfortable with my settings. Mateo is a great instructor with lots of knowledge! Definitely recommended for anyone wanting to dust off that fancy DSLR and actually start using it! read more

Mateo is the best and was so incredibly helpful! Highly recommend his services for beginners or anyone just looking to understand their camera and how to maximize their photos! I learned so much in such a short period of time, worth every penny. read more