Bella Vista Photography -

Tom J.

The Intro to Digital Photography course I took with Mary Louise was exactly what I needed to take my skills to the next level. After recently purchasing a new DSLR, I needed a good solid review of the camera settings to move me past shooting only on automatic and take more control of my photography. Within a week after the course, I was gaining confidence to explore aperture and shutter speed priority modes. I highly recommend her! She’s a great instructor with a solid command of how to teach technical skills.

Vanessa O.

I attended the Digital Photography Essentials class and it was absolutely wonderful. I have photography experience but I wasn't classically trained so there was a lot of knowledge missing. Mary-Louise really helped with filling in the gap as well as learning new things. The class was small and intimate. The location was very professional, clean/safe. She as an instructor is very knowledgeable, patient and kind. I recommend her courses highly.

Julia M.

It would be hard to overstate what a terrific workshop Mary Louise provided us in September. Despite the challenges of the pandemic (and in part because of that), she and her wonderful assistant Alan Clark gave us far more attention and instruction than we could have expected through a series of detailed Zoom meetings. As one who was struggling with the technology of a new camera plus LightRoom and PhotoShop, I emerged with much more confidence. Then the trip to Sylvan Heights Bird Park was the icing on the cake. This reserve, set up mainly to educate the public and protect endangered species, is a perfect place for practicing photography among thousands of beautiful and obviously very happy birds.

Carlee M.

Mary Louise was amazing and so thorough with her teaching! I am completely new to photography and she taught a class for the basics. There is so much more to a camera than I thought but she made it seem achievable! She was very patient in explaining everything. I would 100% recommend her for any camera/photography classes. I definitely intend to take more myself with her! Thank you Mary Louise😊

sheryl G.

Mary Louise was fantastic. She personalized her teaching to each person in the class, as well as provide personalized handouts for each participant based on their individual cameras. She also gave us each a laminated cheat sheet for our individual camera.
Mar Louise is very knowledgeable, as we as being super friendly, kind, and willing to share her experience and expertise. I learned so much about my camera and the basics of taking great photos and would highly recommend this class for all those embarking on their photography adventure.

Laura K.

I've had the very distinct pleasure of taking two photography classes with Mary Louise. Yes, she's a brilliant photographer, but she's also a brilliant instructor. Her courses are very well laid out, each section naturally building on the last. She also has a unique, and rare, ability to break difficult concepts down into easily understandable components for the novice photographer. Although I had taken a number of other photography and composition classes, Mary Louise's was the best. I walked away confident in what I had already learned and with the gaps left by other courses filled in perfectly. Wherever you are on your photographic journey, Mary Louise can help you get to the next level.

Harvestine M.

This has been the best experience I had with Mary Louise! This was my first experience one on one Lightroom training. Mary Louise is very detail, her presentation and outline is easy to follow, plus she video each session so you will have your own copy to go back and review which is very helpful.

If you are looking for someone for Lightroom Training, I highly recommend Mary Louise. For me, it was worth the time and effort.

Nate B.

My wife and I travel a lot and I am notorious for taking awful pictures of her and the landscapes that we travel to. I wanted to improve my photography skills, so we took a private Intro to iPhone Photography class with Mary Loiuse. In the two hour class, Mary Louise was able to teach both of us some neat tricks in navigating the camera app on the iPhone, as well as greatly improve my "eye behind the lens". With her help I was able to take some great shots of my wife and understand when, where, and why to photograph. Mary Louise was kind, patient, and able to teach me effectively. She even printed, laminated, and gave us some cheat sheets to take home with us, summarizing what we had learned. My wife and I had a great time and would highly recommend Mary Louise to anyone seeking to improve their photgraphy skills.