Mike - Photography tutor - Downers Grove

1^st lesson free

Mike

Rate $89
Response 1h
Students
Number of students Mike has accompanied since arriving at Superprof
10
Number of students Mike has accompanied since arriving at Superprof

$89/hr

1^st lesson free

Photography

Experienced tutor in Photography in Downers Grove, Mike offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Photography

Lesson location

- online

About Mike

BIOGRAPHY OF YOUR INSTRUCTOR, MIKE MACDONALD:

Your instructor, coach, and the creator of Creative Eye WorkshopsTM is internationally published photographer, Mike MacDonald.

Self-taught, Mike started out taking pictures like everyone else. But just eighteen months later, Mike became a nationally published photographer with an article called “Frozen Images” in Outdoor Photographer Magazine.

As a world-class conservation photographer, author, comedian, computer programmer, and mathematician, Mike has a deep and insightful grasp of the technical and creative aspects of photography. But most importantly, he knows how to teach. The information he presents and the way he presents it inspires students to take their photography to the next level. After all, enthusiasm and passion are at the heart of Mike’s teaching, and the passion is contagious.

With degrees in mathematics and physics, and careers in scientific computer programming and professional comedy, Mike possesses rare and symbiotic credentials that make him stand out as a photographer and a teacher. He draws upon his unique background to simply explain complicated subject matter. This includes the use of custom graphics and animations to help students visualize, imagine, and absorb even the most complex material.

For over twenty-five years, Mike has been photographing Chicago’s natural wonders. As Chicago Wilderness magazine’s most prominently published photographer, his images have been nationally and internationally featured in many publications, including Outdoor Photographer, Petersen’s Photographic, Boy’s Life, and BBC’s Gardens Illustrated magazine.

In 2015, Mike photographed, authored, and published the literary coffee-table book entitled My Journey into the Wilds of Chicago: A Celebration of Chicagoland’s Startling Natural Wonders/a>. It earned national acclaim when Publishers Weekly described the photography as “glorious” and the writing as “celebratory, soulful, and poetic.” Read full review. Building upon the book, Mike then created ChicagoNatureNOW!—a free website that helps Chicagoans discover the natural beauty that surrounds them.

Never satisfied with his own work and always pushing the envelope, Mike’s goal has been to create magnificent images of the flat Illinois prairie that rival calendar shots of the mountainous western United States. And he’s done just that. The 2019 and 2020 editions of the world-famous Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar will feature Mike’s images of the Chicago region.

In this effort to create dramatic photographs of the horizontal landscape, Mike created what he likes call “The Chicago Style,” an immersive style of landscape photography designed to give viewers a hyper-realistic experience of any scene. He uses an approach that fuses macro and landscape photography to transform a seemingly flat (prairie) landscape into a rich, three-dimensional panorama. This is why so many people admit feeling like they’re inside the photograph. The technique also emphasizes simplicity and sensitivity as a way of communicating the essence and emotion of complex panoramas—the hallmarks of Mike’s work. Another characteristic of Mike’s work is his exacting compositions that are frequently confused with paintings. But unlike a painting, Mike’s work conveys the beauty, magic, and emotion of the real world—one that is perfect, just as it is.

I wanted to share my groundbreaking landscape photography techniques with the world. Unfortunately, I soon realized that these self-described "intermediate" and "advanced" students were severely lacking in their techical abilility. That's when I decided to create a curriculum of classes that would teach the fundamentals and help students to confidently make great images in the real world.

- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Minor in Physics from University of Illinois - Chicago
- Nationally and internationally published photographer which includes how-to photography articles in national magazines like Outdoor Photographer and Petersen's Photographic.

About the lesson

First off, should you take a class or a private lesson?

CLASSES:
If you're a beginner and our classes fit your schedule, then our photography classes are usually the best way to go. And they're less expensive than private lessons. Plus, because you're just starting out, you need to learn the fundamentals first. In just five short classes, you won't believe how far you've come. Check out this page for which classes to take:
(concealed information)

PRIVATE LESSONS:
- Beginners: If you cannot make the classes or you have a compelling reason for not taking the classes, then I can help you. Ultimately, you will be taught the same information contained in the existing curriculum.

- Intermediate or Advanced Students: Depending on your existing knowledge, it may be more efficient to teach you in a private lesson. Just let me know precisely what you want help.

I've worked with all levels of photographers.

Because of my scientific background, I'm able to simplify and explain complex topics to any level of photographer, especially wobbly beginners.

Being a photographer isn't enough to be able to teach photography. Please read what our students have to say about Mike's teaching style and ability:
(concealed information)

A few things worth thinking about before reaching out
1) Tell me your goals, not what you think you need to learn. That's because, as someone new to the topic, you can't ever know what you need to know to achieve those goals.

When you tell me that you want to be a great _______ photographer (fill in the blank), that's a good start. What fills that blank lets us know what kind of subject matter you want to photograph. And subject matter is everything. But you need to trust me to tell you what you need in order to get there. This is why, for beginners, I simply say to take our five core classes:
- Get to Know Your Camera
- Digital Photo Basics 1
- Make Great Pictures, Now!
- Complete Exposure
- Photoshop Elements Essentials

If you skip any of them, then you're not learning what you really need to know. For instance, not taking "Photoshop Elements Essentials" is a huge mistake. But you wouldn't know that until the fourth session of Complete Exposure, when you learn why you desperately need it. (And, if you're a beginner, I guarantee that it's not for the reasons you're thinking right now.)

2) How serious you are about learning photography? I'm committed to your success when you are committed to your success. If you're serious and do the work, then the sky's the limit.

If you really want to learn photography (or anything, for that matter), you first need to learn the fundamentals. There are no shortcuts. Unfortunately, many teachers skip the difficult-to-teach basics to make it easier on them and easier on you. After all, they think that if it's too "hard," then you won't want to hire them again. But our philosophy is different. I teach you the "hard" stuff while also building your confidence. That's because I know how to make the tricky subjects easier to understand. And I know that if you work hard, with my help, you'll master them. Instead of trusting your camera's dubious automated controls and hoping that you'll get the shot, my goal is to train you so that you can stand on your own two feet in the real world, prepared for any situation. For instance, most instructors don't teach you the fundamentals of exposure and have you rely on the camera's guessing games. I teach you how to quickly and confidently nail your exposures by manually spot metering. I challenge you to find any instructor who teaches exposure this way.

At Creative Eye Workshops, I respect you and don't sell you short. I believe that, with a little work and our guidance, you'll be able to master any topic.

And finally, remember this: MISTAKES ARE YOUR FRIEND. If you make mistakes, good for you! You're better for them. Imagine, you're confused about a topic and have everything backwards. However, once you figure it out, you'll literally know it forwards and backwards. And you'll know it better than the person who picked up the idea right away.

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

5h: $445
10h: $890

free lessons

The first lesson with Mike will allow you to get to know each other and discuss your needs for future lessons.

online

$89/h

Details

Class prices can be found here:
(concealed information)

Learn about our Money-Saving Workshop Packages here:
(concealed information)

Private Lesson pricing can be found here:
(concealed information)

Experienced tutor in Photography in Downers Grove, Mike offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Lesson location

About Mike

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

free lessons

online

Details

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Experienced tutor in Photography in Downers Grove, Mike offers private lessons tailored to your needs.

Lesson location

About Mike

About the lesson

Rates

Rate

Pack prices

free lessons

online

Details

Similar Photography tutors in Downers Grove

Tara

Scott

Keane

Noelia

Benjamin

Simon

Patrick

Virat

Ray

Juan

Adam

Liv

Simar

Jonathan

Jordyn

Kotryna

Ryan

Deepak

Yi

Jordan

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