Online and In-Person Photography Classes in Downers Grove & Westmont
Digital Photography Made Simple
(In-Person and Online Photo Classes)
Learn To Photograph the Things You Love Most!
Our photography classes in Downers Grove help you photograph the things you love most.
For those who are excited to learn photography in Downers Grove and Westmont, Creative Eye Workshops™ features in-person and lone photography classes that are insightful, convenient, and efficiently designed for all levels of photographers and people with busy schedules. And, if you can’t make our classes, we offer private photography lessons in Downers Grove that are sure to fit your needs.
At Creative Eye Workshops™, we teach the fundamentals of photography and build confidence so that students are able to think on their feet and can fearlessly take control of their cameras. As our name suggests, we provide the tutelage and the tools to help you discover and express your creative eye.
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It
Our students come from all walks of life, and we understand that people can be afraid of their cameras. That’s why we work on building confidence as much as knowledge.
“For someone like me, who previously used my digital camera on all automatic settings and was fearful of the ‘unknowns’ my camera had to offer (always afraid I might touch some mysterious button by mistake), I find myself now in this wonderful place…feeling totally at ease with my camera and having the time of my life exploring and finding my own personal style.”—Sarah G.
Classes for Every Photographer & Subject Matter
No matter what you like to photograph, Creative Eye Workshops™ features a varied curriculum that provides learning opportunities for all levels of photographers and all manner of subject matter. Beginning to advanced photographers will be benefit from our courses by improving their technical and artistic skills. Regardless of what you enjoy photographing, we offer a wide array of photography classes and learning adventures from digital camera classes and courses in photo composition to Photoshop Elements classes, nature photography workshops, and private photography lessons. What’s more, you can save money with our workshop packages.
A Focus on the Fundamentals
At Creative Eye Workshops™, we teach the simple and fundamental principles of photography, concepts that apply to photographing anything you want, whether that means photographing your kids or your pets, becoming a fine art photographer, or starting a business in children’s photography. Mastering the basics empowers our students to think on their feet and prepares them for creating photographs in the real world.
More advanced photographers can take courses that cover more advanced topics, like exposure, Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, digital printmaking, and landscape and nature photography.
We Build Your Confidence As You Learn
For students just beginning their trek in photography, it’s just as important to build confidence as it is knowledge. For beginners, our goal is to help them to use their digital camera without fear. We suggest that new photographers take our confidence-building class in photographic composition or the powerful digital camera class, designed to set you free from those unpredictable automatic and “point-and-shoot” modes. Learn more about what classes are right for you.
Gain the confidence and knowledge to take perfect pictures when it really counts.
Once you’ve completed our basic photography curriculum, you should confidently be able to apply what you’ve learned to any area of photography you wish to pursue.
Ralph from Downers Grove writes, “After taking your classes, starting with ‘Get to Know Your Camera’ and through ‘Complete Exposure,’ I finally learned how to take a great picture. Your classes has pointed me in the right direction in becoming a better photographer.”
Advanced Teaching Methods & Hands-on Learning
Our hands-on photo outings help students practice what they’ve learned in class. Here are two intrepid students at our springtime outing to Starved Rock State Park.
All our classes feature of hands-on learning and visual presentations that use intuitive graphics and powerful computer animations to help students better visualize and absorb the concepts. For instance, in Get to Know Your Camera, students quickly learn how their camera works and how to make pictures manually, thanks to hands-on lessons and advanced visual aids. We also provide a comprehensive class handout that helps students revisit and reinforce the material between sessions. During each class, you’ll also receive supplemental emails to help solidify or summarize the ideas you just learned.
Practical Classes Specifically Built for Busy People
We’ve conscientiously created our photography curriculum to help accommodate busy people, with practical and efficient classes that don’t require extended time commitments. Rather than offering long classes, we break them into several shorter courses to better fit your busy schedule. See what classes we suggest.
“I have been taking DSLR pictures of birds, nature, and landscapes for many years and occasionally came up with a few really good ones. Now, I am using my camera to take nature photographs and not just pictures. The classes provided very valuable and practical advice with immediate results.”—Joe S.
Our courses are practical and efficient because we concentrate on teaching you what you need to know, when you need to know it, instead of frustrating you with loads of irrelevent topics that you’re not yet ready for.
Accomplished Photographer, Inspirational Teacher & Coach
Mike MacDonald, the founder of Creative Eye Workshops™, learned photography all by himself. Like most people, it started as a hobby. However, it wasn’t long before Mike established himself as a nationally published photographer when, just eighteen months later, his article about how to photograph ice was featured in Outdoor Photographer Magazine. His photographs of Chicago nature have also been featured in the world-famous Sierra Club Wilderness Wall Calendar. Watch an interview with Mike on WTTW Chicago Tonight.
“I tried two other photography courses before I found Mike; his approach to teaching is unique, but amazing. Concepts are presented in a manner that is easy to understand and helps the student learn quickly. I originally planned to just take an introductory course, but learned so much I ended up signing up for nearly every class he offered. Thanks to Mike I now have my own photography business, specializing in dance photography.”—Michele W.
Mike has degrees in mathematics and physics, with careers as a scientific computer programmer and professional comedian. As an instructor, Mike uses his communication skills acquired from comedy and writing, and his organizational and analytical expertise from programming and science, to simply and effective convey complex ideas in an easily understood way. Yet, if you were to choose one adjective to describe Mike’s teaching, it would be “passionate.” Bursting with exuberance, Mike inspires his students to take their love of photography to new heights.
Conveniently Located in Downers Grove near Westmont
DIRECTIONS to Creative Eye Workshops, 6200 Belmont Road, Downers Grove, IL 60516:
From Downers Grove and Westmont, you’re right in the neighborhood. From the north, head west to Belmont Road on Ogden Avenue or Maple Avenue and turn left (south) to 6200 Belmont. From the south, take 63rd Street or 75th Street. Make your way west to the corner 63rd Street and Belmont Road. Turn right (north) and quickly get into the left lane because, in just a few seconds, you’ll see us on the left in the middle of the block. The address is 6200 Belmont Road.
If you have questions about Creative Eye Workshops™ or want to know which classes may best fit your needs, just email us or phone 630-852-8448.