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.
Tammy L.
Clackamas, OR

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.

Pradeep S.
Portland, OR

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!
Jeanna H
Vancouver, WA

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.
Walt D.
Beaverton, OR

Mateo was such a great instructor! I did a 2 hour private class, as I have little to no experience with my camera, and wanted to get some one on one training. : / Mateo did such a great job teaching me all about the different features and gave me some good material to take home and practice with. Highly recommend his classes!
Molly F.
Portland, OR
 

I took a 1:1 lesson with Mateo, as I was nervous to join a class with very little knowledge of how to even use my camera. He was fantastic - he walked me through everything I needed to know and where to find it on my camera in a way that was easy for me to understand, and followed up with notes in case I forgot anything. He made sure I understood each concept before moving on to the next, and I walked out of a 2 hour lesson feeling like I was a pro. He was wonderful, and I would recommend him to anyone looking to get into photography. I'm looking forward to taking a class with him in the future so I can continue to learn more!
Lori S.
New York, NY

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 immeasurably 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.
Marcus K
Portland, OR

Mateo was very detailed in his instruction.  I am a novice at photography so this helped me a lot in understanding my camera.  It would do me well to take a 1:1 class with Mateo as some of the people in the class obviously had more knowledge about their camera than I did, asking questions that made no sense to me.  The follow up printed class material is a great idea to help you remember what you went over.  Lots of information!  I would definitely recommend Mateo for any photography class.
Penny W.
Vancouver, WA
 

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!
Elizabeth M.
Portland, OR
 

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.
Jay S.
Portland, OR

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.
Kay S.
Portland, OR
 

I signed up to take a few one on one classes with Mateo before a recent trip to Europe. I wanted to cover a lot in a short amount of time and Mateo made it all very possible. I can't express how much I appreciated his patience when going over the basics and how he really made the effort to make sure I understood what was being taught. I continued to gain more confidence after each lesson and it really helped me when we'd go over past pictures and discuss strengths and improvements. I never had to worry if I had forgotten something from the lesson either because Mateo had already sent an email going over what was taught that day. Thank you so much for being a great teacher!
Kayla S.
Portland, OR
 

I booked a tutoring session before an Alaska cruise to familiarize myself with my new mirrorless camera. I've never had any camera instruction, and Mateo was able to cover a lot of ground for me. He listened to what I was seeking to improve, and after running through the basics, he targeted information to my requests, and showed me how to negotiate some of the situations about which I was most concerned- deck motion,  long-range zoom clarity, and low light. Even just taking the time to set up and break down my travel tripod was a relief and gave me confidence. Parsing all of the info into chunks made it doable rather than overwhelming. Thanks, Mateo!
Q G.
Portland, OR

“Mateo is an excellent teacher for any beginner. He is quite funny and makes the process of learning a breeze. Based on the several meetings I had with him, I learned the basics of the photography, and I am sure that he is excellent instructor for any beginner or advanced student in photography.”
Krasen – Seattle, WA

“I gained a tremendous amount of experience and insight with my time with Mr. Zachai. He has been extremely inspiring as I have indeed opened my eyes to other facets of this art so easily overlooked. It is no question that these sessions will help pave the way to your full potential!”
Justin – Seattle, WA

“Mateo is an excellent instructor for beginners as well as the advanced student. His ability to bring the student to the next level and beyond is a product of his extensive knowledge and ability to instruct the student successfully. Mateo’s light hearted personality makes the student comfortable and able to concentrate on the material at hand. I would tell anyone that Mateo’s motivation is to make the student successful and what more can you ask of an instructor.”
Tim – Seattle, WA

“I took a class with Mateo at college this last year and it was one of the best decisions I ever made at school. He does a fantastic job at working with students to help them through the tough beginning stages of photography. Not only is he a great teacher but also a great person, after the class he left me with nothing but good things to say about him.”
Sam – Seattle, WA

“Whether you’re looking for a fine arts core class, or inspiration on a project you’ve been thinking about for months, Mateo will take you seriously, and his class will be fun, thoughtfully presented, and technically enriching. What are you waiting for?”
Laura – Seattle, WA