Photography in Eugene

Museum Quality Framing’s staff encases cherished photos, artwork, and three-dimensional objects in materials ranging from polished wood to leather. Ready-made photo frames ($10+) clasp snapshots in a wood-and-glass embrace, protecting them from wrinkles, stains, and the scratchy nuzzles of sentimental lumberjacks. Lackluster walls can find colorful companionship in preframed artwork and a vehicle for deep self-reflection in mirrors ($100+). Ensconce valuables in custom framing packages ($69.99+), which can accommodate sports memorabilia, or preserve fine art with archival mats and backing boards. Handcrafted frames add a Renaissance flair to photos, utilizing materials such as 22-karat gold leaf to create one-of-a-kind frames.

An open studio for artists of all skill levels, The Glass Fuser welcomes guests to drop in and create fused glass art anytime during open hours. No experience is necessary. Resident artists lead a series of courses that – starting with a beginner class – build on skills and explore different techniques, such as three-layer plates and glass cutting.

As a Bullseye Resource Center, The Glass Fuser also vends a wide selection of sheet and accessory glass. Artists may opt to purchase their own glass, create their own projects, and pay a firing fee. All-inclusive project packages are also available.

An accomplished performer and member of the Music Teachers National Association and the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers, instructional maestro Michael Wheeler uses his professional experience and a collaborative spirit to create individually tailored, one-on-one music lessons for students of all skill levels. Upon arriving for their first foray into song, each student will have their skills, goals, and ability to correctly pronounce "glockenspiel" evaluated, and Wheeler will use the half hour to develop a lesson plan. Lesson number two welcomes fingers to flutter across keys during piano and keyboard lessons, or unlock the traditional sounds of North India and delve into the fundamentals of sitar, dilruba, or harmonium. Together, pupil and teacher select lyrical material that's both personally exciting and age appropriate, saving teenagers from crooning "Moon River" and grandparents from an embarrassing round of "I Got Run Over by a Reindeer."

At the Oregon Photography School, a duo of skilled shutterbugs with a combined 27 years of experience imparts the secrets of snapping and manipulating artistic images to pupils of all stripes. Vernon T. Williams has conveyed the dignity of famous subjects, including two presidential candidates and a Nobel Prize winner, and his work has appeared in The Economist and other national magazines. Jon Christopher Meyers boasts an eclectic commercial-work portfolio, with recent work including the Eugene Ballet Company's midair athleticism and hawks flying midair from the Cascades Raptor Center.

The school draws on Williams's and Meyers's rich backgrounds to inform intensive workshops on everything from the basics of film- and digital-camera manipulation to portrait photography's finer techniques, such as hypnotizing a subject with nothing but a piece of string tied to a lens cap. After an in-studio or on-location class, an online student/instructor-review tool continues the relationship, letting students post their shots for ongoing feedback and for inspirational haikus from their instructor and fellow photographers.

As a husband-and-wife team, Brad Johnson and Jo Cain cover both halves of Digitizing-Memories' skill set. Brad Johnson brings more than 18 years of computer-networking experience, during which he ensured the safety and security of precious data. Jo Cain has been a hobbyist photographer since the age of 15, which, combined with more than 30 years of customer-service experience, perfectly suits the needs of media preservation. Together, Johnson and Cain archive precious memories and important documents, clearing video tapes and pictures from choked storage spaces and opening them up for the storage of DVD jewel cases and broken PC towers. Whether scanning vacation slides or converting film reels into usable digital files, the pair extends the life of memories far past the physical limits of celluloid and paper.

Whenever she begins a boudoir-photography session, Sherrlyn Borkgren teaches her subjects how to pose and flirt with the camera. If they lack confidence, she’ll help them open up and express their sensual side—a process that includes aiding the hairstyle- and lingerie-selection process. Sherrlyn doesn’t limit her talents to intimate photography—she’s also put others at ease snapping photos for People magazine and European photo studios as well as during photography workshops. In these hands-on lessons, she throws students directly into a project that requires them to apply the basics—such as manipulating manual settings and using natural light—as they learn.