Leigh Preuss Photography, Oro Valley

Inside her studio, photographer Leighanne Preuss does more than just take pictures. She makes them—or rather, builds them—by piecing together film cameras by hand. In combination with her BFA in fine-art photography, this deep appreciation of the photographic process plays a big role in shaping her introductory workshops. In fact, Leighanne often encourages students to discard automatic settings in favor of making manual adjustments of exposure time, lenses, and fake mustaches. Outside the classroom, Preuss practices what she preaches, snapping high-quality footage of families, kids, and weddings.