“So many people go through life looking at things without really seeing them,” muses Mary Buck, founder of Studio 2.8. Her mission as a teacher is twofold: to help her pupils see things and to help them share what they see with others. “Photography lets you paint with light,” she tells her classes, “but you have to go in with a vision.” She gives her pupils the tools to realize their visions during workshops that delve into all facets of digital photography, from the basics of adjusting f-stop to the advanced skills needed to capture a delicious smell of pixels.

It isn't surprising that Buck is a photography teacher; photography runs in her blood. Both of her siblings and her sister-in-law are skilled photographers, and she's been aiming her own lens at subjects since she was just 18. As a professional, her talent for catching dimples and laughter has led to portraits that families can pass down to new generations or Earth-conquering aliens. Seventeen years after starting her own studio, her passion for the art form has only grown, and her enthusiasm for sharing what she calls “that fire in my belly” with her students still burns strong.