I’m taking a 2-night photography class (“Using Available Light”) at the Laguna Gloria and highly recommend taking their art classes if you have a creative bent. If you haven’t been out there, it’s really amazing. You have the Italian villa-style former home of Clara Driskoll on the one hand, which is beautiful for weddings and parties and whatnot…then there’s this cute little cluster of small buildings where they hold the art school classes. The first night I attended there was a slight chill in the air, the light was beautiful, and when the cafe lights came on, it reminded me of that part in Roman Holiday when Audrey Hepburn meets her hairstylist for a night on the town–very charming and festive. What I really wished for was to be part of the lucky group enjoying their class in the open-air pavilion (my class was in a boring white box of a room, comparatively). Before the mosquitos descend upon us, that is one prime spot for an art class.

The class I’m taking is a bit of a disaster, actually. Not that it hasn’t been useful–I’ve picked up one particular tidbit for color correcting photos that is totally worth the price of admission in terms of time savings for future online portfolio photos–but it’s impossible to learn such a complex skill in two nights. Especially when you’re not even altogether completely familiar with your own dang camera and have to spend much of the class time pressing button after button in frustration. *Update 5/2/08: The 2nd night of this class made a believer out of me. It all clicked into place…I learned several amazing new camera tricks and I can’t wait to use them on the next room(s) I shoot.*

If you’re interested in other classes being taught here, I’d wholeheartedly encourage you to sign up.