Shutter Bugs

5.2 mi

Valerie rocks!…read more I've been lucky enough to work with Valerie on several projects over the years including retail catalogs, cookbook photography and personal head shots for my business and websites. Her versatility and quality throughout is commendable. Plus, she's tons of fun to collaborate with. I've since moved 1200 miles away from New Mexico, but continue to fly in every year or so to update my personal head shots. With her talent, it's so worth it! When you have special photography needs, give her a try ... you won't regret it.

I signed up for the Introductory Photography Workshop through Groupon. I am a novice and just have…read morea point and shoot digital camera, but wanted to know something about how to use my camera and some pointers on how to take better pictures. I asked in advance of buying the Groupon if my camera was OK for the workshop and was told it was so I purchased it. I felt very out of place because everyone seemed more advanced and had more advanced cameras, but that was no fault of hers so that was fine. Prior to the workshop I talked to her on the phone several times trying to find a day I could do it because it wasn't going to be every Saturday like it was supposed to be. She was also supposed to email a link for a video. Usually if someone tells you they are emailing you something you expect it within a couple days unless they say otherwise. A week or so had passed and I told her I hadn't gotten it. She said 'Oh, I haven't sent it to you yet.' I reminded her in more than one call what kind of camera I had, that I really didn't know much, etc. She seemed kind of unorganized and never remembered what kind of camera I had. The workshop was supposed to start at 12:00. She got a call a little after 12:00 and said it was probably a lost student, and it was her last student saying he wouldn't make it. She didn't turn her phone off, so every time she got a call she looked to see who was calling DURING her presentation, and some calls she even took which I thought was very unprofessional. I also thought the presentation was unorganized and not as 'introductory' as I hoped. The first 2 hours were supposed to be presentation and the next 2 hours photographing somewhere. Just before 2:30 we broke, but she said she would have to take a 15 minute break to eat something which she SHOULD have done before 12:00 and not during the 4 hours we were paying for. So she said we would meet at the Hispanic Cultural Center about 15 minutes away from her house - 15 minutes that she could be eating while driving if she really had to eat. We all went down there and waited. And waited. She showed up at 3:15 - 50 minutes after we broke. I thought we would photograph different things and all we did was photograph a little trough of water with water spouts and grass. It was fine to photograph the movement of water, but that was the only thing we filmed - no flowers, no architecture - nothing else. She also told me she didn't know I had that kind of camera. She may be a good photographer, but I don't think she is a good teacher and I would definitely not recommend someone taking one of her workshops, especially if they are a novice or have a point and shoot digital camera. I think most Groupons are great deals, but this 4 hour waste of time for $69 was a huge disappointment and absolutely not worth the money.

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Active Photo Tours

109.6 mi

I have been on several adventures and workshops with…read more Michael. I have come away with better pictures and a better understanding of my camera and what it takes to take your next picture. Michael is a great photographer and is able to pass on his passion and abilities to any skill level in the group. He takes time to work with everybody.Michael also has an excellent support staff-Lauri who also shares Michaels passion and assistance to help you come away with better pictures and a better understanding of your camera. I look forward to participating in more tours or work shops this upcoming next year.

From the owner: We offer a carefully crafted, guided, nearly all inclusive landscape-centric group tours for active…read moreand adventurous photographers from advanced beginner to pro skill levels as well as private guided trips for individuals, families, and friends. We help participants develop their creativite vision, provide technical advice on camera operation, and help you capture memorable images from your trip. We guide in locations where we have lived or spent a lot of time photographing and are permitted for including New Mexico, Alaska, and Southwest Utah - all places with inspirational, striking and majestic photogenic locations. An award-winning adventure lifestyle and travel photography team, let us guide you on your next unforgettable adventure!

Santa Fe Photographic Workshops

4.1

(8 reviews)

57.7 mi

BEWARE: the workshop presentations are not downloadable and are only available for one month after…read morethe workshop.

I recently attended a lighting workshop with Joe McNally. You can't go wrong working with Joe in…read morethe first place, as he is one of the most talented photographers and gracious instructors you will find. Also, he is very, very passionate about photography in general and passing on his immense wealth of knowledge and wisdom to other photographers. The Santa Fe Photographic Workshops is an outstanding program. It is run about as smoothly and professionally as I have experienced for this type of program or size of an operation. The staff is uniformly friendly, supportive, and professional. The campus is beautiful, and the facility and equipment on hand are all of high quality. And of course Santa Fe is a photographer's playground. There is soooo much to shoot in and around town. And the Workshops has an extremely diverse, attractive, and interesting stable of models that they work with. I can't wait to get back and take another workshop there!

Bostick & Sullivan

Incredibly knowledgeable. I went in to pick up some stuff for my partner and they were helpful in…read morefiguring out the correct sizes! Also, was greeted by an entourage of dogs (always a plus!). Parking was a little challenging, but after calling they let me know where to park and it was smooth sailing after that! I even got escorted out after I made my purchases by Grandpa Max. Overall, fair prices, great selection, and fantastic guidance!!

These people are really weird and deal in chemicals... But Seriously, Bostick and Sullivan is…read moretotally on top of their game when it comes to chemicals relating to photographic processes. The offices in themselves are sort of in one of those "new post bario" type locations that seemed to pop up after all the vato-locos got run out of the downtown Santa Fe area, but really... What better place for a warehouse situation? The well-versed owners are authors of multiple books relating to archival photography, teachers at the local community college, and all around good people. But lock your car while you're there.

Camp Shaver YMCA

4.0

0.4 mi

I found the YMCA Early Childhood Development Center Daycare through a coworker. I needed interim…read morecare for my 19 month old toddler because we lost our other sitter to a day job, and we were still on a waiting list for a daycare/preschool closer to home. The Y had an opening, and we went. Well, I am really glad that we did. The carers are awesome, they all made a fuss over my son everyday, which was great. They have a little report card they give you at the end of the day so you have some idea how your kidlet ate, napped and generally did during the day. The staff are fun, friendly and have a really good sense of humor, which I really appreciate. They made sure all the kids were fed often, and were prompt to change diapers. My son never had any issues with rashes or other diaper stuff. Pros: The staff are great, very engaged with the kids, and my son was always relaxed and happy at the end of the day. They got to play a lot of games, there's a big space and not too many kids (15 total) for the number of caregivers (3 at any time). They have the same people there, so the kids have consistency in caregivers too, which I really like. They did different activities, painting, drawing, singing, and just playing. Cons: the only con was that the outdoor area isn't ideal. It's in an office building so the outdoor space is concrete. There are foam pads on the ground, so the kids won't get scrapes when they fall, and there's lots of toys, but it's still concrete. I think given the location, and the awesome staff, that isn't a terrble thing for me. Overall, I do recommend YMCS downtown daycare. They are really convenient, really nice and reasonably priced, too!

Embudo Canyon Trailhead

4.5

(11 reviews)

9.8 mi

Since the Copper Trailhead doesn't have its own entry, this is a combo review. Copper is considered…read morerelatively easy. The caveat is that the final approach to the U-Mound gets more complex and I gave up. But there's a consolation prize: the term "U-Mound" is apparently also used to refer to the general rocks in the vicinity, which are approachable via the easy trails. Given the incomplete maps online and reviews of the difficult trails around Embudo, the TL;DR take is that you should look for the 401 trail if you're into scenery but not trying to re-enact some grim 2012-era Sundance movie. There are many elevation options. While I didn't see wildflowers in April, there was a great cacti assortment. Geography note: there are buses relatively close to Copper Trailhead but the ABQ Ride schedule is not generous. As of press time there were no post-sunset buses so I took Lyft.

First time at this little trailhead and it was definitely worth checking out…read more I've been trying to be more intentional about spending time at the open spaces and enjoying all of the great outdoor space the city has to offer. This area is family, friendly with a ride of different trails and pet friendly as well. Like other areas in the foothills do you have to watch out for cacti and other hazards. Still enjoying the views is worth getting out here. There's a good amount of parking and additional parking further out.

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Hinkle Fun Center

3.6

(103 reviews)

8.7 mi

Always a good time with the fam. We hadn't visited in several years, so we took our teens mini…read moregolfing. While it was HOT, the shady course was a nice reprieve. Could use some new turf in places and a new shipment of tall clubs since the tips on most were bad, but I was happy to see it was otherwise still as well kept as when hubs and I were dating in the late 90s. (Yet different enough to be new to us too.) Hinkle continues to offer a competitively priced good time for families, and in this day and age, that makes me extra happy. In fact, before going as a family, the kids had dismissed our suggestion of mini golf as a good date night for whatever reason, but after going as a family, one of the girls took her bf and they had a great time.

This place is very outdated. the arcade is overpriced and isn't fun my son is 4"10 and in middle…read moreschool and the go karts height was 4"10in the website and at the front desk but when he came in they said it was 4"10 and he couldn't ride. like what? They should do it by age The food sucks and is way overprice. the only thing decent is the golf and laser tag. everything else there looks fun but its very boring. I tried bassoka bal and the guns only fired 3 feet. the only thing decent was the mini golf.

Bungee jumping

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Lunar Golf

4.0

(3 reviews)

7.6 mi

Amazing venue for kids and tons of fun! Recommend to anyone looking for an indoor venue for any…read moreparty...Just had my daughter's 8th Birthday Party and she and her guest's loved it! Blacklights and Space theme are amazing! Had a miniature golf tournament and had a blast! Would give 10-stars if I could!

Okay, so they open at 3 in the afternoon a great time of day to go and get out of the heat and…read moreenjoy yourself. Well, NO AIR CONDITIONING. They really should have stayed closed, they had some big fans running but it was so miserable inside that the game wasn't so fun and while they let you play two games barely one got played. Put a sign up if you are going to stay open and let people know when they pay that this is the situation. Something that could be very enjoyable wasn't so much.

Things to do in Albuquerque

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Shutter Bugs - photoclasses - Updated August 2026

Best of Albuquerque

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Kiddie Academy of North Albuquerque

4.1

(20 reviews)

I was supersized I read so many negative reviews of this place. I will say prior to my son…read moreattending this place we had the worst experience with the public school preschool program and special education classroom. At the previous school my child was hit by a teacher and we created an investigation. So I wanted my child to be in an educational system in which I could have access to video monitoring services and one that held teachers accountable. So I as any parents of a little one I was skeptical of every place that I went to observe and I ended liking kiddie academy because of their philosophy, rules, and how they hold teachers accountable. My child has a few couples of days getting used to his new school and he did bite a child one day and got suspended. However in no time he learned to get a long with the rest of the children and be friends with children. I saw my child grow as the little butterfly he is and be confident in his social skills and educational journey. He was able to graduate from pre-K with his peers and do the summer program as well. He loved it so much that me that he is in kinder he tells me he misses Kiddie academy friends and teachers. The team is amazing and wonderful and I will forever be grateful they took care of my little one as one of theirs.

My child was bitten a documented 32 times at this center. It was known there was a consistent child…read morewho bit. Despite the multiple discussions with management and staff, my 2 year old son continued to be bitten. The management had an attitude of "kids will be kids" and not an attitude of how to make sure he and the other children were not bitten. One or two bites may be a toddler behavior but not 32. The lack of care, or plan put in place was the reason we had to disenroll. It was not fair to my son to go to school everyday in that type of environment. The only reason I didn't give it one star was because there were a couple teachers I liked at the school.

Duke CIty Fencing

4.5

(4 reviews)

My 9-year-old son took private beginning lessons with Coach David this month. He had 6 private…read morelessons and loved it! The facility is beautifully designed and decorated with a cool mural. Toby's staff is very professional, great with children, cheerful and inspiring. They offer a first free class on Saturdays at 11AM. They started him with a pool noodle to understand the basic stance and moves. Toby has a kind way of requiring respectful behavior from the students. He moved on to using full Olympic weapon and protective gear by the 3rd lesson. He loved having chances to "stab his teacher" on the last day. It looked so fun but also extremely educational!

My son had his 10th birthday at Duke City Fencing today and had a great time. Neither he nor any…read moreof his friends had ever fenced and Toby, the owner, spent over two hours with them teaching them the basics of fencing. The end of the lesson the kids got to fence one another in full garb. Everyone had a blast. Duke City fencing set up tables for our food, supplied the silverware, plates and cups and cleaned up. A very nice facility and a lot of fun. My husband also participated and it was quite the workout he said. My son now wants to take fencing lessons. Highly recommend!

ZAHR Archery

Fist time here, and it was a blast. Dodge ball with foam tip arrows. That sentence alone should…read morepique your interest. A great way to have fun with friends. The more the merrier. Arena can do up to 14 (2 teams of 7) and is an excellent workout while being able to shoot your closest friends . Really enjoyed the experience and the staff. Something you should most definitely try.

Albuquerque Gymnastics

My daughter is getting more attention and is learning more here than she did at Gold Cup. It's not…read moreas big as Gold Cup, but we truly feel our daughter will move up faster and still gain quality gymnastics training! I'll write another review if things change, but we are not the only parents who have tried both schools and have remained at AGS! :)

My kids have loved the preschool classes here. The coaches are great and get to know each child and…read moremake classes fun. Our family has now been taking classes at AGS for over 4 years. The parent child classes are great for toddlers and the preschool program is fun plus helps kids with things like balance and coordination. I highly recommend it!

Sandia Mountain Natural History Center

3.7

(3 reviews)

Had never heard about this place but am so glad my last baby got to go on a fieldtrip here! Our…read moreguide Hannah was super knowledgeable and so punny! She really kept the kids, and adult, engaged. While this place is generally only open to schools they are open to the community sometimes, just check out their Facebook page to find out when. I highly recommend checking it out if you get the chance, you completely forget you are even in New Mexico! Such a beautiful forest and so much to learn.

On a school field trip with my 5th grader. This was pretty awesome. Not like any original field…read moretrip. We actually hiked. Up and down the mountain. They had a trail ready for learning. It was a very nice experience.

Engineering For Kids

Really? You got my 7 year old kid to add an IF THEN statement in her video game code to provide…read morerealtime interaction with a webcam? I can't even get her to fix the air conditioner! My daughter is really happy with her video game programming class at Engineering for Kids. They set up these modular projects that are set up for kids with no background in engineering to be successful. They have several topics such as lego robots, civil, mechanical, and others. I was pretty impressed that on her first day she was able to follow all the instructions and design an interactive video game with points and timers and graphics. Even though the software uses a graphic coding language, they still start to get familiar with the structure of programming: start, do this , if then, do that end etc. Very cool, very fun. I think she's off the hook for the science fair this year if she can just pass this one off.

NM Elite Cheer & Tumbling

NM Elite has been fantastic for us! Wes, Ralph, Leo and Lily are so incredibly sweet! My daughter…read moreis a gymnast and needed to get some skills back after a few injuries and they were quick to help her out! Since going there her tumbling skills have improved tremendously! Not only are they amazing at coaching but they make you feel at home. Even though we don't do cheer and we come sporadically to tumble, they always remember us and make it a great, personal experience! Thank you for welcoming us and making every time a great experience!

I love this place! My daughter has been cheering here for the past 3 years! All the staff is great…read moreand super knowledgeable! I totally recommend it to anyone who wants to get their kids in dance or cheer!

Congregation Albert

Safe, welcoming place for our family. They've reached out to us about what we're looking for and…read morewhat we need from them, as a place of worship. From the preschool to the volunteer opportunities, it's truly a great place to land.

Absolutely the best. I can't recommend them enough. As a note, we are not Jewish. We are so glad we…read morechose the ECC at Congregation Albert for our child's care. I don't trust anyone else as much as I trust them. Their educational philosophy and care of the kids is absolutely top notch.

Magnify Dance Center

4.7

(10 reviews)

Wonderful dance studio! Friendly staff. Great instructors. Parking is limited as is the waiting…read morearea.

Magnify has been an incredible blessing to our family. Our daughter has flourished, both in skill…read moreand confidence, under the careful guidance of the instructors; year after year her teachers have been professional, personable, knowledgeable, and loving. We trust Magnify and are thankful for their presence.

Recycle Man