Accomplished professionals, dedicated educators

All NESOP faculty members are working professional photographers representing all major areas of the industry. Many are winners of major photographic and academic awards, internationally-published photographers and acknowledged experts in their field. As a NESOP student, you will study with skilled professionals offering years of real-word experience. You benefit from their unique views, innovative approaches to photography and teaching, and a sincere commitment to help you turn practical skills into a personal vision that serves you throughout your professional photographic career.

More like an extended family than a staff, our faculty members are consistent and stable and show a high degree of loyalty to NESOP. Some early NESOP graduates serve as instructors and others have been with us for decades. With our reputation for excellence, NESOP consistently attracts new instructors, and with them, fresh perspectives. The cumulative experience and depth of knowledge our faculty offers is a rich resource on which to draw as a NESOP student and graduate. The bonds NESOP students forge with our faculty are strong and enduring. Long after they have become successful professionals, our graduates continue to look to NESOP instructors as mentors and authorities.

Luis Brens

Upon moving to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in 1990 to attend college, Luis fell in love with photography during his first undergraduate course on the subject. A working fine art and commercial photographer since 1992, Luis holds a BFA in Fine Art Photography and Printmaking from Massachusetts College of Art. He considers himself a multimedia artist, taking a fine art approach to advertising and commercial assignments. His work has appeared in several publications including Vogue, Boston Common and Boston Magazine. Luis sincerely believes in working tirelessly and determinedly in one’s art. As such, when he is not shooting for clients, he is pursuing his personal work—creating self-portraits from a process that combines painting, printmaking (from etching, monoprints and monotype) and photography. Luis has been widely exhibited in Boston and Rhode Island and maintains a long client list including Puma and Bank of New York.

Erin Carey

An alumna of Sarah Lawrence College, Erin earned her BA in Art History and Photography. She completed an MFA in Studio Art through the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University, which culminated in her thesis exhibit, ldquo;How Much Does the Ground Shake?”—a minimalist investigation into experience and record of trauma. She has extensive gallery experience in exhibition preparation. In addition to her large format photographic work, Erin is currently pursuing her interests in other reproducible mediums as well as academic and creative writing.

Stephen Cicco

Stephen Cicco is a graduate of Bowdoin College with a BA in German and of NESOP with a concentration in Advertising Photography. An avid participant in the arts in one form or another throughout his life, Steve has been an actor and director, a painter and musician, and he has dabbled in filmmaking and video production. From 1982-1990, he served as vice president of Graficon Communications, a small graphic design and advertising agency. Between 1994 and 2000, he served as president of the Fashion Association of Boston. Steve has filled many roles—including account executive, art director and print and media buyer—before opening his own commercial photography studio in 1992 to specialize in fashion and beauty. His work has appeared in Vogue, Time, Business Week and Match de Paris, and he has been teaching since 1979. With his professional experience on both the agency side and the creative side of the table, Steve is uniquely qualified to communicate the realities of the commercial world, from the technical to the political.

Glen Cooper

Glen earned his BS in Business Administration from Boston University and is an admitted “news junkie.” A motivation to communicate people’s stories visually and make a positive impact on society helped fuel Glen’s passion for photography. He earned his MS in Journalism from Boston University, before becoming a professor in the university’s College of Communications. Glen has served as photo editor for the Boston Metro and as chief visual journalist at BostonNOW. In 2005, Glen was named an International Award Winning Wedding Photojournalist by the Wedding Photojournalist Association. He remains a devoted freelance photojournalist whose work is regularly published. Glen has appeared in several periodicals and articles including the Boston Herald, Marie Claire, Brides Magazine, The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots Beat the System to Become the NFL’s Last Great Superpower, Le Figaro and the MassEquality book on gay marriage.

Ronald Cowie

Ron earned his BS in Anthropology from the University of Cincinnati and graduated from NESOP in 1998 with concentrations in Editorial and Advertising Photography. Ron’s work has appeared in a variety of publications including Rhode Island Monthly, and his clients include Estée Lauder, Bryant University and Blue Cross Blue Shield. His love of history drives his work in alternative and historical process photography—a subject on which he has taught and guest lectured for years. Ron’s work is widely exhibited. His recent exhibitions have included Maldeen shown at the Wolfe Gallery in Toledo; Leaving Babylon shown in the Photo-Eye Showcase in Santa Fe; and Place in the Central Gallery in Old Saybrook, CT.

Bruno Debas

Bruno earned his BA in Liberal Arts from Foyer des PTT in Cachan, France before graduating from NESOP with a concentration in Advertising Photography. After returning to his native country of France in 1984, Bruno started his professional career as an assistant for top French and European photographers, traveling all over the world. He has also worked independently for clients including Lancôme and the Herald Tribune, as well as many top theater companies where he photographed portraits of actors and posters for plays. During this period, he trained in the art of fashion and lifestyle photography and learned how to photograph cars on sets for the French car companies Citroen and Peugeot. In 1985, Bruno returned to the U.S. and opened his own studio. Since then, he has served many local and national clients such as AT&T, Genzyme, Lucent Technolgies, Converse, New Haven Hospital, Zoll Medical Corporation and a variety of banks. He divides his time between his studio and teaching profession at NESOP.

William Franson

William Franson has studied and been involved in art since childhood, developing his passion for photography when his father allowed him to take the family photos. Bill earned his BA in Philosophy from Calvin Co llege and studied photography at The Art Institute of Boston and The Center for Photography in Woodstock, New York. A self-employed editorial/corporate and fine art photographer, Bill’s clients include Harvard Medical School and East Coast Precision Manufacturing. His list of exhibitions is extensive with work shown in numerous galleries, including: Center Art Gallery at Calvin College; the Danforth Museum of Art in Framingham, MA; the Preston Cutler Gallery in Hamilton, MA; a Texas traveling exhibition; the Center for Photography at Woodstock in NY; the Ashford Warburg Gallery in NY; Massachusetts General Hospital and the Firehouse Gallery in Newburyport, MA. Bill’s work has been recognized by the Danforth Museum for excellence in the New England Region and he’s earned Best of Show in the Texas Photographic Society National Competition.

Amy Theiss Giese
An alumna of Amherst College and New England School of Photography, Amy earned her BA in Fine Arts and her NESOP diploma in Advertising (major) and Fine Art Black & White (minor).  She completed an MFA in Photography through Parsons The New School for Design (Parsons), New School University in New York City, where she presented her thesis as a 2,500 word support document and visual body of work comprised of fifteen mural-sized black and white photograms.  Amy has extensive exhibition experience, was selected to participate in an international artist collaborative grant-funded project and is the owner and primary photographer of Amy Giese Photography, a business that specializes in unique, creative photographic solutions to client needs.  She continues to explore photography and develop new work.

Martha S. Hassell

Martha S. Hassell completed her B.A. in Philosophy and Art at Hood College and her graduate coursework in the History of Photography and Modern Art at the Harvard University Extension School.   Since 1980, Marty has been a member of NESOP's administration, holding many positions--including Academic Director, Admissions Director, Registrar and Placement Director.  Currently, she holds the position of Dean of Students, which allows her to concentrate on the part of NESOP she loves most--students.  In addition to her administrative duties, since 1984, she has taught the History of Photography course in the first year of the Professional Photography Program.  In an effort to get firsthand experience in the field, she has traveled extensively to learn about the history of photography, doing research in major collections including those of the Ransom Center at the University of Texas (home of the first photograph), the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris and the Library of Congress.  Marty's passion is the history of photography and an emphasis on the sotry part of history.  From Thailand to the Eastman House in Rochester, NY, she has personally experienced primary sources in the field, and brings her personal experience in the field to the classroom. 

Frank Herzog

With a BS in Psychology and Philosophy from Houghton College, an MBA from Babson College and several years of experience in photography and consulting, Frank’s background spans the two worlds of photography and business. He worked in global finance and managed several companies before entering into the professional photography field. Today, Frank is active in teaching the business aspect of photography to students and working professionals. He is one of the select business instructors for the Professional Photographers of America, mentoring and lecturing on marketing and business plans across the U.S.

Michael Hintlian

A dedicated, award-winning documentary photographer, Michael’s projects have taken him across the globe. He earned his BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University and his MBA from the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University. In addition to NESOP, his teaching includes the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. Michael has also been a lecturer and presenter in several venues throughout the U.S. including the Leica Historical Society of America in Charlotte, NC; The Photographic Resource Center in Boston; the Hoboken Historical Museum in NJ; the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston; WGBH, Tufts University in Medford, MA; and the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, MA. Michael’s work has been widely published in periodicals including The Christian Science Monitor, Architectural Design and Boston Magazine. His work has been exhibited all over the world. Show titles include Armenia/Artsakh, Central Artery/Tunnel Project, Toward a Better Life: Images of the Labor Movement, Big Dig Photographs, Winter and Picture Mourning. His book, Digging: The Workers of Boston’s Big Dig, has been a success in the documentary world. It remains a revealing source of local history and a celebratory tribute to the men and women working America’s most ambitious infrastructure project.

Sue Anne Hodges

Sue Anne has studied art and photography. She graduated from NESOP in 1980 before beginning a career in advertising photography. For 15 years, Sue Anne shot and supervised photography for a major retail advertising studio. In 1995, she opened her own studio where she continued to shoot for major retail clients. At her studio, Sue Anne focuses on studio and stock photography while expanding her business to include other creative and fine art projects for which she has earned many awards. Since 1992, Sue Anne has been exploring and using digital cameras and digital imaging technology. She studied at the Center for Creative Imaging in Camden, Maine. Digital images from her early experiments have been included in Kodak’s Center for International Photography and Centre Nationale de la Photographie, Paris. The fine art of digital printmaking is an important aspect of her use of the technology. Sue Anne’s work has been widely exhibited, most recently in the Redfield Artisans Gallery and Off the Wall Gallery in ME and in Newburyport, MA at the Newburyport Art Association, Laura Coombs Hills Gallery and Hartson Gallery, NNA. Her work has appeared in several Maine publications including Down East Magazine, Portland Magazine and the Bar Harbor Chamber Guide Book. Since 1987, Sue Anne has been teaching at NESOP where she shares her passion for the creative process with her students. In 1994, she helped open NESOP’s first digital imaging lab and remains a specialist in Adobe Photoshop.

Stephan Jacobs

Stephan Jacobs earned his BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and his MFA in Photography from Massachusetts College of Art. His professional experience includes working as a photo archivist and photo editor, and his projects have received a number of local and national awards and grants. His images have appeared in and been reviewed by many publications, among them ARTNews and The Boston Globe. Stephan’s work is widely exhibited across the U.S. and abroad spanning the Fine Arts Center Galleries at the University of Rhode Island Fine Arts Center and Gallery Kayafas in Boston to Berliner Kulturstiftung in Berlin, Germany. In addition to his faculty position at NESOP, Stephan’s teaching credentials include Massachusetts College of Art and Emmanuel College in Boston.

Nicholas Johnson

Nick Johnson has been a fine art photographer for over thirty years and has taught at NESOP for over fifteen. Represented by the Focus Gallery in Cohasset, Massachusetts, Nick maintains an extensive exhibition record which includes pieces in the permanent collections of the Danforth and Fitchburg Art Museums in Massachusetts. His work has appeared in Black & White magazine and has been reviewed by Art New England. In his personal work, Nick enjoys working with the large format camera. In his teaching, Nick emphasizes the Zone System and the creative freedom that comes with a high level of technical skill. Adam Krauth :: A Massachusetts native and NESOP alumnus, Adam is a self-employed commercial photographer. His professional roles encompass preproduction, shooting and digital post production work in product advertising, architecture, fashion, editorial, event and portraiture. With a client list including New Balance, Siemens and the University of Massachusetts, Adam is in high demand, but enjoys taking time from shooting to lend his expertise in the NESOP classroom.

Faith Ninivaggi-Estee

After earning her BFA from The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, Faith made a fast entrance into the photography field shooting for Viacom Outdoor and the Boston Herald. Since then, she has developed and expanded her own freelance business and still shoots regularly for the Boston Herald. Faith remains active in local and national photo associations and communities, and brings the knowledge she gains in these environments into the classroom.

Stephen Ostrowski

Stephen entered the photographic world as a high school student, becoming a photojournalist for the Nashua Telegraph in New Hampshire while also working for a local portrait and wedding business. After graduating from NESOP in 1977, he made the transition into the Boston market as a commercial advertising and editorial photographer. Stephen continued his photographic education by studying at the New England Institute for Professional Photography at the University of New Hampshire. His work has been published in magazines such as Vermont, Vermont Golf, Boston Magazine, Yankee and a variety of trade publications and annual reports. He has created images for clients spanning Montreal, New York, Bermuda and Puerto Rico; and he has received merits from the Professional Photographers Association. A lecturer on a variety of subjects, Stephen joined the NESOP faculty in 1984.

Laura Pineda

Laura earned her BA in Photography and Women’s Studies from Antioch College, before attending NESOP and graduating with honors in Portraiture. Laura is the owner of Alternate Angles, a nationally known wedding and portrait business in Newport, RI. Alternate Angles has become a dominating force in the industry, with work and interviews appearing in numerous publications, including Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Southern New England Weddings, Destination Weddings and Honeymoons, Destination I Do, Photo District News, Wedding Bells, Elegant Wedding, The Knot, Gala Weddings, The Learning Channel‘s A Wedding Story, Newport Life, Rangefinder, Professional Photographer, PDN, Studio Photography and Shutterbug. Winner of countless local and national photographic awards, Laura has become a sought after voice in the wedding industry and is a leader in the market. She is a member of several national wedding and portrait organizations, which keeps her abreast of ongoing change and growth in the industry. She remains true to her passion—documenting the wedding story and sharing her knowledge and expertise with students.

Stephen Sheffield

A native of the Boston area, Stephen is an alumnus of Cornell University, where he earned a BFA in Painting with a minor in Photography. He received his MFA in Photography from the California College of the Arts. His work varies between a unique style of straight photography, alternative processes, mural printing and large-scale photomontage. Stephen’s combined use of these processes brings to his work a painterly feeling not usually associated with photography. Stephen has exhibited nationally for many years and has a number of large scale commissions in Boston and New York. His work has been featured in various publications such as Money, The Harvard Review, Better Homes and Gardens, Boston Globe Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Computerworld and Smart Money.

Dana Smith

Dana is a widely published magazine photographer, both nationally and abroad. His work has appeared in publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Boston Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Fast Company, Texas Monthly and Yankee. His work has been showcased in American Photography and numerous galleries. A NESOP alumnus, Dana is affiliated with Black Star in New York.

Keitaro Yoshioka

Keitaro holds a BA from Seikei University in Tokyo and MFA in Photography from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts University. Keitaro started his professional photography career as the lead photographer of the Polaroid 40” x 80” room size camera studio at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. As owner of his own commercial studio since 1997, he has worked for clients such as Cisco Systems, Lotus, IBM, Microsoft, Proctor & Gamble and Segway. In addition to being a member of the NESOP faculty, Keitaro also teaches at the Massachusetts College of Art and the Boston Architectural Center and is an international award winning photographer.