New England School of Photography

Alumni Profiles




	Niko Luoma Alumni / 1995 / Fine Art Photographer Currently living and working in Helsinki, Finland
When I was 23, I sold everything I owned, left my hometown of Helsinki, Finland, jumped in a plane, and went to NESOP. I knew that I wanted to really understand the photographic process and make photography part of my artistic vision. NESOP gave me all of the technical knowledge I needed. The school included a lot of international students, so I felt at home. The faculty members I worked with inspired me to explore advanced black and white photography. Looking back, those two years were a fantastic time of learning for me. And I continued ahead, earning a Master's Degree from the University of Helsinki. At NESOP, I truly found myself as an artist. All my goals and plans that I envisioned are now happening little by little. I'm represented by a great gallery in Berlin. I've had many solo shows. And most importantly, I'm in my studio working every day.




	Cheryl Richards Alumni / 1987 / Portrait/Wedding Photographer Currently living and working in Boston, MA
"Best of Boston"–Boston Magazine 1998 Voted Best Wedding Photographer, 1996 and 1998 A photography class in high school sparked my desire to be a photographer, but I didn't have the knowledge I knew I would need to succeed. I loved NESOP right from the start—the interaction, the critiques in class, the other students. I was 100 percent into it. I was paying my own way through NESOP working as a waitress. So I took advantage of every opportunity I had. I majored in Portraiture and Studio/Commercial Photography, earning honors in both. Now I have my own studio on Newbury Street in Boston, where I do portraits, weddings and other assignments. In my wildest dreams, I never thought that I'd end up here. The encouragement and support I got at NESOP gave me the confidence and skills I needed to make it as a professional photographer.




	Danny Clinch Alumni / 1986 / Music/Documentary Photographer Currently living and working in New York, NY
When I started looking at photography schools, they all seemed intimidating. Then I found NESOP, which seemed so much more welcoming, and I said this place is for me. What could be better than being surrounded by photographers and photography for two years? Looking back, I remember spending a lot of time in the Boston music scene, and a lot of my assignments were centered on music. This interest has continued ahead, and I've done a lot of work with musicians—including the Foo Fighters, Dave Matthews, Moby and many more. When I left NESOP, my documentary style was pretty much in place. I assisted a lot of excellent photographers—Steven Meisel, Mary Ellen Mark, Annie Leibowitz. I've been on my own for more than a decade, balancing advertising work with documentary filmmaking. Today, I combine my passion for photography with a love of music—just like I learned years ago at NESOP.