Nikonians decided in early 2005 to extend the learn, share, inspire experience beyond the forums into a small classroom environment and into the field. That is what the Nikonians Academy is all about.

Today we offer a "Master your Nikon Camera" series, a "Master your tools" series and a "Master your Craft and Vision" series with field travel and nature workshops.

If you have attended, we would love to hear your feedback on our workshops.

This is also the forum for you to express your needs and suggestions. Help us shape the content and format of your future workshops.

Although we keep Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen and our instructors very busy teaching, they will make their best to drop by to interact with you here.

If you need to make specific questions about your particular workshop, don't hesitate to use this contact form.

Have a great time
JRP (Founder & Administrator. Nikonian at the north-eastern Mexican desert) Gallery, Brief Love Story, The Team
Join the Silver, Gold and Platinum members that help this happen; upgrade. Join your personal web site to the Nikonians WebRing
Make sure you check our workshops at The Nikonians Academy

Of the various weaknesses I have, flash photography is one of the greatest. Portrait, interior architecture, and so forth.

So, knowing that the Nikon manuals are legendary for their cryptography (I've read them), and my very limited time, I signed up for the CLS class in my area. My particular class was taught by Mike Hagen.

It was great - I only wish that I had sufficient time to practice in the interim, but I did take copious notes, and Mike provided his own PowerPoint slides as well, which have been most helpful.

Quite honestly, there's nothing like a small class with an engaging instructor and hands-on scenarios. Balanced, fill, diffusion, bounced, CLS, stroboscopic, rear sync, and so on. While many of the activities involved portraiture (we were our own willing subjects), they were applicable to all sorts of photography. It was easy to see how the same concepts would apply to studio, macro, and even harsh, midday outdoor conditions.

Simplify

Cormorants

I attended Mike Hagen's D300 class in Austin, TX; and it was one of the most comprehensive classes on a camera that i have ever particpated. I have used a D100 and D200 and thought I knew the camera's, but the D300 class showed me how little of my camera's I was really utilizing.

My pictures have really benefited from this class and I look forward to taking his flash class.

Today, courtesy of Mike Hagan, I took baby steps in the mystery world of I-TTL. I know it will take time to walk, without holding on; Mike, you have made a stumbling innocent, a little more adventurous.

Thanks,

jack

This the best money I have spent on my hobby, minus the camera.

I have recently completed two Nikonians workshops in Los Angeles, (1) the D300 in depth and (2) Master Streamlined Digital Workflow & Inkjet Print. Both were taught by Mike Hagen. I have to say that although getting to these workshops was strenuous, since I live in San Diego, they were two extremely worthwhile days. Mike conducts his workshops in an interactive manner with attendees and a room full of Nikonians seems to produce lots and lots of questions. I feel that I learn almost as much from the Q&A as from Mike's prepared material (sorry, Mike!). My experience is that I walk away with a daunting list of gear and software that I think I should seriously consider. In total, over the past three years, I have taken four Nikonians workshops and I feel that they are some of the best photographic investments I have made.

Good photography requires continual learning as one strives to make better photographs. I am impressed that I can send Mike questions by e-mail and he generously provides answers. That provides a continuing resource that I value.

Jim in Poway, CA

a San Diego Nikonian

"This is also the forum for you to express your needs and suggestions. Help us shape the content and format of your future workshops."

You asked for feedback... how about more workshops in Canada? Checking the Academy link, the preponderance of workshops is centered in Vancouver, nearly 5,000km away from me here in Montreal.

And Toronto, Canada's largest city only rates a couple of workshops on the iTTL flash and Capture NX.

Montreal, Canada's second largest city of more than 2.5 million people rates NONE. I can tell you, there are a lot of Nikon users here. Just in our Lakeshore Camera Club alone - http://www.lccphoto.org there are more than 155 members, and I would say 70 percent shoot Nikon, with many D200 and a few D300 owners, myself included. In the Montreal area, there are over 21 photo clubs.

If Nikon Academy comes here, guaranteed it would be sold out, just like Apple's Aperture 2 workshop was, and Adobe's current CS3 tour.

Common Nikon, take care of your Canadian fans too, eh!

Cheers,
Frederic in Montréal
Field Trip Director,
Lakeshore Camera Club

Frederic in Montréal

Nothing ventured... nothing gained!
http://www.RemarkableImages.ca

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Re: iTTL workshop. Just a quick note to confirm the other good things being said about Mike Hagan and this workshop. Attended in Cincinnati on 5/18. I found Mike to be knowlegeable, patient, articulate, and just a pleasure to be with. Thnx Mike. stan

Stan Miller
A Sacramento CA Nikonian

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Visit my Nikonians gallery.

My wife and I just got back from the Banff National Park, Alberta,Canada 4-day workshop. We are beginners and learned a lot about composition, technique, creativity, exposure, and Capture NX. Winston Hall is a great teacher. By the end of the workshop, it looked like our pictures were taken by a pro. The group of 10 participants were a friendly bunch, we hung out together after classes, laughed alot, and learned a lot from each other. The photos from all members were astounding. Banff itself was absolutely beautiful and a wonderful place to photograph. There need to be more beautiful destination workshops like this. Attend one if you can, you will be amazed at how much you learn and how good a photographer you become in just a few days.

I just returned from the Advanced Digital Imaging Workflow workshop in Dallas, taught by Mike Hagen, Rick Walker and Jason Odell. All three instructors are absolute masters and were very willing to share their extensive knowledge and experience. They were very thorough in their explanation of NX2, CS3, Lightroom, etc and I walked away with much clearer understanding of the processes involved from capture to output. I have a better knowledge of color management as a result of attending this workshop and also the nuances of each of the programs and the printers we used.

I want to compliment Nikonians for attracting such excellent instructors and I want to thank the instructors and the other class participants for sharing their knowledge and enhancing my passion for photography. This is my second workshop and I will certainly attend more Nikonian sponsored functions. And yes, just like other Nikonians, I've ordered more camera and processing equipment! NAS, anyone?

Robert Weston
Columbia, SC

Another hearty, thank you Nikonians Academy for a new wealth of knowledge and for your excellence in training! This was my third workshop with Mike Hagen and fourth Nikonians workshop overall. I have yet to be disappointed and always leave with new appreciation for the well thought out and structured methods of instruction. This class covered Adobe CS3, Adobe Raw Conversions, NX2 and HP printing, coupled with HP equipment for unlimited printing opportunities. This class was the best for a complete understanding of what the thought process should be after the picture is taken. The Image Doctors were also there to give us their insights of comparing Adobe products to NX2. Now I can see the true strengths of each and when to use each. The picture I attached was taken in Havana at sunrise, but had only the building lit, but now the whole picture has highlights. A bona fide pleasure was to experiment with different types of papers, the canvas one produces a painting like effect.
Thanks to Mike Hagen,the "Best of the Best"
and the Image Doctors, Rick and Jason!

Ron McGinty

P.S. Jason, I bought your your NX2 online workbook, it is awesome!

Attachment #1, (jpg file)
Attachment #2, (jpg file)

I recently attended Winston C. Hall's workshop on the D300 in Indianapolis (8/14/08). Winston gave us an action packed day. I was concerned about what I would take from this, because I feel I had a pretty good working knowledge of my camera. I learned quite a bit! He covered so much information in an organized, easy to understand manner. I felt no time was wasted. He very patiently answered questions, and stayed on point. I only regret that I had not signed up for the i-TTL class before it filled. I hope you will offer the i-TTL workshop again in the Indianapolis area.
Thanks to the staff at Nikonians!
Kathy Cavallaro

All,
I attended the Nikonians Academy Workshop in Indianapolis/ Fishers, IN on the In Depth D300 Workshop on Friday, August 15th.
>
Winston is a great instructor/faciliator and a fantastic representative for the Nikonians Academy. He made the class very interesting and provided many benfical tips. It was very comprehensive. I absolutly came away with a better understanding of my D300. His slides, tips, and dialog were outstanding and connecting his D300 to the LCD projector so we could see the menus was absoultely beneficial.
>
In fact, I have passed along my positive comments to 4 D300 users
recommending the Nikonians Academy classes...assuming this is typical of the classes.
>
Five days after the course my wife and I went to the Grand Teton
National Park and Yellowstone National Park in the US for 10 days for
our vacation. I was able to apply my improved understanding of what I learned and even read the handout on the plane to help reinforce what Winston taught us. I have mastered how to use the 51 point focus system as a direct result of the class.
>
Now that I have a great understanding of my camera I am planning to
attend the advanced class...Winston indicated that later this year the 2009 schedule would be published and more sites would be selected. Here are my recommendation for a new training site.
>
I traveled 3 hours from Dublin, OH to stay with our daughter in Carmel, right next to Fishers,In to attend our the In-Depth workshop. I strongly recommend that you consider both the Indepth class and the advanced class for then D300 in Columbus, Oh. Dublin is a suburb.

Have a great day!
Del

Why are there no Nikonian Academy workshops in the UK, according to the website there are 6916 Nikonians in the UK, I know that are FAR more in the US, but surely there are Nikonians in the UK that have the skill to present workshops. I've been looking around for reasonable value workshops in the UK and am considering some of the Chris Weston ones but would love to have more choice.

Roy Booth
Fleet, England.

Roy,
We are working on that.
Thank you.

Have a great time
JRP (Founder & Administrator. Nikonian at the north-eastern Mexican desert) Gallery, Brief Love Story, The Team
Join the Silver, Gold and Platinum members that help this happen; upgrade. Join your personal web site to the Nikonians WebRing
Make sure you check our workshops at The Nikonians Academy

Just a short note to let everyone know that I had a terrific experience at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta event with Winston Hall.

Aside from the actual shooting experience during the Fiesta, we learned a lot and enjoyed the motivation, enthusiasm and effort that Winston gave to the entire class.

Thanks for sponsoring this.

I too was a part of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta event. I want to second the earlier comments. Winston is an excellent instructor. He has the knowledge to challenge the experienced photographer and the patience to help the novice.

Even more important was the sharing, humor and encouragment provided by our fellow Nikonians.

The overall experience was memorable, and that is just enhanced by the photos.

grosda

On November 13 I attended the D300 In Depth Workshop in Las Vegas conducted by Winston Hall...a great instructor! Having worked with the camera for six months previously I thought this course might be too "basic" for me...Hah! By the end of the day I felt like I had a new camera in hand without having actually purchased one.

Not only an excellent review of the basics (which I thought I knew oh so well, but didn't), Winston's presentation showed me lots of new ways to utilize the capabilities of this incredible camera.

Then, a few days later on the 16th, I attended his D300 Advanced Course, also in Las Vegas. What can I say but to repeat the above. Both courses were well worth the money (far exceed it actually.)

Winston's instruction is comprehensive and, above all, clear! Maybe he should be writing the Nikon Manuals? He is a top-flight instructor with patience and knowledge in abundance. You not only take away a great day of instruction, but Winston also provides many extras.

Highly, highly recommended.

And a P.S. If you ever get a chance to attend a Nikon CLS class (I took mine by Mike Hagen, another fabulous instructor) do it! My flash photography has improved dramatically!

Thanks to Mike, Winston, and Nikonians!

I took the D300 Advanced and the CLS class in Vegas (Nov. 15 & 16, 2008). They were both fantastic. Winston is a very good teacher and knows the cameras & flash inside out!!!!! He seems to love to teach and doesn't talk down to the students no matter what level they are at. These are definitely HANDS ON workshops. He guides you through every menu and every step...then has you try it out.


I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE MORE CLASSES!

Why arent there any classes offered in Las Vegas in 2009?

I really would love to take the Capture NX2 class and wouldnt mind getting a refresher on the CLS class (I feel like I only absorbed 1/2 of what was offered)!!!!! Please offer Las Vegas classes again...it was definitely worth the 3 hour drive!

If you have a chance to take attend one of these workshops you won't regret it.

I have a sugestion for your all to think about with the workshops.

Have you ever thought about taping some of these?

While it would be wonderful to fly off to the big city for a workshop, reality means otherwise. It might be nice to be able to obtain a DVD or CD that showed the highlights of a workshop. While not the same as the hands-on experience, we could follow along at home with our cameras and perhaps glean something.

Thanks for thinking about this.
LL49Wat

Lynn
This is one of our many projects.
Likely to become a reality next year.

Have a great time
JRP (Founder & Administrator. Nikonian at the north-eastern Mexican desert) Gallery, Brief Love Story, The Team
Join the Silver, Gold and Platinum members that help this happen; upgrade. Join your personal web site to the Nikonians WebRing
Make sure you check our workshops at The Nikonians Academy

Glad to hear it.

Meantime, I am going to drive up to Charlotte to take a class in August. I am looking forward to it.
LL49Wat

I have been trying to change my email address for 3 days no luck. Help if I don't change it soon I will not be on this forum. New temporary email- vciullo@variableconcepts.com

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Just attended two of the most instructive days in my photo career. Mike Hagen conducted a D300 In Depth Workshop on Friday and the Nikon CLS Flash couse on Saturday in Philadelphia. Both were extremely hands on and small class settings. The flash course was particularly good in that I spend most of my time in available light doing landscape and macro photography. I learned a tremendous amount of information about my SB800 and my R1 especially how to manipulate them to produce professional looking portraits and the technology behind the light. It was great and easily the best use of $179 for each course that I could have imagined.

Thanks Mike for your knowledge, your excitement and your energy. It was really a fantastic set of courses. Ilok forward to your return to the Philadelphia area as I continue to try to upgrade my game.

JW Rupley
--------

Photo Shoots are like a box of chocolates, you just never know what you might get!

My Gallery

My Other Gallery
http://johnwrupley.zenfolio.com/

I attended the iTTL flash class in Cincinnati on 7/25, taught by Mike Hagen. After what I learned in the first half hour of the class (maybe even fifteen minutes!), I decided that the class fee was money WELL SPENT. I have had a SB800 for three or four years and have only used it for those times that I knew that flash was the only way that I was going to get a picture at all. I chose to use available light for everything else - sometimes I got the shot, sometimes not. After this class, I now have the information I need to be able to use flash as it was intended - to add light where it's needed without blinding the subject.

Thanks, Mike, for a great class! I won't hesitate to take another when the opportunity arises.

Stephanie Meade
Ft. Wright, KY

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Recently took my 4th class with Mike Hagen in Cincinnati. Without a doubt the best money I've spent on the hobby (yes, equipment included)!
Look forward to others in the future.
Thanks again Mike!

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Photoeye1234

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I have been just bubbling all day to family and friends about how much I learned about my new D-90 camera from Mike Hagen's workshop yesterday in Secaucus, NJ. I'm brand new to the digital SLR "hobby". I bought a TON of equipment, and the D-90 body, within the past several months. And, truthfully, I've been busy at work since then, and actually somewhat in awe and afraid to use the camera and my lenses (I have 6). After yesterday, though, I feel excited and empowered to get out there and start taking photographs. Mike is a wonderful and thorough teacher. Even though we learned only about 50% of what we need to know, the one day in the class with Mike was unbelievably educational. He is very personable and knowledgable! Also, because these classes are small, there is lots of time to answer questions, and he takes the time to address all of our special needs and issues.

Mike - a HUGE thank you! I am already planning on how to gather the necessary funds (and time off) to go with you to Tanzania next May!

Brian Hoffmann

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Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Oct 2009 - CLS seminar with Mike Hagan -- Washington DC. Seminar was great; Mike's presentation was easy flowing & easy to follow; we had chances to put into practice what he discussed & learned how to set the camera & speedlight for the best available light situations. I usually shoot manual mode, but with Mike's help have learned to experiment more with aperture priority & different power levels on the SB800.


Cathy,
Waldorf, MD

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Took two workshops from Mike the D-90 and the CLS, both were great and I highly recommend them. Have read the various books on the topics but hands on with Mike is worth every penny.

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The Death Valley Workshop with Michael Mariant was a very special outing. Not your typical trees and waterfalls environment, but instead we went to many unique locations all with hands on instruction and feedback from Michael. I know he is going to add a thread about this workshop too, but I wanted to let everyone know what a great learning experience it was.

Jim Nichols
Norwalk, CT

Gallery: www.pbase.com/junglejim

At the end of Feb., I attended Mike Hagen's CLS class in Los Angeles, and the next day Winston Hall's advanced class in Fountain Valley. Both were extremely beneficial and worth every penny. After using both the SB-900 and SB-600 for over a year, I feel that I now truly know how to use them, and have more ideas about how to improve my range of photography opportunities in lighting.

Last summer, I also took Winston's two day class on my D300, and I learned more about the camera in the first hour than I did in 18 months of trying to figure it out.

I can hardly wait for the next classes in LA, and highly recommend any of the classes in your areas of the US.

Clarence

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I just attended the Mastering the Nikon D700 and Nikon iTTL workshops in NY with Mike Hagen. If you have never attended one of these trainings, do yourself a favor and get to one. Mike is a really great teacher. In just 2 days, I learned so much about my camera and flash.

The workshops are well worth every penny.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I am looking for a class/workshop setting where I can learn the artistic side photography in the Los Angeles area. I already know about f stop, aperture, rule of third, etc. Any recommendation would be helpful.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I just finished my 6th workshop with Mike. This one was in Orlando and was wonderful. We had a surprise guest at our D300 workshop (JRP). He is a real gentleman and a great Nikonian.

Steve

When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.
-Alfred Eisenstaedt

Thank you, Steve.
It was a thrill to finally be able to be at one of our own workshops and meet you all.

Have a great time
JRP (Founder & Administrator. Nikonian at the north-eastern Mexican desert) Gallery, Brief Love Story, The Team
Join the Silver, Gold and Platinum members that help this happen; upgrade. Join your personal web site to the Nikonians WebRing
Make sure you check our workshops at The Nikonians Academy

I recently attended the "Mastering the D300/D300s" and "The Passionate Photographer" workshops, given by the very accomplished photographer Steve Simon, in Montreal.

Both workshops were excellent - I became totally familiar with my D300, some menus of which had been confusing to me previously, and now feel like I have it totally mastered. It's given me a new appreciation for the D300, and for how versatile it is.

"The Passionate Photographer" workshop was not only very inspiring, but has motivated me to take a lot more pictures.

And, both workshops were a lot of fun! It was a pleasure to meet other Nikonians in person for the first time. Steve Simon is a great teacher who is very experienced and full of insights.

I'm looking forward to taking more workshops in the future, and would love to take a longer course, shooting on location.

I will also be watching for a workshop on mastering the Nikon CLS system.

Phil
A Canadian Nikonian
My portfolio: www.pjr99.500px.com

I just completed Master the Nikon D700 & D3 In-depth and Advanced Workshops taught by Winston C. Hall. These were my first Nikonian Academy classes and they were fantastic! I feel like I have a way better understanding of my camera and much better appreciation for all the cool things it can do! Thanks Winston all the energy and enthusiasm that you put into the classes!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I attended the D700 In Depth Workshop presented by Winston Hall. I think this was one of the most informative and enjoyable workshops I have ever attended. The material was well organized, well presented and paced perfectly. The printed reference material is proving to be very helpful as are the pdf's and links provided by Winston. All that combined with his sense of humor made it a great experience.

Best regards,

Bob
"If heat rises then Heaven must be hotter than Hell."
Steven Wright

I've just returned from the Mastering Your D700 etc. seminar held in New York City with Steve Simon in the driver's seat. FANTASTIC!

First of all, a big tip of the hat to all at Nikonians who finally got one of these things in my "neighborhood" where I would not have to augment my admission fee with airfare and a huge disruption to my schedule in order to attend. I've "asked" many times on this site why the majority of the Academy offerings seem to be held west of the Mississippi, almost ignoring the American population centers. As I said: "Finally!"

I thought that, since I've owned my camera for some time, I would get some review along with maybe a few "Wows." Turns out it was mostly Wows. I've been driving a Lamborghini and treating it like a Yugo all this time. Steve taught me a whole new way to shoot. Now I'm in retraining and I should be a danger to myself and others for a few months until I get the hang of it.

A huge well done to Steve who kept things relevant and interesting for the entire day. When he got to white balance, the topic that some smartbutt (me) told him was irrelevant for people who shoot RAW, it turned out to be one of the highlights.

MEMO TO NIKONIANS ACADEMY ADMINISTRATORS: MORE!! Get them scheduled out here where people live.

My wife and I had the pleasure of taking Steve Simon's D7000/D90/D80 workshop in NYC last week. Steve did a great job of handling a diverse group of photographers with divergent skill levels and the need to address the particular features of all 3 bodies (D90 shooters were the majority, but there were several D7000 users and one D80 user).

I have had my D90 for a bit more than a year and I thought I had made progress in exploring it's capabilities! However, I came away with my camera set up completely differently than when I went in, and the changes are already improving my results. For my wife, who has had significantly less time behind her camera so far, it was a great and comprehensive introduction that will surely put her months ahead of what she would have done by herself or with my help.

I can heartily recommend this workshop for folks looking to take greater advantage of these powerful cameras. My only caveat is that it is a CAMERA workshop, not a photography workshop. I think one needs to have a firm grasp of the basics of photography (relationships between aperture, exposure and ISO and the intentional management of DOF and stopped action) to make the best use of the information that Steve presents. It might be helpful to make this need/expectation more explicit in the workshop description.

Again -- a great experience, and for me a great value!

Dave

Visit my Nikonians gallery now that I've added a few pictures!

JRP,

I attended a workshop years ago w/Mike Hagen and it was excellent. I see that there is a lighting workshop coming to SF and checked into it because I would love to attend.

The one day workshop is listed for $575. Please tell me that is a misprint.

I would expect a workshop like this to be in the $225 to $250 range.


Mark loane
Danville, CA

Just an add on......

In my mail today was a brochure for "Light it, shoot it, retouch it" with Scott Kelby in San Francisco on 11/14/2011 for $89.

I just reserved a spot. I would have been willing to pay 3 times that much for a smaller Nikonian class. 6 times plus is too much.


Mark Sloane
Danville, CA

@Bluefin - the David Tejada workshop is a 2-day lighting class.

Best regards,

Mike Hagen

I just posted a review for the Grand Tetons Wildlife workshop.

I figured I should put a link here so it can be easily found in the future.

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=207&topic_id=1387&mesg_id=1387&page=

Dave
Quad Cities, USA
A Nikonians Team Member
My Gallery
SummersPhotoGraphic.com

Nikonians membership -
"My most important photographic investment, after the camera"

Share, Learn and Inspire

This past Thursday and Friday I attended two workshops for the D700 & D3/D3s/D3x - "In Depth" and "Advanced" here in Dallas, both taught by Winston Hall... If own one of these model cameras, and have the chance to take either or both of these classes do it, no mater what level of experience you are, you will learn something... I learned a lot of things I didn't know my D700 would do. It's quite an amazing piece of equipment. Winston knows the camera inside out and will take the time to answer any and all questions completely. TIme and money well spent.

Thank you,

Hugh

Mike Hagen rocks! In Los Angeles last weekend, I took his Lightroom class and the D300 class. In addition to the wonderfully detailed handouts, Mike provided excellent, practical information on both topics. In spite of the variety of experience levels in the classes, Mike managed the time and pitched his instruction so everyone gained from it. His goal is to..."eliminate FUD: fear, uncertainty and doubt" - which is exactly what he did for me.

3 in my group who attended the D300 class in Ft Lauderdale had the same experience!!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Lightroom essentials - Attended with an excellent group today. Mike was great, got a real good handle on the basics - many thanks!

Looking forward to the CLS class this weekend!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

A big thanks to Mike for the iTTL workshop! Attended with another great group today and we learned a lot! No longer am I afraid of setting up masters, remotes, adjusting ev, etc. I feel empowered to open up this additional phase of my photography! Thanks again Mike!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

>A big thanks to Mike for the iTTL workshop! Attended with
>another great group today and we learned a lot! No longer am
>I afraid of setting up masters, remotes, adjusting ev, etc. I
>feel empowered to open up this additional phase of my
>photography! Thanks again Mike!

+1 to that!

Mike did a great job on all three workshops I just attended (the two with you, Light Room and i-TTL, as well as the Studio Lighting one)! Not only learned so much about the target subject matter, but also learned a lot about my D-7000. And nice to meet you!

-Glenn

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

http://shadowriderimages.com

Mike Hagen is a natural teacher. He has the gift of making complex material clear and understandable. I was extremely pleased with the instruction in the TTL, Lightroom, and D700 workshops. Everything was well organized and edited so the information was relevant and practical, but thorough. Mike is a very warm, energetic, and enthusiastic guy. I will be looking for other courses taught by him for sure!

iTTL / CLS Workshop-Nashville June 23rd 2012

This was my first Nikonians Academy workshop, and it was excellent! The workshop was facillitated by Winston Hall, and he was great; a lot of hands on experience throughout the day to help reinforce the theory covered, camera, and flash settings, etc. Also, a lot of good information regarding equipment and set ups. The smaller class size allowed one on one time for Winston to answer individual questions. Highly recommended for those looking to get the most out of their Speedlights and Nikon's amazing CLS system!

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

I originally signed up for the Advanced iTTL and D4 workshops.

I learned a ton from the Advanced iTTL class. Winston, aka Tuner (nickname), gives great workshops. I had attended 3 workshops he has given in the past, so I was not hesitant to sign up for these. I find his workshops thorough and interesting, along with being helpful. I am always excited to start using what I learn from his workshops. He is extremely knowledgeable both from a creative side as well as a technical side in both photography as well as the "after the click" aspects with PP, etc. I kiddingly referred to him as "Tunerpedia!"

I was contemplating moving from Aperture to Lightroom 4, but needed to find a compelling reason to make the jump. After talking to Winston, I was convinced I should switch to Lightroom 4 and signed up for his Lightroom 4 workshop as well. It gave me enough foundation that I am in the process of switching over to use Lightroom. (At this point, I will probably keep Aperture around for a while for accessibility to the existing photos.)

His D4/D800 class was awesome. The D4 is an amazing instrument and it was impossible for him to cover all of the aspects of the camera. It should have been titled D4/D800 part 1. I felt he covered the most important features and usage that should have been covered in the workshop with the other features to hopefully be covered in an advanced class. I was concerned the D800 part would cut into the D4 discussion, but I didn't feel that at all. These awesome cameras have a lot in common.

Here's hoping they have an Advanced D4 class coming to Indy next year!

Hi, All--

This is just a pointer to my feedback on Les Picker's Acadia National Park workshop (Oct. 18-22), which I posted in the thread for this workshop:

http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=207&topic_id=1585&mesg_id=1585&page=


Dave Soderlund

Visit my Nikonians gallery now that I've added a few pictures!

Just completed Mike Hagen's two-day D800 class. It was really excellent and worth it. There was so much info, we could have spent another day going over the camera. Very much a hands on class, I learned more in the class than in all the books out there. I would definitely recommend to family or friends.

Jack Evans

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Mike Hagen held his Lightroom 4 In Depth No.1 seminar in Fairfield, New Jersey on April 7th. This was my first seminar with him, slthough he saved my bacon by writing Capture NX2's After the Shoot. Before I read that I didn't have a clue. Well, after two months trying to learn LR4, I also needed help. Mike to the rescue, again!
Mike is an expert in this application and he has such a good ability to teach as well. He never dodges questions and almost always answers them right when they are asked, not two hours later. And he shares many examples of practial application of the particular functions he discusses. You learn not only how to use a function but, also, frequently learn a number of undocumented ways to use it.
At some sessions with other teachers, students arrive late and/or leave early. Mike's well earned reputation for being the best obviously preceded him. Everyone was there at Mike's session before 8 AM and nobody left until well after the close at 5 PM. And no one was late coming back from lunch either. Thanks, Mike for a super job! As Arnold (undoubtedly one of your prior students) said already -- "I'll be back!"

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I have returned from Los Angeles after attending Mike Hagen's two day workshop on the D-800. This is my third camera workshop and it was well worth the minimal cost. Mike is a wonderful presenter. He is prepared, has a wonderful teaching style and is very patient with attendees of all levels. He knows how to steer the class around questions that are not relevant but comes to them in an appropriate time. Being able to see his camera menu selections on the video screen really helps understand the menu selections.

The information learned has already helped me in using the camera. I found the video presentation to be excellent, especially since I knew little about this subject. I do believe he is correct in saying there could even be a day more of presentations.

David Arkin....San Diego

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Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

Went to the Los Angeles class -d800,d4.
Was only able to attend the first day, but that day was great. Packed with information, how to's and reasons for certain things. Even some shortcuts thrown in.
Would recommend Mike and his class to anyone who would like to know all of the things these cameras are capable of.

Thanks again Mike !
david S

It has been a month since I attended the two day workshop on Mastering the D800 in Las Vegas . . . to the day, even. It is always a good idea to give some time and see what has really changed as a result of spending both time and money on such a program before recommending it to others.

A month later, I can HIGHLY recommend this workshop. Mike Hagen has singularly made the biggest contribution to getting my photography to the next level! His knowledge about the camera, photography in general, software, travel photography, lighting . . . he is a full package!!

By noon an the first day I felt he had earned the cost of my tuition by simply pointing out what I could ignore on my D800. All of a sudden the camera felt more like a friend than a long list of 'have to understands'. By getting the menu and operation choices down to the essential I knew I could do it. Later, as he expanded choices and reasons for making them I knew I was going to go home and have more fun.

In the month since the class, Mike's recommendations have been used again and again. My photography is better and I am having more fun, the real reason I get up and go shooting.

Thanks Mike. And thanks to Nikonians for making this possible.

Carol

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