Is Day 3 necessary?

Good question, and if a student didn't get that much more on day 3, we'd say do that!
But, that's NOT what students report on their critique forms, testimonies follow...

Greetings folks, below are some testimonials, and then Michael’s ‘sales pitch’,
to explain why taking ‘day three’ would be in your best interest.

Michael Seewald in front of his first Photographic Art Gallery in Leucadia, 1985
He taught his first few hundred students at this location.

Question #11, was day three important to take?

CJ is the student on the right, all the others were repeat grads. His statement follows...

“...My best photos were taken on day 3, as the information and skills were finally becoming 2nd nature. To me, the third day was vital.”
CJ Orndorff III, Oceanside, Ca, Intermediate photographer, Yosemite fall class of 10.’16

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“...Without Day 3, I would have been nowhere. By the afternoon all the
concepts of the weekend began to gel for me and I began to have "aha" moments. I made photos
that I am proud of that afternoon “
Joe Aglio, San Diego.

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“...I can't imagine NOT having gone on Day III, as that was the day I finally felt like I was comprehending what had been taught.”
Pam Scholten, Anaheim, CA, class of 2.25.2011

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“...I believe day three to be very important actually. Things simply click on day three... “
Matthew Carse, La Jolla, Class of 8.22.14

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“...Day Three made all the difference in the world for me. It was as though everything finally came together and I feel that I can do this!”
Diana Henderson, Huntington Beach, CA, Class of 1.10.2013

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“...Day three was necessary to get more comfortable with what to look for before you even set-up your tripod.”
Bob Pooley, San Diego, and then Yosemite class of Feb., 2016

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Here is a testimony on YouTube also, from David Durney of San Diego, Three Day Class of 4.29.2011:

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The story of 30+ years of
Michael's teaching... and going from a one day
class, to one with an optional day two, etc..!

In the mid-eighties, after Michael opened his first gallery, he exhibited an artist from Maryland, Fran Stetina. Fran also taught figure study workshops, so they held one together. Michael realized he knew way more than Fran, as he had a degree and twenty years of practice now, so he started giving his own.

He used to teach the ‘A-Z’ technical and compositional class all in one day. The first half of the day he covered the rules of what you should and should not do to make strong, award winning art, and then applied it to their sample photos. The second half they went out and tried to apply all this new knowledge in the field. He found that students basically walked around like chickens with their heads chopped off, trying to apply it all and not getting anywhere to speak of. So he expanded the ‘rules and photo critique’ to one whole day, and offered an optional second day so they could ‘put it into practice’.

Most folks did not think they needed day two, they thought they understood all the principles, so they did not take it. YET those that did take it reported it made all the difference in the world on applying the ‘controlled eye movement’ concept, and became a better artist.

It’s like this; on day one we build a race car, and on day two we race it. If you did not take day two, then you’re not really a race car driver, you were a person with a race car in your garage- not the same thing. You’ve got to take it out on the road.

So he made the two day mandatory, as the ones who only took day one were not really helped. Everyone was really getting it pretty well now. BUT, when Michael was out of town giving the classes, say Yosemite or Carmel, he offered a third day to make it all worthwhile for folks going that far, and most folks added it as they was such a wonderful places to ‘work’! And guess what, the critiques came back stating day three made all the difference in the world, that it sunk in much deeper and became so much easier.

Well, the San Diego folks were never offered a third three (this was now in the late 90’s and early 2000’s), so he started to offer it to them too, and got rave reviews just like the ‘out of town’ classes got.

The dilemma was now what to do, since the three day folks made such great reports, does he now make it mandatory? Yes, he did, it was that dramatic in their confidence levels, they were really getting it all (This was beginner, intermediate and advanced, across the board).

But then the economy turned sour in ’08 or so, and he decided to again offer day three as optional, as many folks just couldn’t afford the extra day. He thought it better they get some improvement over none, right?

Well, we are now where we are. Most folks can still afford day three, but think it might not be needed. Heck, if it’s not, that’ll save you bucks, and that’s a good thing right? But it is needed, how do we convey it?

And we’ve put together a compilation of answerers from the critiques on file on this part of the class, to help persuade those of you that can to do so. We decided to sweeten the

deal recently too, by offering a carrot/incentive to take day three, which seems to work with nine of ten students. We now offer an 11x14 Seewald original of choice valued at $750 for those that take all three days. What a country!

So, not only does that net you a Seewald original, a good enough reason in and of itself, but it will help you become so much more comfortable on using Michael’s advanced thought process of controlling the movement of the eye through your creations, plus more time to practice all the manual settings for those that need that too.

Plus we’ll go over some thought processes not yet covered, that need field work to communicate.

So at the end of day three, you’re not only a race car driver, you are starting to win heats, maybe even a race or two! How cool is that?

If you’d like to add this now let us know, anytime up to the end of day two.

Again, thanks for signing up for the two day class already, and we hope you’ll take advantage of working with a master for an entire extra day