Students work from Master photographer Michael Seewald's Yosemite digital photography classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced photographers

The following few sent from Manoj Jayadevan,
grad from our Yosemite 2.27.2015 class

“Michael, Bottom line:
The workshop (fun-shop) was priceless!
As I told you when we were in the field, I've had a lot of workshops, and those ‘instructors’ basically
just took us to pretty places. They answered questions if we asked, but that was about it. You actually
taught, critiquing each image; explaining what was right, and wrong, with all my compositions,
and why! And then showed me HOW TO FIX THEM, if they needed it, on the spot!

I will no longer need more ‘classes’, as with your help I now have a map
on how to make strong art, from here on out. “
Again, thanks so much,
Manoj Jayadevan, Yosemite class of 2.27.2015
Intermediate level photographer, San Francisco, CA

NOTE: Contact info to confirm this testimony, as with ALL TESTIMONIES
we receive and post, are always available on request.

Note, Elber brought this in to our frame shop for framing in June of 2010, and the next
customer that came in saw it and asked if she could order one! He sold his first image- YEAH!

Click photo to enlarge.
Copyright Majid Ahmed, class grad of 3.21-22.'09

Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite Valley

Click image to enlarge. Copyright Michael Seewald, 3/2009

Bigfoot in blue, Yosemite

Click photo to enlarge. Copyright Michael Seewald 2009
Half Dome - clearing storm

The following letter was sent in by one of the many previous grads, whom we'd asked to critique the latest work (above) for a 'best of' contest we had. It's kinda funny...

"Dear Michael, wanting to make sure that I looked at all of the pictures, and give them more than a cursory look, I downloaded all of them to my desktop so I could see them all side by side. However, for some reason, am not sure why.....I inadvertently included one of yours!

Didn't know this until I had already written my critique/review/opinion of my favorite (below in blue), and went back to the website to find out what the number it was to let you know. But.....since I spent some time writing it, I'm sending it anyways ... hope you won't be offended - OK... this falls under the category of ... make sure you have all your facts right."

Note: The photo was on the entrance page to this 'students page',
so that's probably how she downloaded it by mistake. MS

"After spending several days looking at all of the photos, and narrowing them down each day, I have finally come up with a number one choice. But before revealing my choice, I must say, it was a much more difficult task than I would have imagined. All the pictures were beautiful and each had merit in its own way, but the one I finally chose was the one I kept being drawn to. At first glance, one can almost sense the changes and movement of the clouds and hear the trickle of water as the ice melts from the trees. Then your eyes are drawn further into the picture on a perceived path between the wide clearing in the trees, on your way toward the Dome.

Halfway there, as your eyes go up along the hard vertical surface of the dome, you realize that it could also serve as a dividing line between two halves.

To the left, Gray clouds and the look of an approaching storm, and on the right, the promise of the suns warmth.

The left conveys the stillness of the place, expressed in the ice-covered arms of the trees, the grandeur and violence of nature in the dark gathering clouds. The stark sharpness of the trees, particularly on the left of the photo, further emphasizes what a hostile environment this can be.

On the right, the suns’ cloud filtered light, casting its shadows and highlights, which serve to enhance the contours of the dome, and reveals the scale of the massif rock against the trees on the ridge to the right. The blue of the sky being the most predominant color seems to act as a catalyst, moving us back toward the warmer, softer side of the scene.

As you draw back out, to view the photo as a whole, it brings up many emotions, the serenity of the place, juxtaposed against the extremes of the elements. The initial almost monochromatic look, has the effect of drawing your eyes around the picture in search of colors. It isn’t until later that you come back and notice the supple pastels in the trees of the foreground, soft against the unyielding hardness of the stone highlighting yet another extreme.

With these many elements, or maybe because of them, the picture as a whole conveys a profound sense of peace, and possibly a reflection of the many encounters of life as we go through its journey.

My second and third picks, were: #15 and # 3. "

Namaste, Hanni Andersen

Wow, thanks Hanni for the in-depth review, even if it was of one of mine by mistake.
MS

Click photo to enlarge.
Copyright Tamara Ames / Michael goofing around for a student.

Michael upon hearing that the students would have to
judge these images, not he! He, he, he.

Upon heading to the food-court for his nightly critique session with the students,
Michael ran into a grizzly bear; "And then it stood up to me like this, and then..."