The Arcanum

 

I have been a Master in The Arcanum, the “Magical Academy of Artistic Mastery”, since October 2014. I have enjoyed being a mentor and guiding a group of 20 apprentices through a handcrafted learning path that where they explore artistic photography.  All of them have seen drastic improvements in their photography as a result of being in The Arcanum.

I am currently seeking additional apprentices to be mentored by me, if you have any interest in being a part of this wonderful learning experience, then click on the link above and become a member of The Arcanum. If you have any questions about The Arcanum, please don’t hesitate to contact me, I will be happy to answer any of your questions.

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One-on-one critiques

Getting comments and written feedback is nice, but being able to discuss your work in a one-to-one situation is better. In a critique session, you will get evaluation and advice based on the artistic goal that you had in mind when you created your work. On top of that, questions on processing techniques can be answered right away using the screen sharing technology in Google Hangouts, often resulting in insightful demonstrations.

Huge library of videos

Membership in The Arcanum gives you access to the Grand Library, a vast library of videos on all topics related to photography in the 21st century. What about a fully-fledged 60-part tutorial on Lightroom and Photoshop? The Grand Library has you covered. Are you looking for inspiration? What about a video about gaining impact by converting your images to black & white? Do you want to see how the masters do it? Why not look over the shoulder of award winning photographer Jackie Ranken as she walks the woods with her 50mm lens? And then there are hundreds of recorded critique sessions where you can learn from the advice master photographers give to their apprentices. Street photography? Studio portraiture? Landscape photography? You name it, the Grand Library has it.

Meaningful conversation among friends

Everything in The Arcanum is based upon a strong sense of community. Learning takes place in so-called cohorts of apprentices that are led by a “master”. Feedback is always honest, constructive and supportive. Superficial “Great shot, please visit my stream” comments don’t have a place here. And what is most important, everything is about the artist’s goal. But it gets even better: Using Google Hangouts, apprentices regularly meet online in video conferences and discuss everything from their latest work, innovative processing techniques, or the latest news from their everyday lives. This way true friendships are built.