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Our Workshops

Ideas proven by years in the field, and education backed in true academic teaching experience.

Our team collectively has:

  • A masters degree in Education from the University of Michigan
  • almost 30ish years in real world photography experiences
  • 5 years in photography education
  • A wide range of diverse experiences
ourphotoclub-workshop-fall-2023

Our Workshop Team

Our current workshops are focused on the educational experience from our founders, we will be adding new members here as we expand our workshop offerings.

Michael Stewart Patrick Kent

Founder, Photographer, Educator

Camera geek, computer nerd, art freak. I build computers for fun, and generally carry around 3-4 cameras on me at all times.

Brooke Allen

Photographer, Editor, Educator

The creative soul of akp, and the reason Michael’s work isn't esoteric nonsense. Her masters in education from The University of Michigan helps guide our educational direction.

“Shooting with Michael has been incredibly impactful. Michael goes above and beyond to teach the ins and outs of the trade. Michael has given me direct advice on how to ensure the comfort and trust in your clients, the importance of angles/leading lines to make your photos stand out and how to cultivate your own professional style. What started as a client relationship has blossomed into a mentor and friend who has elevated my professional career exceptionally.”

JonelleShooting

“I am thankful that I met Brooke and Michael. They are amazing teachers with years of experience and get excited at sharing that knowledge and watching their students grow and improve. If you have the opportunity or are on the fence about taking a workshop or mentoring session with them, erase that doubt and do it!”

CristianShooting Portraits With Confidence

“Michael taught me SO many things to fix and improve my workflow and my tech - you guys: I’m about to be so much better! And it was so fun to learn! Basically I feel like I’m flying
All I can say is I’m so thankful for the creative community I live and work in . And if you’re a photographer who loves the art but struggles with the tech - it’s so worth investing in someone to help you create GOOD
systems FIRST. If I could go back and had this opportunity - I would have invested in this before any new glass, software, gear, etc. It’s truly your foundation!”

GraceWorkflow

“I started out with a big interest in the art of photography, but had little to no technical background. Michael was more than willing to help me out with whatever questions I had ... It was a huge reassurance to know that someone was there to help in a positive, supporting way... Michael has it figured out in all areas of photography and thankfully, he seems to believe that sharing his knowledge with other photographers is good thing.”

JessicaTechnology

Got questions? Check our FAQ.

Where are you located?

Our home base is Traverse City, in beautiful NoMI (Northern Michigan). Here we have access to fresh clean water, spiring sand dunes, deep rich forests, and still good food/wine and (most importantly) coffee.

Do you ever do workshops in ______?

We shoot all over the place, so we are not opposed to traveling. If we know that we have enough people interested in a place, we will 100% consider running one of our workshops in the area.

Just reach out via our contact page, and let us know where you are.

What topics do you cover in your workshops?

Our topics are wide ranging, and designed to help photographers with real world issues that they will interact with in their business.

No fluff here, but rich and deep knowledge from us to people that really need it.

Do you offer any assistance if I can't afford to attend?

We offer a handful of scholarship seats to every one of our workshops that we can. If you are just looking for a coupon code, please do not apply, you will be taking a seat from someone that needs it.

But, if you are honestly in need of assistance, please reach out here and we will see what we can do.

Creative Lighting

Tiny Workshop 2024

Learn to see light as it really is, and then sculpt it to your needs. We will go over practical lighting ideas, and then head into the studio to learn to play with light in many different forms.
March 24th, 10am, Studio North Collective.
Sign Up Here

Business Roundtable Toolkit

Direct business help and brainstorming as a roundtable. Let's dig into where you are in the process, and see what we can do to get you where you want to go next.
Each member gets:

  • 1 in-person Roundtable workshop
  • 2 group zoom accountability sessions
  • 1 personal 30 min session Michael over zoom

And can expect to see:

  • Time focused on their project
  • Direct brainstorming help with Michael
  • Thoughts and ideas from the rest of the table
  • Time to listen to other creative problems, and how to solve them

April 14th, 10am, Floral Underground Studio
More Info / Sign Up Here

Guiding not Posing

Tiny Workshop 2024

Learn how to pose someone without it really feeling like posing, and how to stop yourself from panicking when you "run out of ideas" on a photo shoot.
May 19th, 7-9pm, Walking around the commons, meeting near the botanical gardens
(tickets live soon, until then make sure you join our focus Circle Newsletter to be first to know!)
Join Focus Circle

Lightroom basics + Finding your aesthetic

Tiny Workshop 2024

The basics of importing, Lightroom Classic, and how to create a unique look to your images.
September 29th 10am
(location to be announced, tickets live soon, until then make sure you join our focus Circle Newsletter to be first to know!)
Join Focus Circle

Archive and Backup

Tiny Workshop 2024

Learn how to store, organize, and keep your best images safe!
November 17th, 10am
(location to be announced, tickets live soon, until then make sure you join our focus Circle Newsletter to be first to know!)
Join Focus Circle

Holistic Branding

Tiny Workshop 2024

A holistic review on web presence and branding. Looking at social media, website, and graphics. Students will also get a hands on review of their presence online (if you want. not required)
December 11th, 6pm
(location to be announced, tickets live soon, until then make sure you join our focus Circle Newsletter to be first to know!)
Join Focus Circle

Ready to focus? Join Focus Circle Email!

Sign up here for educational opportunities, free resources, and the chance to be the first to snag one of our limited seats to our workshops.

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