How much does a workshop cost at Illuminate? 

Classes range from $200-$400 depending on the length and content of the class. Please visit the individual class page for exact pricing. 

Are there membership fees associated with taking a class at Illuminate?

No, at Illuminate there are no extra membership fees required to take a class. You only pay for the class you register to take. 

What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept major credit cards and Paypal for all classes.

How are the classes presented? Do I have to be online at specific times every day?

Our teachers will be presenting lessons inside the classroom and answering questions daily. They will present assignments inside the classroom and give you a date they are due. You do not have to log on during certain times of the day. You can go at your own pace and log on to read the materials, watch any videos, and submit your assignments, when it is convenient for you. This allows people from any time zone or part of the world to participate in the classes. 

How do I register?

Registration take place HERE.  Sign up for our newsletter to get reminders when registration for the the class you are interested in opens. 

Do all the classes run at the same time?

Even though we open registration at the same time for each season's block of classes, all classes at Illuminate do not run at the same time. Check each individual class page or to see the exact dates each class will be held.

How many blocks do you run each year?

We run three class blocks per year here at Illuminate. Every class does not run every block. Winter classes run January-March, Spring classes run April-June, and Fall classes run September-November. 

I see a class on the class page that I want to take but it is not on the registration page?

Registration for classes at Illuminate happen seasonally. Not all classes will be offered every season. If the class you want to take is not on the the registration page, check back during the next registration block. 

What is the difference between an "active" student and a "silent" student?

Active students can participate fully in class, by asking questions, submitting assignments, and getting feedback from the teacher. Silent students have access to the classroom and all the materials, can ask questions and submit assignments for answers and feedback from other classmates. Teachers will not give feedback on assignments or images of silent students but may address some questions that will benefit the whole class.

What is a “study along” seat?

Study along seats are a little bit different here at Illuminate. When a teacher retires a class (stops actively teaching it) but still wants to offer it as go at your own pace type of class without being there to answer students questions and give feedback on assignments, we offer it as a study along at a discounted rate.

What is an "alumni seat"?

Alumni seats are offered to past students (both active and silent) that have taken a previous run of a particular workshop. This does not apply across classes. For example, if you take Magic of Light, you cannot sign up as an alumni in another workshop.

As an alumni student you can ask questions and participate in discussions. You will not be able to submit assignments for feedback in some classes while other teachers offer feedback for alumni students. Check the individual class page to find out if feedback will be offered. Not all teachers offer this type of seat. Once registration is open, you must contact the teacher directly to purchase the alumni seat. 

What kind of daily time commitment should I plan on to get the best experience out of a class at Illuminate?

Each class will vary, but our classes are intense and cover a lot of material in a short time. To get the best experience out of class you should plan on setting aside about an hour a day. Contact the individual teacher for more info. 

If a class sells out so quickly why don't you offer more seats,  or sell the class materials?

While we understand it is frustrating that a class sells out quickly, we feel really strongly that the class size remain small. This allows our teachers to give one on one attention to each active student. 

Our classes are about much more than the class materials. There is something special that goes on in the classroom that is intangtible. Yes, the PDF is great information but alone will not have the impact that actively participating in class will have. 

Why do you limit silent seats?

In a perfect world we would not offer silent seats at all but because of the demand we do offer some. As with any class, if you don’t do the work you will not learn and grow. We find that silent students tend to not do the work as often and the class does not have the same impact for them. Silent students do have a designated space to interact with one another in the classes at Illuminate. If we let unlimited amounts of people join that group, it would change that experience as well. Finally, many active students feel intimidated posting their assignments for feedback from the teacher in front of a small group. If they knew that possibly hundreds of people were watching them, the fear could be crippling. A big group changes the learning environment in class. We have to ensure that those who are there feel safe to share. 

I bought a silent seat but want to upgrade to an active seat. Can I do that?

If you want to upgrade to an active seat from a silent seat, you may be able to as long as class has not started and as long as there are available active seats. If the class is sold out of active seats, you won’t be able to upgrade out of fairness to the other students who purchased silent seats but may have preferred active. Plus, the instructor cannot add unlimited active seats to a classroom. If class has not started yet and active seats are available, reach out directly to your instructor to upgrade.

How long does the classroom stay open after class ends?

After a class officially ends, the classroom will stay open for 1 year. The teacher will not be available to answer questions during this time but does give you plenty of time to catch up on any discussions or content you might have missed. After three months, the class will be archived and deleted. 

Do you offer a PDF of the class materials at the end of class?

Our teachers are independent contractors. Some of them choose to offer a PDF but many do not.

What if I registered for a class but did not get an email reminding me that class started or I forgot that it started?

It is your responsibility as the student to reach out to your instructor if you do not receive emails informing you that class has begun. We cannot be responsible for emails going to your spam folder or if you entered the wrong email address when you registered. You will not be allowed to take the class during the next run if you forgot that class was running or did not get an email to remind you, so please keep track of the start dates for the class you registered for. 

What is your refund policy?

There are no refunds for any reason once you purchase a seat to a class so please read the class description carefully. However, you can sell your seat to another student before the class begins. After you sell a seat, please contact the teacher directly to inform about the transfer of the seat to another student. 

How many students will be in each class?

Class size varies from class to class. Contact the teacher directly to find out how many students will be in each class.

Is there a wait list for sold out classes?

Please contact the teacher of the sold out class directly via email to find out if the sold out class has a wait list. You can find each teacher's email on their class description or bio page. 

What happens if a class doesn’t fill?

Part of what makes a great class is the interaction and conversations between classmates. If a class has less than 5 students sign up, we reserve the right to postpone the class or refund those enrolled. Our first priority is to ensure than each student has the best experience possible.

I teach and mentor other photographers. Can I take a class at Illuminate?   

We do think that teachers should be able to take classes but it could be a big conflict of interest if you teach the topics that the class you want to take covers. Our teachers have poured their heart and soul into their curriculum. It is copyrighted material and cannot be shared with others or used to develop workshop curriculum. If you register for a class and you teach a similar topic, your money will be promptly refunded.