I didn’t know what to expect when I sign up for this workshop. As this was a highly recommended workshop by a friend of mine I went for with the hope that it will change my style of photography and help me photograph better and understand the dynamics of what makes a picture different. I got more than I bargained for as each day was challenging to say the least. There were days when I struggled with my preconception of what makes a good photos and this prevented me from doing my best. It was when I was told by Nikos to “take photos like a child” did it liberate me and improved my style and brought me up to a different level. For this I am very grateful as it was a very important lesson for me. To be brought to a different level of understanding and photography and I leave the workshop in appreciation to my fellow photographers who have taught me a few things just by looking at their pictures and to Nikos for his invaluable advice.

My third on the road workshop and again another amazing experience. New goals set not only for the workshop but to consider and start tackling when you return home. Nikos simply does not give you a break! Looking at your work, he sets personal goals for each participant and demands to see more in every critique. That is one of Nikos’s major strong points as a teacher along with his contagious passion for photography. With such motivation and challenge, I find myself driven to accept the challenge and push for more. He simply keeps me marching to make the best out of his workshops. Most important I see it better. Having your work compared against other photographers help you see what you need to work on next. You see your points of strength and weakness against theirs and helps to learn and set goals. It was a nice experience to run into other participants that you met in earlier workshops and see how they grew as photographers since the last time you met them. This workshop was the best of the three for the reasons above and for the fact that it was held in Mumbai. For me it was a portrait heaven and almost everywhere we went was a great shooting location. We were also blessed with a group of participants from all over the world that were extremely dedicated to photography and committed to making the best out of this workshop. The most special thing about these workshops is that for a week you get to switch off and escape from everything and think nothing but doing the photography that you want and love. It is just you with your camera on the road. I look forward to join other future workshops with Nikos and highly recommend it as a great learning and fun experience!

My trip to Ghana was my third with Nikos Economopoulos. As always the workshop is very high quality, and a total eye-opener to photography. Nikos is one of the best photography teachers out there, and the general level of the participants leveled up daily. Ghana was very beautiful, and the resort absolutely stunning.
Bonus info: best African food in Cape Coast with fresh fish on a daily basis.

I’ve learnt loads of things and I met very nice people who hopefully i’ll see again. I improved my way to get close to the city people, who allowed me to capture intimate moments. This workshop also helped me in how to become honest to myself taking pictures and how to capture the humanity of the moment. Anyway, my conclusion is that I knew less than I thought, which motivates me a lot. Now I see how to work. Thank you for show me things that its no possible to find in books and to guide me in the road of my way of life, photography.

The more workshops I do with Nikos the more I want to come back. Every place is different as the challenges to encounter. The good thing about coming back, is that he already knows how much we can achieve so he pressures us accordingly, and I think we most agree that our results get a bit better every time.
Like each new workshop is like starting from scratch, each day of it is also starting from scratch. In every meeting he would choose a few photos but the next morning we start again from blank. The days are long and intense, but for me it’s just pure joy. We have some good days but others we hit the wall. It’s inexplicable the pleasure we have when we manage to go over that wall. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. But as Nikos well said: “We can have good days and bad days. But that is not important. What really matters is that we never lose the great feeling of wanting to go out and take photos. That, it is very important.” And I do hope, to never lose that feeling.
Niko, thank you again, and I am already looking forward to Argentina next month.

First of all I would like to tell you that I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to attend your workshop. It is still making me reflect on photography (…) I’ve been reading and watching images and documentaries about history of photography. I was very curious and excited to see where your advice would take me when I started shooting in Porto. There was a kind of freedom in restriction: type of project, one camera, one lens, only color, same ISO.
Because I challenged myself to meet people with the camera, I felt that photography is not such a solitary act. I agree with you that this connection is something beautiful about photography, as it is beautiful about dance.
I also approached color differently. Before it was something that was there, naturally, as part of the reality. I became more sensitive to it, even when I wasn’t shooting, and I also became more conscious of it as one more element to consider in composition.
One of the most important things for me during the workshop was to hear your comments about the images, ours and yours. What caught your eye and why. What makes a photograph a good one. I realized that photography is possible to be read. This is something that I would like to continue to practice, so I can trust my judgment about my own photography.
Spending so many hours dedicated just to photography made me realize how time is important to achieve a good work, even as an amateur photographer.Since I started photographing, I feel it is an important part of my life. Maybe one day I’ll find a way to take it to another dimension.

Working with Nikos in Istanbul was personally an eye-opener for me. His insight and way of seeing changed my entire approach to photography. If you want to take your photography to the next level and make meaningful images I highly recommend his workshops for you. This was my first workshop with Nikos and he impressed me so much that I’m hoping to repeat someday soon if time and work permits. Thank you, Nikos, for your patience and sharing your vision with me!

Addis Ababa was my second workshop with Nikos. I came back for two reasons: One, because I know he is a great teacher who brings out the best in you. He gives you honest and relevant feedback which helps you www.ontheroad.grelop more as a photographer in a week than you would normally in a year. Two, because he is a great guy also on a personal level, and he really knows how to make a group work together and have fun at the same time. Plus did I say most of his workshops takes place in exciting and exotic locations, with more motives that your mind can process? I am already looking at how soon I can go again..

“I travel to photograph”, Nikos says. This statement made me rethink my purpose for travel. Not only do I want to see and be in the moment, I now strive to capture those feelings in a still image as well, so that I may later find pleasure in viewing it. This is my takeaway from Nikos’ workshop. He has given me a new perspective on travel and a new way to photograph and derive pleasure from it. It’s been some time since our group parted ways in Iran, and yet my thoughts are still suffused with notes from discussions with Nikos. The challenge now, it seems, is how to get into workshop mode and produce quality images without Nikos around. It’s tough. Whether it’s your first workshop or your fourth, Nikos’ methods will challenge you to level-up. Accept his teaching with an open mind, plus a dose of humility, and you will be rewarded with discernment of what is a good photograph, and what is mediocre. I look forward to being On The Road again.

I would like to express my gratitude to Nikos for being not only an attentive and demanding photography mentor, but also for being a humble, caring and infinitely friendly person. It was always a pleasure for us to share with him not only ideas about photography, but also numerous stories about his life and adventures. I feel that in that week my photographic skills moved to a completely new level. The first few days have been a bit of a strugle as I tried to implement Nikos’ technical suggestions and made sure I really followed his advice, but at the end the magic happened and I felt like my vision had changed once and forever.

Every evening, after a busy day of wandering the streets and shooting, I was rewarded with the pleasure of looking at the interesting and beautiful pictures of my fellow students in the workshop. In doing so and by Nikos‘ wonderful and empathetic teaching and the ensuing discussions, I learned so much in terms of visual perception and the transformation into a good picture that I can see more clearly now than ever before the direction, in which I want to move and on what I need to focus on. Thank you, Nikos for yet another enriching experience and thanks to all of you for the pleasant time we shared during the week in Istanbul. It was marvelous!

Thank you for the workshop, overall it was great and I look forward to joining you somewhere else in the future. In terms of feedback, particularly at my beginner level, I was often seeking more and more direction and information from you and as you probably realise, I would continually ask for more and more information as the days went on. Apart from that however, it was a great experience and an overall (apart from the food) good trip.

The workshop with Nikos was a great experience and a wonderful event. The evening reviews were inspiring as Nikos proved to be not only a gifted photographer but also a patient teacher and reviewer. He truly possesses the didactical skills to explain what elements are required in building up a good photograph. Naturally the workshop was frustrating at the same time as one comes to realize what skills are required in order to perform photography at this level. Nonetheless, it is definitely learning process that I want to experience again, so I’m studying my agenda and Nikos’ website to try to decide when I can sign up again.

“It’s a unique opportunity to push yourself a step further in photography. Challenge yourself! Leave all you know (or might know) about photography behind you. Face the reviews in the evenings and go out the next morning and try to do better than the day before. Thats what I did and since then I know that good photography is more then just colors, lines, structures and shapes. I look forward going to the next workshop with Nikos and to try to push myself once again a step further.”

I guess the first thing I would like to say is that I really enjoyed the whole experience. I liked the relaxed structure of the workshop, it was flexible and we were free to make our own plans for the day and to shoot pretty much whatever we chose. (…) In terms of the effect it had on my work, I feel I learned a lot and I feel more confident in my photography as a result. I don’t show many people my work, but all my friends and family have seen my Istanbul folio.

The workshop in Ghana was my first with Nikos. It was a great experience because Nikos is not only an excellent photographer and teacher, but also a really wonderful person to be with! In Nikos’ teaching methods I loved especially that he let everybody go his own way and let us www.ontheroad.grelop our own visions. He was not imposing his own style or anything else, so each participant was free to photograph whatever he or she wanted to. In the evenings we all met for long and very interesting editing sessions. Then Nikos went carefully through all the photographs we offered him, regardless if there were only a few or even a hundred. He gave each of us excellent feedback on our daily work in a direct and honest, but always very friendly way. With this we learnt how to avoid common traps or clichés, how to recognise easy tricks, and avoid making boring and badly composed pictures. So he carefully guided each of us and helped us day by day to improve our work. Thanks a lot for all this Nikos, you are a great inspiration and I already look forward to being with you again in another workshop! Thanks also to all the participants for the great time we had together!

Thank you again for that week in Istanbul. I had a realy good time. All was great, the workshop and the city. At the beginning, when you saw my previous work, i received “a bucket of cold water on my head”. And that was exactly what i needed. My aproach to photograhy has changed totally. The way I look at photography now is more mature. During a week spent at the workshop i feel i achieved something I’m proud of. The only bad thing is i start loving this city and now I’m planing to go back there and do some more work.. Once more big thanks for all.

No doubt about it, a workshop with Nikos is an extraordinary experience. To all potential participants: feelings of incompetence and dread are not uncommon during the first 2 days, no matter your photographic level. Then the magic happens: Nikos’ unparalleled expertise, judgement, and above all humanity come to the fore – inspiring and fostering better and better work from all participants as the days pass. The honest and down-to-earth approach which characterizes Nikos simply ensures that, at the end, regardless of level and interests, you will feel and act like a better photographer. The result: a portfolio to be proud of, a fresh ‘eye’ and energy for all future photographic endeavours, a new group of friends you can learn from, and a profound sense of belonging to a dispersed yet resourceful photographic community that is On the Road workshops.

“First time in the Balkans. First time with Nikos. A great experience. While I knew him as an outstanding photographer, I discovered a gentle, honest person. He talks, does not assume. He shares his personal experience, without secrets. He is tough, but not rude. He does not overwhelms you with his skill. And what a wonderful travel companion! My only regret: having to unexpectedly leave a few days earlier”.