Words cannot explain the amazing experience you will live during an On the Road Workshop. Nikos is an incredible human being and an inspiring delight. His talent, drive and wonderful spirit will guide you and help you explore photography in a fascinating way. Growth and challenge are two things you can be sure you will obtain. Be ready to have the time of your life! Thank you Nikos, I can´t wait to join this adventure again. 

This workshop provided me with a new prism at taking photographs including more sentiment and injecting more thought and content to my work. As a newcomer to “Street photography”, the workshop allowed me to quickly get into a pace and experiment with this new to me approach, producing some fair results quite quickly. Invaluable was the fact that I gained a lot from the positive evaluation by Nikos of my other coworkers’ work. This evaluation demonstrated to me things to avoid once I get further down in my own journey and also experience paradigms of good quality work that I could try and experiment with. Things that take ages to discover, are presented to you during one week’s teamwork. Absolutely a positive experience with a lot of new friends that I really enjoyed!

The workshop of Nikos changed my photographic vision and belief. In something I always though was photography but nobody had told me before. He changed my way of photographing, he make me understand the importance of the frame edges, what to think when you shoot, he brought my photography to a new level, and it took me one year to digest what I’ve learned in those days. Nikos is the old hard core street photographer, and one of the finest in the Magnum group (is not only me to say it, but other Magnum photographers), I say this because what you can learn from this kind of photographers, nobody else is able to teach you. I have learned to compose better, to have more attention to what is in my frame, to slow down and think and shoot, I have learned to edit pictures in a more selective way choosing only the great pictures not the good ones, to be ruthless in editing..

I have been an avid photographer for the past few years and moved to Greece from New York only a few months ago. Greece is my homeland but has experienced many changes during my 9 years of absence and I am eager to use my camera to tell the present story. Attending the workshop was a no brainer, being on the spot and needing a serious incentive to get me on the streets of Athens. What I got in return was much more than I had bargained for!!! I met Nikos and discovered a person who went far beyond small technical issues, discussing what photography is really all about and using his own experiences as examples. The topics were endless and his willingness to answer every question and clarify every blurry notion was remarkable. I was very impressed with his openness and how friendly and giving he was. Sharing our knowledge and our experiences is most important and it is what helps us and those around us grow. And Nikos certainly does that. Furthermore, I was very happy that Nikos encouraged participants to go off on their own to shoot. We need to www.ontheroad.grelop our own vision and make our own mistakes. In short, thank you Niko for an amazing week and I look forward to future workshops and more guidance from you!

Doctors, teachers, students, architects, among others, left their comfort zone and their countries to meet other photographers to go to an unknown part of the world. 12 hours a day taking photos, then editing them to get to enjoy the cherry to the cake, meeting Nikos every evening to share all the results of each productive day. A whole week of pure pleasure to those passionate about photography. The guidance received by Nikos after first seeing our portfolio made us be prepared for the days to come. The feedback received every night not only by him but also by the other photographers, helped us continue to improve our way of photographing. Exchanging views with the others was a very enriching experience, both personal and professionally. Nikos’ sensibility and the encouragement he gave us made us realize that he is not only a great photographer but also a humble and considerate friend. I highly recommend this workshop to those lovers of photography and to those seeking to move on or searching for new ways. I am looking forward to joining more workshops with Nikos in the near future.

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!

Attending a workshop with Nikos as your teacher, critic and guide into the world of creating the best images that you can produce, is both a challenging and inspiring experience. This was my second workshop with Nikos, and it was incredible!! How he teaches you to look at a photograph and “not just see it” makes me compose each individual frame with an more critical eye and deeper understanding on how to make a photograph come alive. With his encouragement and strong commitment to getting the best from me, he guided me in the direction that I wanted to grow. Ultimately the week with Nikos was a very rewarding experience! On another note just spending time with him, over dinner or lunch, listening to his stories, is great. Traveling around parts of Istanbul with him on tram’s, trains and taxi’s looking for stadiums, they are all great memories that will be with me for a longtime.

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.

I feel really blessed to be part of the community of “ontheroad”. Nikos is an extraordinary mentor for everyone no matter which level one is working on. And, besides the joy of the journey it’s the great company of all the warm people you meet in this workshop. The things we have learned from Nikos are starting to work in my mind and i hope to begin seeing not just recording something. I really enjoyed it a lot. I really look forward to the next workshop.

I liked very much not only the editing process but the general discussions we had about photography, and the way you challenged everyone and frankly shared your opinions. In my opinion, the more opinionated, the better. (…) I liked the way you emphasized the idea of creating the portfolio from pictures with a similar approach. I feel I am on the way to www.ontheroad.greloping a style.

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.

I’ll never forget that week. It was like a revolution for me. Nikos and his point of view really impressed me and that workshop opened my eyes and showed me new worlds and possibilities. Words can’t express how great everything was. I felt so much free in Istanbul and I was so close to people who I didn’t know very well. It was much more about changing my ideals than my photographic view.

Most recently, I participated in the Argentina/Uruguay workshop with NIkos. This was my third workshop with him. Each one has been as different as the countries we visit, our photography levels, and the wonderful people who participate in them. What is certain each time, is the positive photographic and personal experience. Nikos doesnt hold your hand, tell you where to go, or how to photograph. He encourages you to find that yourself and you do. You can count on his encouragement and guidance but the search is yours as you will www.ontheroad.grelop your own style and your own way of being a photographer. The daily evening meetings are fantastic, everyone shares their work from that day and the conversation is very enriching. Nikos enthusiasm to see everyones work is wonderful, he is interested and excited about our images as if they were his own. This contagious enthusiasm and his amazing constructive criticism becomes our best tool and guidance for the next day. Nikos workshops are not for the faint of heart, they are a lot of hard work, discovery, physical and emotional effort and incredibly rewarding. I can hardly wait for the next one. I am amazed at my growth as a photographer as a result of Nikos’ workshops, not to mention what a wonderful way this is to see the world and become part of it. Thank you Nikos!

Reflecting on the workshop in Varanasi I can first of all say that I am happy that I joined the workshop and that I am satisfied with the whole experience. The structure really suited my way of going about things. Being free during the day to go and photograph wherever an whatever I wanted and not necessarily going out in groups is something I could appreciate and enjoy. It forced me to look around me, find my subjects and focus on how I would translate what I saw and felt into a photograph. Keeping in mind that an editing session followed added that extra bit of positive pressure. And those editing sessions in the evening were of course crucial for the learning process ! The setting with the terrace, some food and beer was great. Your projection setup is really great. Listening to your comments was most enriching. I found it particularly interesting when you analysed all the elements that make up an image. I learned a lot from those remarks about form, content, balance and trying to go beyond whether it concerned my images or those of the other students. That is why it was very important and interesting that we did the editing and image evaluation as a group, these were moments of sharing and contribution (sometimes also moments of confrontation with oneself). We all benefited from the image critiques, guidelines to improve our skills and image quality. About the stay I can say that I liked the fact that we stayed enough days in Varanasi so we could really get in touch with this very special Indian city. But maybe one day less in Varanasi and one more day in Delhi might be a suggestion … (I also did find photographing in Delhi a lot more difficult and tiring). The total workshop duration of 9/10 days is perfect. As far as I am concerned I found the choices for accommodation really fine. The hotel in Varanasi did not only have a great terrace but it also matched the Indian scene we found outside the hotel. Personally I don’t like to find myself in “golden cages” in these countries, it does not correspond with how I see traveling and experiencing those parts of the world. I enjoyed the company of the group too (about the right size). For communication it is never obvious when a nationality or language group is in the majority even if all know that the workshop language is English however towards the end when we all got to know each other better it worked out alright. Anyway, I was really happy to be able to combine my interest in India with my interest in photography.

To have a workshop in my own country, so dear to me, was a big challenge, yet a wonderful experience…. To have Nikos there… was the cherry to the cake. It was great to see how the other participants, who I knew from other trips, viewed my people, my land. Nikos’ usual coolness, good sense of humour and positive attitude towards everything and everybody is just perfect. The daily meetings keep being the highlight of my trips, the most expected moment, after a long day, rushed editing and great expectations to see nice surprises. Nikos’ vision and contagious emotion towards a beautiful picture is moving… the atmosphere he creates, magical. Counting the days to next one. Gracias, Niko!

The workshop with Nikos, was a unique experience. He opened a new door to the world of photography for me. The tips he gave me were extremely useful and his advises clearly changed my photography approach. Finally I want to thank the whole group that made the experience unforgettable, and I am looking forward to taking part in my second workshop.

My experience in Beirut, participating in a photography workshop with Nikos was not only BRILLIANT and AMAZING, it was something more! The daily editing sessions were key to learning more not just about my own work and what direction it might take, but I learn’t so much from everyone else too and what you taught us in those sessions. I now look at a photograph with critical eyes and less emotion, I want the photo to tell me a story, in and of itself. I compose differently, I use my camera more effectively (I think &amp hope) everywhere I look I am trying to compose a photograph, not just when I feel it intuitively but when it might not be the ideal situation photographically. I am more patient with myself and the elements around me. But something that I took away from the workshop in Beirut, you said it a number of times but especially towards the end of the week. You said “Take pleasure in what you photograph” and that is exactly what I am doing more so than ever and I am loving every moment of this new enlighten journey I am embarking on with my camera!

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.