I feel privileged for having the opportunity to join Nikos’s workshops two times in six months. Seeing the way that he is present during the workshops and providing his continuous availability for sharing not only technical, but also esthetic and photographic language with different materials and stories makes me understand more the reason i felt always close to his photography. I remember several key inputs, which I see now how to reflect my view to my frames. I hope to hear as usual Nikos’s open and constructive comments in the next workshops as well, which help my www.ontheroad.grelopment a lot. Meeting so diverse cultures during the workshops is another pleasure which enriches it with no doubt!

I have as complicated a relationship with street photography as I do with my streets. I am passionate about other people’s street photography but find it very hard to do it myself. I don’t want to poke my camera into the face of someone having a bad day, but I do want to show my family and friends the intensity of life here, and why I often have my heart broken during a short trip for groceries. Recently some of my Istanbul photography friends did a workshop (or two!) with legendary Magnum photographer Nikos Economopoulos, and I was really interested in the work they produced. When we heard he was coming to Istanbul Ville persuaded me that I should sign up.
For three days I spent a few hours shooting alone and then met up with Nikos and the other participants to go through all the pictures. This took four or five hours each day. I learnt so much by listening to Nikos critique us all. He is truly a person with great generosity and a big, open heart (as well as being an incredible photographer). He removed the terror of showing my attempts (however unsuccessful) and helped me find a new way of thinking about photographing on the street.

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.

Ok..it was really my pleasure to meet you and be part of the Damascus workshop.. A really nice experience and a good start for myself and my photos. The workshop has encouraged me to become better and learn more … In the one week I learned from your comments and your suggestions what I should look for and what to avoid. You gave me directions for finding my own style and to experiment on that. Now being back inCyprus, believe it or not, I feel like a “new ” person. I know this might sound strange but the one week that I spent time with myself and my camera and later having your comments about my work made me fall in love once again with the world of photography, keep taking photos, love the people and try more.

Joining Nikos’ workshop has become a yearly must-do event for me. Why? Because his workshops are, for me, the ideal way to travel, if you’re serious about photography. Nikos always offers a destination that promises to be photographically interesting. He ensures we get to immerse ourselves in the place. There’s always someone who has done the ground work, and yet the itinerary remains casually open and flexible. On top of that, he has a way of challenging you to perform better and improve, but never to the point of creating competition. So far, in the three workshops I’ve attended, the participants have been a generous, agreeable, and encouraging bunch, which really is the effect Nikos’ personality and method of mentoring. Finally, in Uruguay, we had the uncommon experience of seeing some of Nikos’ images shot during the workshop, as well as some unpublished work, which left us in awe. That was special.

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!

I think for me the best things about the workshop were to hear opinions for my own work (and for others in the group) from a master photographer, to learn better how to distinguish between bad, good and great photographs, to pay importance to details which can make a big difference (either in the good or bad way), to avoid some bad practices or approaches when taking photos, to raise my expectations for my own work and be more selective. When taking photos I remember the critique words from Nikos which help me take decisions to get the best results out of a scene, and at the end of the day I have confidence to delete the photos that are definitely not good and keep only those which are potentially good.During the evening meetings when the participants presented their work to the group, there were always surprises when I would think a photograph was good but Nikos wouldn’t select it or the other way around.But when a photo was chosen even though I didn’t consider it a strong one, that’s when I was mostly surprised and happy. That was I think a moment when I realized I learned something new. I’m glad I attended to the workshops with Nikos. I’m definitely a better photographer than I was before meeting him.

Dear Nikos,
I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all of the guidance and support you have provided me as a www.ontheroad.greloping photographer.
Your expertise in composition and storytelling has truly helped me to www.ontheroad.grelop my photographic eye and to think more deeply about the messages and stories that can be conveyed through photography.
I have appreciated very much, the way that you take the time to review my work, editing each picture and explaining every detail. Whether we have met in person during workshops or through Zoom sessions, your feedback has always been gentle yet constructive, pointing me in the right directions to further www.ontheroad.grelop my skills.
You have taught me that every picture must stand on its own in terms of composition and that each one should tell a complete story.
Your own masterful ability to create complex situations or to focus on a single subject always triggers empathy and astonishment in the viewer, and I am so grateful for the way you have taught me, to hopefully do this in my own work.
Thank you for being such an extraordinary teacher and mentor, and for sharing your wisdom and expertise with me. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from you and to grow as a photographer under your guidance.
Lookin forward to continue our journey together.
All the best

“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”.

I met Nikos last April in Iran’s workshop for the first time.We traveled for ten days and that trip changed my perception of photography. He taught me how to go beyond the limits and break strict rules and let creativity inspire me to create my own photography style. After 7 months,I decided to participate in another workshop and Varanasi was a great choice for me. The city was the most amazing place I’ve ever visited and if it wasn’t for the workshop, I might have never gone there. We had enough time during the day to see the city and the special ceremony which was held in that time. And in the evenings,reviewing participant’s photos encouraged me to explore the city more in the next day.

Every literate can write. Not every literate can write poems or short stories. Even less of them can write meaningful or original stories. I think the same thing applies to photographers. Every person with a camera can take photos. Some can produce stories, but just a few are able to produce a meaningful and personal work.
Sometimes I joke and say that Nikos’ mission on Earth is to educate us, his participants, to become original, faithful and personal photographers. After a while, I am coming to believe that my joke was actually real. The transformation he manages from us is unreal. The photos that he choses are a caress to the eyes and soul. And this leads me to a second conclusion: Nikos is the best editor I have ever met.
Gracias, Maestro!

I have been on several workshops with Nikos. I keep coming back because, not only Nikos is an amazing person, but he is also a great teacher. Nikos manages to get the best out of all of us. The transformation of some of the participants is just amazing. I like the simple words he uses to “critique” images, his directness and honesty. He always challenges us to do better every day. He is very engaged in editing our photos whatever the level of the participants. I also love coming to his workshops as I always find the attendees friendly and interesting people. With a lot of them, we have continued to keep in touch and communicate regularly. His workshops are a truly unique experience. 

First of all, I am very happy to know a person like Nikos. Even if we worked until late hours, I enjoyed every minute of it.
I guess my adventure of photography will be divided into 2 before Nikos and after Nikos and I am very excited to use what I learned from Nikos on my photography.

As a passionate photographer I was looking for a workshop that was not about pixels, gear and academic lectures.
Coincidentally, I discovered Nikos’ on the road workshops. The participants’ work immediately caught my eyes – and shortly after I found myself at the Istanbul workshop. It exceeded by far my expectations: Nikos’ joviality, patience, his guidance and incitement to try new ways and discover what might be dormant in oneself was incredible! It was manifest everyday in the pictures we “brought home” after long and exhausting walks in this staggering city. The vespertine meetings were fun as well. Thank you, Nikos, for your effort and thanks to all participants for the great atmosphere!

The workshop in Lisbon was very enlightening for me, since I don’t normally do this kind of photography. After sharing these days with Nikos and the other participants, I find myself noticing things more, actually “seeing” people and their interaction with each other and the immediate environment. It was an eye opener and this kind of photography is something that is gradually becoming more enticing and enjoyable for me. Besides, the way Nikos leads the participants gives them complete freedom to experiment and achieve durable results, while gently guided by a master towards better and better images and a keener vision. He hides nothing from the participants and genuinely strives to give everyone an unforgettable experience. Nikos Economopoulos, thank you very much for a very enjoyable week.

Thank you for another amazing workshop. I feel that not only I noticed the great improvement of the quality of my work, but also feel that Nikos is not only a great teacher &amp mentor but also a great friend. Also interacting with talented photographers from all over the world added a lot to the experience. What is amazing about this workshop was the fact that all attendees were at different levels. Being able to provide assistance to all showed Nikos’s ability as a great teacher. I think each one of us returned home with many goals to pursue &amp ideas to improve their work. I am more clear about what I want to photograph, what lens I want to buy next, and needing to work on my weak ‘editing’ skills. I just wanted to thank you and thank all attendees for this great workshop. I learned a lot from each one of you! I am really looking forward to being on the road again.

Nikos teaches the real thing – learning to shoot excellent photos that capture the eye and interest. Stopping fashionable habits like” storytelling”, “streetphotography” – avoiding clichés, mannerism and boredom instead pure clarity and mastership in creating compelling visuals. A group of excellent photographers with very special talents meets – surprising in expertise and dedication.
Nikos himself – an open-minded and well-balanced teacher: straightforward, clear and offering individual ways of learning to everyone.
You will shoot on your own during the day those topics that give you most pleasure. In the long evenings there is a very intense time for moving forward by editing the shots taken and studying examples from the history of photography: you start to see like your camera does and to discover the beauty of the unknown. 
Nikos acts with attentive care for the thoughts and ideas of the participants, offering a new step every day on how to continue. Efcharisto poli.

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!