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!

Those few seconds you waste thinking too much about whether to take that picture or not. This is what you learn to get rid of when joining an On the Road workshop.
In this respect, working with Nikos is a sort of liberating experience. You learn to let it go, to just go with the flow. And you do it because the camera eventually becomes your main means of communication. It’s no more an object you use to do something but, instead, it turns into an essential part of the creative process. You start feeling the images through the viewfinder and not just seeing them.
And, as a matter of fact, this is really good fun!

My name is Seungwoo Chae. I’m working as a photographer for a newspaper in Korea. I was feeling that something was missing in my photography. I wanted to know what I needed. Consequently, it was great idea to participate to Nikos’ workshop. He told me and showed me what was ‘photographic’. I felt to return to beginning. I think I could start again.

…The workshop in Istanbul has been a great experience for me. Some points I got from it are the following: I trust myself a little bit more and now I think my personal view is as valid as any other to describe a city or a place. I have to work much on this subject: What do objetivity and subjetivity mean in photography? Moreover, Istanbul is a fantastic city to make oneself questions such as: What do contemporaneity mean? I have become more motivated to go through the work of different photographers…

This week was, by far, my best spent time concerning photography over these last few years.
I was trying to clear my mind, to find the right approach to photography, and this workshop was a stepping stone, taking me to another level of understanding.
Staying late each night, patiently going through other participants’ work, as well as my own, answering our questions, explaining choices we did not understand in the beginning, helping us to see the good and the bad elements in a photo, pointing out good content and good intention.
All these things and more, Nikos did in a very honest way, sharing his thoughts and his knowledge with each of us. A great photographer, and a really inspiring mentor.

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 sometimes felt like a first year violin player in a master class. I do not mind feeling a bit stupid at times and think I profit a lot by learning of the best. I have learned a lot and will continue to do so for quite some time. And hopefully, I will be able to join other workshops (…) I liked the approach very much – giving advice on the one hand and letting the participants find their own way on the other. And then, of course, the voyage was marvellous, extraordinary in the purest sense of the word.

I’ve participated in Nikos’ workshops 7 times. It’s never enough. The experience is so enriching that as soon as it is done you find yourself planing for the next one! The Ghana workshop was incredibly fulfilling. Every participant was talented, lots of very good images emerged during the 11 day workshop. Nikos always challenges everybody at many levels. It is very personal. Nikos’ workshop is a journey that gives you the inspiration and direction to find and deepen your personal vision. Nikos is a mentor, an amazing human being who always celebrates good images made during his workshop with joy and passion. He is genuine and sincere. He has a sharp eye for editing. He does not tell you what to do, he does not impose his own style. It’s a common effort. It’s like a visual catharsis. This is why it is so fulfilling to participate in his workshops. It’s all about growing visually in a collaborative and friendly environment. Once you are on the road with Nikos you stay on the road with Nikos because the journey never ends.

I have participated in 4 workshops with Niko. You never stop growing and learning. Niko makes every workshop counts. Once you participate in one of Niko’s workshops you always want to keep coming back. He makes sure you go back home with the best portfolio you possibly can. You learn with your work and with the work of others, and you learn a huge amount. Niko is a fantastic teacher, he is direct, frank, honest and friendly. This is not a superficial commercial course, this is a personal search of a visual path. It is not easy but the rewards are amazing. Thank you again Niko.

Honestly Nikos – your workshops are really amazing. Again, I’m so taken with your warmth and generosity, it’s something that is not all that common in people and really a gift to your “students”. You are really inspiring with how you speak about photography, not only in terms of composition, framing, being careful about the light, but also in terms of having feelings for the people or things that you’re photographing. It has really made me think a little differently about how and what I would photograph.
I also wanted to mention how much I enjoy meeting the other participants and that so many of the participants are such talented photographers, it makes the editing sessions so informative and enjoyable. Watching you edit, process and discuss the photos are really a good learning experience for me.

This is the third time I participate in a Nikos’s workshop. Everybody comes back! Cuba was amazing. The people, the place, the backgrounds, the light, everything was perfect and of course Nikos’s passion for photography, his sharp vision, his keenness to find great images in our work made us produce and achieve great results. His comments are always truly useful and make us see in a different way. This is not a didactic class, this is an awareness journey, this is a personal search of style and meaning for our images. He does not tell us what to do. We ultimately discover it by ourselves and this is truly amazing. It looks like an impossible task but after a few days every body’s work becomes stronger, more compact and meaningful. Nikos is friendly and affectionate to everybody, he tries to understand the needs of every participant. He is generous with his time and he is always ready to help during the day. If he feels somebody needs extra help he immediately proposes a private meeting in the morning. The evening meetings are a delight. To see so many good images, talented photographers trying to improve their work is incredible motivating. I am planning to come to Iran in May and looking forward to it. Thank you Nikos for organizing the workshops and for your enthusiasm in our work. We do appreciate it, hugely.

I participated in 5 workshops with Nikos Economopoulos. He keeps guiding me so that I can keep defining my photographic style. Always pointing out and reminding to avoid cliches, déjà vu, mannerism, easy formulas, tricks, boring images and the list goes on. Always making sure we prioritize content and form to make strong images that are genuine and not pure repetitions of cheap art or just images describing a scene. He guides each participants at his/her own level and needs. He never imposes a style, he works with each participant’s own style. He is great at telling what is good and what is not good. He is not commercial. He is direct and really frank. In my opinion the most important is that he is fully engaged when editing and commenting on our work. When he sees a good image, it makes his day. It is evident that he loves to teach. Every one keeps improving. Once you are On the Road with Nikos you keep coming back. It’s just the way it is.

This is the second time I joined Nikos workshop and it keeps getting better and better. What amazes me about Nikos is the joy good images gives him. He is always excited when we achieve good pictures. He inspires us to enjoy the search for better images. Looking at people, faces, expressions, positions, backgrounds, and light becomes more important and somehow different from before. At the end, everybody is enjoying the challenges of producing interesting images. Nikos ‘s workshop is not a commercial course to make people believe that taking good pictures is easy and that being a good photographer is easy too. This workshop is for people who are passionate about photography and want to www.ontheroad.grelop a personal approach and style. It is hard because ultimately you realize that you have to find whatever your are looking for by yourself. At the end it is all worth it and incredible rewarding. I wish I had had Nikos as a teacher 20 years ago. No body has taught me as much as him in one week. It is amazing. Thank you again Nikos for being our photographic inspiration and for sharing your knowledge with us. See you in Iran!

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 recently returned from Nikos “Balkan Expedition”, although I have been back for three months, I don’t feel like I am anywhere near to returning to “normal life”. My experience during Nikos workshop was spectacular. Visited locations I would never have travelled to and energized to photograph there. I learned so much and experienced so much that I am sure it will take quite a while to fully assimilate. The symposium experience was truly flawless, from discussions and critiques with an honest opinion about your photography. And lets not forget the participants themselves, an amazing diverse and talented group who were a joy to be around and learned much from each other. If you are serious about wanting to become a better street photographer you can not go wrong with Nikos “Balkan Expedition” workshop. For myself, I am already thinking about my next Economopoulos experience.

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!