“Loved loved the workshop. Nikos is a great teacher. The way he offers feedback is fantastic, it helps you grow from day to day and see things in a different way from day to day. Really liked the daily edit session and learned a lot from looking at each other’s work. It was an honor to be part of a group of so talented photographers. Hopefully will be able to join another workshop in the near future.”

The Sanliurfa workshop was inspiring and exciting both with regard to the photos taken by the other members of the group as well as the area and the cities we were visiting. Further, I enjoyed the evening sessions. I like the way Nikos criticizes the pictures of the photographers and gives them advice each on his/her individual professional levels. Nobody has to fear to be embarrassed – on the contrary, I was motivated not only by the comments and advice to become a better photgrapher but felt also supported by the other group members.

I really had great time in Istanbul and found the workshop every bit as challenging as I had hoped. The blend of nationalities was great and I think it was a good idea to move the sessions to the middle of the day to allow shooting in better light. I guess the only thing was that removed the social aspect a little as I guess in the evenings we would have had a meal or some beers afterwards and a chance to talk more on a personal level. From my personal perspective, I did find the workshop extremely challenging and I do find it a little hard to force shooting and I did struggle to find photographs that express my thinking. Having said that, this was exactly the reason I came, to be challenged and taken forward in my photographic evolution. I can safely say that since the workshop I am much more demanding of myself and no longer tolerate shots that are safe or just plain nice. I think the workshop facility and location was superb, and I really enjoyed meeting all the guys. Maybe some more reviews of local photographers work would have been good as it’s always nice to see a different perspective. I do hope to make it to some of your future workshops and am even thinking of Istanbul again in December as I love the city so much.

Why my last workshop with Nikos (in Buenos Aires) was the Sixth and hopefully not the last one ?
-The pleasure of learning and improving from a great photographer and a marvellous teacher
-The pleasure of being part of a high level group where community is more important than competition
-The pleasure of travelling trying to look at the country from inside
-The pleasure of the pleasure.

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.

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. 

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!

Nikos is a wayfaring man. He takes you on a journey which is neither comfy nor sluggish, but encourages you to witness the foreign and encounter your own limits. This way of traveling with the camera forces you to participate with the world around you and in the evenings during the workshop your participation will be putted to the test, if you have sweated enough. On some days life gifts you with one or two good photographs, but on some not a single one. So the next morning you’ll head out again and demand your luck. And at the end of a week or two with Nikos you make your way home safe in the knowledge that you have achieved and experienced something unique.

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.

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.

It was a great trip and although I worked really hard, I still had a lot of fun wandering the streets and trying to hone my eye.
It seemed to me that Nikos explained more in this workshop (as compared to the others I’ve taken with him) and I think that is a good thing. Even when it’s something that we think we know, it is always good to be reminded and guided. I really enjoyed hearing his thoughts on so many aspects of photography and I personally needed a nudge in being reminded to look at the work of the great photographers. I had slacked off in that department over the last few months. I also love how he meets each student at his/her level and encourages them.
And, as usual, what I learned will continue to resonate with, and direct, me for months.

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!

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!

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.

It all sounds not enough when I think of the incredible two weeks that I spent traveling with Nikos to Nepal and India. Those two weeks were filled with beautiful moments captured by all the participants, all inspiring each other and supporting our effort and common goal. We all bonded beautifully and hopefully created life-long friendships. The workshops are demanding but it is through the effort and hard work that we achieve results that we can be proud of. Nikos pushed each participant to create the best work possible and I think that the results speak for themselves. I returned home feeling inspired, stronger as a photographer and as a person. I look forward to traveling with Nikos to Ethiopia and india in 2015!