Private street photography workshops 2023 / 2024
Private street photography workshops are in our opinion, the best way to learn the technical skills, inspire creative ideas and street-smart methods needed in order to become a successful street photographer. Unlike architectural, landscape, general and other photography genres, this type of photography requires a combination of different photo skills, implemented at a fast pace while also being as discreet and inconspicuous as possible. In this respect, the fewer participants the better. Instead of a group of photographers with cameras in hand becoming the centre of attention, an individual with one instructor makes for a much more discreet package. We have written past blog posts on street photography in Jerusalem as well as relevant posts on our sister company site at Barcelona Photography Tours. We recently posted information on our updated 2023 4-day Barcelona street photography workshop, and a post on street photography techniques for photographers visiting Barcelona. From the various international photography workshops that we run, the most relevant locations for street photography include Barcelona, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Acre, London, as well as more extensive trips through Rajasthan and Morocco. Laurie Cohen, the founder of Israel Photography Tour & Barcelona Photography Tours will be running these photo workshops himself. Another advantage of being private workshops, these private trips will run year round as opposed to scheduled group workshops. Due to much milder variations of Coronavirus and lower hospitalization rates since the start of the outbreak, 2022 is enjoying a resurgence in global travel. Unsurprisingly, the whole Coronavirus fiasco has caused current travel trends to see a much higher demand in private tours compared to group tours.
One of the aspects of street photography that I find so appealing is how the locals react to a camera depending on where we shoot. In Barcelona for example, the residents generally have a very easy-going attitude to having their photos taken, making it far easier than other cities in gaining quality images. Photography and other art mediums are very popular there, so it would seem that everyone is simply used to seeing a camera on the street. Subsequently, they don’t take offence or think you are trying to take something from them. In this respect, it is easier to take environmental portraits and story-telling types of shots as you will have more time to prepare and perfect your composition. Morocco on the other hand, is one of the most challenging countries to take candid shots of people on the street. Ultra-wide angle lenses can be useful in tight spaces such as in the Souks of Marrakech, where traders use every spare inch to display their wares. An ultra-wide angle prime lens is usually more inconspicuous due to it’s size unless using a large, fast lens. Because of the wide field of view, subjects may not even know that they are in your frame. As the Moroccan culture has yet to get used to travel photographers, you will be challenged to use a variety of shooting techniques in order to get the shots you want. Consequently, we feel that Morocco is one of those places that will actually turn you into a much better street photographer. Another, and more compelling reason for why I love street photography more than any genre is simply the unexpected scenes that unfold before the lens. The spontaneity of capturing candid images of strangers with great atmosphere never gets tiring.
We have discussed in previous posts the different camera techniques that can be used effectively for candid street photography. On our workshops, we cover all of them to ensure you have an arsenal of knowledge in order to maximise your chances of success. Our guests come from all different backgrounds, have different skill levels and experience with shooting in foreign countries. In terms of camera equipment, we recommend using a light and compact setup. Ideally using a mirrorless camera [preferably 2 bodies] with a 35mm and 50mm focal lengths. These 2 focal lengths are in our opinion, ideal for the majority of scenes you will encounter. An ultra-wide angle can include more context into your shots and get closer to your subjects, while a 90mm or 135mm telephoto will give a more flattening look to portraits while separating your subject from the background. Regardless of the locations we run our street photography workshops in, you will start to understand that having your camera set up quickly is vital. For the majority of the time, we stick with a minimum shutter speed selected in Auto-ISO, Aperture Priority, exposure compensation and burst shooting. For cameras that have this function, we often shoot with Face Detection tracking enabled. When we want to get more creative, we shoot with slower shutter speeds in Shutter Priority in order to emphasise the dynamic and fast pace of city life. We believe that critiquing selected images is vital in order to truly study an image on it’s own merit. The process of capturing an image is just the first stage, so we also spend time with you discussing post processing techniques to make your images stand out from the ordinary.
Over the days you will feel more confident in shooting on the street as you overcome any fears of photographing strangers and become acquainted with local etiquette in a foreign country. You will also become more self critical of what constitutes a strong image, and will likely become more aware of this when studying the light, composition, subject and timing before capturing the decisive moment. Laurie would be delighted for you to join him on one our international private street photography workshops. For more information on locations, availability and rates, please contact us here.