Street Photography Workshops

 
Click to read about: WORKSHOPS – UPCOMING WORKSHOPS – PAST WORKSHOPS – PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS

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Street Photography Workshops with Fujifilm X-Photographer Maciej Dakowicz in 2024


True adventures and real learning experiences in small groups. Exciting locations in Asia, Europe and North Africa – countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Georgia and cities including Dhaka, Karachi, Kolkata, Tashkent, Istanbul and Tbilisi.

 

INTRODUCTION

A street photography workshop with Maciej Dakowicz is an an experience you will never forget. It will change your photography so much, so you will refer to it as “before” and “after” the workshop. You will notice it straight away looking at your updated portfolio. This happened to most of the participants – simply browse through their Instagram feeds to notice how they changed after attending Maciej’s workshop. Many participants stated that a workshop with Maciej was the best workshop they have ever attended. Many returned and keep on returning.
 
Maciej has been teaching street photography workshops since 2010 and has got a vast experience in photography education and mentoring. His workshops are well structured and organised. A small number of participants (only five) makes the experience very different to other workshops, which are mostly overcrowded and offer little in the way of personal feedback or tuition from the tutor. Maciej’s workshops usually last one or two weeks. Maciej is always around – he not only reviews participant photos daily, but stays at the same hotel and shoots with the group. When out shooting he pays attention to the way participants work with the camera, how they approach and deal with the subjects. Learning and understanding each person’s personality allows him to give a personal advice on improving everyone’s photographic skills. Maciej’s daily photo reviews are deep and detailed. The aim of the workshop is not only to bring home some great pictures, but to improve photographic craft (composition, light, social skills), get better at editing photos, find your own personal style and even learn how to use social media (facebook, Instagram) properly.
Apart from various aspects of travel and street photography participants also learn how to travel independently, so that after the workshop they should be confident enough to undertake any independent photographic trip. Participants return from the workshop confident, inspired and motivated to keep developing as photographers. Most of Maciej’s students progressed immensely during his workshops and took their photography to a completely different level.
 
Well before the workshop Maciej introduces all participants to each other on WhatsApp and together all details of the workshop are discussed and planned, so everyone goes well prepared. A very small size of group means a high level of participant interaction with Maciej – before and during the workshop. Participants get to know each other well, exchange experiences and knowledge, share good times and perhaps even form lasting connections.
Not only photography enthusiasts join Maciej’s workshops. Often experienced professional commercial and wedding photographers sign up too – just to take a break from their busy routine and be away for a week or two taking photos in a good company! Many return. Regularly. They join another workshop and then… another.
After the workshop Maciej stays in touch with most of the participants and continues supporting them. He can be always found running his lively workshop community group on facebook – the workshops is just the beginning of a new adventure.

Maciej’s students appear regularly among winners and finalists of most of the photography contests. Many exhibited their photos internationally and have had their works featured in zines and books, some even published their own monographs.

W skrócie po polsku: warsztaty fotografii ulicznej z Maciejem Dakowiczem. W grupach rozmawiamy po angielsku (chyba, że jest cała polska grupa), ale z Maciejem na osobności zawsze można po polsku pogadać.

 
– See reports from the previous workshops: photography-workshop-reports/
– See photos taken by Maciej’s workshop participants on Instagram: /tags/maciejdakowiczworkshop/.
– Follow Maciej’s workshops on Instagram – see selected participants’ works and behind the scenes photos: www.instagram.com/maciejdakowiczworkshops/.



UPCOMING WORKSHOPS


  1. UZBEKISTAN
    21 April – 5 May 2024 (15 days)
    A street photography workshop in Ferghana Valley in Uzbekistan.
    5 participants. 2700 EUR per person.
    1 SPOT AVAILABLE – email to enquire.
    The initial itinerary idea: Tashkent, Namangan, Andijan, Ferghana, Kokand, Tashkent. The itinerary is not final and will probably be adjusted once the workshop group is complete.
    The initial itinerary map: Google Maps
    All tourists go west in Uzbekistan, so we will go east to explore the magical Ferghana Valley and be the only tourists around!
    Read about Ferghana Valley: www.backpackadventures.org/fergana-valley-uzbekistan-travel-guide/
    The group meets in Tashkent on Saturday, 20th April. We spend Sunday and Monday exploring the city, the highlight will be a Sunday morning visit the exciting Chorsu Bazaar. On Tuesday morning, 23rd April we move to Ferghana Valley by taxi, it is a 5hr drive. We spend 2-3 nights in each of the cities and return to Tashkent on Saturday, 4th May. The workshop ends on Sunday evening, the 5th of May.

  2. TURKEY
    26 May – 1 June 2024 (7 days)
    A street photography workshop in Istanbul.
    5 participants. 1500 EUR per person.
    1 SPOT AVAILABLE – email to enquire.

  3. TURKEY
    3 – 9 June 2024 (7 days)
    A street photography workshop in Istanbul.
    5 participants. 1500 EUR per person.
    1 SPOTS AVAILABLE – email for the waiting list.

  4. GEORGIA NEW!
    23 – 29 June 2024 (7 days)
    A street photography workshop in Tbilisi.
    5 participants. 1500 EUR per person.
    2 SPOTS AVAILABLE – email to enquire.
    Let’s go back to Tbilisi! Maciej knows the city very well, as he’s visited it multiple times. He will take you to some of his favourite street photography spots. Ah, the Georgian food is something to look forward too.
    Maciej’s photos from Tbilisi: /tbilisi-georgia-street-photography/
    Report from one of the previous workshops in Tbilisi: /street-photography-workshop-tbilisi-georgia-june-2017/

  5. TAJIKISTAN
    25 August – 7 September 2024 (14 days)
    A street photography workshop in Tajikistan.
    5 participants. 2600 EUR per person.
    FULLY BOOKED – email for the waiting list.
    The initial itinerary idea: Dushanbe, Istaravshan, Khujand, Qurgonteppa, Kulob, Dushanbe.
    The itinerary link: Google Maps
    The itinerary idea will be discussed and finalised with the workshop participants.

  6. INDIA NEW!
    7 – 13 October 2024 (7 days)
    A street photography workshop in Kolkata during Durga Puja festival.
    5 participants. 1500 EUR per person.
    1 SPOT AVAILABLE – email to enquire.

  7. INDIA
    20 October – 2 November 2024 (14 days)
    A street photography adventure in India during Diwali festival.
    5 participants. 2600 EUR per person – email to enquire.

  8. PAKISTAN NEW!
    24 November – 7 December 2024 (14 days)
    A street photography adventure in southern Pakistan.
    5 participants. 2600 EUR per person. Email to express interest.
    The initial itinerary idea: Karachi-Sehwan-Hyderabad-Thatta-Karachi.
    The itinerary link: Google Maps
    The itinerary idea will be discussed and finalised with the workshop participants.

  9. PAKISTAN NEW!
    9 – 15 December 2024 (7 days)
    A street photography workshop in Karachi.
    5 participants. 1500 EUR per person – email to enquire.

  10. SOMEWHERE
    From December 2024 (7 or 14 days)
    Street photography workshops in Asia, Eastern Europe or North Africa.
    5 participants. 7 days – 1500 EUR per person, 14 days – 2600 EUR per person – email for details and availability.
    Street photography workshops somewhere warm. The plan is to run at least one workshop every month. Email Maciej to be added to the workshop planning groups.

 

WAITING LIST

Maciej’s workshops are very popular and usually all spots are reserved months ahead, mostly by the participants of his previous workshops. In case of a fully booked workshop please email maciekda@gmail.com to show your interest in joining – sometimes there are cancellations and spots become available for people from the waiting list.



WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

  • Maciej’s street photography workshop is a 7 or 14-day-long mixture of daily photo shootings, photo critiques and theoretical presentations. There are no fixed hours. Days are long but rewarding.

  • The participants take pictures every day, working in pairs, small groups or on their own. In general there are no larger group shoots, so there are never too many people trying to take the same shot. Maciej shoots with different people each day, so there are ample opportunities to observe the way he works and approaches subjects, and to learn his tricks and techniques.

  • Maciej reviews participants’ photos every day.

  • At the end of the workshop there is a group presentation of the best photos taken by each participant.

  • During some workshops Maciej presents slideshows discussing street photography and various aspects of it. It gives an opportunity for the group to learn what makes a good photograph, what can spoil it, discuss different types of street photography, ways of working, the light and composition techniques.

  • The main theme of the workshop is street photography, mixed with documentary and travel. Taking pictures of smiling children and old bearded men is allowed, but rather for personal use – Maciej is not reviewing such photos during the workshop.

  • Well before the workshop Maciej discusses all practical issues with the participants – the photo and computer equipment, air tickets, visas, accommodation and other travel arrangements. Everyone goes to the workshop well prepared.

  • Maciej discusses hotel options with the group while planning the workshop and then all participants are required to make their own reservations. Ideally the whole workshop group stays at the same hotel – this makes the workshop much easier to manage and turns it into a better experience.

  • Each workshops starts in the morning of the first day and ends in the evening of the last day. The participants are encouraged to arrive at least a day before the workshop.

  • Ideally the workshop participants (apart from being proficient with their photo equipment and editing software) should understand concepts of street photography. For the newcomers no long focal length lenses/zooms are recommended, only wide angle prime lenses (unless there is a clearly specified reason for using them) – 35mm ord 28mm prime lenses are best suited. The focus of the workshop is to produce a strong body of work, not to solve technical issues with cameras or Lightroom.

  • Each workshop requires at least 4 participants to be conducted. Those signing up are requested to wait with finalising their travel arrangements until the workshop is confirmed.

Benefits

  • Multiple opportunities to shoot with Maciej. Lots of chances to observe him at work, learn his tricks and techniques, and receive instant feedback and guidance. All shooting is done in pairs/triples, so there is never a crowd of cameras.

  • A very small group of participants turns the workshop into a very personal experience – each participant gets Maciej’s full attention. Everybody gets to know their workshop companion well before the adventure, as new participants are introduced to the group right after signing up. All practical details of each workshop (a camera equipment, laptops, visas, air tickets, clothing, accommodation) are discussed with the participants in a secret group on facebook or WhatsApp, so everybody travels to the workshop well prepared.

  • Daily critiques of freshly taken photos. An each workshop day ends with the group working on their laptops, choosing photos to be shown to Maciej and discussing them with him, often together with the group. The workshop ends with a final editing session when Maciej selects best photos taken by each participant.

  • A regular feedback on the new photos and suggestions on the way of working. Not only during the daily editing session, but also while shooting with Maciej.

  • Several educational and inspirational slideshows about practical aspects of street photography presented by Maciej on separate days. Depending on the day’s schedule some are presented during the lunch break, some in the evening before the daily photo editing/critiquing session.

  • A guaranteed vast improvement of the participants’ photographic and social skills – understanding what makes a good picture, mastering handling of the natural light, making compositions more clear and dynamic, improving the editing and post-processing workflows, gaining higher personal confidence to approach and photograph people.

  • Unlimited access to Maciej’s travel and photography experience. He will be there for you for a week or two, you’ll be able to ask him anything.

  • Updates from the workshop are regularly posted on Instagram and facebook, generating extra interest in the students’ work. After the workshop Maciej often prepares a report with behind the scenes pictures (showing how much fun you had) and selections of best student photos, together with links to their websites and flickr/Instagram accounts.

  • Unforgettable experiences of visiting fascinating places with a like minded group of photography and travel enthusiasts – there will so much to talk about over coffee and beer!

  • You will most probably take some of the best pictures of your life during the workshop. Your photography and understanding of it will be very different after attending Maciej’s workshop.

  • You will also be invited to join Maciej Dakowicz Photography Workshops group on Facebook. This group is a lively online community of around 150 members – the participants of past and future Maciej’s workshops. We interact, talk photography, share workshop experiences, photos and plan future photo adventures. It is run by Maciej and you can always ask him questions there. Each month there is a picture of the month competition run in the group, promoting and generating more interest in your new work.
     
    Larry Hallegua: “I have to say, that Maciej, you have created a very special group/family here. Your infectious passion, kindness and steering, has resulted in a really supportive and friendly group of photographers, many who have become good friends of mine, and others, I hadn’t spoken much with, have extended their help and support and friendship since attending your workshop back in Oct 2013, esp in my recent move here in Bangkok. Just wanted to acknowledge that, and say how lucky I am to be part of this group. I hope to meet as many of you in the months and years ahead. We have a special place here, well done everyone for making this group such a friendly, supportive and fun place. Here’s to friendship and phototrips! ”
     
    Picture of the Month Competition winners: facebook link

 

Conditions

  • A serious interest in photography and desire to learn and improve. During the workshops we talk about photography, photographers and photobooks, but not so much about camera gear and photoshopping. It is more about the art and technique than gear.

  • You must know your camera and laptop/software well, be ready to shoot independently from the first day and know how to import and browse/edit the pictures on your laptop. You will be required to present a set of pictures every day for review by Maciej.

  • Be fit (long hours of walking), healthy, active, energetic and willing to take pictures every day for the duration of the whole workshop. However, a day or half off once a while can be arranged. In general, the days are long and full of activities. There is a lot of walking and very little of free time.

  • Be ready to be challenged and step out of your comfort zone – you will talk to strangers and shoot in unusual places. You might not feel comfortable on the first or second day, but by the end of the workshop your personal confidence and social skills will be on another level.

  • Be familiar with street, travel and documentary photography. Familiarising yourself with photographer portfolios on the websites of Magnum Photos agency and UP Photographers street photography collective is highly recommended and will make the workshop experience fuller.

  • These are not five-star photo tours where you are being taken from one photo location to another in a private A/C bus. Please do not expect luxuries and special treatments, but proper, down to earth travel experiences.

  • Also, there are not any pre-arranged photo shoots with hired monks with umbrellas or models posing in traditional costumes. All photography is spontaneous and unplanned, done in the spirit of street photography. You take your camera and go out to shoot – either with Maciej or with other workshop participants. Explore. This will teach you more than staged shoots where you are standing in a row with other photographers, all taking the same pictures of the same subject. Thus you are required to be creative and independent (although you will shoot with Maciej or other workshop participants) and not rely on anyone else to make your photos happen.

  • Most of the workshops are conducted in places familiar to Maciej, so he can recommend tested shooting locations and restaurants. However, some are run in new destinations – in such cases all group members are encouraged to actively participate in planning the workshop and researching potential locations for photography.

  • A pinch of humour, patience and understanding that things can go their own way sometimes. It might be needed needed when the weather is poor, the day is not exciting, the bus is broken, you got a stomach bug and spend a day in the toilet, lunch was disappointing or everybody is tired or hungover. All goes well eventually! This is going to be a truly memorable adventure.

Requirements – What you will need

  • A digital CAMERA. If you choose to shoot with a film camera you will not be able to receive critiques of your workshop photos. A 35mm fixed focal LENS (or its crop sensor equivalent) is highly advised, because using such a lens teaches more about composition and forces you to get close to people, unlike the zoom lens. Bringing a zoom is allowed, but not necessary. If you do so you will need to use the wide end of it shooting street photos, otherwise you will constantly hear Maciej’s voice telling you to get closer to people. You also need to bring enough memory cards and batteries to be able to shoot all day. On a good, exciting day you may easily take 1000 photos – be aware of that. Two chargers and five batteries are recommended for mirrorless cameras (Fuji, Ricoh, Olympus) and other cameras with high power consumption.

  • A LAPTOP with Lightroom Classic for working on your photos and having them reviewed daily buy Maciej. You need to have enough free space on the laptop’s hard drive for all photos taken during the workshop or preferably use an external hard drive for storage/backup.

  • A SMARTPHONE with Google Maps and WhatsApp apps installed. In most countries local SIM cards can be easily purchased. Make sure your phone is unlocked and can be used with other SIM cards.

  • A WhatsApp account to discuss all workshop arrangements in a closed group with Maciej and other workshop participants.

  • A travel insurance covering health related expenses. An additional Trip Cancellation Insurance that takes care of the last minute workshop cancellation is strongly recommended.

  • Good health. All required vaccinations. All participants must be in a good physical shape and ready to walk 6-10 hours a day.

Liability

  • Maciej will accept no responsibility for personal loss, accidents and health related issues during the workshop, although if such occur he will do his best to help out. Learn about the health risks related to the travel at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/list.

 

COSTS and PAYMENTS

  • The fee covers the workshop tuition only. Participants are responsible for all other expenses – air tickets, visas, accommodation and other travel costs. The groups stay usually in clean and comfortable mid-range hotels, on average priced up to 60 EUR/night.

  • The fee includes the workshop preparation – an extensive pre-workshop email and WhatsApp chat correspondence with the participants, advice on the the travel arrangements, photo and computer equipment, travel tips, research on shooting locations, discussing flights and accommodation selection. There are many long hours being spent on preparing each workshop.

  • There is no need for a deposit, as due to the bank charges it only increases the overall cost. Your word that you are joining the workshop is sufficient.

  • Around two months before the workshop all participants are requested to make a full fee payment by a bank transfer, covering all bank transfer fees.

  • The fees are listed in Euros. For transfer from outside EU using the service of wise.com/ is recommended.

CANCELLATIONS

  • If a participant cancels the workshop the fee is fully refundable (minus the bank transfer cost) if the vacated spot is taken by another participant. The fee will not be refunded if there is no substitute found.

  • If Maciej cancels the workshop the fee will be fully refunded.

  • After booking a workshop it is strongly recommended to purchase a Trip Cancellation Insurance that takes covers last minute trip cancellations – workshop fee, flights, hotels (read about trip cancellation insurances).

  • Maciej’s workshops are very popular and most are fully booked months ahead, but some recent last-minute cancellations caused empty spots during some workshops (while other people were not able to join the workshop as it was fully booked earlier). Thus this stricter cancellation policy has been added.

  • Maciej is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a workshop is cancelled. It is recommended that to buy refundable air tickets and travel insurance.


 

Would you like to join a workshop?

Just drop Maciej an email at maciekda@gmail.com and he will get back to you. Easy!
 

 

PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS

  • “I made more progress with Maciej in one week than I did on my own and with other courses over the past 20 years.” – Alex Marquez

  • “Maciej is a master photographer and he is also a brilliant teacher. His workshop is like a boot camp and is a highly productive and creative environment. Hours of walking, taking photos, reviewing and critiquing our images and of course socialising, joking, eating and drinking beer.” – Simon Green

  • ” It was a great week, exhausting (yes), but ever so rewarding.” – Rose Vandepitte

  • “Doing the workshop was a very good investment to improve my photography, I just wish I had a time machine so I could redo the whole experience all over again!” – James Gifford-Mead

  • “Maciej is a tough teacher: he immediately spots each and every deficiency in the pictures and clearly lets you know. (…) It was exhausting but a great experience!” – Philippe Lanchès

  • “His critique is spot on and he focused on plenty of details most of us participants have not even realized before. (…) He judges each student individually and adjusts his remarks according to their own skill.” – Torsten Hendricks

  • “I am delighted to have conquered my fear of approaching and photographing people in their environment!” – Christine Vetter-Taylor

  • “Watching him work scenes and communicate with the locals was invaluable, and can’t be learnt by opening a book, no matter how insightful.” – Boris Hamilton

  • “He showed me how to enter a place and tell the right thing to people so that I can take pictures without feeling like an intruder.” – Alexandru Ilea

  • “It was such an intensive week. It was like a full time job. (…) Definitely one of the best times I have ever had.” – Marcin Sikorski

  • “As a result, I actually got a very diverse set of photos throughout the 10 days – largely due to getting involved in situations I would previously not even think of.” – David Gaberle

  • “Each day we reviewed our work to see what our best shots were and where we could improve on and this helped me approach a scene differently than I would have, learning from past experiences.” – Michael Foo

  • “While I had positive expectations for the workshop, what I didn’t know at this stage was that I was going to have one of the best experiences of my life.” – Chris Meirick

  • “Be prepared for long days, sore feet, tough critiques and a fast track to improving your photography.” – Mark Carey
Read more: Testimonials from the participants of the previous workshops.
 

Maciej’s students have been among winners and finalists of many photography contests, including 2014 Fotoura’s International Street Photography Awards, StreetFoto San Francisco 2017 International Street Photography Awards, The Miami Street Photography Festival 2017, The London Street Photography Festival 2017, The Brussels Street Photography Festival and others. Many with photos taken during their workshops. Photos of Maciej’s past students regularly appear in the pool of Hardcore Street Photography (HCSP) group on flickr, the best street photography group on the Internet. This says quite much about the quality of work produced during and after Maciej’s workshops.


 

Stay Updated

Email Maciej at maciekda@gmail.com
 
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PAST WORKSHOPS

 

ABOUT Maciej Dakowicz

Maciej is an experienced Polish photographer and educator currently based in Poland. He holds a PhD in computer science, but abandoned science to focus on photography. He is a member the international street photography collective UP Photographers (formely known as In-Public) and an official Fujifilm X-Photographer. His interests are in documentary, travel and street photography.
Maciej’s photos have been widely published, exhibited and shown at photo festivals. He is a recipient of numerous awards and has judged several photography competitions. His photos have been featured in major street photography books including “Street Photography Now”, “The World Atlas of Street Photography”, “100 Great Street Photographs”, “Street Photography: A History in 100 Iconic Photographs” and “Bystander: A History of Street Photography”. Maciej’s first monograph Cardiff After Dark was published in October 2012. Currently he is mainly occupied with teaching his popular streeet photography workshops in Asia and Eastern Europe.
 

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Click to read about: WORKSHOPS – UPCOMING WORKSHOPS – PAST WORKSHOPS – PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS

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