Street photography workshop AMSTERDAM

Amsterdam forces you as a street photographer to make choices. Look along with the flow and you make postcards. Step out of it and you find layers, collisions and moments that only happen if you dare to wait.

In this workshop we do not go looking for the canal photograph that already exists. We look at what people do, at how foreground and background touch each other, and at when it pays to stand still for a few seconds longer.

€ 295

Pick your date

Including 21% VAT

5 spots left on 17 April

10.30 to 14.00
max. 5 participants
lunch included
book included

Black and white photo of a busy shopping street, with gulls and pigeons around overflowing bins and people walking past the shop fronts.

As a present to myself I booked the one-to-one street photography workshop with Michiel Heijmans. I have not regretted it for a moment!Karlijn van Kalmthout, one-to-one street photography workshop

A day in Amsterdam with your camera

An afternoon in Amsterdam. The shopping streets and a terrace. Yes, you can see the city that way too. But on that

terrace you end up watching people, and is there anything better? In Amsterdam you have surely photographed the beautiful old buildings, the Vondelpark and the pigeons.

It is the people of Amsterdam who make the city. Or as the singer Herman van Veen put it: every street trader had an aria of their own, for sprat and herring and for begonias. Amsterdam is made for street photography, with the human element playing the leading part. Whether you plant yourself on a busy crossing near the station where people race past on their way to work, or head for the NDSM yard and let people merge with the creativity of Amsterdam Noord.

In the workshop I teach you to hunt and to fish. We look at framing and at capturing movement. And if you have questions of your own, we cover those too.

Your day in Amsterdam

10.30 to 14.00 · 3.5 hours

10.30
Kick-off
We start with coffee and the technique: framing and capturing movement. There is room for your own questions too.
10.45
Getting to work
Into the city, with guided assignments using assignment cards you can take home with you. I take you to the best spots.
12.30
Lunch
A sandwich and something to drink, included. After lunch the focus shifts from individual techniques to building a series.
14.00
Wrapping up
A short review over coffee or tea. You do your own editing at home; I am happy to give you feedback by email on five photographs.

Changes to this schedule are possible during the workshop/masterclass, in consultation.

Workshop details

Bring a friend along if you like, they can join free of charge (or split the cost!)
Technique before lunch, building a series after lunch.
I share all my experience with you, and help you learn to look differently.
A free month of access to all Photofacts courses with the book.
I take you to the best spots.
Level for this street photography workshop: all levels.
Recommended lens: whichever lens you feel comfortable with, but 28 to 50mm full frame is a good guide.

Guided assignments using assignment cards you can take home with you.
Lunch included, we pick up a sandwich and something to drink.
You get my book Straatfotobijbel (in Dutch) so you can keep practising after the workshop.
This street photography workshop runs from 10.30 to 14.00 (3.5 hours).
A short review at the end of the workshop, with coffee or tea of course.
Recommended camera: any camera, ideally with a prime lens
You do your own editing at home, as you see fit. I am happy to give you feedback by email on five photographs.
After the workshop, I’ll send you an invoice and a certificate of attendance for your funding application if you ask for them.

This workshop can be given in Dutch or in English.

Before you come: the preparation page says what to bring and what we do that day. Still wondering about something? Have a look at the frequently asked questions. Does this date not suit you? The schedule lists every date, and the same workshop also runs in Antwerp.

Book your workshop in Amsterdam

Five people at most, so there is time for everyone.

€ 295

Including 21% VAT

Street photography in our capital, Amsterdam

Amsterdam! Our capital is a city known for its picturesque streets, canals and architecture. It is rich in culture and history, and perhaps more than any other city it is known for its lively street life.

That makes Amsterdam a perfect city for street photography. People here are friendly and open, and something is happening on every corner. Amsterdam is also very easy to reach by train and a fine city to explore on foot.

In my workshops I teach you to look differently, to find new angles, and together we talk through photography projects you can start on today.

About Michiel

I am Michiel Heijmans, a professional photographer. I teach street photography workshops in the Netherlands and abroad. I wrote the photography books De Wet van de Straat (in Dutch), The Observer (in English) and the course book Straatfotobijbel (in Dutch). In 2025 I appeared on the Dutch television programme Het Perfecte Plaatje op reis. I am also co-host of the popular photography podcast 30 Minuten Sluitertijd.

A young woman with striking make-up and braided hair stands on a busy city street next to a man with tattoos, both looking ahead.

A man with long hair and a denim jacket holds an ice cream while standing on a street in the city centre. Behind him three people in winter coats and a shop with a Black Friday sign.

A man cycles past a large poster of a man in police uniform in an urban setting with buildings in the background.

Two women walk down a shopping street, one in heels with a large bag and one wearing a headscarf carrying several bags, while people cycle and shop in the background.

A young woman with glasses and a fur hat stands on a city square in the evening, with Christmas lights and shops behind her.

A woman with a large scarf looks at her phone against a backdrop of a river and city buildings on an overcast day.

A green neon sign reading TOURS & TICKETS outside a building in the evening. People queue for an arcade with a Christmas tree visible through the door.

An older woman with curly hair, glasses and a red scarf holds a smartphone beside a digital poster for the Netflix series Bridgerton.

Frequently asked questions

What level do I need?

If you know how your camera works, you can join in. You learn by doing, by looking and, now and then, by simply having no idea what you’re doing. That’s part of it.

It doesn’t matter whether you normally shoot landscapes, documentary work or portraits. Street photography mostly asks you to look, respond and dare to try.

The assignments grow with you. If you’re just starting out, I’ll help you with calm, choices and technique. If you’ve been photographing for longer, the challenge is often in looking more sharply, getting closer and working less on autopilot.

What about portrait rights and the law?

Respect comes first, always.

Photographing and publishing are two different things. In public space, quite a lot is allowed, but not everything. A covered shopping centre may have its own rules, covert photography is not allowed, and in places where people can expect privacy, you really shouldn’t be photographing. A café terrace is a good example.

Portrait rights mainly come into play when publishing. During the workshop I share the knowledge you need, with examples from practice. The rules differ per country: this applies in the Netherlands, elsewhere it’s different. On the two-day workshop in London or Paris, I’ll explain what applies there.

If you want to read more about how that works in the Netherlands, have a look at De Wet van de Straat (in Dutch), the book I wrote with legal expert Charlotte Meindersma.

What if it rains?

Well, the weather is always a bit of a gamble, especially in autumn. But in principle, we keep photographing. Rain is image. Umbrellas, reflections, people suddenly moving differently. I’ll show you how to make use of that.

Sun brings its own challenges, like backlight and hard shadows. Every kind of weather has its own hassle. And sometimes its own little gift.

All right, a snowstorm may not be the handiest weather to photograph in. But no snowstorm = yes, workshop.

Is the workshop suitable for me if I come alone?

Yes. Many participants come alone. That actually works well. You focus more on your own photos and usually settle into the group quite easily.

My experience is that we get used to each other quickly. Everyone is walking around with roughly the same doubts: am I seeing enough, do I dare to get closer, why didn’t that one photo work? The ice is often gone sooner than you think.

All questions about workshops