Street photography workshop ANTWERP

Antwerp changes character every few streets. From the crowds around the Meir you walk straight into a quiet courtyard, and between the old façades something new keeps turning up.

We use that variety to practise with layers, background and timing. You learn not only where you can photograph, but above all how to keep looking in one spot until an image appears.

€ 295

Pick your date

Including 21% VAT

3 spots left on 13 March

10.30 to 14.00
max. 5 participants
lunch included
book included

A black and white photo of a woman in a winter coat and hat, her long hair over her shoulders, walking along a pavement with bicycles to her left and buildings behind her.

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

Street photography with a good starting point

A photographer walking through Antwerp is treated to an abundance of photogenic places and subjects. You can lose yourself in the Stadspark, a beautiful park in the heart of the city where the greenery contrasts nicely with the buildings around it. Then of course you visit the bird market, a colourful market selling fresh produce, flowers, plants and all sorts of goods. In the crowd nobody notices you. And look around: what photogenic buildings.

You will also want to walk over to the Cathedral of Our Lady, a beautiful gothic church known for its high tower and impressive interior. Plenty to do, and I make sure you get a good cross-section. We finish somewhere between one and two, so you have time to wander a little on your own afterwards.

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 Antwerp

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

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.
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.

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.
Groups of up to five people, so there is personal attention for everyone.
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. The group workshop goes ahead with a minimum of two participants.

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 Nijmegen.

Book your workshop in Antwerp

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

€ 295

Including 21% VAT

Antwerp, one of my favourite cities for street photography

There are countless photogenic places in the city: the Grote Markt, the Groenplaats, the bird market and the streets around them. Small quiet courtyards, and the bustle of the Meir.

The city has a varied character, with pleasant neighbourhoods like Zurenborg and Eilandje and districts as different as Chinatown. That gives you a wide range of possibilities for street photography, during the workshop and long after it. Antwerp alternates historic monuments with modern architecture, which of course makes for wonderful backdrops. In short, Antwerp has a great deal to offer a street photographer.

The workshops below are for beginners and for people who have held a camera plenty of times before. I am certain I can teach you to look differently.

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 man in a hat runs away from a bus on a slippery, wet pavement, with the historic city behind him.

A person stands on a train platform in a modern concrete building, with a glimpse of someone waiting for a train in the foreground.

Five people in black and white clothing and hats stand on a street beside parked cars, with several apartment blocks behind them.

A woman with brown hair, wearing a mask and glasses, in a busy open-air market.

A woman with a large afro, wearing glasses, a jacket and a scarf, stands outside a brick building with her face turned to the sun.

A man in a white polo shirt with dots, black trousers and a watch, carrying a bag on the street.

A man in a red polo shirt and blue cap holds a water bottle in a busy street, with a restaurant and people behind him.

A man walks past a large yellow street cleaning truck on a square with historic buildings behind it. A woman in a blue uniform stands beside the truck.

Two women with tattoos stand close together on a city square, with a shopping street and people behind them.

A man walks past an advertising board showing a woman posing with long coloured braids, surrounded by beauty products.

Three women cross a zebra crossing in the city: one in an orange dress, one in a headscarf holding a phone, and one in a grey dress and headscarf.

A woman with a dog walks hand in hand with a young girl down a pedestrian street, with cafes and shops to the side under the shade of a tree.

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