Frequently asked questions about my workshops

We start with a short briefing. Then we walk a route. You get assignments while we photograph. At the end we go through the work and learn from each other. My detailed thoughts on your photos follow later by email.

One-day workshops
From 10:30 to 14:00

Two-day workshops
From 10:00 to 15:00, both days

We usually run over a little because the coffee break gets too enjoyable; there is often plenty to talk about and plenty of experience to exchange.

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.

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.

On the two-day workshops around eight to ten kilometres in five hours. On the one-day workshops two or three kilometres in three hours. With breaks.

It also depends a little on how far we decide to get lost together and stray from the route I worked out for us. Good shoes are your best friend.

Of course. We look at what works for each scene. In a colour photograph colour often plays the leading part, think of somewhere like the exotic market on the Theaterplein in Antwerp with all those bright colours. In a quieter image, in the suburbs of Paris for instance, black and white can be very telling.

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.

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.