I want to thank you for eight days of ups and downs, of believing and disbeliveing in the own skills and for your remarkable approach in pushing us gently forward but never hiding something or letting something be unspoken. You treated us with your admirable respect in every human being and your humanity which let me felt comfortable in every situation of the course. Thank you for answering all my questions with so much patience. I learned so much from you – professionally and personally. The only thing i’m angry about is that you did not let me pay the taxi to the airport I hope to see you again.

First I think anyone who wants to travel and learn to be a better photographer should take at least one of Niko’s workshops. When I came back from Cuba I felt that I really knew Havana and interacted with so many people (even with my non-existent Spanish) and it was so amazing to feel part of the city, not just a tourist. I have the travel bug now and I would never travel any other way again.
Nikos, In your workshop, the messages that you have about photography are so important for anyone who is interested in taking better photos. They are in my head constantly. Visually valid is such a hard thing to put into words but I am striving to find that more and more in my photos. You really push people to dig deeper and find something more in their photography (but in the nicest way).
And also I want to say how much I appreciated your generosity. It’s not very often that I come across people as kind and giving as you are, from your knowledge with photography – taking photos, editing, post processing, you shared as much as you could. You even shared your sandwich with me on the first day!
And also I am really interested in doing a master class but I have to save up more before I can. And hopefully I can do another workshop in the future but this time I will be much more prepared for the adventures!
Thanks again Nikos!!!

Words cannot explain the amazing experience you will live during an On the Road Workshop. Nikos is an incredible human being and an inspiring delight. His talent, drive and wonderful spirit will guide you and help you explore photography in a fascinating way. Growth and challenge are two things you can be sure you will obtain. Be ready to have the time of your life! Thank you Nikos, I can´t wait to join this adventure again. 

“Loved loved the workshop. Nikos is a great teacher. The way he offers feedback is fantastic, it helps you grow from day to day and see things in a different way from day to day. Really liked the daily edit session and learned a lot from looking at each other’s work. It was an honor to be part of a group of so talented photographers. Hopefully will be able to join another workshop in the near future.”

I work as a photographer for the United Nations, my perception of photography and photographic style has been somewhat different to the one of Nikos Economopoulos. The workshop was amazing, it provided me with a new, fresh look. My way of seeing has changed significantly since then. The organization was great and Nikos has been an excellent teacher and mentor (and hopefully a friend). His comments throughout the workshop encouraged us to try harder and not only to reach our limits but also go beyond them, to take photographic risks and try and see the world around us differently. We were encouraged to go beyond the simple record of places, people and moment. At the end of the day, you do not usually get a MAGNUM photographer to spend a week with you and your photos, and seriously help you www.ontheroad.grelop your way of seeing, but Nikos did exactly that. The number of participants was the ideal one, not too small and not unmanageably big. Interaction and comments were encouraged and indeed helped us all to see our own photos in a different way.

It worked — or as Nikos said “It always works”. I needed three days to throw everything over board I thought to know about photography. How to select backgrounds, how to use the 35mm lens, how to lead the eye of the beholder, how to avoid clichees, how to get closer, how to recognize a good photograph and how to find my own style. Nikos has something like a built-in compass for good photography which always functions. It was a pleasure to learn from him, to talk with him about his philosophy and to see his passion for beautiful visual events. Even when he felt sick and his face looked as grey as some of my worse photographs he got excited and touched by every great picture he saw at our group meetings in the evenings. He is such a nice and open guy and it seems he has also a talent to attract like-minded people to his workshops. I felt very welcome from the first moment. The Thailand workshop was my first one with him. But for sure not the last..

Thank you for the workshop, overall it was great and I look forward to joining you somewhere else in the future. In terms of feedback, particularly at my beginner level, I was often seeking more and more direction and information from you and as you probably realise, I would continually ask for more and more information as the days went on. Apart from that however, it was a great experience and an overall (apart from the food) good trip.

The workshop with Nikos, was a unique experience. He opened a new door to the world of photography for me. The tips he gave me were extremely useful and his advises clearly changed my photography approach. Finally I want to thank the whole group that made the experience unforgettable, and I am looking forward to taking part in my second workshop.

(…) This sounds so cliché (…), but this workshop has changed my life! The 35mm has not left my camera and I am really enjoying composing in a way that is more interesting. (…) A few things that you said about my photography really shocked me but shocked me more to realise that you were right… still amazes me that you have made an observation that was so right from looking at my photos alone. Thanks.. In terms of feedback, I think the workshops in the evening were really enjoyable, especially being to learn from other participants’ work and your comments of them. Your help with interesting things to do prior to the workshop was also very helpful. The only thing that I would ask is for you to be even harder with your critiques and provide perhaps some sort of direction as to where each one of us could go…through each evening discussion as well as at the end of the workshop. I think your guidance to each of us is very valuable and we could do with more of it, well I could at least. (…) Not sure where photography is heading for me, but I have been loving every moment of it so far! I have learnt more in Beirut than I have in the last 2 years!

In just one week much of the information I had accumulated in a previous photo course, just clicked and started to make more sense. I loved your workshop. You made me see Istanbul and it’s people very differently. I cherish the opportunity to find out the stories behind some of your great works. Plus I discovered with amazement the incredibly humble and warm person behind the fascinating photographs that I had grown to admire. And as a bonus, you introduced us to Ara Guler who even signed books for us. Thanks, looking forward to seeing you again. From now on will always be looking for flying crocodiles..

I’ve learnt loads of things and I met very nice people who hopefully i’ll see again. I improved my way to get close to the city people, who allowed me to capture intimate moments. This workshop also helped me in how to become honest to myself taking pictures and how to capture the humanity of the moment. Anyway, my conclusion is that I knew less than I thought, which motivates me a lot. Now I see how to work. Thank you for show me things that its no possible to find in books and to guide me in the road of my way of life, photography.

Every evening, after a busy day of wandering the streets and shooting, I was rewarded with the pleasure of looking at the interesting and beautiful pictures of my fellow students in the workshop. In doing so and by Nikos‘ wonderful and empathetic teaching and the ensuing discussions, I learned so much in terms of visual perception and the transformation into a good picture that I can see more clearly now than ever before the direction, in which I want to move and on what I need to focus on. Thank you, Nikos for yet another enriching experience and thanks to all of you for the pleasant time we shared during the week in Istanbul. It was marvelous!

The more workshops I do with Nikos the more I want to come back. Every place is different as the challenges to encounter. The good thing about coming back, is that he already knows how much we can achieve so he pressures us accordingly, and I think we most agree that our results get a bit better every time.
Like each new workshop is like starting from scratch, each day of it is also starting from scratch. In every meeting he would choose a few photos but the next morning we start again from blank. The days are long and intense, but for me it’s just pure joy. We have some good days but others we hit the wall. It’s inexplicable the pleasure we have when we manage to go over that wall. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. But as Nikos well said: “We can have good days and bad days. But that is not important. What really matters is that we never lose the great feeling of wanting to go out and take photos. That, it is very important.” And I do hope, to never lose that feeling.
Niko, thank you again, and I am already looking forward to Argentina next month.

First of all I would like to tell you that I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to attend your workshop. It is still making me reflect on photography (…) I’ve been reading and watching images and documentaries about history of photography. I was very curious and excited to see where your advice would take me when I started shooting in Porto. There was a kind of freedom in restriction: type of project, one camera, one lens, only color, same ISO.
Because I challenged myself to meet people with the camera, I felt that photography is not such a solitary act. I agree with you that this connection is something beautiful about photography, as it is beautiful about dance.
I also approached color differently. Before it was something that was there, naturally, as part of the reality. I became more sensitive to it, even when I wasn’t shooting, and I also became more conscious of it as one more element to consider in composition.
One of the most important things for me during the workshop was to hear your comments about the images, ours and yours. What caught your eye and why. What makes a photograph a good one. I realized that photography is possible to be read. This is something that I would like to continue to practice, so I can trust my judgment about my own photography.
Spending so many hours dedicated just to photography made me realize how time is important to achieve a good work, even as an amateur photographer.Since I started photographing, I feel it is an important part of my life. Maybe one day I’ll find a way to take it to another dimension.

I recently returned from Nikos “Balkan Expedition”, although I have been back for three months, I don’t feel like I am anywhere near to returning to “normal life”. My experience during Nikos workshop was spectacular. Visited locations I would never have travelled to and energized to photograph there. I learned so much and experienced so much that I am sure it will take quite a while to fully assimilate. The symposium experience was truly flawless, from discussions and critiques with an honest opinion about your photography. And lets not forget the participants themselves, an amazing diverse and talented group who were a joy to be around and learned much from each other. If you are serious about wanting to become a better street photographer you can not go wrong with Nikos “Balkan Expedition” workshop. For myself, I am already thinking about my next Economopoulos experience.

Why my last workshop with Nikos (in Buenos Aires) was the Sixth and hopefully not the last one ?
-The pleasure of learning and improving from a great photographer and a marvellous teacher
-The pleasure of being part of a high level group where community is more important than competition
-The pleasure of travelling trying to look at the country from inside
-The pleasure of the pleasure.

My feedback is very positive. First of all, the management of the booking and preparation for the workshop is helpfully assisted by your assistant Dimitri. Second, you have been a very nice and empathic person all around, and this means a lot because apart from photography we are all human beings and have human beings’ needs, therefore being around nice people is something that comes before, and really helps, learning and participating. Third, I feel that your editing sessions during the workshop, and all the general interaction with you and the other participants, have helped my understanding of photography. All in all, I have come back after the workshop with lots of new creative energy and ideas, and I believe this is all because of the unique environment of your workshop. Your comments of our work feel objective and are often revealing, and your advice is at once simple and effective. I cannot but very highly recommend your workshop to anybody that has interest in photography.