The Sanliurfa workshop was inspiring and exciting both with regard to the photos taken by the other members of the group as well as the area and the cities we were visiting. Further, I enjoyed the evening sessions. I like the way Nikos criticizes the pictures of the photographers and gives them advice each on his/her individual professional levels. Nobody has to fear to be embarrassed – on the contrary, I was motivated not only by the comments and advice to become a better photgrapher but felt also supported by the other group members.

I have been on several workshops with Nikos. I keep coming back because, not only Nikos is an amazing person, but he is also a great teacher. Nikos manages to get the best out of all of us. The transformation of some of the participants is just amazing. I like the simple words he uses to “critique” images, his directness and honesty. He always challenges us to do better every day. He is very engaged in editing our photos whatever the level of the participants. I also love coming to his workshops as I always find the attendees friendly and interesting people. With a lot of them, we have continued to keep in touch and communicate regularly. His workshops are a truly unique experience. 

I think for me the best things about the workshop were to hear opinions for my own work (and for others in the group) from a master photographer, to learn better how to distinguish between bad, good and great photographs, to pay importance to details which can make a big difference (either in the good or bad way), to avoid some bad practices or approaches when taking photos, to raise my expectations for my own work and be more selective. When taking photos I remember the critique words from Nikos which help me take decisions to get the best results out of a scene, and at the end of the day I have confidence to delete the photos that are definitely not good and keep only those which are potentially good.During the evening meetings when the participants presented their work to the group, there were always surprises when I would think a photograph was good but Nikos wouldn’t select it or the other way around.But when a photo was chosen even though I didn’t consider it a strong one, that’s when I was mostly surprised and happy. That was I think a moment when I realized I learned something new. I’m glad I attended to the workshops with Nikos. I’m definitely a better photographer than I was before meeting him.

Honestly Nikos – your workshops are really amazing. Again, I’m so taken with your warmth and generosity, it’s something that is not all that common in people and really a gift to your “students”. You are really inspiring with how you speak about photography, not only in terms of composition, framing, being careful about the light, but also in terms of having feelings for the people or things that you’re photographing. It has really made me think a little differently about how and what I would photograph.
I also wanted to mention how much I enjoy meeting the other participants and that so many of the participants are such talented photographers, it makes the editing sessions so informative and enjoyable. Watching you edit, process and discuss the photos are really a good learning experience for me.

“Just walking, seeing and saying nothing and seeing the result at the end of the day. Giving myself to the road and being on the road. Hearing the honest comments Seeing throw a window that dear Nikos opens to my eyes, and exploring my country Even myself more than it. My second workshop. I wait for the next chance”

I have been an avid photographer for the past few years and moved to Greece from New York only a few months ago. Greece is my homeland but has experienced many changes during my 9 years of absence and I am eager to use my camera to tell the present story. Attending the workshop was a no brainer, being on the spot and needing a serious incentive to get me on the streets of Athens. What I got in return was much more than I had bargained for!!! I met Nikos and discovered a person who went far beyond small technical issues, discussing what photography is really all about and using his own experiences as examples. The topics were endless and his willingness to answer every question and clarify every blurry notion was remarkable. I was very impressed with his openness and how friendly and giving he was. Sharing our knowledge and our experiences is most important and it is what helps us and those around us grow. And Nikos certainly does that. Furthermore, I was very happy that Nikos encouraged participants to go off on their own to shoot. We need to www.ontheroad.grelop our own vision and make our own mistakes. In short, thank you Niko for an amazing week and I look forward to future workshops and more guidance from you!

This workshop provided me with a new prism at taking photographs including more sentiment and injecting more thought and content to my work. As a newcomer to “Street photography”, the workshop allowed me to quickly get into a pace and experiment with this new to me approach, producing some fair results quite quickly. Invaluable was the fact that I gained a lot from the positive evaluation by Nikos of my other coworkers’ work. This evaluation demonstrated to me things to avoid once I get further down in my own journey and also experience paradigms of good quality work that I could try and experiment with. Things that take ages to discover, are presented to you during one week’s teamwork. Absolutely a positive experience with a lot of new friends that I really enjoyed!

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.

Ok..it was really my pleasure to meet you and be part of the Damascus workshop.. A really nice experience and a good start for myself and my photos. The workshop has encouraged me to become better and learn more … In the one week I learned from your comments and your suggestions what I should look for and what to avoid. You gave me directions for finding my own style and to experiment on that. Now being back inCyprus, believe it or not, I feel like a “new ” person. I know this might sound strange but the one week that I spent time with myself and my camera and later having your comments about my work made me fall in love once again with the world of photography, keep taking photos, love the people and try more.

(…) 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!

Ethiopia’s workshop has been a wonderful experience for my photography.
Nikos guides you on a very precise path: one camera, one lens, one format between black and white and color, and focus on the image. Just relax, react to what you see, without too much thought or preparation.
This may sound obvious, but it was not for me at the beginning: I’ve passed from confusion, feelings of inadequacy, to be more and more confident and able to enjoy the process, and it’s been amazing for me to see my pictures improve day by day, become more interesting and less ordinary.
Niko’s passion is contagious, he’s able to criticize very precisely and firmly but always in a positive and constructive way.
I still have l a long way to go, but I can only thank Nikos for giving me back enthusiasm and directions to improve my photography.
I really look forward for the next workshop with Nikos!

I came to the workshop feeling dissatisified with what I was doing with my photography and hoped that the workshop would help me find a more definite direction. I was particularly impressed with your ability to look at the work of the members of the workshop group, assess where we were up to photographically and individually give us feedback and suggestions based on this and on the work we did progressively throughout the workshop. The practical information you gave us (eg about ‘visual impact’, about taking care with all elements that fill the frame of a photograph – not just the main subject, etc), I also found useful. As well, I enjoyed the ‘journey’ of the workshop itself – seeing everyone’s work each evening and hearing about our different explorations of Istanbul (particularly those to areas away from the tourist hordes). However, the main overall impact of the workshop for me was that it made me realise and accept that, if I am to continue seriously with my photography, I do need to change my focus. Doing things the same old way is no longer an option. It will take me some time to properly work out what this should be, but the workshop has given me the impetus to make a start, as well as some constructive ideas. I am very grateful for that.

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!

I did not know what to expect from a Greek maestro who lives and travels half the year in his cool VW T3. From the first hour of meeting Nikos in Pristina, my perspective on human relations and photography changed. His no-nonsense approach, opinions and advice delivered always with respect, kindness and often times, humour plus his wealth of life and photographic experience taught me to be free, take risks, challenge the norm and focus on making a compelling and difficult photo instead of fiddling with technical issues. What is also priceless, is his personal interest in the places and people we visited. Without his thoughtful commentary on the historical and cultural background to frame the environment we were in and his interesting friends who joined us during the week, it would have been a totally superficial tourist visit to Kosovo. I can’t wait to join him again.

Every literate can write. Not every literate can write poems or short stories. Even less of them can write meaningful or original stories. I think the same thing applies to photographers. Every person with a camera can take photos. Some can produce stories, but just a few are able to produce a meaningful and personal work.
Sometimes I joke and say that Nikos’ mission on Earth is to educate us, his participants, to become original, faithful and personal photographers. After a while, I am coming to believe that my joke was actually real. The transformation he manages from us is unreal. The photos that he choses are a caress to the eyes and soul. And this leads me to a second conclusion: Nikos is the best editor I have ever met.
Gracias, Maestro!

The workshop with Nikos was a great experience and a wonderful event. The evening reviews were inspiring as Nikos proved to be not only a gifted photographer but also a patient teacher and reviewer. He truly possesses the didactical skills to explain what elements are required in building up a good photograph. Naturally the workshop was frustrating at the same time as one comes to realize what skills are required in order to perform photography at this level. Nonetheless, it is definitely learning process that I want to experience again, so I’m studying my agenda and Nikos’ website to try to decide when I can sign up again.

The Myanmar “on the road” trip was such an enjoyable and memorable experience. I really enjoyed meeting Nikos, and all the other participants, and have genuinely learnt so much, which is gradually finding it’s way into my photography. Nikos’s passion for photography was inspiring. I found him to be a great teacher, warm, genuine, direct, and generous in sharing his wealth of insight and experience. Nikos encouraged us to create interesting photographs that went beyond the purely descriptive. Day by day, through the editing process, the resulting portfolios grew to reflect each participant’s personal response to the people and places we encountered along the way. The experience was made all the more enjoyable by sharing it with a group of interesting, creative people. I found the workshop challenging but hugely rewarding, and I know that I will continue to apply all that I have learnt, thanks Nikos!

“This was my first workshop with Nikos, absolutely a wonderful experience!!! The way the workshop is managed it’s a unique opportunity to improve your photographic skills. At my beginner level, I was looking to improve my visual capacities and tο learn how tο frame my shots: I am definitely more than satisfied, and I will definitely come back to attend more workshops. This unique experience has then been enriched by a fantastic atmosphere and excellent fellows with sharing a lot of information. Overall a great experience, definitely worth and to be soon repeated”

For me the Istanbul workshop was, above all, a great chance to see how an exceptional photographer such as Nikos looks at, selects and talks about photographs. Nikos was keen to understand our photographs first and then offered ways to improve them. While doing so, he was always up-front and honest but never condescending or imposing. I felt that Nikos’ attitude towards us, the participants, and our photography was similar to the compassion one can see in his own photography in that, he makes sure that no one is ever stripped off of their dignity. His comments were not only related to the formal result but also what goes on before and during shooting. The workshop was, as others have said, intense and demanding, and I enjoyed every minute of it.