Date TBA: Passionate Photographer 2.0: Dream It; Be It. A One-Day Transformational Bootcamp

Bootcamp Details (Watch for Online Version Coming Soon)

Rekindle your passion with photography and reimagine your work to communicate a powerful personal vision with this one-day transformational bootcamp. 

“The more personal you make it, the more universal it becomes” is the mantra that will help separate you from the pack, liberating you from photographic routine towards a deeper visual exploration to transform your passion into a unique personal vision. Steve shares his shooting philosophies gleaned from a lifetime of wandering with his cameras.

TBA: 9:30am - 5:00pm. 

Venue:  NYC Seminar & Conference Center -  71 West 23rd Street, Suite 901 (northeast corner of 23rd Street & 6th Avenue)

The New York venue is well situated for our brief photo session at Madison Square Park by the Flatiron Building. Students explore the power of personal projects to fuel passion and vision, regardless of genre. He will describe finding that story or theme you feel passionate about to take you to the next level in your photography and become the photographer you want to be. You will be guided to shoot a larger targeted volume of images working  every photographic situation to its maximum—creating a compositional process and template you can apply to every shooting situation.

A surefire technical strategy leads to technical competence letting creativity soar, closing the disappointing/frustrating gap between the images you thought you took and the images you actually got. You will learn some simplification technique including back-button autofocus and Auto ISO with minimum shutter speeds to maximize your response time and miss fewer great shots. You will also learn to focus your concentration as you shoot—being in the moment moving outside your comfort zone past fears. Steve will give you his minimalist view on gear along with a simplified shooting process to maximizing your response time to capture decisive moments.

We will work on processes for creating evocative portraits with strategies for approaching strangers and working with subjects to create powerful people pictures. The art of the Street Portrait and capturing Urban Landscapes will also be covered.

EDITING

We then focus on the art of culling your work, one of the biggest challenges facing photographers today. Steve will lay out his culling process with tips and ideas based on his “criteria philosophy” of editing as well as offering expert advice for keeping your images safe and secure. At the end of this section of the bootcamp, you will be a better editor of your own work and leave with a plan to keep your irreplaceable images safe for the long-term. 

CRITIQUE

It feels good to hear nice things about your photos from friends, relatives and fellow photographers, but pats on the back are less useful than meaningful, constructive criticism. Putting our photography out into the world and seeking out opinions and critique we can use to improve and push ourselves forward is essential to our development as photographers. 

Each participant will provide 4 images for critique. This is one of the most important modules of the day, the ability to share work and discuss in an open and honest way in a safe and encouraging space. You will learn critical thinking as well as setting goals and creating strategies for maximizing personal success. You will glean as much from the critique of others as you will from your own images. 

COMPREHENSIVE

From mastering the technical to finding inspiration— regardless of your specialization in photography — you will learn to trust your intuition and rid yourself of preconceptions that hold you back. All levels of photographic experience can benefit from this workshop. You’ll learn about the “rhythm of place” and discuss the laws and ethics of street photography as well as dealing with difficult situations that might pop up. 

This will be an intense and fun session giving you a reinvigorated passion for your work and a clear and concise plan of action going forward, maximizing your strengths and talents. 

Click here for some available hotels near our venue…Air BNB is also a good option. 

“Don't Be So Humble; You're Not That Great." – Golda Meir

Testimonials

Gary Niederpruem, Chicago

“What a fabulous experience. I learned more about photography in one week than I had in 5 years. Steve is very knowledgable about the technical side as well as composition. He is very patient, gives excellent feedback and will work one on one with you on any photography subject you want. I asked him for help on night photography and at 10 PM he was out on the streets of Havana with me with step by step instructions on how to take the shot. 5 star plus rating!!”

Anna Blanco, New York City

“Best workshop I’ve ever taken! Steve is not only a great photographer, he is also a terrific teacher. He is patient and very hands- on. In some workshops the instructor sends students out to shoot after a short lecture–Steve goes out with his students, coaching them throughout the process. His course is well organized and covers diverse topics. He is funny and engaging and generous with his time and knowledge. I had SO MUCH fun and am ready to sign up for the next one. Highly recommended!”

Anne Dunford, Ithaca, New York

"My week in Steve’s Street Shooting workshop challenged me tremendously. There’s nothing like taking your work apart and putting it back together with new vision to make you a better photographer. If you take this workshop, I guarantee you will see the world differently at the end."

Paul Lavergne, San Juan, PR

"Steve’s passion for photography is contagious and his teaching abilities and knowledge extraordinary! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in photography."

Chapman Solomon, Mountain View, CA

“Participating in the NYC Street Photography Workshop was an enriching and exhilarating experience. It challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to improve my skills. Steve’s curriculum and hands on approach offered me an opportunity to learn new techniques, add some creativity and visualize subject matter from another perspective. Each day presented abundant photo opportunities, resulting with the capture of some amazing images, exceeding my greatest expectations.”

Stephen Sholl, New York City

"Not only is Steve a great photographer, he is also a caring, compassionate person as well. He is constantly trying to help participants achieve their photographic goals in a gentle, caring, and sincere manner. Sadly, the critiques of my work were very helpful. Steve was right-on in terms of his suggestions to better my work. The totality of the workshop was terrific, primarily because the parts were all excellent as well. Choice of shooting locations, image reviews, suggestions, videos shown, and galleries visited were all great. Steve also promoted wonderful interactions among the participants. The venue was perfect for the workshop. you could spread out, leave our things there, use the facilities, and eat the goodies provided. You know you’re in good hands with Steve! An outstanding workshop!!"

Steve Lavelle, London

"This is an outstanding workshop, led by a world-class photographer. It is impossible to spend time in a room with Steve Simon and not be inspired to get out there and make great images …I had high expectations and you exceeded them…Steve is very personable, articulate and passionate about photography, very welcoming with a warm, engaging personality. Steve’s style is outstanding. I knew of Steve from the TWiP podcast and would have attended if he was talking about how to watch paint dry…”

Oscar Piñeyro, Dallas

"I just spent the last three days with Steve Simon, What a wonderful experience, the best time spent in a workshop ever. Steve is a perfectionist, every presentation not only had spectacular photography but also the perfect music to enhance the mood, a roller coaster of emotions. He cannot hide his journalistic background every single image tells a story. His technique is flawless; his teaching patience unparalleled. I am eager to start a new chapter of my photography applying what Steve taught me in the last few days."