October 27–November 2, 2026: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mérida, Mexico

Seven days of street photography, Hanal Pixán celebrations and thoughtful critique, with six nights in your own private room.

DatesOct 27 – Nov 2, 2026

LocationMérida, Yucatán, Mexico

GenreStreet • Travel • Cultural

Group sizeMax. 6

Skill levelAll Levels

Tuition$6,500.00 USD

Deposit$250.00 USD

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Workshop overview

Día de los Muertos brings a different rhythm to Mérida. Altars appear in homes and public squares, marigolds and candles fill the streets, and families gather to remember the people they have lost. In Yucatán, these traditions are known as Hanal Pixán. We’ll spend a week photographing both the celebration and the everyday life continuing around it.

With Mérida as our base, we’ll follow the preparations through to the Paseo de las Ánimas, the Procession of Souls. There will be time for early morning markets, neighborhood walks, cultural performances, dance rehearsals and portraits of participants preparing for the festivities. We’ll approach private homes and family rituals with permission, sensitivity and respect.

Each day combines hands-on photography with lectures, editing and constructive critiques. Sometimes we’ll work together; at other times you’ll follow your own interests. With no more than six photographers, there is room for individual attention, questions and the conversations that help you understand what you want to say with your photographs.

Why Mérida?

Mérida’s colonial architecture, sunlit plazas and busy markets give us places to observe and return to throughout the week. We’ll work among the grand buildings of Paseo de Montejo and in neighborhoods such as Santa Lucía, La Mejorada, Santa Ana and Santiago. The challenge is to move beyond the first attractive view and find photographs that feel like yours.

During Hanal Pixán, candlelight and public celebrations add another layer to the city’s daily life. We’ll make room for the large gatherings, but also for the quieter moments around them: someone preparing an altar, a pause between performances, or the way people share a familiar street.

Before and After the Workshop

Before the trip, Steve can help you simplify your camera setup and become more familiar with the controls, so the technical side demands less of your attention in the field.

Our pre-workshop online group meeting and lecture will help you prepare for the week. After the trip, we’ll meet again online to review and refine the photographs you’ve made, with time to reflect on the work away from the intensity of the daily shoots.

The route

Where we'll photograph

Markets & Neighborhood Life

Early morning markets and neighborhood streets will be part of our daily photography. Lucas de Gálvez Market, Santa Ana and Santiago give us opportunities to work with people, gesture, color and the changing pace of the day.

We’ll return to familiar areas rather than try to collect a different view at every turn. Repeated visits help you notice what changes, anticipate a moment and become more comfortable staying with a scene. Around Paseo de Montejo, Santa Lucía and La Mejorada, architecture and public spaces become part of the photographs, not simply their subjects.

Hanal Pixán & the Procession of Souls

The Paseo de las Ánimas is a central part of our week. Costumed participants, candles and public gatherings give us a different setting in which to work with movement, expression and the relationship between people and place.

We’ll also photograph the preparations: altars, cultural performances, dance rehearsals and portraits of participants. A cemetery visit is planned with permission. These are living traditions, not a performance arranged for our cameras, so we’ll approach family rituals with care and remain attentive to when it is better to put the camera down.

Evening Altars & Streets After Dark

As daylight fades, we’ll photograph altars as they are lit and spend time in the historic center. Candles, street lighting and people gathering after dark offer opportunities to work with available light and the atmosphere of the celebrations.

Steve will be there to help with focus, exposure and the decisions that matter when a scene is moving quickly. We’ll look beyond a record of the event for the pauses, gestures and unexpected relationships that make a photograph your own. The next critique gives us a chance to consider what worked and what to try again.

Day by day

Itinerary

The schedule will remain flexible so we can respond to weather, light, local events and unexpected photographic opportunities.

Day 1 · Tuesday, October 27 · Arrival & Orientation
Arrive in Mérida and check into your private room at the centrally located Hotel Villa Mercedes. Evening group meeting to review the week's schedule and set creative goals.
Meals: Dinner on your own.
Day 2 · Wednesday, October 28 · Paseo de Montejo & Neighborhoods
Morning shoot along Paseo de Montejo, followed by an introductory session at the hotel. Lunch at La Chaya Maya, then an afternoon walk through Santa Lucía and La Mejorada. Dinner at Hacienda Teya, followed by night photography in the historic center.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 3 · Thursday, October 29 · Markets & Evening Altars
Photograph the bustling Lucas de Gálvez Market in the morning. Lunch at El Cardenal, then a lecture and image critique. Evening shoot of altars as they are lit for the night. Dinner at El Campestre.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 4 · Friday, October 30 · Neighborhood Life & Paseo de las Ánimas
Explore Santiago and Santa Ana neighborhoods in the morning. Lunch at Manjar Blanco, then photograph calaveras and community altars near Plaza Grande. Our evening photography centers on the Paseo de las Ánimas, Mérida’s candlelit Procession of Souls. Dinner at Rosas & Xocolate will be arranged around the procession schedule.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 5 · Saturday, October 31 · Altars, Family Rituals & Festival Photography
Morning visit to a local cemetery, with permission, to photograph altars and family rituals. Lunch at Oliva Enoteca and a midday workshop session. Further photography follows the festival program and what we find on the streets, with dinner planned at Kuuk.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 6 · Sunday, November 1 · Final Review & Farewell
Morning street photography followed by our final image review at the hotel. Lunch at Villa Mercedes. Free afternoon for personal shooting, then farewell dinner at Hacienda Xcanatún.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 7 · Monday, November 2 · Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Mérida International Airport.
Meals: Breakfast.

In the field and in class

What You’ll Learn

Street Philosophies

Steve will share practical ways of seeing, anticipating and responding to the lyrical, poetic and decisive moments that give street photographs their life. The assignments are designed to help you move past photographic fears and clichés, develop your own vision and become more comfortable working with people.

We’ll explore framing, juxtaposition, layering, gesture, light and color, and consider when black and white better serves an image. You’ll work on approaching strangers, recognizing the rhythm of a place and letting a photograph develop rather than rushing on after the first frame.

We’ll also discuss the laws and ethics of street photography and how to respond to difficult situations with sensitivity and respect. This matters especially during a celebration rooted in family remembrance. Most of your time will be spent photographing, sometimes alongside Steve and sometimes on your own.

Night Photography

Evening altars, candlelit processions and the streets around the celebrations will give us opportunities to work with changing light and movement. Steve can help you think through exposure, focus and camera handling as you photograph the atmosphere of the city after dark.

Street Tech

Steve’s approach to equipment is deliberately simple. His own street kit uses Nikon mirrorless cameras and a carefully chosen selection of lenses, but he works with photographers using mirrorless cameras, rangefinders, DSLRs, compact cameras and phones. Whatever you bring, the goal is to help you respond more quickly and confidently.

We’ll talk about lenses, autofocus, zone focusing, shooting from the hip, live view and flash. In your pre-workshop gear check, Steve can help you assess settings such as back-button autofocus, Auto ISO, exposure compensation, frame rate and playback. A familiar, streamlined setup lets you give more attention to the moment.

Class Lectures & Critiques

Each lecture will help lay the foundation for the day’s photography. We’ll review your strongest images from the previous shoots in honest, supportive group critiques, sharing ideas and constructive criticism in a safe place for discussion. You’ll hear how other photographers read your pictures and receive suggestions you can put to work on the next shoot.

Photography does not end when you press the shutter. Editing and sequencing help you recognize what you have made and decide which pictures belong together. You’ll be encouraged to follow a personal theme during the week, building toward a cohesive final portfolio and slideshow presentation.

Assignments will ask you to see differently and work beyond familiar habits. If time allows and there is a relevant exhibition in town, we may also visit a local photography gallery.

Pre- and Post-Workshop Online Sessions

This workshop welcomes photographers of all experience levels. Before we travel, we’ll meet online for a group meeting and lecture, alongside your pre-workshop gear discussion. Afterward, our online session gives you time to review, refine and reflect on the images you’ve made in Mérida.

A photograph from the Mérida workshop collection

Travel & logistics

The workshop runs October 27–November 2, 2026, with six nights based in Mérida. Arrive on October 27, check into your private room and join our evening orientation. We’ll review the week’s schedule and talk about your photographic goals before heading into the first full day.

Scheduled in-city transportation and transfers are included, along with all scheduled workshop activities. The final day includes breakfast and a transfer to Mérida International Airport. Travel to and from Mérida is not included in your tuition.

The city’s 2026 program places the Paseo de las Ánimas on Friday, October 30. Our itinerary reflects that date. The order of other shoots, cultural visits and meals remains flexible so we can respond to the festival program, local arrangements, weather and light.

Photographing in homes, at altars or in a cemetery calls for patience and care. We’ll seek permission where needed and respect anyone who does not wish to be photographed.

Hotel Villa Mercedes, Curio Collection by Hilton, Mérida

Accommodation & Food

Our base for six nights is Hotel Villa Mercedes, Curio Collection by Hilton, or a comparable hotel. Its blue façade and restored architectural details give it character, and its location near Paseo de Montejo puts us within easy reach of the streets we’ll photograph. You’ll have your own private, single room, with space to rest and work on your pictures between shoots.

The rooms offer comfortable beds, complimentary Wi-Fi, a minibar, coffee maker and an in-room safe. Back at the hotel, an outdoor pool and fitness center provide a change of pace after a long day with a camera. The hotel meeting room will be our place for lectures, post-shoot critiques and group discussions.

Food is part of getting to know Mérida. We’ll make time for Yucatecan cooking, including dishes such as cochinita pibil and sopa de lima, alongside the conversations that happen when photographers sit down around a table after a day on the streets.

Most meals are included. The itinerary lists breakfast, lunch and dinner on our five full workshop days, plus breakfast on departure morning. Arrival-night dinner is on your own. Planned restaurants include La Chaya Maya, Hacienda Teya, El Cardenal, El Campestre, Manjar Blanco, Rosas & Xocolate, Oliva Enoteca, Kuuk and Hacienda Xcanatún, with arrangements subject to the daily schedule.

Six nights of private accommodation, most meals, scheduled in-city transport and transfers, instruction, critiques and scheduled activities are included in your tuition. Meals not specifically included in the itinerary and personal expenses remain at your own expense.

Our planned base: Villa Mercedes, Curio Collection by Hilton, or a comparable hotel.

Who you'll work with

Your instructor

Steve Simon

Steve Simon is an award-winning documentary photographer and the author of five critically acclaimed books, including The Passionate Photographer, selected as one of Amazon’s “Top Ten Art and Photography Books.” He has photographed in over 40 countries on assignment, with work appearing in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, Time, Mother Jones, Le Monde, Colors, Life, Harpers, Macleans, and The Walrus.

Best known for his humanistic approach, Steve’s photography explores the complexity and beauty of the human condition—capturing authentic, unscripted moments in real time. His images have been exhibited in solo shows in New York, Toronto, Montreal, and Buenos Aires, and three times at Visa Pour L’Image in Perpignan, France. An excerpt from Empty Sky, his photographic tribute to the aftermath of 9/11, was published by Life Books. The 9/11 Memorial Museum later acquired the complete set of prints for its permanent collection—recognizing the work as both witness and memorial.

A passionate educator, Steve has taught at the International Center of Photography (ICP) and the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York, and continues to lead workshops around the world. He is currently working on two new books—one on the art of photographic critique, and another exploring the American political convention.

Pricing

Seven days of photography, lectures, assignments and constructive critique with Steve Simon, with a minimum of four and a maximum of six participants.

Your tuition covers six nights of private accommodation at Hotel Villa Mercedes, Curio Collection by Hilton, or a comparable hotel; most meals; scheduled in-city transportation and transfers; and all scheduled workshop activities. Pre-trip gear guidance, our pre-workshop online group meeting and lecture, and a post-workshop online critique are included.

Tuition is $6,500 USD, with a $250 USD deposit credited toward the total. Steve Simon collects the remaining balance separately.

Tuition

$6,500.00 USD

Deposit: $250.00 USD secures your place
Remaining balance: Collected separately by Steve Simon
Group size: Limited to 6 photographers

The remaining balance may be paid by bank transfer, wire, ACH, or credit card (3% processing fee applies to credit card payments).

What's included

Six nights of private, single-room accommodation at Hotel Villa Mercedes, Curio Collection by Hilton, or a comparable hotel
Most meals as specified in the itinerary
Scheduled in-city transportation and transfers
Daily photographic instruction, lectures, assignments and group critiques with Steve Simon
All scheduled workshop activities and group outings
Pre-trip gear optimization session
Pre-workshop online group meeting and lecture
Post-workshop online critique and review

Our goal is to provide a seamless, supportive experience so you can stay focused on making your strongest work.

Not included

Travel to and from Mérida; Meals not specifically included in the itinerary, including arrival-night dinner; Personal expenses; Travel and medical insurance (strongly recommended).

Before you reserve

Deposit & Cancellation Policy

A non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. If we need to cancel the workshop, your deposit will be refunded.

The workshop requires a minimum of four participants and is limited to a maximum of six.

If you withdraw more than 90 days before the workshop begins, tuition paid beyond the deposit will be refunded once we receive your cancellation in writing. If you withdraw less than 90 days before the workshop, a refund is possible only if we can fill your place from the waitlist; in that case, tuition paid beyond the deposit will be returned. If your place cannot be filled, tuition cannot be refunded.

Because hotels, transportation, bookings, and local partners require fixed commitments in advance, PhotoEducate and The Passionate Photographer Inc. cannot offer refunds or credits for medical or family emergencies, travel delays, illness, weather, transportation disruptions, political events, or other unforeseen circumstances. Comprehensive travel and medical insurance is strongly recommended.

A Note on Travel & Medical Insurance

We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that includes international medical coverage, trip cancellation protection that can reimburse your workshop fee, coverage for delays, lost luggage and emergency evacuation, and coverage for pre-existing medical conditions when available. Many policies require this coverage to be purchased within a set period after your initial trip payment.

Insurance protects you from absorbing the financial loss of an unexpected situation and offers added peace of mind when traveling internationally with expensive camera equipment. We recommend www.squaremouth.com as one place to compare travel and medical insurance options. Please review the terms, exclusions and coverage limits carefully.

Testimonials

From Steve’s Previous Workshops

“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!!”
Gary Niederpruem, Chicago

“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!”
Anna Blanco, New York City

“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.”
Anne Dunford, Ithaca, New York

“Steve's passion for photography is contagious and his teaching abilities and knowledge extraordinary! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in photography.”
Paul Lavergne, San Juan, PR

“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.”
Chapman Solomon, Mountain View, CA

“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. We could spread out, leave your things there, use the facilities, and eat the goodies provided. You know you're in good hands with Steve! An outstanding workshop!!”
Stephen Sholl, New York City

“This is an outstanding workshop. 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…”
Steve Lavelle, London

“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.”
Oscar Piñeyro, Dallas