A week of street photography with Steve Simon and Edmond Terakopian, combining guided shooting, night photography and daily critique, with Covent Garden as our base.
London is one of my favorite cities to photograph. There is so much going on, and the character of a street can change within a few blocks. You can begin with a familiar landmark and find yourself drawn to something much smaller: a gesture, a patch of light, a passing exchange.
Edmond Terakopian and I will work alongside you over seven days, connecting time in the streets with lectures, assignments and daily critique. Edmond brings his experience as a London-based press and commercial photographer, along with a knowledge of the city that opens up places and possibilities you might otherwise miss.
Covent Garden is our base, with opportunities close by and routes that take us farther into the city. We’ll photograph well-known places and quieter neighborhoods, returning to promising situations when the light or activity asks us to stay. You’re encouraged to work independently too. If a place holds your attention, there is value in following that.
A pre-workshop group Zoom meeting helps you arrive prepared. After the week, a follow-up online critique gives you time to reconsider your edit and bring a more deliberate selection back to the group.
Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and the walk from London Bridge through Borough Market toward the South Bank give us layers of people, architecture and movement. We’ll look beyond familiar views, finding positions where a gesture or passing figure changes the picture.
The East End and Brick Lane, Camden, Brixton, Portobello Road and Greenwich offer different rhythms. Our choices will respond to local activity and access. Rather than rush through every place on a list, we’ll give promising streets and situations the time they need.
Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and the surrounding streets change as daylight gives way to artificial light. We’ll work with movement, mixed color and atmosphere, learning when to keep the camera moving with us and when a tripod might help.
Steve and Edmond will offer guidance while you photograph and look carefully at the work you bring back. Hearing two perspectives can help you recognize a strength you’ve overlooked or question a decision that has become a habit. The aim is to help you make clearer choices in your own photography.
This is our working rhythm, not a fixed daily route. The detailed shooting schedule will remain flexible so we can respond to weather, light, access and local activity. There will be time to edit, rest and follow your own interests between group sessions.
We’ll meet on Zoom to discuss your photographic goals, equipment, preparation and questions about the week. The conversation starts before we meet on the street.
Our opening day introduces the workshop and our Covent Garden base, with time to begin photographing and settle into the way we’ll work together. Final arrival and meeting instructions will be shared before the workshop.
Guided shooting and assignments alternate with classroom lectures, editing and daily critiques. We’ll explore London in different light, including night photography, and visit one or more photography galleries. The order of locations will follow the city’s rhythm rather than a rigid checklist.
Our final day gives us time to consider your strongest photographs and how they might work as a sequence or portfolio. We’ll discuss what you’ve discovered, what you want to keep working on and how to carry that attention home.
With some distance from the shooting, you’ll refine your selection and share it during our post-workshop group class. It’s a chance to see which decisions hold up and what becomes clearer with time.
We’ll work on recognizing strong situations, anticipating moments and staying with a scene. Distance, framing, juxtaposition, layers and the background all affect how a photograph reads. Small changes in position can make a considerable difference.
Approaching strangers, working through shyness and responding to difficult situations are part of photographing on the street. We’ll discuss ethics and respectful practice, and consider whether color or black and white best suits what you want to communicate.
We’ll help you simplify your shooting process so you can respond more readily. Autofocus, zone focusing, lens choice, live view, shooting from the hip and appropriate use of flash will be part of the conversation. Bring the camera system you want to become more comfortable using.
After dark, we’ll work with high ISO settings, hand-held shooting, mixed light and movement. A tripod can be useful for some situations, but the technical choice should serve the photograph rather than dictate it.
Daily critiques connect what you make with what you notice afterward. We’ll look for the strongest photographs, consider what they communicate and discuss how they might work together. Assignments and a possible theme for the week give you a focus without closing off discoveries.
We can also work on your Lightroom Classic skills, your general editing and processing workflow, and a practical backup plan. Returning to the photographs with a little distance is part of the process. The post-workshop Zoom class continues that conversation.
You’ll arrange and pay for your travel to and from London, airport transfers and accommodation. This is a seven-day workshop, not a hotel package. Staying within practical reach of Covent Garden will make it easier to join our classroom and shooting sessions.
Our planned classroom is Fujifilm House of Photography, 8–9 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LH. Final room arrangements and meeting details will be shared before the workshop.
Local transportation during scheduled workshop activities and gallery admissions are included. Expect plenty of walking, with time to pause and edit. Tell us about any mobility concerns before booking so we can discuss the demands of the week.
Two group dinners are included. Edmond’s knowledge of London’s food is part of getting to know the city together, with room to enjoy its range of cuisines. Other meals are at your own expense.
Our planned meeting space at Fujifilm House of Photography. Final room arrangements will be confirmed before the workshop.
Photographs from the existing London workshop collection. Open any image to see the complete frame.
All Photographs ©Steve Simon
Steve Simon is a New York–based Canadian-American documentary and street photographer, educator and the author of five photography books, including The Passionate Photographer.
His workshops connect practical camera skills with the less predictable work of seeing. He photographs alongside participants, looks closely at their work and helps them become more confident in their own decisions.
Edmond Terakopian is a London-based freelance press and commercial photographer whose work also includes documentary projects, portraiture, the arts and street photography.
He began working as a news photographer in 1989 and has photographed for regional and national newspapers, magazines and international news agencies. His teaching draws on that experience, with practical guidance in the field and careful attention to the photographs in critique.
Steve Simon and Edmond Terakopian discuss the 2023 London workshop. This is a look back at an earlier workshop, not the final 2027 itinerary.
Tuition is $3,400 USD for seven days of photographic instruction and critique with Steve Simon and Edmond Terakopian, in a group limited to eight photographers. A $250 USD deposit reserves your place and is credited toward the total.
The booking payment is the deposit, not the full workshop tuition.
Travel to and from London, accommodation, airport transfers, meals other than the two included dinners, travel and medical insurance, camera equipment and personal expenses.
The $250 deposit is non-refundable. If PhotoEducate or The Passionate Photographer Inc. cancels the workshop, all payments, including the deposit, will be refunded.
More than 90 days before the start date: Tuition paid beyond the deposit will be refunded after we receive your cancellation in writing.
Less than 90 days before the start date: A refund is possible only if we can fill your place. If the place is filled, tuition paid beyond the deposit will be returned. If your place cannot be filled, tuition cannot be refunded or credited.
PhotoEducate and The Passionate Photographer Inc. cannot offer refunds or credits for medical emergencies, travel delays, family emergencies, weather, transportation disruptions, political events, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances.
We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that includes international medical coverage, trip cancellation protection for the workshop fee, travel delays, lost luggage, emergency evacuation, and coverage for pre-existing medical conditions when available. We also recommend coverage for your camera equipment. Participants are responsible for understanding the terms and exclusions of their own policy.
Comments from participants in earlier London workshops.
"The London workshop was FABULOUS! I have taken other workshops and this was one of the best. Steve and Ed spend a lot of one to one time with each participant and it really helped. I am a shy street photographer who was also grappling to “ get comfortable” with my camera…. There was no pressure to get the best shot- as sometimes can be the case in some photography workshops. The guys shared their time generously. I got great shots- learned tons and met a really fun group of folks. Ed knows London and found us some great spots and wonderful restaurants. I would highly recommend the London workshop as well as any of Steve’s workshops."
Michele Russell
"What better way to explore London with all of its quirks and hidden treasures than in the company of these two talented photographers.I loved this workshop. After setting the camera aside during covid, this was just what I needed to get reacquainted with Street Photography and regain my passion for making images. The choice of Covent Garden as a meeting area was a good one, with the National Gallery, Soho and other great locations in easy walking distance. The daily critiques were a great way to get input on your work and to experience how other artists are approaching similar subject matter. Having input from both Steve and Edmond was very helpful. I appreciated their generosity, helpfulness and willingness to coach one on one to enrich the experience".
Patricia La Prairie
"Such a fun and productive week of learning with all important daily critique sessions. Steve and Edmond were both attentive to each of us individually and gave us practical tips in the class and on the streets to improve our street photography skills."
Stephen Huen
The following comments relate to previous workshops in other places.
“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, 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…”
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
July 4–10, 2027 · Steve Simon & Edmond Terakopian · Limited to 8 photographers
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