Three days on New York’s streets with Steve Simon, with photographer access to the Mermaid Parade staging area, daily critique and time to follow your own curiosity.
The Mermaid Parade gives us plenty to look at. Handmade costumes, painted faces, a last-minute adjustment to a headdress. But the photographs that interest me are often quieter than the spectacle: an expression, a gesture, two people finding each other in the crowd.
Our photographer passes take us into the staging area before the parade begins. It’s a chance to work close as participants get ready, meet one another and settle into their characters. That access gives us room to look beyond the procession and spend time with the people who make it.
Over three days, we’ll also photograph New York away from Coney Island. Guided shooting, assignments and daily critiques connect what happens on the street with what we notice afterward. You’ll have room to experiment, follow a theme and begin bringing your strongest photographs together.
We’ll meet as a group online before the workshop to discuss preparation and your photographic goals. A post-workshop Zoom critique gives you time to revisit your edit and return to the conversation with fresh eyes.
Before the procession, there is time to notice the small exchanges: someone helping with a costume, a pause before stepping into the crowd, an expression that lasts only a moment. We’ll work on approaching people with respect and recognizing when to stay with a situation.
The city’s everyday life offers a different pace. We’ll draw from neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Times Square, Harlem and the parks and streets around them, choosing our routes for light and activity. The aim is to work a place thoughtfully, not check off a list.
Each day we’ll step back and look at the photographs. Which images hold your attention? What do they communicate together? Honest, constructive critique will help you recognize your strongest work, question familiar choices and build a sequence with a clearer sense of direction.
Photographer passes for the Mermaid Parade staging area are included. We’ll work among participants as they prepare, respecting the people we photograph and the event’s access rules. This is access to the staging area, not an unrestricted pass to every part of the parade.
This is a tentative plan for the weekend, not a fixed shooting route. Parade timing, weather, light and local activity will shape our days. Final meeting times, room details and credential arrangements will be shared before the workshop.
We’ll discuss your goals, equipment and approach to working on the street. Bring your questions so you can arrive ready to make the most of our time together.
We’ll begin with orientation and street photography, introducing assignments and an approach to working a scene. A classroom discussion and critique will connect our first photographs with the weekend ahead. Our welcome dinner gives us time to get to know one another.
Our planned parade day centers on the staging area and the people and street life around Coney Island. We’ll look for relationships, gestures and moments within a busy scene, with time to review the work. The final event schedule will determine the order and timing of our sessions.
We’ll continue photographing in the city and return to the classroom for editing and critique. We’ll consider the strongest images, how they might work together and what you want to pursue after the weekend.
With a little distance from the shooting, you’ll refine your selection and share it in a group Zoom critique. We’ll discuss what holds up, what becomes clearer and where the work might go next.
We’ll practice recognizing a promising situation before it peaks, finding a useful position and staying alert as the scene changes. Gesture, distance, layers, background and the edges of the frame all become part of that conversation.
There is no single way to make a street photograph. Sometimes you need to get closer. Sometimes you need to wait. We’ll look at how your choices affect the photograph and help you find an approach that feels natural to you.
Good technique should free your attention. We’ll work on autofocus, lens choice, zone focusing, live view, shooting from the hip and available light, with discussion of flash where appropriate. I’ll share my Nikon Z setup while helping you get more from the camera you bring.
We’ll also talk about approaching strangers, confidence and ethics. Access is an opportunity to make photographs, not a reason to forget the person in front of the lens.
Looking at the work is as important as making it. Daily critiques will help you identify stronger photographs, understand what they communicate and see how they might work together as a story.
We can also work on your Lightroom Classic skills, your general editing and processing workflow, and a practical backup plan. The aim is to make the process easier to sustain when you return home. The follow-up Zoom session continues the discussion after you’ve had time to reconsider your choices.
Plan to arrange your own accommodation and travel to and from New York City. Airport transfers are not included. Much of our photography will be on foot, with subway travel connecting our shooting locations.
Classroom sessions are planned at CRE8IVE NYC, 134 West 29th Street. Final room details and meeting times will be shared before the workshop. There is no required hotel; choose accommodation that makes it practical to reach our meeting point.
The welcome dinner, an MTA pass for workshop transportation, scheduled museum and gallery admissions, and snacks are included. Other meals are at your own expense.
A selection from the existing workshop collection. Open any photograph to see it in full.
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 teaching connects practical camera skills with the less predictable work of seeing. He photographs alongside participants, looks carefully at their work and helps them build confidence in their own decisions.
Tuition is $2,000 USD for three days of photography, instruction, editing and critique with Steve Simon, in a group limited to six 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.
Accommodation, travel to and from New York City, airport transfers, meals other than the welcome dinner, personal expenses, and travel and medical insurance.
A $250 deposit is required to secure your place and is non-refundable. If PhotoEducate or The Passionate Photographer Inc. needs to cancel the workshop, your deposit will be refunded.
More than 90 days before the workshop: Tuition paid, minus the deposit, will be refunded after we receive your cancellation in writing.
Less than 90 days before the workshop: A refund is possible only if we can fill your place. If your place cannot be filled, tuition cannot be refunded.
PhotoEducate and The Passionate Photographer Inc. cannot offer refunds or credits for cancellations due to medical emergencies, travel delays, family emergencies, weather, transportation problems, political events, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances. Protecting yourself with insurance is strongly recommended.
We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance that includes medical coverage, trip cancellation and interruption protection, delays, lost luggage, emergency evacuation, and, when appropriate, coverage for pre-existing medical conditions. Review the terms, exclusions and coverage limits carefully.
These comments come from previous workshops, not necessarily the Mermaid Parade weekend.
“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 our 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
June 18–20, 2027 · New York City · Limited to 6 photographers
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