Documentary Photography Workshops 2026 with award winning photographer Daniel Rodrigues

Documentary Photography Workshops 2026 in Porto, Lisbon, Berlin, Istanbul, Marrakech, New York and India with award winning photographer Daniel Rodrigues

Documentary photography in urban contexts is never just about capturing moments. It is about method, presence, timing, and the capacity to read a city through its light, its rhythm, and its people. For 2026, I am opening the registration for a limited series of international documentary photography workshops, designed for photographers seeking more than isolated images. These intensive programs are for those who wish to understand urban dynamics, refine their observational skills, and construct coherent, visually compelling narratives.

These workshops are not casual street photography sessions. Each edition follows a rigorous four-day format, mirroring the realities of professional documentary assignments. Participants are guided to observe, shoot, edit, and sustain a small body of work from first frame to final sequence. The objective is demanding yet clear: produce photographs that endure, that convey density, and that reveal truths about the place and its inhabitants.

Why These Workshops Exist

With over fifteen years of experience working in more than thirty countries — across editorial assignments, long-term projects, travel stories, and conflict zones — I have learned that documentary photography gains strength when it remains close to life. When we observe with intention. When we recognize that each city has its own rhythm, its unique light, and layered complexities.

The methodology embedded in these workshops derives directly from this experience. It encompasses approaches to editing and sequencing for international publications, ethical discipline in the field, sensitivity in working with people, and the ability to transform scattered observations into coherent narrative structures.

These workshops are designed for photographers committed to evolving with purpose: motivated beginners, street or travel photographers seeking depth, and professionals aiming to refine visual language, ethics, and methodological approach.

Confirmed Destinations 2026

These workshops take place in cities selected for their visual diversity, cultural depth, and documentary potential. Each destination offers distinct learning opportunities: light, rhythm, human interaction, movement, or the ability to slow down and observe. The city itself becomes the classroom.

Porto, Portugal Two editions per year. Light bends around every corner, contrasting the riverfront, working neighborhoods, and contemporary centre. Ideal for narrative work grounded in everyday life.

Lisbon, Portugal Two editions per year. A city of hills and unstable light, offering rich urban textures, colour, movement, and micro-narratives that evolve street by street.

Berlin, Germany A city layered with history, visible scars, and dense urban life. Suitable for exploring identity, transition, memory, and urban reinvention.

Istanbul, Turkey A crossroads of continents, religions, and rhythms. The complex streets, scale, and human density offer fertile ground for layered narratives.

Marrakech, Morocco Markets, rituals, constant movement, and dynamic light. A strong destination to develop observation, timing, and proximity with people.

New York, United States A city defined by movement, tension, and endless stories. One of the central stages for documentary photography, with distinct atmospheres on every block.

Pushkar Camel Fair, India One of the world’s most visually intense events, rich in rituals, spirituality, negotiation, and color. A demanding yet extraordinary environment for documentary training.

Planned Destinations (Interest-Based Editions)

Certain cities may open workshops once a minimum of six participants expresses interest:

• Cairo, Egypt

• Hanoi, Vietnam

• Kolkata, India

• Mumbai, India

• Bangkok, Thailand

• Holi Festival, India (planned 2027 edition)

Destinations are selected not only for intensity but for the capacity to support multi-day documentary projects with cultural and human depth, while maintaining safety and accessibility.

How Destinations Are Selected

No location is chosen arbitrarily. Selection is guided by three main criteria:

1. Documentary DepthMarkets, streets, rituals, complex urban life, and micro-narratives that enable work on identity, belonging, transition, and memory.

2. Quality of LightCities offering changing light conditions, high contrast, and narrative shadows that challenge photographers to observe and interpret actively.

3. Working ConditionsAccessibility, safety, realistic logistics, and opportunities for intensive walking and immersive observation.

Only when all criteria are met — and participant interest is confirmed — is a new edition opened.

Workshop Structure: Four-Day Intensive

Mornings

• Short theoretical sessions

• Discussion of documentary references

• Methodological preparation for field work

• Ethical and practical briefings

Afternoons

• Guided urban exploration

• Observation, timing, and approach exercises

• Mentored shooting with individual guidance

Late Afternoons / Evenings

• Editing and sequencing of daily work

• Narrative development and group critique

• Individual feedback and project refinement

By the final day, participants leave with a small, coherent body of work and a clear methodology applicable in any urban context.

Duration, Price & Group Size

• Duration: Four full days of immersive practice

• Price per Participant: 650€–900€ ($750–$1100), depending on destination

• Group Size: Maximum of 8 participants to ensure high-quality mentoring and deep editing sessions.

Who These Workshops Are For

Photographers who seek intention, depth, and method, including:

• Street photographers refining narrative and approach

• Travel photographers building substantive stories

• Early career photojournalists seeking structure and feedback

• Professionals refining ethics, methodology, and visual language

• Dedicated amateurs ready to commit to a serious learning process

Technical skill is secondary to attitude, observation, patience, and disciplined engagement.

How to Participate

Registration for the 2026 workshops is now open. Places are limited, and popular editions (Porto, Lisbon, Marrakech, New York) often fill quickly. Full details — dates, destinations, conditions, and registration — are on the Workshops page. Participants may contact me directly for guidance in selecting the most suitable destination based on experience and current portfolio.