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One to One Documentary Photography Workshops in Porto
A focused one-to-one documentary photography process built around real situations, time, and personal guidance
This is focused, one-to-one documentary photography work, built around time, attention, and real situations. It is not a class to follow mechanically, and not a tour designed to collect images. It is a working process shaped around one person only, their questions, their pace, and their way of seeing.
These workshops are led by an award-winning documentary photographer with more than two decades of field experience, including work in over 30 countries and editorial assignments for international publications such as The New York Times. The same method used in long-form documentary projects and editorial reporting is applied here: understanding context, reading light and human behaviour, moving through the city with awareness, working slowly, editing with intention, and building visual narratives that hold together.
Porto and Lisbon are not treated as backdrops, but as living environments. Years of working in these cities allow the workshop to move beyond obvious locations and surface impressions, focusing instead on rhythm, everyday life, transitions, and human presence. With prior planning, the workshop can also take place elsewhere in Portugal or internationally.
The one-to-one format makes this work fundamentally different from group workshops. There is no fixed programme to follow and no shared agenda. Every conversation, every walk, every photograph, and every edit is shaped around one person only. This allows for direct guidance, honest critique, and continuous adaptation throughout the day.
The one-day format is particularly suited to visitors who are in Porto or Lisbon for a short period of time and want a deeper, more meaningful experience of the city. It combines learning photography with walking, observing, and engaging with real life, offering a two-in-one experience: discovering the city while developing a clearer, more intentional way of working with the camera.
The aim is not to produce more photographs, but to produce clearer ones. By the end of the workshop, you do not simply feel that you learned more. You leave with a sharper way of seeing, a stronger sense of purpose, and greater confidence in the work you are able to produce and present.
Who this workshop is for
This one-to-one workshop is designed for photographers who want to improve quickly, with structure, direction, and focused guidance.
It is particularly relevant if you already photograph regularly but struggle to turn individual images into a consistent series, or if you are looking for a more professional way of working in the street and in real situations.
No specific technical level is required. The workshop is adapted to where you are now, your experience, and the way you currently work.
What you will truly gain
The focus is not on tricks or formulas, but on decision-making. This is about learning how to read situations, make choices in the field, and work with intention.
The skills developed during the workshop remain useful long after it ends, whether you are working on personal projects or professional assignments.
In practice, you will learn to:
• See before photographing, and understand what a scene is offering
• Make deliberate decisions in the field, instead of reacting on impulse
• Work with intention, using light and composition as narrative tools
• Edit and select images with clear and consistent criteria
• Build a series that holds together, visually and emotionally
• Photograph people and real contexts with greater confidence and awareness
Available formats
Package 2
Package 2
Package 1
Individual Intensive Workshop
This format is designed for photographers who want more than a single day of guidance. It creates space for progression: time to test ideas between sessions, return with questions, correct mistakes in real conditions, and build a coherent body of work with editorial discipline.
Rather than working only on isolated images, the intensive format allows you to develop continuity, judgement, and narrative control. The goal is not volume, but clarity and cohesion across a series.
Format
Modular by days. Sessions do not need to be consecutive, allowing the pace to adapt to your availability and to the nature of the project you want to develop.
Location
Porto, Portugal
Also available in Lisbon or another city, by prior arrangement.
Price
1 day: 450 € | 550$
2 days: 400 € | 475$ per day
5 days: 350 € | 415$ per day
From an initial idea to a complete documentary story
Days 1 and 2
Strong foundations and guided practice
Technique applied to narrative
Advanced composition
Reading light in an urban environment
Approaching people
Building an idea or a theme
Intensive field practice
Days 3 and 4
Building the story
Clear definition of the theme
Visual continuity
Rhythm, variety, and coherence
Fieldwork with constant guidance
First editing decisions
Day 5
Final edit and professional experience
Careful edit of the series
Building a narrative from start to finish
Editorial discussion
Preparation for portfolio or publication
Real-world option
Whenever possible, this format can include photographing a real event, such as a concert or cultural initiative. This allows you to understand how documentary work functions under real conditions, with time pressure, context, and editorial responsibility.
What do you take with you?
By the end of the intensive workshop, you will take away more than a set of images.
You leave with a clearer understanding of how to develop a documentary project over time, how to make decisions with intention in the field, and how to edit your work with stronger judgment and coherence.
Beyond individual photographs, you gain experience in building continuity, shaping a narrative, and working with context, rhythm, and meaning. The process strengthens not only your images but also your confidence in the way you work and the choices you make as a photographer.
For many participants, this intensive format marks a turning point: a shift from reacting to situations to working with clarity, structure, and purpose.
Led by
The experience is led by Daniel Rodrigues, an award-winning documentary photographer, World Press Photo winner, and regular contributor to The New York Times, with field experience in more than 30 countries.
Package 2
One Day One to One Photography Experience | A documentary walk through Porto or Lisbon | Workshop | Photo walk
A different way to experience the city
This one-day experience is designed for travellers who are visiting Porto or Lisbon and want more than a standard sightseeing tour.
It is not a group photo tour, and it is not about moving quickly between landmarks. It is a one-to-one day spent walking through the city with an award-winning documentary photographer, observing everyday life, light, rhythm, and human presence, and learning how to photograph with intention.
You experience the city at street level, slowly and attentively, discovering places, situations, and moments that usually remain unnoticed.
Duration
6 to 8 hours
Location
Porto, Portugal.
Also available in Lisbon or another city by prior arrangement
Price
450 € | 550 USD
Who this experience is for
This experience is ideal for travellers who:
Enjoy photography and want to improve their images
Are curious about how professional photographers work in the street
Want to see Porto or Lisbon beyond the obvious highlights
Prefer meaningful experiences over guided tours
Value conversation, observation, and time
You do not need to be a professional photographer. This experience is adapted to your level and interests.
What makes this different from a photo tour
Unlike typical photo tours, this experience is entirely one-to-one. There is no fixed route, no group pace, and no pressure to “get the shot”.
You walk, observe, photograph, and discuss the city together, learning how a documentary photographer reads situations, waits for moments, and makes decisions in real time.
For many travellers, this becomes both a photographic learning experience and a deeper cultural encounter with the city.
How the day unfolds
The day follows the natural rhythm of the city and your interests, while remaining focused and structured.
A short conversation to understand your background and expectations
Introduction to a documentary way of seeing the city
Working with light, movement, and everyday situations
Learning how to compose images as visual stories
Approaching people and public spaces with awareness and respect
Continuous guidance while photographing in real environments
Regular moments to stop, look at images, and discuss choices
A final review of the photographs made during the day
What do you take with you?
By the end of the day, you take home more than photographs.
You leave with a clearer understanding of the city, a stronger way of seeing, and a set of images that reflect a more personal and meaningful experience of Porto or Lisbon.
For many visitors, this becomes one of the most memorable days of their trip.
Led by
The experience is led by Daniel Rodrigues, an award-winning documentary photographer, World Press Photo winner, and regular contributor to The New York Times, with field experience in more than 30 countries.
Practical note
This experience involves walking and spending time in the street. Comfortable shoes and curiosity are essential.
Package 2
Location
These one-to-one workshops are based in Porto, a city with a strong documentary rhythm, layered urban life, and constantly changing light.
With prior planning, the workshop can also take place in Lisbon or other locations, in Portugal or abroad.
Final note
This workshop is built on the idea that photography is a conscious decision. It does not offer shortcuts. It offers a working method, applied practically and adapted to you.
The result is not simply a stronger set of photographs, but a clearer way of working, from observation to editing, and the ability to photograph with intention, knowing why each image exists and how it supports a coherent narrative.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Is this workshop suitable for beginners?
Yes. Because the workshop is one-to-one, the content is adapted to your current level. It works well for beginners who want solid foundations, as well as for more experienced photographers who need structure and direction.
Do I need a professional camera?
No. You can work with any camera you already use. What matters is how you observe, make decisions, and edit, not the equipment itself.
Is this a street photography workshop?
It can include street photography, but it goes beyond that. The focus is documentary work, observation, and visual storytelling in real situations.
Is the one-day workshop a good way to experience Porto or Lisbon?
Yes. The one-day format is particularly well-suited for visitors who want to experience Porto or Lisbon in a more meaningful way. Rather than following a tour, you discover the city through observation, walking, and photographing everyday life, guided by a professional photographer.
Is this workshop suitable for travellers and photography enthusiasts?
Yes. Many participants take part while visiting Portugal. The workshop combines learning photography with experiencing the city at a slower and more attentive rhythm, focusing on people, atmosphere, and daily life.
Will I produce publishable work?
The goal is not publication itself, but working with a professional method. Many participants leave with strong material suitable for portfolios, editorial pitches, or long-term personal projects.
How is this different from a group workshop?
The pace, focus, and feedback are entirely centred on one person. All discussions, fieldwork, and editing are adapted to your questions, interests, and way of working.
Does the workshop include editing?
Yes. Editing is a core part of the process. You will review and select images with guidance, learning how to build coherence and make clear editorial decisions.
Can the workshop take place outside Porto?
Yes. Porto is the base, but the workshop can also take place in Lisbon, elsewhere in Portugal, or abroad, with prior planning.
What should I bring?
Your camera, comfortable shoes, and an open mindset. Everything else is built during the workshop.
About Daniel Rodrigues
Daniel Rodrigues is a photojournalist and documentary photographer. He won the World Press Photo in 2013, has been a regular contributor to The New York Times for over a decade and has worked in more than thirty countries, from conflict zones to isolated communities, major cities and everyday stories.
In these workshops, Daniel shares not only technical knowledge but also the way he thinks, observes, prepares and engages with people, constructing narratives that make sense to him and to the editors he works with.
Call to Action
A one to one documentary photography workshop is an intensive learning format designed around the individual photographer. Unlike group workshops, it allows the pace, structure and focus of the sessions to be adapted entirely to the participant’s experience, interests and objectives. This format is particularly suited to photographers who want to deepen their documentary approach rather than follow a predefined programme.
One to one workshops prioritise direct interaction between photographer and mentor. This allows for detailed discussion of shooting decisions, visual language and narrative intent. Feedback is continuous and specific, addressing strengths, limitations and areas for development in a precise and practical way. The learning process becomes more reflective and tailored, supporting long-term growth rather than short-term results.
Porto provides a strong context for documentary photography, with layered urban life, varied light and constant human presence. One to one workshops take place in real environments, encouraging participants to observe carefully, respond to unfolding situations and work with available light. The city becomes an active learning space rather than a controlled setting.
A key component of one to one documentary workshops is the analysis of images produced during the sessions. Editing and sequencing are approached as essential parts of the storytelling process. Discussing image selection, rhythm and narrative coherence helps photographers understand how individual photographs function within a broader visual story.
This format is suited to photographers seeking focused development, whether refining an existing documentary project or clarifying their visual direction. The individual structure allows space for critical discussion, experimentation and consolidation of a personal approach. One to one documentary photography workshops emphasise observation, context and intentional decision making as the foundation of meaningful visual work.
This guide explains what to consider when choosing a one-to-one documentary photography workshop in Porto, Portugal, focusing on personalised learning, working method and long-term visual development through direct practice.
How to choose a one-to-one documentary photography workshop in Porto, Portugal
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