Kolkata Photography Workshop 2027 · World Press Photo · €900 · November 4 to 7, 2027
Kolkata Photography Workshop 2027 · World Press Photo · €900
Documentary, Street & Travel Photography Workshops with World Press Photo Winner
Kolkata Photography Workshop 2027 · World Press Photo · €900 · November 4 to 7, 2027
Kolkata Photography Workshop
Kolkata Photography Workshop 2027 · World Press Photo · €900 · November 4 to 7, 2027
Kolkata Photography Workshop 2027 · World Press Photo · €900 · November 4 to 7, 2027
Documentary, Street & Travel Photography Workshops with World Press Photo Winner
This four-day Kolkata photography workshop is for photographers who want to develop their documentary and street photography through practical work in the city.
Kolkata brings street markets, small workshops, bookshops and busy river crossings into close proximity. Photographing here means working with people in the places where they live, trade and travel, while paying attention to the space and time they need.
This workshop is designed for photographers who already have experience and want to learn how to work in busy environments while making clear photographic decisions and respecting the people they photograph. The workshop requires previous photography experience and focuses on practical learning through observation and responsible work in real situations.
Led by documentary photographer Daniel Rodrigues, this four-day intensive programme combines fieldwork, editing and critical discussion. We will work in different parts of Kolkata, returning to selected places when a story needs more time.
The Kolkata workshop takes place from November 4 to 7, 2027. The programme runs over four full days and is limited to a small group so that each participant has close guidance and time to develop their work.
Maximum: 8 participants
Duration: 4 intensive days
Fee: €900 / $1063 per participant
One edition available:
Workshop taught entirely in English
Why Kolkata?
Kolkata offers several settings for documentary and street photography within the same city. The bookstalls of College Street, the workshops of Kumartuli and the riverfront near Howrah Bridge each require a different way of observing and working.
Narrow streets, covered stalls and open riverbanks create changing light and backgrounds. We will practise finding a clear frame, anticipating movement and deciding when to stay with a scene.
The city offers several settings to work in:
• bookshops and street stalls around College Street
• the potters' neighbourhood of Kumartuli
• the flower market at Mullick Ghat and the Hooghly riverfront
• street trade and daily movement around Bowbazar and Esplanade
• the open spaces and daily activities of the Maidan
Photographing here means working at close range, asking permission where appropriate and respecting people's work and privacy. Access to individual workshops and other private spaces depends on permission. Locations may change according to access, weather and conditions on the day.
What you will learn in this workshop
1) Working with changing light
Kolkata's covered stalls and narrow streets place shaded spaces close to direct sunlight. Along the river and on the Maidan, the light and backgrounds are more open. We will look at how to expose for these situations and use light to make the subject clear.
You will learn to:
• work with direct sunlight, shade and reflected light
• control exposure when light levels change within a scene
• use shadows and silhouettes with a clear purpose
• choose a position and wait for people to enter the frame
2) Composition in busy streets
Markets, traffic and pedestrians often overlap in the same frame. We will work on separating the subject from the background without losing the context of the scene.
You will work on:
• organising people and objects within the frame
• using foreground and background deliberately
• anticipating gestures and changes in position
• making clear compositions in both crowded and quiet settings
3) Photographing people with respect
Working with people is a large part of documentary and street photography. You will practise approaching people clearly and respectfully, understanding the setting and recognising when to put the camera down.
We will discuss:
• asking permission and responding to a refusal
• photographing without interrupting work or daily routines
• building trust when returning to a place
• keeping the context of a situation in the photograph and its caption
4) Building a documentary story
You will develop a short photographic story through observation, fieldwork, editing and sequencing. The subject may be a workplace, a street, a market or another aspect of daily life that you can follow during the four days.
We will work on:
• choosing a manageable subject and returning to it
• combining wider scenes, portraits and details where they serve the story
• selecting photographs that contribute different information
• editing a sequence and discussing what still needs to be photographed
1) Working with changing light
Kolkata's covered stalls and narrow streets place shaded spaces close to direct sunlight. Along the river and on the Maidan, the light and backgrounds are more open. We will look at how to expose for these situations and use light to make the subject clear.
You will learn to:
• work with direct sunlight, shade and reflected light
• control exposure when light levels change within a scene
• use shadows and silhouettes with a clear purpose
• choose a position and wait for people to enter the frame
2) Composition in busy streets
Markets, traffic and pedestrians often overlap in the same frame. We will work on separating the subject from the background without losing the context of the scene.
You will work on:
• organising people and objects within the frame
• using foreground and background deliberately
• anticipating gestures and changes in position
• making clear compositions in both crowded and quiet settings
3) Photographing people with respect
Working with people is a large part of documentary and street photography. You will practise approaching people clearly and respectfully, understanding the setting and recognising when to put the camera down.
We will discuss:
• asking permission and responding to a refusal
• photographing without interrupting work or daily routines
• building trust when returning to a place
• keeping the context of a situation in the photograph and its caption
4) Building a documentary story
You will develop a short photographic story through observation, fieldwork, editing and sequencing. The subject may be a workplace, a street, a market or another aspect of daily life that you can follow during the four days.
We will work on:
• choosing a manageable subject and returning to it
• combining wider scenes, portraits and details where they serve the story
• selecting photographs that contribute different information
• editing a sequence and discussing what still needs to be photographed
• A 25% deposit is required to secure a place
• Remaining 75% due by September 5, 2027, 60 days before the workshop
• Minimum of 5 confirmed participants
• Maximum group size: 8
Registration
Fee per participant: €900 / $1063
The fee includes four full days of guided fieldwork, short theory sessions, editing sessions, group critique and individual feedback throughout the workshop.
Also included:
• Pre-workshop support with preparation, equipment and practical recommendations
• Daily guidance in the streets
• Editing and sequencing support towards a final documentary narrative
Not included:
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Flights or transport
• Local transport during the workshop
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
A 25% deposit is required to secure a place.
The remaining 75% is due by September 5, 2027, 60 days before the workshop.
The group is small so that each participant has close guidance and time to discuss their work.
Price & Conditions
Testimonials from workshop participants
Luís
Peniche, Portugal
"After four days I'd call it a really good experience. You have a gift for teaching, and it felt like a privilege to spend these days with you, watching how you work with people, how you shoot, and hearing everything you've picked up along the way. In the end it wasn't only about photography, there was something personal in it too.
Photographing people, actually going up to them and talking, had always been a wall for me. I feel more confident now. Plenty still to practise, but I know I can do it.
The organisation deserves a mention. Everything from the platform to the programme was spot on. And the fact that you're an easy, flexible person made the whole thing relaxed, in the best way.
The other thing I'd single out is the review sessions, going back over the photos we'd taken. Those made a real difference. They helped me do better the next day and know exactly what I needed to fix. All in all, a five-star experience, and you're a very good teacher. And photographer, obviously."
Jamie
Montreal, Canada
"After four days with Daniel in Lisbon, I look at photography differently. The workshop was what I'd hoped for: some theory, a lot of shooting out in the streets, and help with editing at the end of each day.
During the sessions Daniel kept pushing us to get closer, to approach people and put our subjects at the centre of the frame instead of hanging back. He never hovered. But he was never far either, and that was enough to make us braver, walking into parts of the city we probably wouldn't have gone into alone and actually testing things rather than playing safe.
I'll never think about light and shadow the same way. Not just exposure, but part of the composition itself. We also talked a lot about how to photograph people in the street honestly, without turning them into tourist snapshots, and that changed how I worked. The photos started to feel like a conversation with the place, not something grabbed on the way past.
And it was fun. I finished every day tired and wanting to go out again the next morning, having learned as much from the other participants as from Daniel. Money well spent."
Four-day Programme
Each day combines practical fieldwork, focused teaching, editing and group discussion. Participants practise making decisions while photographing, review the results and learn how to build a coherent photographic story.
Mornings
• Short theoretical sessions
• Study of classic and contemporary documentary photography
• Image review and preparation for the day's fieldwork
• Discussion around ethics, approach and visual storytelling
Afternoons
• Guided fieldwork around College Street, Bowbazar, Kumartuli, Mullick Ghat, the Hooghly riverfront, Esplanade and the Maidan
• Practical exercises in observation, timing and composition
• Individual guidance while shooting
• Small-group exercises adapted to the conditions in each location
Late afternoons and evenings
• Editing and image review sessions
• Selection of each participant's strongest photographs
• Group critique and discussion
• Sequencing work towards a final documentary story
November 4: introductions, approach and initial fieldwork around College Street and Bowbazar.
November 5: review and fieldwork around Kumartuli and the riverfront, subject to access and permission.
November 6: fieldwork around Mullick Ghat and central Kolkata, with time to return to individual subjects.
November 7: final fieldwork, editing, sequencing and presentation of each participant's work.
The order of locations may change according to access, weather and the needs of the group.
Each day combines practical fieldwork, focused teaching, editing and group discussion. Participants practise making decisions while photographing, review the results and learn how to build a coherent photographic story.
Mornings
• Short theoretical sessions
• Study of classic and contemporary documentary photography
• Image review and preparation for the day's fieldwork
• Discussion around ethics, approach and visual storytelling
Afternoons
• Guided fieldwork around College Street, Bowbazar, Kumartuli, Mullick Ghat, the Hooghly riverfront, Esplanade and the Maidan
• Practical exercises in observation, timing and composition
• Individual guidance while shooting
• Small-group exercises adapted to the conditions in each location
Late afternoons and evenings
• Editing and image review sessions
• Selection of each participant's strongest photographs
• Group critique and discussion
• Sequencing work towards a final documentary story
November 4: introductions, approach and initial fieldwork around College Street and Bowbazar.
November 5: review and fieldwork around Kumartuli and the riverfront, subject to access and permission.
November 6: fieldwork around Mullick Ghat and central Kolkata, with time to return to individual subjects.
November 7: final fieldwork, editing, sequencing and presentation of each participant's work.
The order of locations may change according to access, weather and the needs of the group.
Each day combines practical fieldwork, focused teaching, editing and group discussion. Participants practise making decisions while photographing, review the results and learn how to build a coherent photographic story.
Mornings
• Short theoretical sessions
• Study of classic and contemporary documentary photography
• Image review and preparation for the day's fieldwork
• Discussion around ethics, approach and visual storytelling
Afternoons
• Guided fieldwork around College Street, Bowbazar, Kumartuli, Mullick Ghat, the Hooghly riverfront, Esplanade and the Maidan
• Practical exercises in observation, timing and composition
• Individual guidance while shooting
• Small-group exercises adapted to the conditions in each location
Late afternoons and evenings
• Editing and image review sessions
• Selection of each participant's strongest photographs
• Group critique and discussion
• Sequencing work towards a final documentary story
November 4: introductions, approach and initial fieldwork around College Street and Bowbazar.
November 5: review and fieldwork around Kumartuli and the riverfront, subject to access and permission.
November 6: fieldwork around Mullick Ghat and central Kolkata, with time to return to individual subjects.
November 7: final fieldwork, editing, sequencing and presentation of each participant's work.
The order of locations may change according to access, weather and the needs of the group.
Each day combines practical fieldwork, focused teaching, editing and group discussion. Participants practise making decisions while photographing, review the results and learn how to build a coherent photographic story.
Mornings
• Short theoretical sessions
• Study of classic and contemporary documentary photography
• Image review and preparation for the day's fieldwork
• Discussion around ethics, approach and visual storytelling
Afternoons
• Guided fieldwork around College Street, Bowbazar, Kumartuli, Mullick Ghat, the Hooghly riverfront, Esplanade and the Maidan
• Practical exercises in observation, timing and composition
• Individual guidance while shooting
• Small-group exercises adapted to the conditions in each location
Late afternoons and evenings
• Editing and image review sessions
• Selection of each participant's strongest photographs
• Group critique and discussion
• Sequencing work towards a final documentary story
November 4: introductions, approach and initial fieldwork around College Street and Bowbazar.
November 5: review and fieldwork around Kumartuli and the riverfront, subject to access and permission.
November 6: fieldwork around Mullick Ghat and central Kolkata, with time to return to individual subjects.
November 7: final fieldwork, editing, sequencing and presentation of each participant's work.
The order of locations may change according to access, weather and the needs of the group.
Price & Conditions
Price & Conditions
Fee per participant: €900 / $1063
The fee includes four full days of guided fieldwork, short theory sessions, editing sessions, group critique and individual feedback throughout the workshop.
Also included:
• Pre-workshop support with preparation, equipment and practical recommendations
• Daily guidance in the streets
• Editing and sequencing support towards a final documentary narrative
Not included:
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Flights or transport
• Local transport during the workshop
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
A 25% deposit is required to secure a place.
The remaining 75% is due by September 5, 2027, 60 days before the workshop.
The group is small so that each participant has close guidance and time to discuss their work.
About Daniel Rodrigues
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, covering conflict zones, isolated communities, major cities and everyday life.
In these workshops, Daniel shares his technical knowledge and explains how he observes, prepares a story and approaches people. He also shows how he builds photographic stories and works with editors.
These are some of the photographs I’ve taken over the past few years, during dozens of workshops and on other visits to the cities where I teach. Even in places I’ve returned to many times, I look for streets I haven’t photographed, explore other neighbourhoods and meet new people. I use those visits to make new photographs and plan different routes and locations for future groups. That’s why no two workshops are the same, even in the same city.
Kolkata · November 4 to 7, 2027 · Limited to 8 participants