NIKOS ECONOMOPOULOS
DAY OF THE DEAD
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Oaxaca, Mexico
Oct 29-Nov 4, 2023
"Being on the road, traveling without a predetermined purpose, looking around me with visual curiosity and being surprised by what I encounter. While shooting, somehow, thinking is suspended. It is like playing a game with reality".
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
WITH MAGNUM PHOTOGRAPHER NIKOS ECONOMOPOULOS
Don't miss this opportunity to experience Mexico's most traditional and spectacular celebration: Dia de los Muertos ( Day of the Dead) with Magnum photographer Nikos Economopoulos.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
The aim of this workshop is to guide participants through technical, theoretical, and aesthetic issues toward developing their unique photographic style under the guidance of world-renowned Magnum photographer Nikos Economopoulos.
In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is one of the most colorful and charming holidays of the year. It is the time when Mexicans welcome the dead back to earth for a visit, even while mocking death itself. Featuring several parades, all-day celebrations at beautifully decorated cemeteries, art installations, dances, and lusciously decorated public altars in homes and the streets around the entire town.
Oaxaca really comes to life during During Day of the Dead with parades, art exhibits, and live performances to commemorate the annual celebration known as Día de Muertos. Families in Oaxaca celebrate Día de Muertos by decorating their home altars and visiting local cemeteries. Graves are decorated with sugar skulls and flowers, and since the souls of the deceased are believed to return, families prepare their favorite foods.
Nikos will do a review of the portfolio of each participant on the first-day meeting, as a way of introduction and to have a better understanding of your interests. The focus of the week is geared to whatever interests you, other than the city itself and the local lives of the people. The participants will explore different areas in the city and photograph what interests them, as a group and also individually.
The equipment that you would need is any digital camera, a laptop, and a USB stick. Basic skills in camera technique
is required for this workshop. If you'd like to take a look at the photos and comments of past participants in his workshop, you can check the Participants' Work page on Nikos' Website and you'll get the best idea possible, apart from participating, as to what the workshops can offer.
SCHEDULE
The workshop starts on Sunday, Oct 29 with a meet and greets session at 6 pm followed by an included group dinner in a top restaurant.
The group will meet daily with Nikos daily in the late morning/ early afternoon, depending on the daily activities, for feedback and reviews. You will need to select images from what you shoot every day and submit them for feedback and discussion with the group. Participants will go out and shoot at different times and locations depending on the week's festivities and the schedule of the town's events. We will provide guidance on the best areas and times to shoot.
There are two day trips scheduled to the nearby towns of Etla and Teotitlan plus visits to local homes and cemetery.
Nikos will accompany the group on all events and trips.
There is a slideshow on the last night of the workshop. This is usually a projection on a public street wall or at the gallery where we meet for the class. Nikos will help prepare a final selection of each student's work during the week and we will present it to the public as a slideshow, followed by a group dinner to close out the workshop.
The workshop ends after group breakfast on Sat Nov 4th. You may make plans to depart Oaxaca at any time after that or at your own convenience.
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GROUP TRIPS THAT WEEK: VILLA DE ETLA and TEOTITLAN DEL VALLE. These will be guided trips with van transportation included. Local Mexican photographer Eva Lepiz will accompany the group and take us to locals homes and the best spots during this wonderful celebration. Time permitting we will also attend a Lucha libre event.
DATES: From Sunday, October 29th to Saturday, November 4th, 2023
LOCATION: Oaxaca, Mexico
STUDENTS: Max 8
HOTEL PACKAGE PRICE: $3,995
Includes:
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Tuition for the workshop and Portfolio review by Nikos
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Single accommodations for 6 nights/7 days in Hotel Casa Cantera a boutique hotel in the center of Oaxaca
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Full breakfast daily
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Two group dinners (first and last night)
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Transportation and guided visits to the towns of Etla and Teotitlan del Valle
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Visit local homes for a customized photo session of altar decorations
Fill out the registration form below to reserve your spot .
A deposit is needed to secure your spot. The full balance is due by August 20, 2023
Note: Does not include air travel or transfers to/from Oaxaca
GETTING TO OAXACA: Flights are available from the US directly to Oaxaca International Airport ( American via Dallas or United via Houston) . Aeromexico also flies from Miami via Mexico City. From the AOaxaca airport, it is a 20 min ride by taxi to the hotel
HOW TO REGISTER
Fill out the registration form below to register and hold your spot. A deposit is required to secure your spot for this workshop. The full balance is due by August 20, 2023.
(Please also see our cancellation policy at the bottom of the page)
REGISTER:
Fill out the registration form below to sign up.
FOR QUESTIONS
Email Juan Reyes: jjreyes@miamistreetphotographyfestival.org
CANCELLATION POLICY
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If canceled more than 75 days in advance: Full refund
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if canceled 75 and 60 days prior to the start date of your workshop, we will refund all payments made, minus a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the deposit.
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Withdrawal less than 60 prior to the start date of the workshop will result in no refund unless we fill the spot with another student.
NIKOS ECONOMOPOULOS
Mgnum photographer Nikos Economopoulos was born in the Peloponnese, Greece. He studied law in Parma, Italy, and worked as a journalist. In 1988 he started photographing in Greece and Turkey, and eventually abandoned journalism in order to dedicate himself to photography. He joined Magnum in 1990, and his photographs started appearing in newspapers and magazines around the world. In the same period, he started traveling and photographing extensively around the Balkans. This won the "Mother Jones Award" (San Francisco, CA) for work in progress.
Upon the completion of his Balkans project in 1994, he became a full member of Magnum. His book "In The Balkans" was published in 1995 in New York (Abrams) and in Athens (Libro).
In the 1990s, he started working on borders and crossings, photographing the inhabitants of the "Green Line" in Cyprus, the irregular migrants on the Greek-Albanian borderline, and the mass migration of ethnic Albanians fleeing Kosovo. In the mid-1990s, he started photographing the Roma and other minorities. In 2000 he completed a book project on the Aegean islands storytellers, commissioned by the University of the Aegean.
A retrospective of his work titled "Economopoulos, Photographer" was published in 2002, and later exhibited at the Benaki Museum, Athens. Subsequently, he returned to Turkey to pursue his long-term personal project on the country, where he received the Abdi Ipektsi award (2001), for peace and friendship between Greek and Turkish people.
He has recently turned to the use of color. Currently, he is spending most of his time away from Greece, traveling (mostly in S.America and Africa), teaching and photographing around the world, in the context of his long-term “On The Road” project.
Leica Camera Interview with Nikos
Nikos Profile on Magnum Website
Instagram @nikoseconomopoulos
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