NIKOS ECONOMOPOULOS
DAY OF THE DEAD
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Oct 29-Nov 6, 2022
"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
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
Don't miss this opportunity to experience this Day of the Dead workshop with Magnum photographer Nikos Economopoulos.
The aim of this 9-day street photography 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, 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.
San Miguel de Allende was named " Best City in the World" by Travel and Leisure and has been named one of the top destinations in the world. Its cobblestone streets, colorful architecture, and bustling art and music scene, along with fantastic food, are some of the reasons why people visit this charming colonial town in Mexico.
Nikos will do a review of the portfolio of each participant on the first-day meeting, as a way of introduction. This way, and also by discussing with you, he can have a better understanding of your interests and plan the workshop accordingly, so that you can have the maximum benefit. The focus is geared to whatever interests you, other than the city itself and the local lives of the people. The participants explore different areas in the city and photograph what interests them.
The equipment that you would need is any digital camera, a laptop, and a USB flash. 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
OCT 29 8 PM Group dinner. The workshop starts on Saturday, Oct 29 with a meet and greets session at 6 pm followed by an included group dinner in a top restaurant with the best night view of San Miguel.
OCT 30 - NOV 5: Daily feedback sessions with Nikos.
The group will meet with Nikos daily in the mornings from 9-12 for feedback and reviews at a local gallery off the main square. 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 town's events ( see below). We will provide guidance on the best areas and times to shoot.
NOV 5TH
7 PM Group exhibition
8PM Final group dinner at Atrio or Quince restaurants
There is a group exhibition 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.
NOV 6th Workshop ends
The workshop ends on NOV 6 after breakfast. You may make plans to depart San Miguel at any time after that or at your own convenience.
SAN MIGUEL EVENTS THAT WEEK
.Oct 31st : Halloween in the main square: entire town dressed up in traditional Halloween costumes
Nov 1st :
Morning / Afternoon: Photograph the face painting and makeup on the side streets of the Plaza
8 pm: Catrina Parade: massive parade along the main streets where everyone dresses up in the famous Day of the Dead makeup and costumes, follow along and photograph painted "catrinas and catrinos" as they march through the city and end up in front of the main church,
Nov 2nd:
4-7 pm Visit the main Cemetery where locals celebrate life around the beautifully decorated tombs of their loved ones: mariachi bands music, flowers, mezcal drinking, and street vendors.
8 PM Visit the spectacular flower arrangements and shrines around the main Square
Other activities to do in San Miguel ( on your own)
-Visit the Botanical Gardens at Charco del Ingenio
-Hot Springs at Escondido or Mayan baths
-Hot Air Baloon ride
DATES: From Saturday, October 29th to Sunday, November 6th, 2022
LOCATION: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
STUDENTS: 10
HOTEL PACKAGE PRICE: $3,995 ( no rooms available, see option 2 below)
Includes:
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Tuition for the workshop
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Single accommodations for 8 nights/9 days in a boutique hotel in the center of San Miguel de Allende.
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Full breakfast daily
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Two group dinners (first and last night- in two of San Miguel's best restaurants with the best views!!)
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Attend the Catrina Parade as a group ( night )
-
Attend the festivities at the cemetery ( both day and early evening )
TUITION ONLY PRICE: $3,295 ( two spots available)
Includes:
-
Tuition for the workshop
-
Two group dinners (first and last night- in two of San Miguel's best restaurants with the best views!!)
-
Attend the Catrina Parade as a group ( night )
-
Attend the festivities at the cemetery ( both day and early evening )
Includes tuition, portfolio review, and all group activities plus the two group dinners, but does not include hotel accommodations or breakfast. There are plenty of lodging options in town for all budgets and we can suggest some hotels.
The full balance is due by September 1st, 2022
Note: neither option include air travel or transfers to/from San Miguel de Allende
GETTING TO SAN MIGUEL: The best way is to fly to either the cities of Leon/Bajio ( BJX ) or Queretaro (QRO) and then take a taxi/transfer to San Miguel. Travel from Leon to SMA is approx 2hrs and from Queretaro 1.5 hrs. Another option is to fly to Mexico City and then ride a bus/car transfer to San Miguel ( approx. 4hrs drive ). We can assist in making transfer arrangements to SMA from the airport. ( it's cheaper to travel as a group from the airport ). Uber is available at both airports and is a safe and cheap alternative that we have used in the past.
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 September 1st, 2022. If registering after September 1st, please make the full payment.
(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 45 days prior to the start date of your workshop, we will refund all payments made, less a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the deposit.
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Withdrawal less than 45 prior to the start date of the workshop will result in no refund

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
.