Capture the Moments of Warsaw Life
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP IN WARSAW: A city where echoes of history mingle with the pulse of modern life, where cobbled streets, hidden courtyards, and weathered façades meet the sleek lines of contemporary architecture and bustling riverfronts — Warsaw is a city of contrasts. It tells stories of resilience, creativity, and urban life in motion. In this workshop, we invite you to explore Warsaw through your camera, capturing fleeting gestures, architectural details, and dynamic interactions that bring the city to life.
Dates:
Standard Workshop: 2 January 2026, 14:00 – 4 January 2026, 20:00
Extended Workshop: 2 January 2026, 14:00 – 7 January 2026, 10:00
Location/Base: Barceló Warsaw Powiśle, 43A Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie, Śródmieście, 00-347 Warsaw, Poland
Maximum participants: 6
Registration deadline: 10 December 2025
Designed for photographers of all levels, the workshop focuses on street photography, urban landscapes, and architectural studies in black & white. You will develop your ability to observe, anticipate, and respond to the rhythm of the streets, refine your composition and storytelling skills, and create a cohesive photo reportage that reflects your personal vision. Through guided exercises, hands-on practice, and constructive feedback, you will leave with not only stunning images but also a deeper understanding of how to capture the decisive moments that make urban photography compelling.
Participants can choose between the Standard Workshop, a focused 3-day programme, or the Extended Workshop, which offers additional days for deeper exploration and practice, allowing more time to develop skills and create a complete photographic reportage of Warsaw.
The crucial moment occurs when observation, decision, and positioning align, producing images that convey emotion, narrative, and urban rhythm.
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen
Capturing the Moment
This workshop is a challenge and learning journey. During the sessions, you will develop essential skills to capture the decisive moment in street photography. We will spend time together in the group on the streets, where I will inspire and demonstrate how I work in the field — how I observe, respond, position myself, and frame unfolding moments. You will see how I anticipate gestures, interactions, and movement patterns, turning ordinary street life into photographic opportunities.
During the workshop, you will develop essential skills to capture the decisive moment in street photography.
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen
At other times, participants will work independently, practicing these techniques on their own, applying observation, decision-making, positioning, and timing to capture fleeting interactions, gestures, and light that define a street photograph. You will cultivate rapid decision-making, learn to position yourself thoughtfully, and ensure that subjects and backgrounds combine to tell a cohesive story.
The crucial moment occurs when observation, decision, and positioning align, producing images that convey emotion, narrative, and urban rhythm. You will also practice both strategies of waiting and hunting to engage with the urban environment effectively. Street portraits, ethical engagement, and presence in public spaces are also explored, helping you capture authentic responses and meaningful moments.
CAPTURING MOMENTS: You will cultivate rapid decision-making, learn to position yourself thoughtfully, and ensure that subjects and backgrounds combine to tell a cohesive story. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Through guided exercises, reviews, and feedback — both during group sessions and individual work — you will refine your ability to anticipate and capture meaningful moments that contribute to a cohesive black & white photo reportage, enhancing both your technical skills and your personal photographic vision.
Observation involves noticing and anticipating gestures, interactions, and movement patterns, turning ordinary street life into photographic opportunities. Decision develops rapid judgement for whether, where, and when to press the shutter. Position allows mastery of framing and vantage points, ensuring subjects and backgrounds tell a cohesive story. The Crucial Moment is capturing fleeting interactions, gestures, and light that define a street photograph. Waiting vs. Hunting involves practicing both strategies for engaging with the urban environment. Street Portraits teach ethical approaches while capturing emotion and context. Visibility and Presence show how your presence in public spaces shapes authentic responses and photographic results.
Through guided practice and feedback, refine your eye and capture decisive moments for a cohesive black & white photo story.
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Seeing Warsaw in Black & White
Black & white photography is more than an aesthetic choice — it is a powerful storytelling tool. By stripping away colour, you focus on light, shadow, texture, and composition, creating stronger, more evocative images. Black & white also helps unify sequences, giving your photo reportage coherence and a timeless quality. Throughout the workshop, you will explore how black & white enhances street photography, urban landscapes, and architectural studies, helping you craft a personal and cohesive visual story of Warsaw.
The goal of the workshop is for each participant to produce a photo reportage, using black & white to simplify, strengthen, and unify the narrative of their images.
Participants can bring either digital or analog cameras, according to their own preference.
BLACK & WHITE: Throughout the workshop, you will explore how black & white enhances street photography, urban landscapes, and architectural studies. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Areas We Photograph
Praga
Praga tells a story of resilience and continuity. We will explore Ulica Brzeska, with its historic façades, local shops, and street life, alongside Stadion Narodowy, where modern lines and structural forms create striking contrasts. This district offers the perfect combination of old and new, ideal for street and architectural photography.
Powiśle
Part of central Śródmieście, Powiśle offers a mix of riverside life, commuters, and architectural elements. We will focus on Powiśle station, capturing interactions, movement, and urban textures in both street and documentary styles.
Along the Wisła
The Vistula riverfront offers varied urban landscapes. Key locations include Kładka pieszo-rowerowa na Wiśle, Centrum Nauki Kopernik, and Bulwary Wiślane to Piesza Kładka. Here, you can explore composition, movement, light, and narrative, producing images that are both dynamic and coherent in black & white.
PRAGA: The Praga district offers the perfect combination of old and new, ideal for street and architectural photography. Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Extended Workshop Option
Participants wishing to spend more time photographing and learning urban photography in Warsaw can join the Extended Workshop, which runs from 2 January 2026, 14:00, to 7 January 2026, 10:00. This option allows additional days for deeper exploration, more practice in street photography, urban landscapes, and architecture, and further guidance in developing your black & white photo reportage.
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.
Practical Information
Accommodation: Barceló Warsaw Powiśle, 43A Wybrzeże Kościuszkowskie, Śródmieście, 00-347 Warsaw, Poland. Participants should book as soon as their workshop place is confirmed via Booking.com
Meals: Group lunches and dinners daily; participants cover their own costs.
Camera: Digital or analog according to personal preference.
What to Bring: Good shoes for walking and exploring the city, clothes for various weather conditions, camera with any lenses or accessories you have, extra camera batteries and memory cards, camera filters (if available), and a laptop, PC, or tablet for optional editing. Charge your batteries before each workshop day. Contact the organiser if unsure about your equipment.
Currency & Payments: Polish Zloty (PLN); cards widely accepted; ATMs available.
Insurance: Participants must have travel insurance covering the trip.
Workshop Fee:
Standard Workshop (2–4 January 2026): EUR 500
Extended Workshop (2–7 January 2026): EUR 700
Early Bird Discount: 10% off when registering before 1 December 2025. The discount will be applied directly to your invoice.
NOTE: Registration Deadline: 10 December 2025!
About the Instructor
Photographer Bjørn Joachimsen.
Bjørn Joachimsen is one of Norway’s most experienced photography instructors and tour leaders, specialising in street, documentary, urban, architectural, and landscape photography. He works as a photographer and workshop leader in many European countries, including Italy, Spain, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Romania, and has organised numerous workshops across Poland. Bjørn combines hands-on expertise with a deep understanding of visual storytelling, helping participants capture decisive moments and develop cohesive photo reportages.
Portfolio: www.joachimsenphotography.com
Instagram: @joachimsenphotography
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/joachimsen
Photo: Bjørn Joachimsen.