Lisbon, Portugal Workshop with Rui Palha | March 4-10, 2025

$6,595 ($2,495 Deposit)

Only 5 Spots Left

See workshop add-ons

Workshop at a Glance

  Physical Activity
  Photographic Intensity
  Classroom Instruction
  Climate/Weather Severity
  Food and Accommodations
  Good for Non-photographers






  • Leica Store Miami is excited to announce another amazing workshop in Lisbon, Portugal with Rui Palha. Join us as we explore this charismatic and vibrant city, full of winding cobblestone streets with views of the city around every bend. Portugal's tiled, weathered homes and buildings bring with them a timeless charm. This country is scenic, authentic and has soul!

    Lisbon native and renowned street photographer Rui Palha will be your workshop instructor. Miami Street Photography Festival Director Juan Reyes and Leica Specialist Peter Dooling from Leica Store Miami will be on hand to give assistance and advice as you photograph this beautiful city.

    *All photographs © Rui Palha

  • What to expect

    Lisbon is one of the oldest in Western Europe, predating other modern European capitals such as London, Paris and even Rome by centuries. Our workshop hotel will be based in the Baixa neighborhood in the heart of Lisbon. It is an elegant district with distinctive architecture and public spaces, primarily constructed after the 1755 earthquake. Traditionally, March in Lisbon brings fewer tourists and an average temperature of 57 °F (high - 64 °F / low - 52 °F). It’s always a good idea to pack layers on a trip like this. Sweaters with long sleeve shirts and a medium weight jacket or coat will be needed, but you won’t need any heavy winter clothing. There is always a chance of rain at this time of year so you'll want to pack a rain jacket or umbrella. We'll be doing a lot of walking during the workshop, so don’t forget to pack some comfortable walking shoes!



    This workshop will allow you to work with a street photography master. Some of the topics that Rui will cover include:

    • The importance of having a street photographer’s ‘eye’ and try to "see" a photo in an everyday street scene.
    • Understand the importance of developing one's own style as a street photographer.
    • Understand the components of a good street image.
    • Try to avoid fear of photographing the "street models", the unknown people that can be found in the streets.
    • Learn the technical aspects of street photography: ideal equipment, composition, exposure and focus.
    • Understand some of the key legal and ethical aspects of street photography.
    • Always try to "add" some artistic and aesthetic aspect to an ordinary street photograph.

  • Dates:

    Tuesday, March 4 - Monday, March 10, 2025

    Cost: 

    $6,595 - Double occupancy lodging (Single room supplement available for $900). 

    Size:

    Limited to 8 attendees



    Included in the cost of the trip:

      • Double occupancy lodging at the 4-star Hotel Mundial (Single room supplement available for $900)
      • Daily breakfast
      • Group welcome dinner
      • Group farewell dinner
      • Admission to Monsteiro dos Jeronimos
      • Photographic instruction and critique by Rui Palha
      • Assistance and critique from Juan Reyes of the Miami Street Photography Festival
      • Leica technical help & tips from Peter Dooling of Leica Store Miami
      • Loaner Leica cameras and lenses (*limited availability)

    Not included in the cost of the trip:

        • Airfare
        • Transportation to and from the airport
        • Any meals not listed in the itinerary
        • Medical (required)/Travel/Gear insurance
        • Alcoholic drinks and snacks

    About Rui: Image result for rui palhaRui Palha was born in Portugal in 1953. He began photographing at the age of 14 and is one of the most respected street photographers in the world. He was distinguished by the SPA (Portuguese Society of Authors) with the prize "Best Work of Photography" in the 2011 Authors Prizes, in the category of Visual Arts, with his book "Street Photography".
    In 2015, in "Street Hunters" blog, was considered one of the 20 most influential street photographers in the world and the best street photographer in the world by the website "Top Teny - Top ten of the best". His work has also been featured on the Leica Camera Blog. Most recently he was featured in an interview on the photography website 121 Clicks and in the article: 10 Street Photographers Who Are Immortalizing Our Modern WorldIn addition to numerous solo and group exhibitions, Rui's work is heavily publicized on social networks, particularly through his Facebook page with more than 330,000 followers. 

    Rui has been using Leica cameras for many years and currently owns the Q2, M10, M Monochrom, Summilux 35mm, Super-Elmar 21mm and a Voigtländer 15mm. Says Palha, "For me the Leica cameras are a perfect tool for street photography. They are compact, discreet and of unsurpassed image quality. The Leica Q is great for situations where you need to focus quickly or there isn’t time enough to change the hyperfocal range. The Leica M is a fantastic camera, allowing the use of different focal lengths with unbeatable image quality. I think I must refer that I loved to use the new Leica M-D, I felt I was transported to the good old days when I only used film"

    Palha loves to be in the midst of the people he meets in the streets, alleys and neighborhoods of Lisbon. His friendly and frank posture helps him to gain friendships in the most diverse places. The warmth that emanates from them fills his soul and is the real compensation for his art because it is palpable and lasting, while other awards are ephemeral.

    "I like low light, rainy days and troublesome places, but first and foremost I like people, authentic people."

    "Photography is a very important part of my space… it is to discover, it is to capture giving flow to what the heart feels and sees in a certain moment, it is being in the street, experiencing, understanding, learning and, essentially, practicing the freedom of being, of living, of thinking."




      Signing Up:

      To sign up for our Lisbon street photography workshop with Rui Palha, just pay your deposit here on our website, email us (workshops@leicastoremiami.com) or call 305-921-4433. We are happy to answer any questions you may have. A $2495 deposit, and the single room supplement should you choose it, is required to hold your spot. The balance will be due by Dec 4, 2024.

      We look forward to seeing you in Lisbon!

    • Basic Itinerary

       Day 1 (Tuesday, March 4th) - Arrival in Lisbon

      Arrive at Lisbon International Airport (LIS) on or before Tuesday, March 4th. There are several transportation options to get into the city, but a convenient, 20 minute taxi, Uber or Bolt ride will only cost you about 15 Euros. We'll gather at 6:00pm in the lobby of the Hotel Mundial for a meet and greet and then we'll head to our welcome dinner. We'll get to know each other, go over the workshop itinerary and talk about photography.


      Day 2 (Wednesday, March 5th) - Classroom and Shooting Session

      Morning

      10:00am - Classroom: After breakfast, we'll gather in the hotel's meeting room for our first session. Rui will share his work with the group and discuss the challenges of being a street photographer. The following topics will be discussed with examples from Rui´s portfolio:

      • The importance of composition

      • Taking advantage of light

      • Don't shoot like everyone else

      • Find your own way (style)

      • Dare to try new things

      • Get out of your comfort zone

      • Approach people and get trust

      • Try different perspectives and views

      • Master your camera settings

      • Post processing - Rui’s workflow. *Please note that you should use the processing software you are most familiar with. Rui will not be teaching how to use a processing software during this workshop

      Lunch Break (on your own or as a group)


      Afternoon

      Street session with Juan and Peter until about 5:30pm
      - Start at Baixa/Chiado station then walk to Elevador de Bica 3-Miradouro Santa Catarina
      - Miradouro Santa Catarina
      - Pink Street Shooting and drinks at Pensão do Amor (if open)
      - Finish at Cais do Sodré waterfront. 

      *During any of our shooting sessions, feel free to go off on your own to explore. If you want to reconnect at a later time, please contact Juan & Peter via WhatsApp.


       

      Day 3 (March 6th) - Monsteiro dos Jeronimos, Descobrimentos, Champalimaud & MAAT

       Morning

      Uber or taxi to Monsteiro dos Jeronimos (skip the line tickets included). Spend some time afterwards at Monument of Descobrimentos by the river. (option to shoot at Cultural Center as well)


      Lunch Break (several options on the river by the monument)

      Afternoon

      Street session with Juan and Peter at Champalimaud and MAAT (Belém) until sunset.


      Day 4 (March 7th) - Alfama, Lisbon Catedral and Bairro Alto

      Morning

      We'll head out at 10:00am to visit Alfama, the Lisbon Catedral and “The Stairs” nearby/Fado mural area.


      Lunch Break (lunch on your own or as the group (famous bifana sandwiches)

      Afternoon


      At about 3:00pm, Juan and Peter will lead the group from Elevador de Graca to Miradouro Pedro Alcantara and streets of Bairro Alto during late afternoon (great light!)

      Day 5 (March 8th) - Classroom and Shooting Session

      Morning

      10:00am - We'll schedule one-on-one review sessions with Rui in the lobby of our hotel. *Please bring your laptop to this session.

      Lunch Break (on your own or as a group)

      Afternoon

      We'll take the metro together for a photo session at Parque das Nações and Gare de Oriente, in New Town.

      Day 6 (March 9th) - Classroom Session and Final Image Review


      Morning


      10:00am - Image review (Attendees are requested to bring 20 edited images). Each attendee will have a 1-on-1 session with Rui to review their images. *Please bring your laptop to this session

      Rui will compile a selection of everyone's pictures, and present an entertaining, thought-provoking slide show with the images taken during the week.

      Lunch Break (on your own or as a group)

      Afternoon

      For those interested, Juan and Peter will lead a walk from the highest point in Lisbon, Miradouro de Graca, down through Alfama , Castelo de San Jorge, Miradouro Santa Luzia and back to the hotel. Feel free to explore on your own if you like or perhaps revisit one of your favorite locations from earlier in the week.

      Evening
       

      At 7:00pm we'll have our farewell group dinner at a nearby restaurant.



      Day 7 (March 10th) - Departure

      If you're not extending your stay in Portugal, make your way back to Lisbon International Airport for your departing flight.


       

      Notes: Rui encourages participants to shoot with gear that they are very familiar with. Comfort is also important as you will be walking for a few hours.

      You are strongly encouraged to bring a laptop computer or a tablet for the selection and critique sessions on days 5 and 6.

      Try to take some time each evening to review your images and choose a few of your favorites for post processing.

      You must use the processing software you are most familiar with. Please note that Rui will not be teaching how to use a processing software during this workshop and you need to know how to use the software of your choice ahead of time.

      During any of our shooting sessions, feel free to go off on your own to explore. If you want to reconnect at a later time, please contact Juan & Kirsten via WhatsApp.

    • Payment
      A $2495 deposit is due at the time of registration along with the $900 single room supplement if you wish to have your own room. Balance will be due on or before December 4, 2024. 



      Withdrawal and Refund Policy

      Enrollment is limited to 8 participants, and once you sign up, we are counting on your attendance. If you need to withdraw from this workshop, please notify us in writing (email is acceptable) as soon as possible. This is our refund policy:

      If you cancel and we find someone to fill your seat, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a $250 service charge. If you cancel and we cannot find someone to fill your seat, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule:

      At least 90 days before the start of the workshop: Full refund minus $250 service fee.
      Between 89 and 60 days before the start of the workshop: 75% refund
      Between 59 and 45 days before the start of the workshop: 50% refund
      Less than 45 days from the start of the workshop: No refund

      Course Cancellation and Other Terms

      Leica Store Miami reserves the right to cancel a reservation if full payment has not been received by 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.
      In the event that this workshop must be canceled due to inadequate enrollment, all fees and deposits will be refunded in full or may be transferred to another workshop within 24 months.
      In the unlikely event of illness, accident or injury to one of the instructors, Leica Store Miami reserves the right to replace that instructor with a comparable instructor.

      Medical Insurance (required)

      Emergency medical insurance through a provider like Allianz or similar is required to participate in any of Leica Store Miami's international workshop.

      Travel Insurance (STRONGLY recommended)

      Leica Store Miami is not responsible for cancellations due to medical or personal emergencies so we highly recommend purchasing travel Insurance. Companies like Travelex and Allianz Global Assistance are reputable but you can choose any vendor you like. Just make sure that they have an A+ rating from the BBB. Leica Store Miami is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of a workshop cancellation.

      Camera Gear Insurance (STRONGLY recommended)

      We advise all of our workshop attendees to insure their camera gear against damage, theft, loss, etc. If your gear is not already insured, check with your home owner's insurance to see if they offer coverage. There are several photo specific insurance policies out there as well.

      Single Room Policy

      If you sign-up for double occupancy room sharing and there are no other attendees to pair you with, you will be responsible for paying the single room supplement.

      Transfers

      If for any reason you wish to transfer your deposit, please notify us by email. You must register and complete a new workshop within 24 months of the withdrawal. We reserve the right to accept or deny any transfer.

      There are no exceptions to our Cancellation and Transfer Policy.



    Click here to email us any questions about this workshop




    Recommended Add-ons