Street Stories: Developing Your Individual Voice
with Ismail Ferdous
May 1 – 3, 2026
Course Description
Street photography is a dialogue between you and the world, a space where instinct, observation, and imagination converge. This workshop invites photographers of all levels to explore how personal experience and perspective shape the way we see and tell stories through the street.
Led by renowned documentary photographer Ismail Ferdous in New York City, this course centers on developing an individual visual language while deepening both technical and narrative understanding. Through lectures, shooting assignments, and guided critiques, participants learn to approach the street with sensitivity, build confidence in photographing people and places, and explore how light, rhythm, and composition can convey emotional depth.
This workshop also highlights the art of editing and sequencing, transforming a series of moments into a cohesive and resonant visual story. Participants study influential works in street and documentary photography, analyze how image selection and flow create meaning, and reflect on what defines their own voice within the genre. In a group setting, participants practice sequencing their own work and gain feedback on the narrative structure of their imagery.
The workshop offers space to reflect on how your images can carry both meaning and presence. Join us for three days in New York City to deepen your personal practice and storytelling abilities on the street.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
What You Should Know:
Working knowledge of digital workflow and manual mode on your digital SLR or mirrorless camera. Participants must be able to download and select images using image editing software for class sessions.
Special Notes:
This workshop is based in New York City and will include both classroom sessions and time photographing in the field. This workshop is limited to 12 participants.
Activity Level:
In order to fully participate in class assignments, participants should be able to engage in moderate outdoor exercise for up to an hour or more at a time in an urban environment.
Policies:
View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for Pop-up workshops.
Package Price INFO:
$1,795 includes instruction, classroom and location fees, and daily coffee and beverage service. Does not include meals, local transportation, or accommodations (if needed).
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about
Ismail Ferdous is a Bangladeshi-American photographer based in New York and a member of Agence VU’ in Paris. A National Geographic Explorer and educator at the International Center of Photography, his practice bridges documentary and art, exploring migration, labor, identity, and belonging through deeply human narratives.
His long-term projects include an acclaimed investigation into the human cost of fast fashion in Bangladesh and a decade-spanning study of global displacement with stories from Syria, Ukraine, Mexico, France, and Bangladesh. His recent book Sea Beach is a poetic reflection on memory, culture, and the shifting landscape of Cox’s Bazar, a place of personal return.
Ismail’s work has been recognized with the Leica Oskar Barnack Award, World Press Photo, and grants from Getty Images, National Geographic, and the Alexia Foundation. His photographs have been exhibited internationally and published in National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, GEO, and Le Monde.
Website: iferdous.com
Instagram: @ismailferdous
