Have you ever considered taking a street photography trip to the Netherlands? Maybe also to take some street photography workshops in Amsterdam?
As the capital city of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is the most populated Dutch municipality.
With more than 60 miles of medieval and colonial age canals, most of the city is passable by boat. Furthermore, Amsterdam has a very rich architectural history. Buildings from various eras can be seen throughout the city.
The city´s ports as well as the canals and the diverse architecture attract thousands of street photography artists from all around the world. Thus, Amsterdam offers multiple street photography workshops and courses for all levels. The easiest way to get to each place is by bike. Just rent one of the black bikes distributed around the city.
So, let´s dive in and take a look at the best and most interesting places in the city of tulips, bikes and sin.
Red Light District De Wallen
The city´s famous red light district is one of the main tourist attractions in Amsterdam and is located right in the medieval city centre. By day, the district does not show anything about the spectacle of the previous night.
But as soon as the sun goes down, thousands and thousands of tourists crowd the streets to take a peak at the approximately three hundred cabins and windows rented by prostitutes. Some are more interested in the coffee shops that sell marihuana legally. Located near the canals and illuminated by colourful lights, De Wallen is a crazy and kind of dreamy place.
Jordaan
Amsterdam´s very popular neighbourhood Jordaan is probably one of the more expensive ones. With its narrow alleys, canals, beautiful houses, shops, bars and restaurants, Jordaan creates a unique and beautiful atmosphere. The neighbourhood is usually very crowded, so if you want to avoid the big crowds just grab your camera and take a street photography stroll next to the canals of Jordaan and maybe make a stop at one of the colourful markets.
Dam Square
One can say the Dam Square is the pulse of Amsterdam. It is the most crowded place with thousands of tourists, pigeons, street performers, locals and tons of food stalls. If you want to experience Amsterdam, its culture, its diverse architecture and its odds, go there with your street photography gear. Sometimes even small events and concerts take place at Dam Square, making it one of the most interesting and varied places in Amsterdam.
The best photo galleries for Street Photographers
The capital city in the western of the Netherlands also has a lot of cultural gems to offer. Especially photo art galleries are of great importance. We would like to present to you five of the most popular and worthwhile galleries in Amsterdam.
Annet Gelink Gallery
This gallery is situated in the medieval city centre and is one of the greatest contemporary art galleries in the Netherlands. For almost twenty years, the Annet Gelink Gallery is displaying works of multiple innovative artists and covering a range from video art, photography to drawings and paintings. The gallery combines new tendencies in Dutch and international art.
- Opening hours: tuesday to friday 10 am to 6pm, saturday 1 to 6pm
Flatland Gallery
The art displayed in the Flatland Gallery is daring, boundary pushing and multicultural. The gallery is located in the south of Amsterdam and is internationally highly renowned. Besides (street) photographs, also sculptures, paintings, and various media installations are being displayed.
- Opening hours: wednesday to saturday 1 to 6 pm
Kahman Gallery
Remember the neighbourhood called Jordaan? There you will find a gallery that fully commits to photography. Originally, the gallery’s concept only included Dutch artists but the range has broadened. Today, the Kahman Gallery represents around thirty national and international artists. Witness a very interesting and carefully selected mixture of contemporary and vintage art works.
- Opening hours: tuesday to friday 1 to 5 pm, and by appointment on saturday
Wouter van Leeuwen Gallery
Take a nice stroll through Jordaan heading south and you will find the Wouter van Leeuwen Gallery. For more than fifteen years the gallery has been working with internationally acclaimed contemporary artist and explores the connection between documentary and autonomous photography. Wouter van Leeuwen displays photographs of landscapes and portraits.
- Opening hours: thursday to saturday 12 to 6 pm
Ravestijn Gallery
Located at the docks in Amsterdam, the Ravestijn Gallery focuses on controversial and very provocative photography. The curators create unique exhibitions including the art works of various talents all around the world. They also aim to explore and investigate new perspective in modern photography.
- Opening hours: monday to friday 9 am to 5 pm, saturday 12 to 5pm
Street Photography Workshops and courses in Amsterdam
Want to improve your street photography skills and combine a workshop with a nice vacation in Amsterdam? The city has a lot to offer! Let’s take a look at the following workshops and Street Photography Courses in Amsterdam.
Megan Alter Photography
Megan Alter is a photographer based in Amsterdam. Born a real New Yorker, she spent six years working in photography in design before she moved house in 2008. Alter does not only convince with her unique and fine photography art, she also made herself a name with her high end quality workshops and courses. Being specialized in imagery storytelling, Megan Alter art has been published in various renowned photography magazines and is being used for books and online marketing. Brands like Nike, Booking.com and Hoodlamb rank among her clients.
Alter also offers a compact Street Photography Workshop in Amsterdam. You will learn how to tell stories and not just taking pictures of various strangers. Alter will also teach you different street art photography approaches and how to capture unique perspectives. With quick courage challenges, she will help you to overcome your fear.
The workshop consists of a whole day learning-by-doing course and an evening review session with a handout containing the most important tips.
Her courses start at Oudeschans 21 in Amsterdam at 2pm and end around 8:30pm with costs around 135 euros. The workshop language is English.
Foam Museum
The Foam is a photography museum in Amsterdam and displays various works of artists from around the globe. But it is also known for its great workshops and courses.
Getting inspired by the street life of Amsterdam, the Foam Street Photography Workshop teaches you how to implement techniques of famous photographers and how to include various aspects of the objects being photographed. At the end of the workshop, you will discuss the work you were assigned to accomplish all together.
Workshops take place once a month over a course of four weeks. Each session takes about three hours. They usually start at 1 pm and end around 4 pm. Foam members have a discounted fee of 162 euros with an included museum admission. The regular fee is up to 180 euros. The workshop language is Dutch.
Amsterdam Photo Club
The Amsterdam Photo Club is an active community with approximately five thousand members from the Netherlands as well as from abroad. The Club organises regular events, courses and lectures, providing its member and interested photographers with new input and inspiration.
Of course the Amsterdam Photo Club is also offering Street Photography workshops with various focal point. It does not matter if you are a beginner or a pro: you will find the right course for your level of expertise as the club offers more than seven Street photography workshops. You can also book a private lesson with one of the clubs professional photographers. The courses all vary in prices, content and length but usually take one day.
Fokko Muller
Fokko Muller is a Dutch photography artist with a special focus on street photography. He loves to show people their usual and ordinary environment from different angles to make them unique and extra ordinary. He always seizes the opportunity to take great pictures even when it is raining, snowing or extremely windy. Muller changes the uncomfortable ordinary into something beautiful. His main approach is to make the people who see his pictures smile.
Muller offers a group workshop in Amsterdam that lasts about four hours and costs 100 euros including two drinks. In his course he will teach you various kinds of street photography and techniques. This workshop is designed for beginners but Muller also offers an advanced workshop with the same duration for 125 euros, also including two drinks. Fokko Muller`s courses take place a few times a year, mostly in September and October.
Aperture Tours
The agency Aperture Tours is specialised on professionally guided photo tours for all levels in the most photogenic cities all over the world, like Bangkok, Barcelona, Hong Kong, Singapore and Amsterdam. Mostly, only ten people take part in the workshops so you can always enjoy an inspirational interchange of knowledge and experience with the instructor.
Aperture Tours offer three different workshops in street photography, one by day, one by night, both lasting for three hours, and an extended photo tour for six hours. The prices vary from 180 to 340 euros. The meeting point is at Lieverdje, Spui and the course language is English.
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