I did a workshop with a famous photographer- Steve McCurry!

[High_n_Dry]

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Disappointed Expectations: A Review of the Steve McCurry Tokyo Workshop

I had waited two long years for the chance to participate in a photography workshop with Steve McCurry. Originally, I had registered for the 2024 workshop in Rome, but a family illness forced me to cancel. Fortunately, Mr. McCurry’s team kindly allowed me to defer my participation to the next available course—this time in Tokyo, 2025. I was excited. Not only would I be learning from one of photography’s most iconic figures, but I’d also be doing so in a vibrant, visually rich city. Despite the significant cost and time commitment, I believed the experience would offer instruction, inspiration, and lasting motivation.

First Impressions

The workshop began with a welcome dinner, where I met the other 14 participants, the support team, and the two instructors: Steve McCurry and Eolo Perfido. I quickly noticed that the group skewed young—most were in their 30s—and nearly half were working professional photographers. That set a high bar for the level of engagement I expected.

A Promising Start

The first day featured a classroom session where Steve and Eolo shared their work and discussed photographic philosophy and technique. It was engaging and informative, and I looked forward to more sessions like this—deep dives into their process, structured critiques, and real mentorship.

A Shift in Direction

Unfortunately, the rest of the week did not deliver on that promise. What unfolded felt more like a loosely guided photo tour than a focused educational workshop. Each day began with a brief meetup at a Tokyo district, after which we were left to shoot independently—or trail behind Steve or Eolo if we chose. While it was fascinating to observe their methods, there was minimal explanation or teaching during these sessions. They rarely articulated how they approached a scene, what compositional elements they were prioritizing, or how they adapted to lighting and subject movement—insights that could have transformed the experience into a learning opportunity.

Lack of Structure & Feedback

Most disappointing was the near-total absence of feedback or critique. There were no meaningful review sessions or one-on-one discussions. You could post a couple of photos a day in the text thread, but the feedback felt superficial and generic. For a workshop marketed around learning from one of the world’s most accomplished photographers, the lack of educational structure was disheartening. The portrait session with Steve was another letdown—quick, disorganized, and lacking in direction. Worse, the resulting portraits were delivered three months later and only after I followed up. When we finally received them, they were JPEGs, straight from RAW, despite Eolo previously emphasizing their meticulous post-processing practices.

Logistical Gaps

Beyond the educational shortcomings, organizational issues also hampered the experience. Schedule changes were frequent and communicated last-minute. There was little transparency or structure, and at times it felt as though the participants were left to navigate on their own.

Final Thoughts

I appreciate the effort involved in organizing an international workshop, and I recognize the value of simply observing great photographers at work. But for the price and the reputation behind this course, I expected more. I wanted to be taught, challenged, and guided. Instead, I left feeling disappointed and misled.

As a final note—at the end of the workshop, I brought a copy of National Geographic with Steve’s iconic “Afghan Girl” on the cover and asked him to sign it. He smiled and asked if I wanted it personalized. I said, “Sure.”
“How do you spell your name?” he asked.
“It’s spelled the same as yours,” I replied.

This exchange personified my experience, an impersonal and forgettable workshop.

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[erl]

This does not surprise me. I have viewed exhibitions of McCurrys and whilst his work is workmanship like, it does not transmit particular genius to me. To qualify, I have worked as  a photographer in press and public relations, and also done many travel shoots, in a variety of 'ethnic styles'.

From Steve's work it can be deduced which shots were pre arranged and which are candid. I have worked extensively in both genres so I can claim to know what I am talking about. The overriding parameter for success in the area of Steve's work is OPPORTUNITY. That applies to all photography, but I bet it was not discussed in the workshop. Photographic skills probably can't be taught effectively, any more than painting. The mechanics of it can, also easily gleaned from a book, but the 'art' of the craft must be felt and pursued. I don't know any photographer that has blossomed as a result of such workshops. Spending a day or so with another photographer is harmless enough, but not worth money. You must be a self driver. Submit your work to intelligent criticism, heed it if you believe it, but press on. Don't listen to friends and relatives. Almost certainly they don't know anything about what you are trying to do.

Harsh words? Yes, they need to be.

Don't be discouraged. Set out the 'goals' (type of photography) you want to improve and immerse yourself in it, to your own standards. Not someone else's.

[stray cat]

50 minutes ago, erl said:

I don't know any photographer that has blossomed as a result of such workshops.

John, you do now.

I attended a ten day workshop with Mary Ellen Mark back in 2011 and it absolutely guided my understanding of who I was as a photographer and gave me a roadmap to explore my interests beyond the superficial.

Years before that I had completed a Diploma of Illustrative Photography and, like you, I'd worked as a professional photographer for many years. That didn't mean I necessarily grasped where my interests and (modest) talents lay. Mary Ellen brought that out in me and I know in other participants of the workshop as we kept in touch. She guided patiently and respectfully, took the time to understand each participant's interests and aptitude and was very very positive and encouraging when people nailed good work.

Mary Ellen Mark was a great mentor and teacher as well as one of the great photographers. Not all are so gifted. However I do think writing off the possibility of a workshop being good for some people beyond being harmless and not worth the money is a generalization too far.

Steve, I am sorry to read of your experience. Even without your expectations being met, and that is very disappointing, I hope there was enough that you did gain to maybe give you some momentum to achieve what you want to in photography.

[frame-it]

1 hour ago, High_n_Dry said:

Disappointed Expectations: A Review of the Steve McCurry Tokyo Workshop

I had waited two long years for the chance to participate in a photography workshop with Steve McCurry. Originally, I had registered for the 2024 workshop in Rome, but a family illness forced me to cancel. Fortunately, Mr. McCurry’s team kindly allowed me to defer my participation to the next available course—this time in Tokyo, 2025. I was excited. Not only would I be learning from one of photography’s most iconic figures, but I’d also be doing so in a vibrant, visually rich city. Despite the significant cost and time commitment, I believed the experience would offer instruction, inspiration, and lasting motivation.

~~~~~~

This exchange personified my experience, an impersonal and forgettable workshop.

if you meetup with the Void-Tokyo Gang, a few of them speak english, theyre very friendly, you can prolly learn and experience a LOT more

http://voidtokyo.media/members

https://www.youtube.com/@SamuelStreetlife/search?query=void tokyo

 

 

 

[Pieter12]

Being a good, great or excellent, world-known photographer doesn’t mean one can be a good teacher. Especially in the visual arts where verbal communication is not necessarily a prerequisite. Unfortunately some are all too willing to cash in on their status.

[LocalHero1953]

I have attended a small number of workshops, but have selected those that concentrated on a specific skill or approach that I felt I lacked. I have avoided those by big names because (a) they are eye-wateringly expensive and (b) they appeared to me unfocussed. Those run by Leica (under the Leica Akademie brand) have been good (e.g. 'story telling', 'photography and other art forms'), but most of them now are too basic for me ('how to use a rangefinder'). In the UK some of the Royal Photographic Society workshops are quite good; I took one on art nude photography (lesson 1: don't touch the model) to see if it was something I would want to take further - it was interesting and practical, but I decided it was not for me.