Fully Booked - Email for waiting list
Overview
Join Jonathan in an unforgettable and intensive 5 full days of shooting candid street photography in Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, Japan during the beautiful fall foliage season. Take your street photography to the next level as you learn and practice rhythmic layering, reading light and anticipating moments while becoming one with the scene. Learn how to select, edit and read your images to demanding level of detail that will have immediate and lasting impact on your work.
Workshop Perks
-Detailed Arrival Guide
Arriving in a new country / city can be intimidating, especially in Japan. Jonathan will provide you with a customized arrival guide that includes photos, directions, and details of arriving at the airport and getting a taxi / train to your accommodations, obtaining a sim card, etc., to make sure your arrival is a smooth as possible.
-Individual Portfolio or Project Review
An extremely thorough review of your existing portfolio or project
-Daily Photo Reviews
Participants work directly with Jonathan each night to learn how to identify your strongest photos and as well as how to dramatically improve shots you've taken using very minor corrections
-Customized Lessons
Prior to the workshop, Jonathan will ask for input from each participant on topics of interest and areas they wish to improve upon. This information is used to develop custom material for group discussions and short presentations.
-1 on 1 shooting time on the streets with Jonathan Jasberg
On most shooting days Jonathan pairs up with participants individually to shoot together and assist with realizing their photographic goals, help identify good scenes / shots, and so that you can observe how Jonathan shoots.
-Friendly non-competitive group environment where we all learn from each other
Group dynamic is very important to Jonathan, thus the group size is kept extremely small and personal. This workshop is intense, but it is a great time and a great chance to make quality friendships and connections with fellow photographers. See behind the scenes and participant photos of the spring 2023 workshops on the workshop recap pages here and here.
Your Instructor
Jonathan has made over 25 trips to Japan since 2010, often spending 3 months at a time extensively traveling and photographing the country. He speaks Japanese and knows the city of Kyoto especially well. This workshop is more than just a street photography workshop; it is his chance to share his love of Kyoto, the culture and food with his students, along with helping them capture candid moments of a life-time.
Schedule
Nov 26th - Welcome Dinner
Participants should arrive in Kyoto on or before the afternoon of Nov. 26th. We will have a casual group welcome dinner on the night of Nov. 26th to get to know each other, chat about photography and the plan for the upcoming days.
*Cost of welcome dinner is paid individually and not included in tuition.
Nov 27th - Temple Town and Red Light District
- Meet for coffee
- Shoot in pairs or individually through a historic market area, temple area and busy downtown streets.
- Group lunch in small authentic Japanese restaurant.
- Portfolio reviews & coffee
- Afternoon shooting session in 2 of the 4 Geisha entertainment districts
- 7pm - 9pm Nightly photo reviews and critiques
Nov 28th - Osaka
- We take an early train to Osaka where we will spend the day shooting in multiple lively retro-futuristic locations
- Kaiten Sushi Lunch
- Daily photography discussion
- Afternoon / evening of shooting in a different area before returning to Kyoto
- 7pm - 9pm Nightly photo reviews and critiques
Nov 29th - Ancient Kyoto
- take a short bus ride to our morning shooting location, capturing candid moments among small old winding streets of historic Kyoto
- Curry lunch in Maru yama park
- Afternoon shooting session through geisha districts and along the Kamo River
- 6pm - 9pm Nightly photo reviews and critiques
Nov 30th - Nara, Japan's Ancient Capital
- Meet and take the train to Nara where we will photograph for the first half of the day
- Lunch in Nara Park
- Return to Kyoto and shoot individually or in pairs
- 7pm - 9pm Nightly photo reviews and critiques
Dec 1st- Fushimi Inari
- Take an early train to Fushimi Inari for a morning of shooting
- Lunch at Fushimi Inari
- Afternoon shooting in Downtown Kyoto
- 7pm - 9pm Nightly photo reviews and critiques
* Times, locations and events of the daily schedule above are subject to change based on group discussion or decisions made by Jonathan. We will remain spontaneous and flexible to capture the fall atmosphere to the fullest.
Dinners will be either taken as a group, smaller groups or individually based on the spontaneity and flow of the day. Jonathan will be in constant contact with the group on Whatsapp to make sure everyone is well informed.
Accommodations
Participants are encouraged to all stay in same area of Kyoto, where everything from budget capsule hotels and hostels to mid-priced and luxury hotels can be found. Jonathan will provide you with a map of suggestions for all budgets. Please consult with Jonathan prior to booking your room to make sure the location you have selected is good.
Requirements
- Digital Camera with a wide angle lens (preferably prime 28mm or 35mm) and the knowledge of how to use it. Unless you are shooting Leica, Jonathan may not know how to make necessary adjustments.
- Enough batteries and SD card space for 1,000+ photos daily
- Laptop with Lightroom or other photo management / editing software that will allow you to quickly review, flag, and rate photos daily
- Walking shoes. These are intensive days where 20,000+ steps is not unusual.
- Positive attitude with great respect for Japanese culture and the people of Kyoto.
Cost
Workshop tuition is $1,250*. Taxis, Meals, drinks, and any other incurred costs are not included and to be paid individually. All of these costs should be very low as food, transportation are all relatively affordable with the way Jonathan has organized it.
*All workshop participants receive $100 discount on any future workshops they attend with Jonathan (co-sponsored workshops with other instructors excluded).
Application
Contact Jonathan directly to apply for the workshop. If a spot is available, a $100 deposit is required to secure your participation. The remaining $1,150 is due 30 days prior to the start of the workshop (Oct. 27 2025). No refunds are given after Oct. 27 2025 if you have to cancel, or are unable to attend or complete the workshop for any reason. Past participants of Jonathan's workshops receive a $100 discount on this tuition.
Cancellation
If you need to cancel prior to Oct. 27 2025, you will be able to apply your deposit to a future workshop. If you need to cancel after that date, no refunds will be given for payments made up until that point. If Jonathan Jasberg (the instructor) needs to cancel, you will be refunded your deposit and any tuition amount paid. Jonathan is not responsible for any reimbursement of travel expenses or any other costs incurred by participants in the event that he needs to cancel the workshop. Travel insurance that covers cancellations, missed flights, etc., is recommended if you are not a seasoned traveler. There are no partial refunds in the event a participant misses days, or would like to take time off on any days during the workshop for any reason.
Kyoto Workshop
Behind the scenes & Testimonials
I loved how well organized the workshop was. Your arrival guide included everything. Your workshop is really incredibly worthwhile. Thank you very much!
Florian Renz - Kyoto Apr 2023
First of all thank you for the fantastic workshop. I enjoyed it immensely and I learned a lot as well.
I believe you provided great attention, provided valuable input, and you were very personable. You cared about the students and it showed. We executed the plan daily and you kept us all in loop when things changed. You also let all of the attendees know places and situations as photo opportunities, while we are on the field. You cared about us, and made sure we got what we wanted from the workshop.
Sehmuz Bayhan - Kyoto Apr 2023
A workshop with Jonathan Jasberg is a great experience, as his teaching is always focused on improving your personal work, with precise analysis of the photos during the reviews as well as helping you in the field.
He is always ready to help, to share his experience and to give advice, and takes very good care of the organisation so that everything goes smoothly, also because he knows the places very well. He also has an incredibly wide photographic culture and a very high level of requirement of what a « good photo » should be, which is hugely inspiring. Just great!
Laurent Catach - Oaxaca Feb 2023
I attended the street photography workshop in Japan with the goal of improving my photography skills and creativity. Jonathan provided me with practical and insightful guidance during one-on-one sessions, group discussions, and detailed feedback on my photos.
Jonathan's teaching style was relaxed and approachable, which helped me feel more comfortable with the complexity of street photography and created an environment that allowed every participant to push their boundaries. Overall, the workshop was a highly enjoyable experience that gave me the opportunity to progress and gain a deeper appreciation for the art of street photography.
Vica Rosario Bogaerts - Kyoto Apr 2023
Jonathan was very hands-on during the entire workshop! He pointed specific techniques out and explained why some things work and others don't. He was indefatigable! This was a very intensive but also a laid-back workshop. We had an opportunity to bond as a group of photographers and have a critique each night. During the day we split into pairs or threes and Jonathan would pick a group to work with.
Post-workshop, Jonathan provided us with personal critiques of the portfolio submitted in advance of the workshop as well as helped to create and curate a portfolio from the workshop. He has a place on his website for final portfolios to include our IG and personal websites. I felt really invigorated and motivated to continue the techniques learned in the workshop.
Nicole Horvath - Oaxaca Feb 2023
Jonathan's workshop in the Kyoto area is exactly what any aspiring street photographer should be looking for to improve their skills. My goals coming in were to focus on further developing my compositions using techniques such as layering, reflections, echoes, but also capturing emotions by gaining confidence in getting closer to the subject(s).
Coming out of the 5 day intensive workshop, I feel that Jonathan has helped me significantly improve on those aspects of street photography and that the learnings from the workshop helped me a gain a much better understanding and confidence on how and when to best deploy those methods.
The format and planning of the workshop are well thought in a way that maximizes the learning experience within the available time. There is a well balanced time allocations to overviews, discussions and critical reviews before, during, and after intense long days of street photo shooting. I very much enjoyed learning in a small collaborative group (3 students) of talented photographers.
Besides being an amazing street photographer and teacher, Jonathan is also fond of Japanese culture and customs which he likes to share. He speaks Japanese fluently which brought us closer in our interactions with locals anywhere we went and made our experience more authentic. Overall this workshop is an excellent learning and development opportunity at a great price value in a unique environment. I would definitely recommend it to others without any hesitation.
Mehdi Zouari - Kyoto Apr 2023
I had a good gut feeling, based on what I'd read about you and your work, and the B&H interview. My instincts were right! Glad I was able to contact you early and reserve a spot.
Your patience, honesty, directness, diplomacy, flexibility, and humor were appreciated! It was interesting to see you take such an interest in our work, spending more time on certain images than I would've thought! I like how you worked with each member individually over the 5 days at the different locations, helping with our specific goals and strengthening skills. You took care of our non-photography needs as well, when needed!
Parvathi Kumar - Oaxaca Feb 2023
www.parvathikumar.com
Instagram
The workshop fulfilled my expectations; the most valuable thing for me was to know closely your point of view about certain photos, and the minor (but unexpected and relevant) fixes that you did sometimes on them.
Also it was interesting to "confront" my aesthetic style with yours, a little more inclined towards the weird element, which will give me food for thought for a while. In addition, and as I already sensed in the video on complex composition, your way of explaining is technical and precise (I can tell you were a programmer, hehe), far from the more vague postures that sometimes artists have.
In general, I have noticed something very good and that is that you have infected me a little with your level of demand with the photos, which is very high and based on a very strong self-criticism.
Andrés Ramos - Kyoto Mar 2023
It was a fantastic workshop in such a comfortable setting. Jonathan worked with all the participants as a group and individually, providing inspiration, answering questions and making himself completely available over the course of the workshop. I was able to put his suggestions into action that provided immediate results. The chosen locations and events, plus additional suggestions were all wonderful and created a complete, enjoyable experience.
Bill Schaefer - Oaxaca Feb 2023
The workshop with Jonathan was fantastic. Jonathan is an excellent teacher, knowledgeable, dedicated, and very approachable. He generously shared his thoughts on all aspects of street photography, from history to philosophy to the very practical aspects. The workshop content was great too, we went to different places almost every day, had long shooting sessions, and in each session Jonathan worked tirelessly with us. The highlights for me were the markets around Oaxaca, and of course the San Martin carnival. I would love to join him again if i get a chance.
Sandip Aine - Oaxaca Feb 2023
The following helped make the workshop a successful event.
The pre-workshop 'tasks' and information gathering were relevant. Jonathan's feedback on our images at the initial group meeting helped set expectations. This was followed up with a personalised written portfolio review post-workshop.
With just 3 participants, we were allocated regular (three hour) one-on-one sessions in the field which allowed for personalized tuition, practice and discussion. Feedback from daily image reviews informed ways to improve. His priority was on our shooting, not his. Personalized arrival guides for each participant, a daily booking in a meeting room for reviews and timely communication helped the workshop run smoothly.