"Like a magician, a photographer can weave spells with their camera, creating images that provoke imagination, stir emotions, and reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary." — Gil Ribeiro
Out on Lisbon's streets, we'll start the day learning Gil's approach: how to approach without disrupting a scene, anticipating moments before they happen, and adjusting settings on the fly. We'll learn to craft stories with the unpredictable behaviour of people going about their day.
After lunch, we'll reconvene at Absent to work through the day's images with Gil. What makes one frame work when the one before it doesn't? How do we start to see like cinematographers? Gil will talk through how he's developed his career as an artist over more than a decade shooting street and documentary photography.
This workshop is limited to 12 participants, so everyone gets 1:1 attention from Gil and deep feedback on their work.
Schedule
Saturday 8 August 2026
9:00
Meet at Rua Augusta Arch
9:00 – 12:00
Morning photowalk through Lisbon's Baixa. Working with Gil through the streets, you'll practise moving through scenes without disrupting them, anticipating moments, and building quick technical reflexes with your own camera.
12:00 – 13:00
Lunch break — solo or with the group
13:00 – 16:00
Afternoon session at Absent, Rua da Glória 78. The group reviews the morning's shots together — a collective study in selection, sequencing, and developing a recognisable voice.
What you'll learn
The invisible approach
How to practise respectful, discreet street photography. Reading posture, movement, and spatial awareness so you're positioned when the moment arrives, not chasing it after it's gone.
Planned serendipity
How to engineer luck: identifying locations with high visual potential, understanding where light and activity will converge, and being ready when they do. Spontaneity is a byproduct of preparation.
Build reflexes
Street photography is the ultimate technical challenge. We'll work on building an instinctive command of your own camera and how your setup responds to changing light and focal distance, so that adjusting on the fly becomes reflex rather than thought.
Develop your voice
We'll review the morning's shots and discuss how to hone your unique, recognisable voice. What drew you to certain scenes over others? What feels urgent for you to say as an artist? The goal is building discipline and judgement that turns a style into a practice.
What to Bring
- Your camera (any system)
- Spare batteries and memory cards
- Comfortable shoes for walking
Who Should Attend
This workshop is for photographers drawn to street and documentary work who want to sharpen their instincts and deepen their practice. You don't need to be a full-time photographer. If you want to understand how a cinematographer's eye shapes a still frame, and develop the discipline to build a consistent, recognisable body of work, this day is for you.
About the Photographer
Gil Ribeiro is a Lisbon-based street and documentary photographer with a background in cinematography — he graduated as a director of photography from FH Dortmund film school and has been working as a DoP since 2014. He co-founded the Lisbon Street Photo Fest in 2024, and his work has been published in Público, Fuji X Passion, Revue 6Mois, and 121 Clicks, among others. His work is instantly recognisable for its cinematic atmosphere and rich narrative potential.
Published in Público · Fuji X Passion · Revue 6Mois · 121 Clicks
