A Warm Welcome in Rome

Rome already felt cinematic before the workshop had even started.

The evening light reflected against old buildings, scooters rushed through narrow streets like they were late for an Italian movie scene, and somewhere between all of that, sixteen photographers from around the world gathered for dinner before the first official workshop day.

We met at a local restaurant in Rome where long tables slowly filled with pasta dishes, wine glasses, cameras, and nervous excitement. Plates of cacio e pepe and fresh ravioli kept appearing as conversations became easier and louder throughout the evening.

What surprised me most was Steve McCurry and Eolo Perfido themselves.

You would expect internationally known photographers to arrive with a certain distance or seriousness around them, but it was exactly the opposite. Throughout the evening, Steve and Eolo casually moved from table to table, sitting down with different groups, talking about photography, travel, life, and Rome itself. It felt relaxed immediately.

No ego. No celebrity attitude. Just two photographers who genuinely love what they do. And honestly, that made everyone relax too.

Asking Steve McCurry One Important Question

At one point during dinner, I finally asked Steve a question I had been thinking about all day: “What makes a photograph good in your eyes?”

His answer was surprisingly simple.

A photograph is good when you, as the photographer, truly believe in it yourself. If the image comes from your own feeling, your own vision, and you stand behind it completely, then it already has value.

Steve also shared something I did not expect.

Early in his career, people told him photography probably was not the right profession for him. Hearing that from Steve McCurry honestly felt almost impossible to believe. But at the same time, it was strangely motivating too.

Even one of the world’s most respected photographers started with rejection and doubt.

According to Steve, photography is partly persistence, partly instinct, and yes, sometimes a little luck too. But most importantly: you keep going.

Eolo’s Approach to Photography

Later that evening, I asked Eolo Perfido the same question. His answer had a different energy but the same passion behind it.

For Eolo, photography comes directly from emotion and practice. You develop your eye by constantly photographing. Even after years of experience, he still spends hours on the streets of Rome almost every day with his camera.

That immediately stood out to me during the workshop.

Neither Steve nor Eolo photograph on autopilot. They still observe everything carefully. They still challenge themselves. They still search for moments.

That mindset inspired me more than any camera setting ever could.

The First Official Workshop Day

The next morning, the workshop officially started in one of Eolo’s photography studios in Rome.

We began with theory, although “theory” makes it sound much more formal than it actually was. The atmosphere felt open, relaxed, and creative from the beginning. Everyone could ask questions freely, which made the entire experience feel personal instead of academic.

Steve showed us photographs from throughout his career and explained how he approaches storytelling, patience, color, composition, and timing. One thing became very clear quickly: Steve photographs with incredible patience. Sometimes he waits quietly for a moment to unfold naturally instead of forcing it.

Eolo approached photography differently. His style is faster, more instinctive, and highly reactive to movement on the streets. He explained how important hand positioning, camera readiness, and timing are in street photography because moments disappear within seconds. And that is absolutely true.

A person turns their head.
The light changes.
Someone walks into your frame.
The expression disappears.

If your camera settings are not ready already, the moment is gone.

Learning With a Brand-New Camera

To make things slightly more stressful, I had brought my completely new Sony A7 III to the workshop. A camera I had barely used before arriving in Rome.

So while trying to absorb lessons from Steve McCurry and Eolo Perfido, I was also learning my camera at the same time. Looking back, maybe not the most relaxing decision I have ever made. But strangely enough, it helped.

Because I could not rely on routine yet, I had to slow down and think carefully before every shot. Instead of photographing automatically, I became more aware of composition, settings, and timing.

By the end of the first day, the camera already started feeling less intimidating and much more natural in my hands.

Rome Through Different Eyes

One of the most interesting parts of the workshop was learning how both photographers looked at Rome itself.

Not as tourists.
Not as postcard photography.

But as layers of light, people, gestures, shadows, colors, movement, and emotion. The street photography sessions did not begin early in the morning, but later in the afternoon.

We first met at the Leica Store in Rome, where Steve and Eolo discussed photography, reviewed our work, answered questions, and prepared us for the afternoon ahead. Afterwards, we headed into the streets in two separate groups, one with Steve and one with Eolo. Later, we switched groups so everyone could experience both approaches to street photography.

What stood out most was their focus on people rather than landmarks. Of course Rome is beautiful, but for Steve and Eolo, the real story was happening in the streets themselves: expressions, movement, gestures, conversations, and small everyday moments. As the light softened towards sunset, the atmosphere in the city became even more photogenic. People appeared everywhere, and suddenly the streets themselves became the subject.

Final Thoughts

By the end of the first workshop day, I already understood that this experience was going to be much bigger than simply learning camera techniques.

It was about observation.
Patience.
Storytelling.
Trusting your own eye.

And honestly, walking back through the streets of Rome that evening, camera in hand, I think all of us felt the same thing: We were exactly where we were supposed to be.