STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - NORTHERN VIETNAM
March 5-14, 2027
With Leica Ambassador Robin Schimko
Location: Starting from Hanoi/Vietnam
HANOI STREETS, BUDDHIST PILGRIMAGES, TEMPLE FESTIVALS & HIGHLAND MARKETS
Early-morning exercise around Hanoi's lakes. Tiny cafés spilling onto the pavement. Incense drifting through Buddhist temples. Pilgrims climbing sacred mountains. Festival processions moving through crowds. Traders arriving at highland markets before sunrise.
For ten days, we'll travel from the streets of Hanoi into the mountains of Northern Vietnam, photographing places where tradition and everyday life intersect.
This isn't a sightseeing tour with photography added to it.
The journey has been designed around photographic opportunity - putting us in the right places at the right times, returning when necessary, and giving ourselves enough time to observe rather than simply passing through.
We'll photograph Hanoi over an entire weekend, experience the Buddhist pilgrimage atmosphere of Yên Tử, spend a full day at the Cửa Ông Temple Festival, explore rural communities around Bắc Hà, and finish with two very different highland markets.
Expect early mornings, long days, changing conditions and a lot of photography.
WHY NORTHERN VIETNAM?
Vietnam is incredibly rich visually, but what makes the north especially interesting for street and documentary photography is the variety of situations we can encounter within a relatively small part of the country.
Hanoi gives us density, movement and layers.
Yên Tử slows everything down, replacing traffic and crowded streets with pilgrims, incense and mountain temples.
Cửa Ông brings us into the middle of a major traditional festival.
And in the highlands around Bắc Hà, photography shifts again toward villages, rural life and weekly markets that bring communities together from across the surrounding mountains.
Over ten days, you'll need to constantly adapt.
Sometimes we'll work quickly in crowded situations. Sometimes we'll find a strong background and wait. Sometimes we'll follow an event as it develops. And sometimes the best photograph will come from something completely unexpected along the road.
That variety is exactly what makes this journey exciting.
THE JOURNEY
MARCH 5-7 - HANOI
Hoàn Kiếm Lake & the Old Quarter
We begin with three days in Hanoi, deliberately covering the entire weekend.
Our main photographic base will be Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter, an area that changes dramatically between dawn and night.
Early mornings around the lake bring runners, exercise groups, Tai Chi, dancing and vendors beginning their day. A few hours later, the surrounding streets fill with cafés, markets, deliveries, motorcycles and the everyday rhythm of the Old Quarter.
Then the weekend changes everything.
The streets around Hoàn Kiếm become pedestrianised and fill with families, children, performers, musicians, games and spontaneous gatherings.
We'll photograph the area repeatedly - from the quiet blue light before sunrise to crowded evenings illuminated by shopfronts and street lights.
By the third day, you'll begin recognising where situations develop and anticipating photographs rather than simply reacting to Hanoi's chaos.
MARCH 8 - YÊN TỬ
Pilgrimage
After Hanoi, we travel east to Yên Tử, one of Northern Vietnam's most important Buddhist pilgrimage destinations.
Our attention won't only be on temples and architecture.
We'll photograph the human side of the pilgrimage: people climbing the mountain, prayer, incense, offerings, vendors and the constant movement between temples.
It's a completely different photographic environment from Hanoi and an opportunity to work with gesture, atmosphere and quieter moments.
We photograph through the afternoon and return for an early session the following morning.
MARCH 9-10 - CỬA ÔNG
Temple Festival
From Yên Tử we continue toward Cửa Ông.
Arriving the day before the festival gives us time to understand the location, photograph preparations and identify where events are likely to unfold.
Then comes one of the most important photographic days of the entire journey:
Cửa Ông Temple Festival.
We'll arrive before the main activity begins and spend the entire day following events as they develop.
The festival can include religious ceremonies, traditional clothing, drums, banners, offerings, processions and large numbers of pilgrims.
But we'll look beyond the official spectacle.
People waiting. Families arriving. Musicians preparing. Food stalls. Spectators. Small gestures in the crowd. Moments before and after the procession.
Often these quieter situations produce the photographs that tell the deeper story.
The exact 2027 festival programme will be adapted once the official schedule is published.
MARCH 11 - THE ROAD NORTH
Cửa Ông - Bắc Hà
Today we travel across Northern Vietnam toward the highlands of Lào Cai Province.
There is deliberately no packed sightseeing schedule.
Along the way, we'll remain flexible and stop when interesting photographic opportunities arise - a roadside restaurant, agricultural work, a small town, a gathering or simply an unexpected scene.
Sometimes the photographs you remember most are the ones you never planned.
By evening, we reach Bắc Hà, our base for the final part of the journey.
MARCH 12 - BẮC HÀ HIGHLANDS
Villages & Rural Life
We begin before sunrise and travel into the highlands surrounding Bắc Hà.
Working with local knowledge, we'll spend time in selected communities rather than racing from village to village.
The emphasis remains the same as throughout the workshop:
observe first, photograph second.
We'll look for everyday activity, relationships, gestures and small moments of rural life rather than constructing or staging photographs.
Depending on the season, early March may also bring plum and peach blossom to the surrounding hills.
MARCH 13 - CÁN CẤU MARKET
Before the Market Wakes Up
We leave before dawn for Cán Cấu Market.
The goal is to arrive while the market is still taking shape.
Traders arrive. Livestock is brought in. Breakfast is cooked. Stalls are assembled. Conversations and negotiations begin.
This early period is often more interesting photographically than the market at its busiest because we're able to photograph the transition from an almost empty space into a dense social environment.
We'll work through the morning, including the livestock areas, and may continue photographing along the surrounding roads as people begin returning home.
MARCH 14 - BẮC HÀ MARKET
One Last Morning
Our final photography session begins before sunrise at Bắc Hà's Sunday market.
By now we've already spent several days in the region and photographed another major market.
That means there's no need to chase every colourful scene.
Instead, we'll slow down.
We'll look for smaller stories, interactions, relationships and moments that bring together everything we've been working on throughout the journey.
After the market, we return to the hotel, collect our luggage and begin the journey back to Hanoi's Nội Bài International Airport.
A late international departure is strongly recommended or you can stay the night in Hanoi.
WHAT TO EXPECT
This workshop is built around intensive photography in real-world situations.
We'll work on composition, layering, gesture, light, color, anticipation and visual storytelling, while also discussing the practical side of photographing confidently in busy public spaces.
A major part of the workshop will be learning when to move and when to stay.
Instead of constantly searching for the next location, we'll often return to places we already know. Understanding how a location works allows you to stop reacting to everything around you and begin anticipating photographs before they happen.
I'll work closely with each participant throughout the journey, helping you identify habits in your photography, strengthen what already works and push beyond the obvious photographs.
We'll also make time for image reviews and discussions along the way so that what we learn during one session can immediately be applied to the next.
HIGHLIGHTS
Over ten days, we'll experience an unusually diverse range of photographic situations:
Hanoi over an entire weekend - from dawn exercise around Hoàn Kiếm Lake to the crowded pedestrian streets after dark.
Yên Tử pilgrimage - temples, incense, prayer and pilgrims moving through the mountain landscape.
Cửa Ông Temple Festival - a full day dedicated to photographing one of the journey's most important cultural events.
Northern highlands - rural communities and everyday life around Bắc Hà.
Cán Cấu & Bắc Hà markets - two early-morning market sessions with completely different photographic possibilities.
Most importantly, we'll have time.
YOU’LL LEAVE WITH
The goal isn't simply to return home with thousands of photographs from Vietnam.
It's to become a more intentional photographer.
You'll develop greater confidence working in unfamiliar environments, a better understanding of how to read complex scenes and stronger instincts for recognising photographs before they fully develop.
We'll work on getting closer, simplifying compositions, building layers, recognising gestures and understanding when patience is more valuable than movement.
And throughout the journey, you'll be encouraged to think beyond individual "good shots" and start recognising connections between your photographs.
The aim is to leave Northern Vietnam with a stronger body of work - and a stronger way of seeing.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This workshop is for photographers who want more than “lucky shots.” Whether you’ve been shooting for years or are just starting to take your practice seriously, if you’re ready to go deep, this is for you.
You don’t need to shoot with a Leica - all gear types are welcome.
We’ll work hard, shoot a lot, and have honest conversations about your strengths, blind spots, and potential.
ABOUT YOUR MENTOR
I’m Robin Schimko, a photographer based in Heidelberg, Germany. I’ve been shooting street for over 15 years - mostly while on the road - and working with Leica since 2015. As a Leica Ambassador, I’ve led workshops, mentored photographers, and pursued long-term projects across Asia and Europe.
This workshop is a reflection of my own photographic journey - full of movement, culture, and moments of unexpected connection.
DETAILS
Dates: March 5th - March 14th, 2027
Location: Vietnam (from and to Hanoi)
Group size: Max 5 participants
Skill level: Intermediate and above
Language: English
Workshop fee: € 1350 (€ 1150 Early Bird until October 31)
Included: Mentoring, group walks, reviews, assignments
Not included: Travel, accommodation, insurance, meals
STAY READY. STAY CURIOUS.
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
In Hong Kong, opportunity never stops moving - and this workshop will teach you how to keep up, see deeper, and photograph with purpose.
READY TO JOIN?
If you’re ready for five days of high-adrenaline photography, intense cultural immersion, and personal growth with your camera - this is for you.
Let’s go deep. Let’s shoot hard. Let’s experience something unforgettable together.
Reserve your spot now.
See the dedicated workshop page for details. (click here)
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The exact meeting location will be communicated two week before the workshop.
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You'll need a digital camera capable of manual settings for exposure and focus. I recommend bringing a single lens with a focal length between 24 and 35mm (full frame equivalent). Shooting film is also an option, but ensure you can develop and scan the film on the same day, ready by the following morning. If you have additional questions about required gear, please reach out.
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We can make arrangements—just contact me before the workshop begins.
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If I need to cancel the workshop for any reason, a full refund will be provided. If you need to cancel, a full refund (minus a 10% administration fee) is available up to two months before the workshop. If you cancel within two months, you can attend any future workshop within one year from the original date at no extra cost.
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If you need help choosing a hotel, feel free to reach out. I’d be happy to recommend the best areas to stay in and suggest options based on your preferences.