São Luís do Maranhão / Brazil
Street photography workshop
“Bumba Meu Boi” Festival in the Amazon
20 June - 24 June 2026
The 20% "early bird" discount has been permanently applied to this workshop. We try to open our workshops to the widest possible audience.
1400 € per person | 6 days | 8-10 spots
Mentors: Alex Almeida & Stéphane Kyndt
By Alex Almeida
With Alex Almeida & Stéphane Kyndt
The Bumba Meu Boi Festival is one of Brazil’s most powerful and visually rich cultural celebrations. Each year, the historic streets of São Luís do Maranhão, in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon region, explode with music, costumes, rituals, and emotion—offering an extraordinary stage for street and documentary photography. The intensity of the festivities, combined with the city’s colonial architecture and vibrant street life, creates a rare environment for visual storytelling.
Now imagine spending 5 immersive days photographing this unique event from the inside.
Under the guidance of Alex Almeida, a local street and documentary photographer who knows São Luís and the Bumba Meu Boi Festival intimately, alongside Stéphane Kyndt of Street-Macadam, you will gain privileged access to the celebrations and learn how to photograph complex, fast-moving scenes with confidence.
Alex’s deep connection to the place and the event will allow you to anticipate moments, understand traditions, and capture images that go far beyond surface-level visuals.
This workshop is more than a photographic experience—it’s a cultural immersion. You’ll learn how to observe deeply, anticipate emotion, and connect with people in moments of celebration and intensity. Surrounded by color, movement, and music, you will create powerful, authentic images that reflect the soul of this extraordinary festival.
Whether you are a beginner or an experienced photographer, you will receive continuous guidance during daily shooting sessions, with practical tips and techniques you can apply immediately. You will leave with a strong body of work, unforgettable memories, and the rare privilege of having lived and photographed one of Brazil’s most spectacular and lesser-known cultural events.
Some of the great assets of this workshop
- Receive practical tools to improve your approach on the street
- Gain confidence in candid shooting
- Discover your own unique style
- Refine your skills through one-on-one shooting sessions
- Expand your creative possibilities
- Learn new approaches and improve your unique way of shooting
- Receive constructive feedback to help you craft cohesive visual narratives
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, this workshop welcomes all who are passionate about learning, shooting, and immersing themselves in the vibrant essence of São Luís do Maranhão.
Worskhop Highlights
Local experience
We prepare and travel with a local photographer as to make sure we shoot and visit the best locations in the best circumstances.
Customized Lessons
Tailored discussions based on your interests and identified areas for growth.
Joint Photo Reviews
Direct feedback from established photographers in joint reviews with all participants as to learn and be inspired by other photographers. See the world you are shooting through different eyes and you will most definitely learn a lot.
Individual Portfolio or Project Review
A thorough evaluation of your portfolio or project to pinpoint areas for improvement.
1-on-1 Shooting Time
We offer personalized shooting sessions during the workshop with one of the instructors to refine your skills.
The group of max 10 participants will be divided into 2 groups. Each small group will greatly benefit from the support and expertise of one of the guides.
Each group, will change mentors regularly, allowing you to experience different approaches to street photography and learn how to approach people and work the scene effectively.
This rotation ensures that you will gain diverse perspectives and techniques, enhancing your skills and especially your creative eye.
If the photographer mentors choose to stay together with the group, the second photographer will walk at a distance from the main group and may occasionally take different directions. This approach helps avoid having a large group photographing the same scenes and encourages a more varied street photography experience.
By the end of the workshop, you will have developed a well-rounded understanding of street photography, ready to apply these insights to your own journey.
Some of the personal goals you can address together with your local mentors:
Discovering Your Personal Style
Explore various influences, review past work, and participate in on-location assignments to pinpoint your unique style and solidify your photographic identity.
Understanding Visual Stories
Learn to select and approach stories that will stand out visually, enriching your images with deeper meaning and context.
Crafting a Visual Language
Discussions on using elements like color, mood, and composition to bring your stories to life. Hands-on sessions will teach you how to use these elements effectively.
Advance Sequencing
Understand how to piece together photos for a seamless narrative, focusing on pacing and themes.
Techniques for a Cohesive Body of Work
Learn to incorporate themes, maintain visual consistency, utilize repetition, and apply intentional composition to enhance storytelling.
Collaborating with a Documentary Photographer
Gain insights and tips on adopting a documentary approach to elevate your project’s narrative.
Constructive Criticism
Participate in both group and one-on-one feedback sessions in a supportive, non-competitive environment, fostering meaningful connections and personalized improvement.
Gear
We encourage participants to shoot with gear that they are very familiar with. Comfort is also important as we will be walking for a few hours. It is strongly encouraged to bring a laptop computer or a tablet to show your work during the photos review. Post processing is optional and you can use the processing software you are most familiar with.
What’s included and what is not
Included in the workshop is the fee for all photographer guides (Local and from Street Macadam)
We will be sending a PDF document that includes the day-by-day workshop schedule, along with a map of the geographic area where we recommend participants arrange their accommodations. We will help you to find the best place to stay if you need any help. Also, we’ll provide great ideas about where to eat/ go out. Local costs are very low.
Not included is the airfare, accommodation, food & drinks and transportation.
Local Guides
Alex Almeida
Alex Almeida
Alex Almeida is a 52-year-old Brazilian photographer with experience in Cuba and Africa.
With a background in journalism, he has worked with photography for 30 years. Initially dedicated to photojournalism for major Brazilian newspapers, he later pursued an independent career, migrating to documentary photography and street photography.
He has portrayed indigenous peoples and quilombos (settlements of escaped slaves) in the labyrinthine Amazon rainforest of Brazil.
His photos circulate around the world in editorial publications and exhibitions.
The photograph "The Dancers of Paraisópolis" is one of the most iconic in Brazil this century, having been published in several countries and continents.
In his travels through the Amazon or the outskirts of large Brazilian cities, his gaze is focused on Brazilian culture, the environment, and social transformations.
Stéphane Kyndt
Stéphane Kyndt
Stéphane Kyndt is a professional photographer since 1997. Through self-teaching and relentless practice, he honed his skills, delving deep into the intricacies of framing, technique, and storytelling.
Over time, he forged a distinctive photographic style characterized by its humanistic ethos, rich colors, warmth, and an unwaveringly positive outlook on life.
He has worked for many different press agency (Sygma- Alamo Press - H&K).
His photographic expeditions, often centered on documentary and street photography, serve as poignant testimonies to the human condition and the myriad facets of culture and society.
Through his lens, he invites us to embrace the vivid spectrum of life, to savor its vibrancy, and to find beauty in the ordinary.
TERM & CONDITIONS:
Responsibility: Street Macadam will provide educational enrichment during his workshops, the other providers are solely responsible and liable for providing their respective services. Street Macadam shall not be held responsible for (A) any damage to, or loss of, property or injury to, or death of, persons occasioned directly or indirectly by an act or omission of any other provider, and (B) any loss or damage due to delay, cancellation, or disruption in any manner caused by the laws, regulations, acts or failures to act, demands, orders, or interpositions of any government, or by acts of nature, strikes, fire, flood, war, terrorism, sickness, theft, or any other cause(s) beyond their control. The participant waives any claim against Street Macadam for any such loss, damage, injury, or death. Street Macadam reserves the right in their sole discretion to accept, decline to accept or remove any participant on any photo workshop. Street Macadam reserves the right, without penalty, to make changes in the itinerary whenever, in their judgment, conditions warrants, or if they deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participants. You have assumed the responsibility to select an activity appropriate to your physical abilities and interests. You are personally responsible for being in sufficiently good health to undertake the activity.
All registrations are accepted in the order received. Early registration is strongly suggested since there are limited spaces available. For international photography workshops, the balance payment is due 120 days prior to the beginning of the workshop. Any registration received within 120 days of a trip requires full payment.
Eligibility: Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entire journey.
Included in tuition only cost is small group instruction by Street Macadam photo walks and 1:1 critique time; 2 meals; & pre-departure information. Not included: Air transportation, hotel accommodation, other lunches and dinners, dinner beverages and personal expenses.
Additionally we ask that you contact us before purchasing your plane ticket. Our goal is to supervise this workshop with the utmost professionalism and avoid any potential disappointments.
Book your Workshop to São Luís do Maranhão | Deposit 500 € | Full payment 1400 €
20 June- 24 June 2026
5 Days | 8-10 Spots
Accomodations, meals & Local transport are note included in the prices
Refund policy:
Payment, cancellation, and refunds: To reserve a spot to this Street Macadam workshop, a €500 per person deposit is required. Final payment is due no later than 120 days prior to departure to reserve your spot. Your reservation may be canceled if full payment is not received 120 days prior to the beginning of the workshop. If you are unable or you choose to no longer attend a Street Macadam workshop, the following refund schedule will apply:
120 or more days prior to the beginning of the workshop: The deposit is non-refundable.
Less than 120 days prior to the workshop: No refund. However, if there is a waiting list and we are able to fill your spot at the last minute, your tuition may be applied towards another photo adventure within a year. An administrative fee of €300 will be applied.
Cancellation notification must be sent by email.
Leaving a workshop in progress, for any reason, will not result in a refund. We reserve the right to cancel a trip because of an inadequate number of participants making the workshop economically infeasible to operate or due of geopolitical issues, civil unrest, or emerging instability in the destination country that could compromise safety or the proper conduct of the workshop. In the event that a workshop is canceled prior to departure, you will receive a full refund of the cost of the workshop.
Travel insurance: For your protection, travel insurance is strongly recommended.
A deposit of €500 or payment in full is required in order to save a spot.
All major credit cards accepted at check out.
