ANDERS PETERSEN

Anders Petersen • Surprised by the Unpredictable

Livorno, Italy

April 24-30, 2027

Step into the world of legendary photographer Anders Petersen for a transformative 5-day street photography experience in Livorno.Over these intensive days, you will photograph a mixed atmosphere of human emotion. From the historic alleys of Venezia Nuova to the bustling working port, Livorno will serve as your canvas to challenge your perception and refine your personal voice.

Anders Petersen’s workshops are an event themselves. We will talk about photography, cinema, life, love… it’s Anders’ world! We will take new photographs, find inspiration for new projects to carry on later. We will go wherever our imaginations – and Anders’ ceaseless creativity – takes us.

Expect your perspectives to shift. The week will be about photography, of course, but it will be mainly about you. It will be about how you want to use your camera to re-interpret the world, within and without you.

The week will be divided between theory classes, shooting time, discussion, sharing moments.

Usually we run theory classes in the morning, looking at your portfolio first and then having a group critique of the work produced on location.

This isn’t just a workshop—it’s an intensive journey into raw human connection, narrative depth, and the art of seeing. Guided by Anders Petersen’s iconic approach to atmosphere and intimacy, you will push the boundaries of your craft, exploring Livorno’s gritty harbors, historic quarters, and untamed local life.

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Anders Petersen has been a “regular” at TPW since 2006, when we first met and he started teaching at our workshops in Tuscany.

After many years there, we decided to continue our project together on the road, exploring different cities in Italy. We did not know by then, but we were starting a project that took us to explore many cities of Italy: Venice, Rome, Siracusa, Palermo, Naples, Bologna, Genoa, Florence and recently Bari and Torino

Our destination for 2027 will be Livorno in Tuscany, 80 minutes south-west of Florence.

ABOUT LIVORNO

Anders visited Livorno once, fell in love with its character, and suggested it as our next destination. It was exactly what I was looking for: after exploring Italy’s most iconic cities, Livorno offers a fresh, unfiltered perspective.

What makes Livorno truly special is its people—direct, authentic, and down-to-earth. Unlike traditional tourist hotspots, Livorno remains untouched by mass tourism. We are collaborating with an enthusiastic group of active young local artists, making this the ideal setting for raw, direct street photography. While it may not share the world-famous postcard profile of other tuscan cities like Lucca or Siena, Livorno possesses a fierce, authentic identity and a soul all its own. Beyond hosting one of Europe’s major commercial ports, it is a city deeply rich in history—from the picturesque canals and 17th-century fortresses of Venezia Nuova to its historic vibrant market halls and grand seaside promenade.

They are not used to tourists as other places we’ve been to. I am in contact with a group of very enthusiastic young artists, very active in the  local scene.

It is a city that fully deserves to be explored. It will be ideal for street photography. If you want to compare it to other places, it reminds of Marseille (France) 20 years ago. Rough in its own way, but with a big heart! And, of course, being in Tuscany, the food is incredible!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The number of participants, in order to give more attention to everyone, is limited to 12. If you are interested, please register as soon as possible. This is a very popular workshop and it tends to fill up very quickly!

In April, we expect a mild climate, approx. C° 20 and sunny days.

We meet in the mornings for classes, afternoons free for a quick lunch break and shooting, and in the evenings, if you like, we get together again for dinner, exploring some of the many cafes, bars and little restaurants Livorno has to offer.

We will stay as usual in the historical center. Once we have finalized our base (we have two options so far), we will let you know so that you can start your search for Hotels, and B&B close by.

We can help you in finding accommodation. The city is full of hotels at different costs, B&B and private houses. And, not being such a tourist destination such as the close by Pisa, still relatively good priced.

Accommodation and meals, will be independent and paid separately.

HOW TO GET THERE

BY PLANE

Pisa is the closest Internationa Airport,  connected with most European cities and is located 30 minutes away from the city center by car, or shuttle.

BY TRAIN

Turin is also is l connected with fast trains from northern  and central Italy, trough Florence.

WHAT TO BRING
Bring your camera, if possible with an extra body (or another back up camera) in case something happens to your camera, and we suggest bringing the minimum amount of lenses.
A laptop, with everything that goes with it: cables, chargers, card readers, external hard-disk.

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Anders Petersen has been involved in Swedish photography since the late 60′s. He is one of its central figures, and no one else has made a stronger impact on a younger generation. Yet, he hardly gives the impression of being a father figure. If anything, he is the eternal boy, traveling through an alien wonderland with its secret love encounters and bewildering adult conflicts. His pictures of the world out there somehow seem to be taken in a state of permanent amazement. “Is this what it looks like”, he seems to utter as he points his camera at lovers in the night and at people in the street — or at inmates in Swedish prisons and patrons in a Hamburg bar.

His pictures are intimate, and yet they disclose no all too unpleasant details concerning the people involved. The photographs are taken by the subjects’ consent and with a probing, somewhat detached eye. In the world of Anders Petersen, all things remain incomprehensible and strange — while still indecently enticing.

One of the secrets in Anders Petersen’s photography is his indication of a possible route of escape, a kind of alternative movement through the city, which could lead to a different story. A woman’s gaze into the camera turns into an unsettling invitation, often of the forbidden kind.” (Peder Alton, Swedish art critic)

BIOGRAPHY

Anders Petersen was born 1944 in Stockholm, Sweden. When14 years old his family moved to Karlstad in Värmland, where he met the artists Karin Bodland and Lars Sjögren. In 1961 he stayed for some time in Hamburg in order to learn German and trying to write and paint. He didn’t take any pictures. Five years later he met Christer Strömholm and became a student at his School of Photography in Stockholm. Strömholm was not just his teacher but also a close friend. Their friendship influenced him for life. In 1967 he starts photographing a bar called Café Lehmitz in Hamburg, close to Zeughausmarkt. He was photographing there for a period of almost three years and in 1970 he had his first solo exhibition over the bar in Café Lehmitz with 350 photographs nailed to the wall.

In 1973 he published his first book “Gröna Lund”, about people in an amusementpark in Stockholm. In 1974 he graduated from the Swedish Filmschool, Dramatiska Institutet, in Stockholm. In 1978 he published “Café Lehmitz ” in Germany. In 1984 the first book in a trilogy about locked institutions was published. The three books were about people in a prison, a nursing house, and a mental hospital. After photographing the mental hospital for three years he oriented himself towards a more free approach in a kind of diarylike photography.

During 2003 and 2004 Anders Petersen was appointed Professor of Photography in the School of Photography and Film at the University of Göteborg, Sweden. He regularly has workshops and exhibitions throughout Europe, Asia and in the USA. He has received numerous grants and rewards since the seventies.

In 2003 Anders Petersen was elected the “Photographer of the Year” by the International Photofestival in Arles. In 2006 he was shortlisted as one of four for the “Deutsche Börse Photography Prize”. In 2007 he received the “Special Prize of the Jury” for his exhibition “Exaltation of Humanity” by the third International Photofestival in Lianzhou, China. In 2008 he received the “Dr. Erich Salomon Award” by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Photographie, Germany.

“The Arles Contemporary Book Award for 2009” went to JH Engström and

Anders Petersen’s collaborative book “From Back Home” by Max Ström.

The book was nominated to “The Best Photographic Book in Sweden, year 2009” and also Winner of Design Bronze Lion in Cannes. In 2010, he was in the jury for the BMW Prize at Paris Photo.

Anders Petersen has his darkroom in Stockholm, Sweden

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PRACTICAL INFO