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Street Photography Assignments to Overcome Social Anxiety

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Street photography is the best tool to overcome social anxiety and fear:

## Thank you street photography

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First of all, I have street photography to thank empowering me. Street photography has empowered me to approach strangers. Street photography has given me the self-confidence to start my own business. Street photography has helped me overcome my fear of rejection.

eric kim street photography - color - chroma-3

The more I think about it, street photography is the most useful as a tool for overcoming fear and anxiety.

Living is hard. Especially as a human being in today’s society.

How can we use street photography as a tool to overcome our social anxiety? Some ideas:

## 1. Overcome the fear of rejection

eric kim eye contact street portrait

One of the biggest fears we have is rejection. But who cares if you get rejected? The more comfortable you are with rejection, the more you can take risks in life— and do something epic in life.

The assignment is to approach a bunch of strangers, and ask them:

> Do you mind if I made your portrait?

The assignment is to *intentionally* get 10 people to reject you. You have to keep asking for permission, until you get 10 people to say “no.”

### Why do this assignment?

Why do this assignment? It will make you *look forward to getting rejected*.

This idea is powerful. What if you lived a life where you wanted to get rejected?

For example, you see a beautiful person and want to approach them and say hello. You want to ask them on a date. If you *expected* and *wanted* to get rejected— you would have no fear to approach that person.

If your dream is to build your own business and be an entrepreneur — what if your expectation was to get rejected, yet didn’t give up? What if you made 100 cold calls, and didn’t fear getting rejected? Because the truth is, if you make 100 cold calls trying to sell your product, you will probably get at least 1 person to say ‘yes.’

## 2. Make eye contact

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Another tip — many of us have social anxiety of eye contact.

Street photography is a great tool to overcome fear of eye contact. Because often the best street photographs have strong eye contact.

To start off, the assignment is to take street photographs (without permission) — where you intentionally try to get eye contact.

The assignment: you are *not* allowed to make any photos without eye contact.

So the way you can do this, walk on the streets with your camera, and if you see someone interesting: hold up your camera, and wait until your subject notices your presence, until they turn around. Then you make a photograph. If they make eye contact with you, just smile and say: “Thank you.”

### Why do this assignment?

If you are comfortable with eye contact, you will become more confident in all aspects of life. Strong eye contact in business is essential. Strong eye contact with potential lovers.

And not only that but being comfortable to stare at your own reflection in the mirror, and feel comfortable with who you look at.

## 3. Ask someone to make your portrait

eric kim portrait
Portrait by Cindy / Hanoi, 2017

The last assignment: walk the streets, and find someone you want to photograph, and you first approach them and you ask them:

> Excuse me, do you mind making *my* portrait?

You hand them your camera, and ask them to make a portrait of you.

Then after they do that, you ask them:

> Do you mind if I also made *your* portrait?

### Why do this assignment?

This is a great assignment because not only does it empower your subject, it empowers you.

## Conclusion

muhammad-ali-sonny-liston-apjpg-72962f764c2144bb
Muhammad Ali

Step on the neck of fear.

Fear is what holds us back from achieving our dreams. From achieving our fullest potential.

The first step to living a noble life is to overcome our fears of rejection and social anxiety.

Use street photography as a tool to empower you.

Be strong,
Eric

Conquer your fears >

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How to conquer your fears:

If you want assignments to conquer your fear of shooting street photography, read the free ebook: “31 Days to Overcome Your Fear in Street Photography