Month: May 2018

If you want more personal meaning in your photography, I recommend starting your own personal photography project.

PHANTOM BLACK: Henri Shoulder Strap on Amazon 🔥🔥🔥. Limited-Edition PHANTOM BLACK Henri Shoulder Strap. Always have your camera strapped on your neck or shoulder, and make some new epic visual boulders. Make hot photos, make it smolder. Make photos everyday, regardless of the day, or whether it’s black and grey. Keep prowling the streets with…

I’m in this interesting genre of photography called “street photography”. It’s a funny, fulfilling, and epic genre of photography in which we have this passion and curiosity of photographing strangers. But before I talk about specifics on how to photograph strangers, let’s tackle a bigger question: Why photograph strangers? So for myself, I photograph strangers…

Hey brother, I understand your relationship to the gram Every morning we wake up and turn to the left and pick up our phone How many new likes did I get? How many new followers did I get? What’s your plan for getting more followers? What’s the new hashtag I should hop on? Oh shit,…

If you want to make more meaningful photos of your life, photograph your partner, your best friend; perhaps your wife.

What does it feel like to be “famous”, what are the benefits of fame? Is it desirable to be famous, or actually harmful/negative? Let me share some of my perspectives being an “internet famous” photographer. Okay so upfront, it’s “net positive” for me to be internet famous. Why? It has opened up a lot of…

I think it was Weegee who first said, “F8 and be there!” in terms of his advice for aspiring photographers (thanks to my friend Kevin for the idea).

Continuation of 2001: Space Odyssey Composition.

Dear friends, Fresh off the HAPTIC PRESS: 10 Ways to Boost Your Creativity: PDF Visualization by ANNETTE KIM!

Dear friend, I want to take it back to basics to your photography: to respark your passion and enthusiasm for photography. Let’s take it back to “first principles” by asking ourselves, “What is photography, and why shoot photos?”

5 practical street photography compositions you can integrate into your photography today!

Continuation of Part 1: Cinematography and Composition Lessons from All the Money in the World (2017) film by Ridley Scott.

Dear friend, I think all of us seek to be “happy” in life. But to me, the concept of “happiness” is too vague and imprecise. What I think we are really chasing is the “creative spirit of ecstasy” (inspired by the Rolls Royce emblem).

You’re on a new level You’ve sharpened your bezels Putting your self-doubt in the dirt You deserve a gold medal! Yesterday you took an L, but today you’re ready to fight back You’re back in beast mode, black eyes, ready to go fast You’re on a totally new spiritual plane Ain’t nobody else in your…

Humans by default aren’t lazy! A lot of psychologists and pseudo-intellectuals spout that humans are naturally lazy and unmotivated, and this is the cause of our obesity, our lethargy, and laziness. I disagree. I think by nature, humans are adventurous, explorers, and curious individuals who are rather made passive by video games, media, news, social…

Something I’ve been pondering for a a long time: what makes something “beautiful” vs “ugly?” What makes a beautiful photograph, and what makes a “bad”/ugly photograph? Applied wider: what makes certain designs appealing (car design, bag design, watch design, home design)? Are aesthetics 100% subjective or is there any objectivity in it? Is beauty based…

Dear friend, A thought I have: when life gives you two options: A: Safer, less risky option and B: Riskier, more uncertain, more adventurous option Take the option B: the riskier, bolder, or more interesting/adventurous option to live a happier, more fun, and more interesting life! My reasoning is this: What we often perceive as…

New batch of photos from the suburbs of LA, shot on Lumix G9, Leica 12mm f/1.4 Lens, and medium-JPEG processed in ERIC KIM PRESETS:

I’ve been super inspired by my 3 year old niece, Amelia. The way she sees the world with curiosity, excitement, and fun! Why see the world from a child’s eyes? Our entire life we’ve been taught to “grow up”, to stop being so “childlike”, and for us to listen to rules, to obey, and to…

You are power You can create beauty, hour after hour You have beautiful gifts, Share it, and let it shower. Why doubt yourself? In life you were dealt a royal flush Play your cards right Unleash all of your creative might. Your future is bright and clear You got the steering wheel; just steer! Poetry…

Is it okay to die and not have anyone remember you after you die?

Dear friend, If you want to work on your own (meaningful) photography project, this is the advice I would give to you:

I think all of us as street photographers are hunters of the “decisive moment”: that split-second of beauty in life. Definition of the “Decisive Moment” The term “decisive moment” was coined by Henri Cartier-Bresson (who got the concept from a poem). I would define “the Decisive Moment” as the following: A moment which shows the…

Street portraits (2011-2018) by ERIC KIM:

Dear friend, One of the most challenging things in street photography is mastering your own psychology; to conquer your personal fears in photographing strangers (either with or without permission), to overcome the feeling of moralistic/ethical guilt of photographing strangers, and how to not hesitate before hitting the shutter!

Color photography portfolio (2011-2018):

Hey STREETTOGS, this is my recommended equipment for street photography:

If you’re passionate about color this advice I would give to you on mastering color street photography for yourself:

Dear friend, A random thought: “real” reality is the best reality!

ERIC KIM MONOCHROME PORTFOLIO (2010-2018):

Why do we get nostalgic?

If you are drawn to interesting people, faces, and subjects, I recommend you to shoot street portraits!

Dear friend, If you want to master black and white street photography for yourself, this is the advice I would give you (advice I wish I could have given myself):

Continuing from Part 2: Epic Cinematography and Philosophy of 2001 Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick:

Dear friend, I think the most important people you must photograph are your loved ones.

Dear friends, Now that Cindy and I are back in LA for a few weeks (and close to our HAPTIC INDUSTRIES inventory), we are super pumped and excited to announce that our brand new product, the Henri Shoulder Strap is now available on Amazon in the limited-edition colors (CREMA BROWN + PHANTOM BLACK).

Kind of a funny experiment I’m testing out: writing (typing on a phone), while on a dynamic treadmill (a treadmill that is purely mechanical and is only moved by the movement of your feet).

Dear friend, A thought I’ve been pondering: what is self-esteem, why is self-esteem important, and how do we get more of it?

A continuation of Part 1: Epic Cinematography and Philosophy of 2001 Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick:

Dear friend, I’m currently at a football stadium, and had a small epiphany: there is something integral to us as human beings when it comes to depth-perception.

Dear friend, I want to give you a distillation of all of the current life hacks, productivity hacks, and random creativity hacks I have– which have helped me (and which I hope can help you!)

Dear friend, One of the attributes that will make you happier as a street photographer is to be bolder as a street photographer!

I just re-watched ‘2001 Space Odyssey’ by Stanley Kubrick, and holy shit– this movie is one of the best movies of all-time.

I’ve been super-inspired recently in my photography: finding more beauty in everyday life — in the small details. Life is great!

Dear friend, I was walking down the street of my boring suburban LA neighborhood, with the Lumix G9 Pro strapped around my wrist with the classic Henri Wrist Strap, and had the thought: The great thing about photography is the zen-like state that it gives you. That you disappear. You’re in the “Zen zone” of…

Why is street photography so great– and how can we make ‘better’/more engaging photos? My suggestion: tell more engaging stories through your photos!

Stanley Kubrick: not only a master film-maker, but also a great photographer.