(Words and Photos by Pierre Belhassen)
I’m Pierre Belhassen. I started photography 10 years ago. After studying cinema, I was given a camera. I wanted to discover New York City. It became a revelation in my life. I realized that there are endless possibilities and different ways to reinvent reality. For me, there was no doubt. I felt this inner calling which gave sense to everything.
This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;)
Disclaimer: Sarcasm doesn’t always transfer into written word.Â
Well, “tomorrow” turned into a week. Thank you for those who worried that I may have relapsed. Not the case! Once an addict, always an addict is what I guess they say. Well, I have honestly been “sober” for quite a while and just now have decided to write down my thoughts. I feel like this, at least in my brain, makes what I’m doing and going through more legitimate.
The real reason for my taking so long to post step 2 was that I recently took a trip to the small town in Korea where I had lived for the first four years of being here. An interesting experience. While of course I’m not Korean, that small town feels more like a hometown than anything else to me anymore.
During the trip, I had a lot of time to think about what I would write here. Step 2 (of overcoming GAS) is probably the hardest for me. I’ve entitled it, “The Pact”, because this step is a self contract to limit the equipment I’ll use for the immediate future.
Basically, the pact I made with myself is as follows:
I, for the foreseeable future will use just two cameras. One film, and one digital. One lens on each. I didn’t limit this to a year, not because I don’t think I can last a year, but, because I want it to last longer than that. I don’t “need” anything else and therefore have no reason to buy anything else.
Okay, so, the two cameras. First, the main camera I have used and will continue to use is a Leica M5 in black. I should start by saying I received this camera from a friend after having to sell a bunch of cameras to pay some bills while back in Canada. I’m sure some people reading this will go out and buy one. I recently wrote about the camera on instagram and the immediate response from some people was something like “it is the one camera I really want.” I thought this to be funny, considering it is the same thought I had about every camera I ever bought. I have this camera because a friend happened to give it to me. IT has been my friend ever since and will continue to be. Any camera is good enough and any camera is one we can use and love. In fact, the longer you own one the more you will love it as is the case with this one. And don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t mocking the person for saying they wanted to buy one, just commenting on the fact I would have one time felt the same way.
Anyway..
I say unabashedly that I love film. It is stupid, I know. Sometimes I say film has a “look” and everyone laughs. I get it, it is like a hipster saying tight jeans and big glasses give them a “look.” Honestly though, I’m sure that in 30 years when I look back at my photos it will be the film ones I remember and still have. I don’t have any explanation for this. Maybe the negatives will be the only thing I would have kept.
…
The lens? Well, I use the 35mm Voigtlander 1.4 SC. Yep, nothing fancy and most people say this lens sucks. I don’t particularly care a whole lot as they are generally the type of people that comment on the photos I took with the Sony 9 year old digital point and shoot and ask me what type of film I used ;)
For me, the lens was cheap, and just about wide enough. Works for me.
I know, I know… Why TWO cameras. People are going to say this is an excuse for me to not commit to one. Well, I believe it is a necessity. Let me explain.
I don’t always have film. I don’t always want to buy film. I don’t always want to pay to process film if I can’t do it.
Yes, not very “artist-y” of me. Well, it is what it is. I sometimes want to shoot but don’t have the time, money, or willpower to do so on film.
Thus, enter the digital camera. Honestly, I chose the Fujifilm Xpro1 for a couple of pretty boring reasons.
First, I had it already so it wasn’t a matter of acquiring one which would be counter productive as I have rid myself of everything else. Second, in practice, it is the most affordable way to get a digital camera to work similarly to the M5 for those times when I’m not shooting film. Part of the reason I came to the conclusion that this process was necessary was that I was disappointed looking at my photos as I felt like they lacked cohesion. While the photos from both will never be exactly the same, because I can use the same lens (albeit as a 50mm lens) on the Fuji, it maintains similar characteristics and sort of a similar look. A big deal for me.
Third and finally, my girlfriend loves the Xpro1. This is kind of a big deal, ha. Probably could have just skipped to this part.
Too much choice is never a good thing. Paralysis by analysis as they say. I remember being on a trip to Japan and having four cameras with me (M9P, M8, GR1V, Leica X1) and a bunch of lenses and honestly having a hard time deciding what to take out in the morning. I would always end up taking two or three cameras “just in case” all the while telling myself I might need one of them for a certain kind of photograph. Stupid as fuck. The trip became about photography, not about being on a trip. I am not a professional photographer, I should enjoy myself on a trip for the sake of enjoying myself. Enjoy the company I’m with and the places I see. Even in everyday life this should be the case.
Not to mention, I can’t tell you how many photos I missed trying to figure out which camera to use and how many times I pissed off the people I was with trying to decide which camera was best. It isn’t worth it. Not to mention the amount of travel I could do with the proceeds of selling off all of those cameras and lenses. Money is always better spent on experience. In 50 years, I can guarantee the fact that I won’t look back at the cameras I owned, but, the experiences I had.
And hopefully I’ve taken some okay photos of those experiences.
Why else take photos in the first place.
So, thus ends step 2. A pact with myself to keep a couple of cameras and be happy with them. Something that is necessary and needs to be done. If I don’t stick to it, you’ll all know and hopefully call me out. You know how addicts like to justify “needs” ha.
Also, I want to thank everyone for the amazing comments both here and at Eric’s blog (if you didn’t know, I have written for my friend Eric Kim‘s blog for years and often post in both places). I appreciate them so much, and always like hearing from people about this stuff. Talking about photography is one of the best ways to get over GAS, haha. Step 3, should come soon and will cover the giving away of cameras instead of selling them as a way to “purge” yourself and atone for having lived a GAS filled life. Stay tuned ;)
Josh’s blog.
Josh’s flickr.
Josh’s twitter.
Josh’s instagram.
Street Photography Quick Links is a compilation of Links, Projects, News, Videos, Events, or anything that is related to street photography or photography in particular that I have personally consumed. Perhaps these might interest you or make you think. If you want to send some links my way, details will be at the post below.
This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;)
Hi.
My name is Josh and I’m an addict.
No, I never did drugs. I don’t smoke. I hardly even drink.
I’m addicted to something more pricey than any of those. I’m addicted to cameras.
Any kind of camera. I don’t discriminate. I don’t care anymore if it is expensive. I don’t care if it is new. I don’t care if I’ve tried it before. If it is out there to be bought, I probably want to buy it.
I get angry at other addicts. This stems from a strong denial of my affliction. Stems from the inability to admit my own flaws.
Some say there isn’t anything wrong. This ISN’T an addiction. I’m here to say, they are wrong. Addiction by definition is the inability to stop a habit.
There are many symptoms. First, the morning coffee. The coffee, a different addiction, is just a means to sit in front of a computer and feed. The first thing you may check is ESPN or the news. That makes the addiction feel less real. Next though, the reality of it.
The next part depends on the “drug” of choice. Maybe you go directly to the newest gear news. If you prefer the old stuff, you check used shops for their newest posts. I used to be the prior but have migrated towards the later. “Wow, that is interesting” or “I took one of my favorite pictures with one of those.” The starting thoughts to a chain of events leading to getting a fix.
At this point, “you” still don’t feel there is a problem.
“I’m just looking..”
At work during free moments you check forums or reviews. Listen to other addicts talk about why they needed that fix. If you’re like me, you look at the old photos you took with the current “mark.”
“I remember when I took this. I really loved that camera…”
Other people need to latest and greatest. They aren’t the nostalgic type addicts like myself. They can forget the past easily because it will never be as good as the future. I was like this before. I remember the feeling of not wanting to use my current because I knew I would get the newer. The “lame duck” mentality.
“What if I take the picture of my life with this? How can I get something else then?”
This leads to another problem. Hoarding. The inability to let go because at some point something may be needed. Some day, you may want to fondle or hold. I’ve never really been a hoarder, but addiction is unpredictable.
Justification. The crux of the matter.
“If I only had that camera I could take the shots I want.”
Weirdly, that thought is very rarely followed by:
“I wonder how I can take interesting shots with the camera I have?”
At least not in the mind of an addict.
In our hypothetical day, the addict will then spend the rest of it daydreaming about what they could do with the new camera. They will dream of the inspiration. Somehow, when looking at forums and reviews they don’t seem to see the negatives. Either that or ignore them.
Finally before the day is over the website is checked one last time. Some small part of your brain wants it to be sold.
Not because you want the addiction to stop but because you want it to continue.
“It wasn’t really that good anyway. Tomorrow, there will be something better.”
When I look at my favorite photographers, there is something interesting about them. For the most part, they have a very specific style. Their photos have a “look.” They have a clearly defined “feeling” to their photos. Something that isn’t easily explained aside from with another hypothetical situation.
I open flickr and I see a photo without the name because, I am of course at work and the browser window is minimized. Even so, I know right away that photo was taken by Junku Nishimura ( a friend from Japan and probably one of the best contemporary street photographers in existence). I don’t need his name to know the photo is his.
People will argue this point. Most of the people that argue will be addicts. I know because I did so myself. They will say that if you have a style you can take photos of that style with anything. This is true, on some levels, but not all. Not because of specifications or technical details but because of the vision of the artist. Their camera is just their tool. It is a method to expose a frame. A medium on which to capture.
Anyway, I digress. I am slowly recovering. It is hard, I still fall back into the routine of addiction. Maybe I will always be an addict. In fact, I think I will be. I just want to learn how to deal with it better. I NEED to. I want to be proud of the work I’ve made and want it to be consistent. This addiction doesn’t allow for that.
So, I’ve decided to start with the 12 steps. 12 steps of my own invention. Consider this, step one.
Admitting I have a problem.
Step 2 is maybe the first on the actual road to recovery. A pact. A pact to use one camera and one lens for a year. 365 days. More on this tomorrow.
Josh’s blog.
Josh’s flickr.
Josh’s twitter.
Josh’s instagram.
This is a guest post by Josh White, a street photographer based in Seoul, Korea.
Josh: Yesterday (and sort of the day before) I took part in the 24 Hour Project. For those of you that don’t know, it is a street photography initiative that involves photographers worldwide.
Basically, how it works, is you take one photo per hour for 24 hours in your given city (cities in my case). So, from 00:00 on Saturday, March 21st, until 11:59 I was to stay awake and take and post one photo per hour. By the time 00:00 rolled around I felt more like #fml than #24hourproject.
I always think about the meaning of life— and you can probably notice that this blog has become heavily philosophy-based the last few months. This is due to the fact that I have been thinking much more about living a purposeful life as a photographer. Not only that, but I have also had a few close encounters with death— which always prompts myself to ask why I shoot photography, and what kind of life I want to live.
(A.g.’s note: I asked some of the folks over at Streettogs Academy what part of their street photography they want to improve on. One of the many things that popped up was people are still shy going out to shoot or finding interesting places to shoot in. Hopefully this article gives you new ideas on where to shoot)
The best way to become good at something is if it becomes second nature. You have to constantly build habits and the right attitudes so you can turn something on and be in the zone when you need to. That principle applies to street photography.
If you are still uncomfortable venturing out in the streets, here are some places that can be a great venue to take street photographs without the fear of being hollered upon or confronted so you can concentrate on practicing and making images and not be wary of other things.
There are so many distractions out there. We live in an age where it is almost impossible not to be distracted.
Our phones are constantly buzzing. We see thousands of advertisements a day that are vying for our attention. We are bombarded with emails from spammers, we are bombarded with notifications, we are bombarded by new technologies that promise to make our lives more “efficient” and “optimized.”
I read something online that the average office worker is interrupted every 20 minutes– and it takes an average of 20 minutes for a worker to re-focus on work.
Many of my friends who work in the corporate world complain of constantly being texted, IM’d, emailed, and sucked into meetings at work– which prevents them from getting any “real” work done. (As a side note– Paul Graham has an excellent essay on managers versus creative time schedules which I highly recommend).
I think focusing is easy– only if we have no distractions. But how do we escape distractions and focus on the work which is truly meaningful to us?
Assignment No. 4 has probably the most number of beautiful images I’ve seen in an assignment. There were plenty of great photographs that adhered to our theme of “Strong Light” as well some creative executions that still fits the theme well. I give my thanks to all of those who participated for this assignment and of course to Bertrand Domas for giving everyone in the group an amazing assignment. I sure hope many were able to learn and harness the creative possibilities of “Strong Light”.
Without further ado, here are some of the interpretations of Assignment No. 4 “Strong Light”
We always push for people to keep on practicing and developing your skills and your eye. We also believe in having a passionate group of people helping each other to become good with this passion of ours. With that in mind, we are launching a new initiative here on the blog: Streettogs Academy.
One of the best things about photography is it gives us a view of places we otherwise won’t be able to visit. Street Photography ups the ante by actually heading to side streets, roads not taken, and places that won’t appear in your usual travel guide. In Patrick Tsai’s modern times, he shows us a China devoid of media’s prejudice and how this diaristic photographer tries to prove that he can document his surroundings as well.
Is he successful? Let’s analyze his book to find out.
This guest blog post is by JT White, a street photographer based in Seoul, Korea.
JT: I get asked a lot about film versus digital.
I use both film and digital cameras. Which, depend really depends on a lot of things. It can depend on my mood or on the lens I want to use. I don’t think I really have much of an aesthetic style as opposed to a way of shooting. I decide what camera to use depending on what I have and what my subject is going to be.
I recently hit the streets of NYC with Jerry Pena, a color film street photographer based in upstate New York. Watch him talk about his inspirations in street photography and footage of him shooting on the streets above. You can also see my other feature with him on the blog here.
The photos in this article are from my new “Detroit” series.Â
I’ve had the pleasure of being a judge for a handful of street photography competitions: including the International Street Photography Awards 2012, the Urban Picnic Street Photography Contest in 2013, and the International Street Photography Awards 2014.
It was a fascinating experience being a judge– and it has taught me a lot of lessons in terms of how to judge others’ work. More than that, it has taught me to better judge my own work. Here are some lessons I’ve personally learned being a judge, and some tips I suggest when you enter a street photography contest:
Photos in this article are from my travels in Istanbul this summer.
I often get criticism from teaching street photography workshops. I get criticized that they cost too much. I get criticized that I am not qualified enough. I get criticized that street photography is something that you “cannot teach”– and is something that has to be learned on one’s own.
Instead of defending myself about how I teach street photography workshops I teach– I wanted to write an article about why I teach street photography workshops. I think that we generally forget to question ourselves “why” we do anything at all. By asking the question “why”– it helps us often get to the core of our life’s purpose.
Contrary to popular I don’t teach workshops to make a ton of money and buy all the Leica’s in the world. From my workshops I am living more or less month-to-month (while trying to put a little into savings). I am pretty certain I made more money (after expenses) working at my old 9-5 job.
For this article, I will share some of my personal experiences which brought me to teaching– and dedicate the other part to sharing specifically why I teach street photography workshops– and what I hope that students (and myself) gain out of them.
There is one-week left for the early-bird discount (Sunday, Jan 5th)Â for my first Seattle Introduction to Street Photography Workshop! Don’t miss out on this beautiful unique location, especially if you live in the area!Â
Have you ever walked on the streets and saw a moment that you wanted to capture, but you were too scared to take the photograph? Do you want to become more confident shooting in the streets and learn how to better interact with your subjects? Do you want to meet other street photographers that are as equally passionate about street photography or interested in learning like you?
Have you ever walked on the streets and saw a moment that you wanted to capture, but you were too scared to take the photograph? Do you want to become more confident shooting in the streets and learn how to better interact with your subjects? Do you want to meet other street photographers that are as equally passionate about street photography or interested in learning like you?
I am excited to announce I will be teaching my popular “Introduction to Street Photography Workshop” in Downtown Los Angeles (11/1-11/3) with talented LA street photographers Rinzi Ruiz and Dana Barsuhn.
In this action packed 3-day weekend workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of street photography, how to create visually compelling images, how to conquer your fear of shooting street photography, as well as tips & tricks how to capture “the decisive moment.”
If you are a beginner or intermediate street photographer and you want to take your work to new heights and meet other passionate street photographers, check out more info about the workshop below!
I just uploaded the last Istanbul GoPro POV video in my series above. If you want to watch the full series, you can see all the videos on YouTube here.
I am excited to share that the information for my upcoming street photography workshops in San Francisco and Los Angeles are live!
Also as a treat, I will have Rinzi Ruiz and Dana Barsuhn as co-teachers in my upcoming workshops in LA! Make sure to sign up before all the spots fill up in these popular locations!
San Francisco – Intro to Street Photography Workshop – SOLD OUT!
San Francisco – Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop – Info & Register – NEW!
Los Angeles – Introduction to Street Photography Workshop - Info & Register – NOW OPEN! (featuring Rinzi Ruiz and Dana Barsuhn)
Los Angeles – Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop – Info & Register – NEW! (featuring Rinzi Ruiz)
You can see my past street photography workshops.Â
This article is written by Josh White, a street photographer that has traveled throughout Korea, Japan, and Canada. You can follow his blog here.
Josh: Photographic purists, especially ones of the docu/street genre will often argue that photography is a process. They will argue that photography should all be taken seriously and photographs should be left to permeate. They will argue that film photography is good for the up and coming photographer as it teaches patience and discipline. We are more likely to like the photographs taken more recently.
While I believe all this to be somewhat true, photographer’s itch. We itch to take photographs and to look at them. We itch to share them and get feedback. In this world of instant gratification and constant boredom patience doesn’t always come easily.
This article was originally posted by Charlie Kirk on his Tumblr here. Make sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Charlie: A week or so ago, Brian Sokolowski posted on Facebook: “Is it me, or is there a whole lot of street-photography out there that’s set up and posed? No, it’s not me… there is. What’s the point of that? I mean if it’s set-up, that’s fine. But don’t try to pass it off as street-photography, because it’s not.â€Â I agreed with him and cited a few photos from the HCSP group that looked staged. I’d like to expand upon my thoughts here.
Let me start by saying that, like Brian, I am not against staged photographs per se. Jeff Wall is one of my favourite photographers, and I love the portraits of Gilden – who, I would argue, is the best “street photographer†alive today. What I take objection to is deception which may or may not be a result of a loosening of the commonly held perception that street photography is candid.
This is the third installment of my Istanbul Street Photography GoPro POV videos.
Two of my other Istanbul GoPro Street Photography POV’s:
Here is the second volume of my Istanbul Street Photography GoPro POV series. I put the new GoPro Hero 3 (and shot at 720p at 60fps) on top of my Leica MP. The framelines are roughly 35mm. I have a few more I’m working on, will upload them in the upcoming week.
If you haven’t seen it already, you can see my first Istanbul Street Photography GoPro POV here.
I want to write regarding a subject which is highly debated online: “What is street photography?”
There are countless forum threads, Facebook discussions, blogs, and Flickr boards which argue what street photography is and what street photography isn’t.
I have thought about the question: “What is street photography?” for a long time– and my thoughts and views have changed and evolved over the years.
I don’t have all the answers to defining what street photography is (or isn’t) but I will attempt to come to some sort of logical conclusion on what street photography means to me. Consider this article as part of a self-reflective essay for me to better understand my own personal views. And I also hope that you can take some of my thoughts and incorporate it into your own personal views– and reach your own conclusions for yourself.
“You need a change of soul rather than a change of climate” – Seneca
Over the last year or so I have been incredibly lucky to travel to over 15 cities internationally, and have met some of the most incredible people in my life.
However as much I have been traveling, I have been longing to spend more time at home (or in one place).
For the last year and a half or so, I have been shooting my personal street photography on exclusively film. After shooting digital for around 7 years or so, it has been a great experience so far and I have learned a ton.
When I first wanted to start shooting street photography I had a lot of fears. What if the photos don’t turn out? What settings should I use? What film is ideal? Where do I get my film processed? Or should I process it myself? What camera should I use? What chemicals do I need? The list goes on.
I am certainly not an expert when it comes to shooting film, but I wanted to write this article as a primer for those of you who want to get your feet wet (but may not know where to start). I will use my personal experiences and opinions– but of course, feel free to experiment. And if you see any mistakes in this article, please correct me in the comments below and I will revise it.
On my flight from Dubai back to the states I just finished an excellent book by psychologist Barry Schwartz titled: “The Paradox of Choice.” In the book, Schwartz addresses the following question in Western society: Why is it that people are getting more miserable when the amount of choices we are given goes up?
I am sure we have all experienced this problem. Whenever we go to the grocery store and want to pick up a box of cereal, we are given hundreds of options. Whenever we go to buy a new car, there are so many different companies, models, and options to choose from. Not only that, but when it comes to buying cameras we are given so many choices in terms of what type of camera/sensor (Full-frame DSLR, ASPC-sensor, Micro 4/3rds, Compact, etc) as well as a choice of lenses.
Schwartz gives solutions in the book in terms of how to deal with the over-abundance of choice and stress that it comes with. I have found this advice to be invaluable both in terms of my everyday life and when it comes to photography/buying equipment. I hope these tips help you, as they have very much helped me.
For this post, I have also included some new photos from Istanbul that I shot last year. (more…)
Eric’s Note: I am pleased to share the work of Paolo Rabuffi, a street photographer based in Rome. Working in both color and black and white, he loves to capture the “strangeness” of Rome – while being more present in the everyday moment. Check out some of his thoughts and images below!
Paolo:Â I’m half Roman and half Etruscan and after several years of relocations I am based in Rome. I’m a 32 year old full-time-precarious who sometimes uses to walk with a camera in his hands.
Why photography? I dunno, it was something that grew inside of me slowly about 2-3 years ago. I can’t stop it. Someone call it “obsession”, and may be right.
I am excited to share that my good friend and fellow street photographer Satoki Nagata is featuring some of his street photography in Chicago, December 15th (Saturday). He will show a collection of his street photography and documentary work. More information about the exhibition below:
Date: Saturday, December 15th
Time: 7pm – 10pm
Place: 1118 N. Ashland Ave – Google Map
Here is Satoki’s statement on his photography:
“The camera captures the moment of the fraction of a second and I found that successful images show the multi-dimensional relationships of the world through symbolic and abstract forms. I found these forms in my photography. By searching for the elements that represent reality I see around me, I can capture them through photographic media. I see the light and shadow produced by flash is the pure form of reality of people living in the city. Inside the bright light line, the significance of existence of the person appears. The image is abstract and surrealistic but also full of life and personality.”
There will be music by Gjeme Markaj, complimentary drinks, appetizers, and good times. I won’t be able to make it, but if you are in Chicago definitely check it out!
You can see my past interview with him on the Leica blog here.
See more of Satoki’s work on his website here.
Eric’s Note: I am pleased to share the work of Krishnendu Saha, a street photographer based in Kolkata. Krishnendu is part of That’s Life, an Indian Street Photographer Collective. He is a student and teacher of Mathematics, but has been honing his photography skills for the last few years as a way to tell the “untold stories” from his hometown. Keep reading to get a better insight about his philosophy and background in street photography!
Krishnendu: To me, street photography is a game that can never be played twice in the same way. A game that is played by me against the world, a game that I control. I decide when to start, when to finish, or when to have a tea break.
It’s a way how I react to the surroundings I am placed into at that time.
Not only that, it allows me to build relationships with different people whom I didn’t know earlier! When I go through my old archives and see the photographs, all those slices of life just start flashing on my mind. I can feel the connection with those persons present in my photographs, with those places.
(Above photograph shot on the iPhone 5 by Mike Avina)
Eric’s Note: I’m sure many of you are curious about the performance of the iPhone 5’s camera for street photography. Fellow street photographer Mike Avina has spent around a week or two with the iPhone 5, and here are some of his impressions. You can see his past feature on my blog here and follow him on Flickr. Â
Mike: This is a review of the iPhone 5 as a street photography tool. I am picky about my gear and I am a bit of a minimalist—so I use one old film rangefinder body with a 35mm lens and one digital camera with a prime lens equivalent to 35mm. That said, I have been following the work of several mobile phone street photographers and have been impressed. When Eric asked me to do a review of the iPhone 5 I jumped at the opportunity.
Eric’s Note: I am excited to announce that I will be teaching another unique 5-day workshop in Calcutta, India with NYC  photographer and master composition teacher Adam Marelli. Adam Marelli has a keen eye for design, composition, and capturing “the decisive moment”. He holds a degree in Sculpture and Photography from New York University and studied at the Barnstone Studios. If you are serious about your street photography, and wanting to take it to the next level – check out this unique workshop opportunity!Â
If you are in the bay area make sure to check out Travis Jensen‘s solo exhibition in San Francisco this Thursday (10/4) at Galette 88. Travis is a street and documentary photographer, and his show will be a mix of candid street scenes, street portratirue, and other urban environmental scenes.
Unfortunately I’m in Michigan so I won’t be able to attend, but if you are in the bay area I highly recommend you to check it out!
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info.
A.G.:Â Today’s feature is a bit different than the usual. As I said in the intro post for streettogs gallery, I would also love to see if you have a work in progress. Today is extra special because we have a photo book to analyze, dissect, and share opinions. But first, I want to share what I look for in a photo book.
(All photographs in this article copyrighted by Richard “Koci” Hernandez)
Eric’s Note: I was introduced to the work of Richard “Koci” Hernandez by two of my good friends, Misho Baranovic and Oliver Lang from The Mobile Photo Group. What first struck me about Koci’s work is the depth, soul, and the mood of his beautifully-crafted black and white images. Not only that, but all of the street photography done is on his iPhone!
Richard “Koci” Hernandez is a national Emmy® award-winning video and multimedia producer who worked as a photographer at the San Jose Mercury News for 15 years. His work for the Mercury News has earned him two Pulitzer Prize nominations and was awarded a national Emmy® award for the New Approaches to Documentary category for his work on the film, Uprooted. His work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times and international magazines, including Stern, and he has worked with lynda.com to produce a course on iPhoneography, iPhone Photography, from Shooting to Storytelling.
To read more about the man behind the camera, check out my interview with him below!
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info.
A.G.:There is a fine line between cinema and photography. Good cinematography and good photography shows when you have a good arrangement of elements such as light, composition, and subject. But more often than not, a cinematographer has total control of everything while the photographer shooting on the streets uses what the streets provide. So when a photographer is able to show cinematic street scenes, that is a feat of skill in itself. That is why you should check out Ms. Helen Hill’s Mis en scene.
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Sorry for not having the weekly assignments up regularly, it will be back to usual every Tuesday! Please submit you images to Erics Facebook fan page here.
So for this week the theme is “Emotion”, see how you can capture emotion on the street during everyday life! Make sure you submit your best image by Friday for a shot at being featured as the cover image for Erics Facebook page, as well as being featured on the blog next week!
(Two shots Henri Cartier-Bresson shot of the same scene. SPAIN. 1933. Andalucia. Seville. © The Estate of Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos)
One of the biggest misconceptions I know runs rampart in street photography is the “myth of the decisive moment”. What do I mean when I talk about “the decisive moment” simply being a myth?
Well of course there generally is a “decisive moment” when you hit the shutter – to capture that exact moment you desire in a photograph.
However one of the common misunderstandings that plagued many street photographers (including myself) was that the decisive moment simply being one shot. After studying many contact sheets from Magnum Contact Sheets book, I was able to gain a new level of insight to read the mind of a street photographer.
Curious? Read on.
I have always been a fan of Arthur Quejadas II, seeing several of his images in the Hardcore Street Photography Group on Flickr. After interviewing Trevor Marczylo I had a chance to interview Arthur as well. Check out the interview and see how Arthur creates layers and depth in his images – and chases the light like Alex Webb.
If you enjoy Arthur’s work, make sure to add him as a contact on Flickr!
A few days ago I attended David Kim’s Film Photography Workshop in Seoul and was finally able to meet up Trevor Marczylo in person! I have featured Trevor’s work on the blog before, and he has also written articles on Why Street Photographers Should Print in the Darkroom, How to File Out Your Negative Holder, as well as his thoughts on What Makes a Great Street Photograph.
Trevor moved out to Korea around 6 months ago from Winnipeg, Canada and has been shooting quite a bit of color work (compared to his black and white work in Canada).
Take a moment to check out my interview in the video above, and scroll down to see his new color work in Korea!
Which of Trevor’s new color images from Seoul are your favorite? Share your thoughts in the comments below!Â
(One of the photographs from my new “Dark Skies Over Tokyo” project)
As a sociology student at UCLA, I have learned many insightful things through my courses that I have applied to my street photography projects. If you are struggling with finding your own voice in street photography or how to construct a project- check out my post below. I discuss my personal experiences in sociology, how I applied those concepts to my street photography projects, as well as practical advice to those who want to learn more.
I am also excited to announce my new “Dark Skies Over Tokyo” project that I shot in 2011 and just published.
Curious? Read on!
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Check out more info here.
A.G.:Â Coming back from a small hiatus, I’m bringing you my analysis and some personal thoughts of Manila photographed by Jun Abe and published by Vaccum Press. I would like to apologize if the images of the book is bad, the actual book is absolutely brilliant. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled features next week!
Manila, Philippines. August, 1983. Then President Ferdinand Marcos just lifted Martial Law a few years prior but still hold absolute power over the Philippines. The country was in a state of constant flux due to President’s’ aggressive development plans under his dictatorship. This dictatorship was met with heavy opposition from his political rivals. Most notable is Benigno “Ninoy† Aquino Jr. It is in this month that Ninoy was shot dead in the then called Manila International Airport. With political turmoil and social instability plaguing the country, it was in this period when Jun Abe, armed with his camera, photographed the city of Manila.
30 years later, Vaccum Press comes out with the photographs coming from that trip.
(“All He Ever Wanted” – Copyright AikBeng Chia / MPG)
Eric’s Note: I am proud to share the work of AikBeng Chia aka “ABC”. He is part of the MPG (Mobile Photo Group) and is currently shooting in Singapore. I had the great pleasure of meeting ABC when I was in Singapore for my last street photography workshop with Leica, and even more honored to have him as one of my guest speakers/co-teachers at the workshop as well! He has never had any formal training in photography, yet creates visually seductive images that are full of light, humanity, and soul.Â
ABC: My name is AikBeng Chia, aka ABC. I’m born on a little island called Singapore. I like to wander the streets of Singapore, allowing myself to be seduced by the scenes the city I live in provides me.
(Copyright: two cute dogs)
So for this week, the assignment is “View Point”! This was chosen by the winner of last weeks challenge Anna Delany. Upload your best 1 view point shot captured between now and this Friday to Eric’s Facebook fan page. We will choose the best shots and feature them on the blog!
Now GO GO GO!
(Above Image Copyrighted By Anna Delany)
Charlie Atkinson: Hi guys, I hope everyone is having a good weekend, we decided that the photo above by Anna Delany has won the fourth week of the assignment series, so huge congratulations to her!
We both really liked her image, as well as the runners up images below! I really liked Anna Delanys as I love the composition and the fact she manage to get the top right leg in the frame, this is my “cherry on top”. Next weeks assignment chosen by Anna Delany will be uploaded on Tuesday! (more…)
(Above image: my Leica MP and CSLR Glide Strap)
In my 6 years of shooting street photography, I have experimented with lots of different straps. I tried neck straps, wrist straps, hand straps, and even no straps.
Finding an ideal camera strap for street photography is very difficult. You need a strap that is discrete, comfortable, yet looks good.
I was really excited when I first came upon the CSLR Glide Strap on the internet (I first heard about it through Kickstarter for their C-Loop). Their revolutionary idea at the time was why not take your camera strap off your neck (where it gets itchy and sticky) and put it over your shoulder instead? This way it could disperse more weight more evenly around your body.
Not only that, they advertised a “gliding” mechanism that would allow you to quickly draw your camera (just like a gun-slinger out of a cowboy movie).
(Above image by John Goldsmith)
Eric’s Note: I recently had the pleasure of interviewing John Goldsmith, a street photographer based out of Vancouver. He is part of the strange.rs collective, and has also recently released a book, “Drop Out of Art School“. Goldsmith is one of the most prolific and valuable members in the street photography community and is always on the breaking edge of innovation.
I had the chance to ask him a few questions about his history in street photography, his work, and some of his future aspirations. If you want to gain lots of insight from his way of working, read on.
(Above Image Copyrighted By Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum)
So for this week, the assignment is legs! This was chosen by the winner of last weeks challenge Giovanni Savino. Upload your best 1 legs shot captured between now and this Friday to Eric’s Facebook fan page. We will choose the best shots and feature them on the blog!
Now GO GO GO!
(Above Image Copyrighted By Steve McCurry / Magnum Photos)
Charlie Atkinson: So for this weeks post I thought I would share my favorite quotes from some of my favorite photographers as well as a few others that can be applied to photography as well! They are also not in any particular order, this post is by me as well (not Eric!) as I think there was some confusion on the last gear post I did :). Enjoy!
(Above Image Copyrighted By Giovanni Savino)
Hi guys, I hope everyone is having a good weekend, after talking to Eric we decided that the photo above by Giovanni Savino has won the third week of the assignment series, so huge congratulations to him!
We both really liked his image, as well as the runners up images bellow! I really liked Giovanni Savinos as I straight away saw the visual pun that he intended to capture as well as the mans facial expression sitting next to the guy on the bus. Next weeks assignment chosen by Giovanni Savinos will be uploaded on Tuesday!
I started off my photographic career with a my a Nikon D60 two years ago. I loved it and loathed it and wished that I had something that had video mode, so I looked into entry level DSLRs and thought the Nikon D3100 sounded like a pretty good shout. After about two months of using it I felt like I didn’t look professional enough, and people wouldn’t take me seriously enough unless I had a camera to match my ability.
(Above Image Copyrighted By Elliott Erwitt / Magnum Photos)
So for this week, the assignment is “One Liners”. This was chosen by the winner of last weeks challenge Hao Jiang. Upload your best 1 “One Liners” shot captured between now and this Friday to Eric’s Facebook fan page. We will choose the best shots and feature them on the blog!
Now GO GO GO!
Eric’s Note: I met street photographer Justin Wilkes when I was in Sydney – and had followed him on Twitter for a while. I had a closer look at some of his work, and was quite impressed by the diversity of his work and the pure energy and rawness of them. Check out some of his work below!Â
Justin:Â Here’s a bit of history of myself:
Justin Wilkes, 23 years old. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Graduated from ANU (Australian National University) in 2010 with majors in Sociology and Political Science.
I don’t like calling myself a street photographer. It seems a bit limiting. A victim of the ‘democratic snapshot aesthetic’ I never know what will or wont get my attention next. The camera lets me explore the unknown for the sake of seeing what it looks like in a photo. A silent observer in the organised chaos of life; sometimes a figment of something deeper emerges out of this chaos and that is where I try to be.
(Copyright: David Hurn/Magnum Photos/Magnum Photos)
I recently finished reading a book “On Being A Photographer” which is an amazing instructional book for aspiring photographers. The book was written by Bill Jay, in collaboration with Magnum photographer David Hurn. The book covers many different things, such as how to select a subject, how to work on a photography project, as well as how to edit and select your best images.
This article is going to be aimed at the top things I learned from reading the book. Now read on and see what you can learn from David Hurn and Bill Jay!
Hi guys, I hope everyone is having a good weekend, after talking to Eric we decided that the photo above by Steven Xue has won the first week, huge congratulations to him! We both really liked the runners up images bellow as well! I think these are really good examples of cliches as there often captured and uploaded for thousands of likes, but only end up getting a couple as there’s so many others like them! (more…)
An introduction to using Hasselblad Medium Format Cameras by Jeroen Helmink, Dutch street photographer. Check out Jeroen’s work on his website or on Flickr!
Also if you are interested in getting a Hasselblad, email Jeroen at jeroen.helmink@gmail.com
Got any questions about Hasselblads or shooting medium-format film? Leave a comment below!Â
NYC-based street photographer Markus Hartel just put out a new trailer to his upcoming documentary. Make sure to watch the video above!
(Above Photo :Â Alfred Eisenstaedt)
Eric’s Note: I am excited to announce that my good mate Charlie Atkinson will be helping out on the blog (remember the cheater on Digital Rev TV?). Anyways, he is now a reformed man and his heart is really into street photography! Considering that I’m always on the road and traveling – I haven’t been able to keep up with the weekly assignments as well as other features for the community. Please invite him warmly – and keep posted with cool new features he has planned up his sleeve for you guys!
Charlie: First of all I would like to give a huge thank you to Eric for giving me the opportunity to be lucky enough to be part of his sick blog!
So having spoken to Eric over a couple of beers and kebabs we got talking about some good ideas to get the community more involved. One of the ideas is to have more consistent weekly street photography assignments. So for this week, the assignment is “Cliches”. This could be an interesting first assignment as everyone always tries to avoid cliches. Upload your best 1 cliche shot captured between now and this Thursday (NO CHEATING ;) ) to Eric’s Facebook fan page. We will choose the best shots and feature them on the blog on Friday.
Now GO GO GO!
Eric’s Note: This article is written by Misho Baranovic, Melbourne-based street photographer and one of the co-founding members of the Mobile Photo Group.Â
Misho: It’s been over a year since I last posted my ten tips for shooting street photography with an iPhone. Over this time we have seen massive improvements in the quality of the camera and big changes in how images are shared, particularly through the growth of Instagram.
So, here is an updated list of tips for shooting street with an iPhone. These tips are aimed at iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S users. (Some functions mentioned will not work with the iPhone 3.)
Made a fun video shooting street photography with the new iPad with my buddy Adam Rahim while in Sydney, Australia.
The camera application I used in the video was ProCamera.
Eric’s Note: I am pleased to share the work of Luca Napoli, a street photographer based in Milan. In this post are some photographs from Luca’s projects: [Commuters], [Taranto Vecchia], [Living the Provinces], and [My Milan]. Keep reading to hear more about Luca’s projects, his history, and further insights!
Luca:Â I was born in Taranto, South Italy, on 1972. I got electronic engineering degrees in Ferrara and then moved to Milan, where I currently work. I live in a small town close to Milan.
Self-taught, I was probably influenced by my father in 80s who always involved me during sessions of street photography in the old city of Taranto, my hometown.
(Pictured above: Leica M9-P Hermes Edition. Only $50,000)
We are always told that money doesn’t make us happy. Although I like the saying, it isn’t entirely true. Scientific studies do show that money buys us happiness- but only to a certain extent. For example, if you literally make only $10 a month, of course you will be miserable. However making $10,000 a month compared to $5,000 a month won’t make much of a difference. According to some study I read, money can only buy you happiness to the point that you make $70,000 a year. After that, it doens’t make much of a difference.
Money can make us happier in street photography. You also don’t have to be rich to reap these rewards. Curious on how money can buy you more happiness? Keep reading to find out.
I am currently in Berlin, and about to head out to Amsterdam tomorrow to teach a street photography workshop with Thomas Leuthard. A week afterwards, I will be teaching a 4-day street photography workshop for the Stockholm Photography Week with Fotografiska (the Swedish Photography Museum).
I always try to travel light- and typically carry just my messenger bag and my North Face Recon Backpack. Considering I blog while traveling, I carry more stuff in my messenger bag than I’d like. But to me, it is still relatively light (still trying to find ways to cut down). For those of you streettogs who travel a lot- hopefully my bag shot can help give you some insight on what I just packed for my trip!
Check out more cool bag shots at Japan Camera Hunter.
Any questions about packing to travel for street photography? If so, leave your questions in the comments below!Â
(Above image: “Carlton” by Misho Baranovic)
When I was in Melbourne, I met up with street photographer and co-founder of the Mobile Photo Group (MPG), Misho Baranovic. For those of you who may not know Misho or the MPG, they essentially shoot street and documentary photography with mobile devices and share their work online through a number of platforms, including Instagram.
Being an Android user myself, I never understood the hype of Instagram. To me it seemed just like another camera app where people would take photographs of flowers, sunsets, or lattes and add tons of crazy processing (lomo or vintage film anybody?). I essentially thought it was a platform only for Justin Bieber lovers or hipsters with too much time on their hands.
Had a chance to interview Rinzi Ruiz, a phenomenal black & white street photographer based in Los Angeles (and one of the alumni of my LA street photography workshop!). I chat with him about his inspirations in street photography, how he finds the light, and advice he has for aspiring street photographers. We also geek out over his new Fujifilm X-Pro 1- and see how it likes it compared to his old Fujifilm X-100.
Which of Rinzi’s shots are your favorite? And if you have any questions for him, leave them below!Â
Had a quick chat with my buddy Dana Barsuhn, a fellow street photographer from Los Angeles and former attendee of my Intermediate Los Angeles Street Photography Workshop. For those of you geeks who are curious, he shoots B/W Tri-X film on his Leica M4, with a 35mm Zeiss Lens. Also featured in the video is his new toy, the Contax T3 he just picked up for snapshots.
Dana was introduced to street photography from his friend (host of the podcast The Candid Frame), Ibarionex Perello. Also for inspiraitonal images, check out Stanko Abadzic (one of Dana’s huge influences).
You can see the rest of Dana’s work in his “Los Angeles” album on his website.
Dana also put together a book of his street images from 2011 as a personal diary. All the images in the book were shot with his Leica M4 rangefinder 35mm film camera, captured in and around the Los Angeles area,  developed in his kitchen sink and scanned to his computer computer!
Feel free to download the PDF book and share it on your computer or iPad!
Link to pdf: FRAMED 2011 – Dana Barsuhn
For more info on book or images feel free to contact Dana.
Dana will also be showing some of his street photography at the “2Edgy Gallery” in Downtown LA. Make sure to come if you are in the area!
Which of Dana’s images really speak out to you? Show him some love in the comments below!Â
 
(Above photograph by Jun Shen Chia from his “Tokyo” series)
Eric’s Note: This article is written my good friend, fellow street photographer, and gamer Jun Shen Chia. I met him in Singapore, and marveled at how he was able to shoot so quickly on the streets. I also found out he was a total nerd when it came to video games- and asked him to write this fun article! Enjoy it.
Jun Shen: People ask me, “Jun Shen, how do you shoot so fast on the streets?!?â€Â  I’m like a ninja, whipping out my camera, shooting it, and putting it away so quickly that my subjects don’t know what hit them. They walk away whispering to themselves, “What was that? Did he take our photo?
It’s thanks to video games, folks. Read on to find out why.
Recently when I taught my street photography workshop in Hong Kong I had the great pleasure of having Jonathan van Smit as a guest speaker. Jonathan is a street photographer originally from New Zealand, and has shot the raw streets of West Kowloon for nearly four years now. Check out my interview with him over at the Leica Blog.
In the interview he explains how he shoots the raw streets of West Kowloon, how he interacts with his subjects, and how he got his old Leica taken from him at knife-point.
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info.
AG: This week, let me share to you some thoughts on why having a body of work is important while showing a great work from Kip Praslowicz.
After years of studying, looking, and analyzing photographs I have to realize one thing: The body of work is the most important thing a photographer should have. However, the journey of making a body of work is not that easy. It is so consuming that at times, photographers sacrifice their personal lives in pursuit of the great work. More often than not, it results with a lot of emotional and mental stresses. Â With those reasons and a lot more, why then do we need to pursue a body of work?
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I’ve been working on these presets for a long time. They’re mostly optimized for the Ricoh GR and when shooting with flash— but I figure they will look good with any camera (as long as you shoot in RAW).
There are two Lightroom presets included:
Below are my Lightroom film simulation presets from 2015: