Month: February 2012

  • Upcoming Street Photography Workshops in Kuala Lumpur (3/3-3/4), London (3/10-3/11), Melbourne (4/14-4/15), Sydney (4/21-4/22), and Stockholm (5/21-6/2)!

    Group photo for my recent Street Photography Workshop in Hong Kong with Gary Tyson from F8 Photography

    Hey streettogs- I just wanted to keep you updated with all of my upcoming street photography workshops. See the list below if I am coming to a city below you! :)

    March

    3/3-3/4: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Introductory – Info – to register email info@leica-store-malaysia.com

    3/10-3/11: London, UK – Introductory – Info – Register now (to reserve your spot) – with Charlie Kirk

    April

    4/14-4/15: Melbourne, Australia – Introductory – Info TBA – Register now (to reserve your spot) – Sponsored by Michaels

    4/21-4/22: Sydney, Australia – Advanced – Info TBA – Register now (to reserve your spot)

    May

    5/31-6/3: Stockholm, Sweden – Introductory – Info – with Fotographiska (The Swedish Museum of Photography) – NEW!

    If you also would like to keep updated with future workshops (or request I go to your city) please sign up below!

    Stay Updated With Future Workshops

  • Street Photography GoPro POV Video in Downtown Nashville with a Leica M4 and Portra 400 by Patrick Casey

    I stumbled upon a street photography POV video with a GoPro by Patrick Casey in Downtown Nashville. You can see that even though the streets aren’t very crowded, there are still lots of photo opportunities to be seen! He gets some solid shots in the video- and also shares them for everyone to see how he works in the street.

    Some more info from YouTube:

    I use a Leica M4 with a Zeiss Biogon 35mm f/2. I use portra 400 handprocessed in a unicolor press kit. I print every photo I take in a darkroom. Song in the background is Pretty Lights – Stay

    For those of you interested in making your own street photography POV video, this is what you will need:

    You can put the pieces together, and have your GoPro mount on top of your camera’s hotshoe mount.

    Looking forward to seeing other people make more of these videos! Also let us know what you thought about Patrick’s video and shots in the comments below! 

  • 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography

    102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography

    It now has been around 5 years that I have been shooting street photography- and I have learned an incredible amount through trial and failure. I made this recent list of things I have learned while shooting street photography– and some of my personal opinions. Remember, take everything in this list with a grain of salt! I simply made this list as both a way for me to self-reflect, and hopefully you can find some of these tips helpful.

    You can also see my old posts, “101 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography” and “100 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography“. As you can see, many of my opinions have changed over the course of 2 years. Keep reading- I hope you enjoy!

     

    1. A photograph is like a sentence. Aim to write a book.
    2. Always smile and say “thank you” when shooting on the streets
    3. Shoot with your heart, not with your eyes
    4. Shooting with friends will make you feel much more comfortable on the streets
    5. The most versatile focal length is 35mm
    6. Don’t rely on autofocus – use zone focusing
    7. Have a drink to loosen yourself up before shooting on the streets
    8. Have at least 3 backups of all your photographs (hard drives all eventually fail)
    9. If you shoot film, keep your images organized
    10. The best critique is never online—always in-person
    11. Don’t ask people what they like about your photographs, ask them what they don’t like
    12. Having one camera and lens is bliss
    13. Buy books, not gear

    1. Style isn’t something aesthetic
    2. “Shoot who you are” – Bruce Gilden
    3. Harness the power of groups/collectives to spread your photography
    4. Don’t focus on aesthetics in your photos—but rather the message
    5. Shooting film is magical
    6. Never upload your photographs immediately—let them marinate for at least a week before sharing them
    7. Good projects often take at least a year to complete
    8. Post-processing your images digitally should never take more than a minute
    9. Printing your photographs out large is immensely satisfying
    10. Share your knowledge & technique with others – never hoard it yourself
    11. It is better to shoot everyday for 10 minutes than to shoot once a week for 10 hours
    12. Only show your best work

    1. Photo-sets with over 25 images are exhausting to look through
    2. It is great to constantly experiment with your technique and gear—but once you find something that works reasonably well stop and stick with it
    3. When in doubt, ask for permission
    4. People love to be complimented while on the streets
    5. Don’t take photos of people who look pissed off or walk extremely quickly. These are the people who often get upset when you take their photograph
    6. If shooting digital, always shoot in RAW
    7. Look at other forms of art for inspiration
    8. Take photos of people’s faces, not their backs
    9. Eyes are the windows to the soul. Get photos with eye-contact in your images.
    10. Your photos are only as good as the photos you look at. Avoid the internet and look at photo-books for inspiration
    11. Giving helpful critique to others will make you a better judge of your own work
    12. “If your photos aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough” – Robert Capa

    1. After a whole day of shooting, I am lucky if I get 1-2 good photographs
    2. The more time you spend on online forums, the less you will shoot
    3. Don’t think too much while taking photographs. Avoid “paralysis by analysis”
    4. Don’t chimp while shooting on the streets (checking your LCD screen). You will lose many decisive moments
    5. “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity” – Seneca
    6. You can get luckier in street photography by spending more time out shooting in the streets
    7. Don’t crop. Get it right in-camera
    8. Look for the light
    9. You will take the best photographs in the least-likely places
    10. Always carry your camera with you everywhere you go. Everywhere
    11. The smaller your camera is the less intimidating you will look
    12. Don’t shoot from the hip if you have a camera with a viewfinder. Use the viewfinder—that’s why it’s there
    13. Good composition alone doesn’t make a good photograph. A great photograph needs soul.

    1. Don’t let inspiration be your main source of motivation for shooting. Go out and shoot even when you don’t feel like it—and the streets will re-inspire you
    2. Street photography doesn’t have to have people in it
    3. “Creepiness is proportional to focal length”. Don’t shoot street photography with a telephoto/zoom lens
    4. The best place to shoot street photography is your own backyard
    5. Crouch often when shooting to get at least eye-level (or lower) to get a natural (or unusual perspective)
    6. The lighter your camera bag, the more you will enjoy shooting
    7. Don’t forget to look down and up when shooting
    8. When in doubt, click
    9. Don’t try to just take photos of interesting people, but try to take photos of interesting gestures
    10. It is better to take an extraordinary photo of something ordinary, rather than taking an ordinary photo of something extraordinary
    11. The way people react to street photography (all around the world) is often more similar than dissimilar

    1. There is no perfect camera for street photography. Every camera has its own strengths/limitations
    2. Learn to memorize a focal length so you can frame your shots before even bringing up your camera to your eye
    3. The best combo: one camera and one lens
    4. Focus on hands – they communicate strong messages to the viewer
    5. Contrary to popular belief, most people don’t get pissed off when you take photos of them (most people actually quite like it)
    6. Street photographs are well-balanced with an odd-number of subjects (1 person, 3 people, 5 people, etc)
    7. “Realize that most of your photographs are crap” – Charlie Kirk
    8. Shoot to please yourself, not others
    9. The best response to internet trolls who criticize your work (without helpful critique) is to ignore them completely
    10. If you have the opportunity, don’t just settle for one photograph. Take multiple photographs if possible. “Killers shoot twice” – Thomas Leuthard
    11. If you don’t ask for critiques, nobody will ever give it to you
    12. If you are going to ask someone for permission for a photograph, always preface your question with, “I know this may sound weird, but…”. Works like a charm.
    13. If you don’t make time to go out and shoot, you will never go out and shoot.
    14. Learn to judge distances well- so you can prefocus before you anticipate the shot (1.2 meters is roughly two arms-lengths, and 3 meters is roughly half the distance of a room)


    76. Spend less time arguing over the definition of street photography, and go out and shoot more
    77. You only remember 5-10 photographs from some of the most famous street photographers who have ever lived. Aim to take 5-10 great photographs before you die.
    78. Photography is incredibly difficult
    79. If people notice you taking a photograph of you, tell them, “Ignore me—pretend like you don’t see me” and most people will laugh it off and continue doing what they were doing
    80. If confronted by a person on why you took their photograph, take a step toward them and be open and honest about your intentions. Stand your ground and know your rights.
    81. Simplify your photographs. Less is more.
    82. Don’t put watermarks on your photographs. It cheapens your work.
    83. Street photographs don’t sell
    84. Travel as often as you can to open up your views to the rest of the world and society
    85. Always carry an extra memory card and battery (in war two is one and one is none)

    1. Don’t always hunt for shots—if you are patient enough, they will come to you
    2. Shoot at ISO 1600 or above (keep your shutter above 250ths/second)
    3. f/8 and be there
    4. Black cameras draw less attention to you
    5. It is more interesting to take photos of rich people than poor people
    6. Never delete any of your photographs (you can rediscover hidden gems later in the future)
    7. Silver Efex Pro 2 is the best black and white conversion software for digital
    8. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretsky
    9. Don’t aim to take pretty photographs, aim to take meaningful photographs
    10. Don’t be sneaky when shooting—you will get in twice as much trouble if you get caught
    11. A great street photograph both has strong composition and story
    12. When it comes down to it, composition isn’t as important as the story
    13. 99.9% of the photographs online are crap
    14. Love your critics
      100.Offer to email your subjects their photographs (they love it)
      101.Break the rules
      102.Make your own list

     

  • AnalogRev in Hong Kong with Kaiman Wong!

    I had the huge pleasure of meeting up with Kaiman Wong from Digital Rev TV a few days ago- and filming this video! It was great to finally meet Kai in person (he’s really that hilarious!) as well as the video genius Lok and the lovely Alamby who helped coordinate everything. I was shooting with my Leica M6, and Kai with his Leica M2 and 15mm Voightlander lens (super wide!).

    Some people on YouTube wrote some responses regarding arranging photographs for my shots. I thought it was a legitimate question and here is my answer:

    Generally I don’t ask for permission when shooting, but typically after shooting my first photograph without permission – I enjoy chatting with my subjects and getting them to pose for me. Of course once they start posing and get directed by me, it is no longer candid and thus not proper “street photography”. However in the end – I like interacting with my subjects and I feel that it is able to help me build rapport and good will. I am not so interested in only taking all of my photos without permission- as I do ask for permission at times for my shots as well.

    Hopefully the video will be good to those who are uncomfortable shooting street photography, and afraid of the reactions of others. I very rarely have any issues shooting in the street, and I try to show how I interact with my subjects in the video.

    In the end I am not so interested in defining what street photography is or isn’t– but creating messages and meaning through my photographs– that make statements about society. I discuss this at length at a previous post titled, “What’s Important in Street Photography?

    Anyways hope you guys enjoyed the video and will keep you updated with more stuff from Hong Kong soon!

  • 5 Useful Tips to Know When Shooting Film By Ollie Gapper

    Foreword by Ollie Gapper: CritiqueMe is still alive and well, I just haven’t had time to produce a good, in-depth critique this week, it will be returning soon!

    Its been thrown at you pretty relentlessly over the past few months: the notion of shooting film and its merits over digital, but what should you know before/during your time spent shooting this marvellous medium? This is a short list of things that I have personally found useful learning in shooting film, things I hope will help you as much as me!

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  • Feb Volume 2: 9 Inspirational Street Photographs From the Community

    Feb Volume 2: 9 Inspirational Street Photographs From the Community

    Street Photography
    Jay G. Thornton

    Things have been a bit hectic in Hong Kong and prepping for my workshop this weekend, but wanted to take a chance to feature the best street photographs posted to my Facebook fan page the last two weeks.

    On an unrelated note, I actually had the chance to meet Kaiman Wong and the rest of the team from Digital Rev TV and we did some recording for a video on street photography that will release soon (stay tuned).

    If you would like to get one of your shots featured in the future, make sure to upload them to my Facebook fan page! (I prefer using Facebook because it is easier to sort/look through all the photographs).

    Keep reading to take a look at all the images!

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  • Streettogs Gallery Feature: “Lost Faces” by Mikhail Palinchak Jr.

    Streettogs Gallery Feature: “Lost Faces” by Mikhail Palinchak Jr.

    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.: I always defined street photography as “Photographing people in a public place with or without permission”.  That is how I go about shooting but when I encountered the work of William Eggleston, my definition shattered.

    It seemed that his work doesn’t fit how I understood and read about photography. His photos are so simple, mundane, and very uninteresting. So much so that I think Eggleston’s War with the obvious is the anti-thesis of Bresson’s philosophy The Decisive Moment.

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  • Bag Review: The Stylish ONA Union Street Camera Bag for Street Photography

    Bag Review: The Stylish ONA Union Street Camera Bag for Street Photography

    For those who are looking for a stylish, sleek, and functional messenger bag for street photography – check out the new ONA Union Street Bag. ONA sent me a bag to review, and after thorough testing (took it all over India) here is my review/overall impressions of this bag. Keep reading more if you are interested in making an investment into a fashionable and durable bag that will last you a long time!

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  • Behind the Scenes: Street Photography Exhibition at the Downtown LA Art Walk at the Hatakeyama Gallery

    Behind the Scenes: Street Photography Exhibition at the Downtown LA Art Walk at the Hatakeyama Gallery

    Recently at the Downtown LA Art Walk, some of my fellow LA Streettogs and myself showed our work at the Hatakeyama Gallery. Lots of awesome people came out and supported and checked out some of the work by our group.

    In the video I use my GoPro video camera to take you behind-the-scenes of the gallery, and right in all the fun! You can also get a sneak-peak on 3 of my photographs from my series: “Dark Skies over Tokyo” (shot with my Leica M6 and film). I will be sharing the full series later on, so stay updated!

    LA Streettogs featured:

    Read more to see all the pictures from the event!

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  • What Street Photographers Actually Do

    What Street Photographers Actually Do

    What Street Photographers Actually Do Meme

    The “What Photographers Actually Do” meme has been spreading like wildfire as of late. Danny Santos just put together a one for street photographers which is pretty hilarious (and true to a certain extent).

    What would you add/change in the image above? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! 

  • Downtown LA Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Snapshots

    Downtown LA Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Snapshots

    I am pleased to share that my recent street photography workshop in Downtown LA was awesome! Not only were all the participants in the workshop willing to push themselves and find more meaning in their photography, but the group interaction and support was phenomenal. Huge thanks to Todd Hatakeyama from the Hatakeyama Gallery! Also huge thanks to Todd for providing these workshop photos!

    Keep updated with all of my upcoming street photography workshops in Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne, Sydney, and New York here!

    Also keep reading to see all of the photos from behind-the-scenes.

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  • FREE Giveaway! Win a thinkTANK Retrospective 20 Camera Bag!

    FREE Giveaway! Win a thinkTANK Retrospective 20 Camera Bag!

    Update 2-27-12: Congratulations to John Barduhn for winning the giveaway! His tip was: “Always say “Thank You“. Stay tuned for our next giveaway soon ;)

    thinkTANK Photo has generously provided a Retrospective 20 Shoulder Messanger Bag ($167.75 value) for a give-away on the blog! You can have the chance to either win a version in Pinestone or Black (I prefer the Pinestone color). They make fantastic street photography bags, as they don’t look like camera bags (thus you can be more discrete). If you want a smaller bag, also check out the Retrospective 5 (good for street photographers with a Leica or Micro 4/3rds system).

    To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is:

    Share your #1 street photography tip (in 7 words or less)

    There are three ways to enter (the more ways you enter, the more chances to win!):

    1. “Like” me on Facebook and share your tip on my wall!
    2. Tweet your response, and include the following text anywhere in the tweet:
    3. Leave a comment below!

    This contest will end Friday, Feb 24th, 2012. We’ll randomly pick a winner and announce it on the blog!

    *Credit to PetaPixel for the contest idea! 

  • How To File Out Your Own Negative Holder

    How To File Out Your Own Negative Holder

    Eric’s Note: This feature is by Trevor Marczylo, a Winnipeg-based street photographer who has made the move to Korea! If anyone in Korea wants to meet up with him- drop him a line! Follow his blog as well.

    Trevor: I ‘ve gotten a ton of emails over the last few weeks regards to how I get that black sloppy border around my images in the darkroom. I simply just took a file and hacked into it until I was happy.

    So for this week’s article I thought I’d write a quick and simple discription on how to file out your negative holder so you can have your own signature negative border style.

    There really isn’t anything to it and all you need is a small flat file and your negative holder, some black paint or nail polish and the will to destroy your neg holder.

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  • Radiate Magazine Issue #2 is Now Available!

    Radiate Magazine Issue #2 is Now Available!

    I am excited that issue #2 of Radiate Magazine is out. Radiate is a street photography magazine edited by Stu Egan, and features work, interviews, and features from up-and-coming street photographers from all around the globe.

    Included in this issue are David Solomons brilliant and often unseen early BW, Steve Richmond‘s incredible Kimology series and Charlie Kirk’s interview of Claire Atkinson.

    Pick up a copy!

    You can get hold of printed copies here which costs $21 + shipping. It will make a great addition to your street photography library!

    You can also download free PDFs from that page, or if you don’t want to register with Magcloud just head over to www.radiate-magazine.co.uk and get one there.

    Also check out the first issue of Radiate here.

    Congratulations once again to Stu and the rest of the Radiate team and featured photographers! Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below! 

  • The QL17 Love Affair and My Newly Adressed Obsession With Gear

    The QL17 Love Affair and My Newly Adressed Obsession With Gear

    Self portrait wires

    Eric’s Note: If you are wondering what all those crazy things coming out of Ollie’s head are, check out his last blog post.

    Ollie Gapper: I was recently lucky enough to pick up a Canonet QL17 rangefinder off of eBay for a steal at £30 with postage, a camera I had been after for quite a while, and for good reason.

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  • The Ink Soaked Street Photographs of Jack Hubbell (aka Cyclops-Optic)

    The Ink Soaked Street Photographs of Jack Hubbell (aka Cyclops-Optic)

    Jack Hubbell

    (From Song Tan and Seoul, South Korea © Jack Hubbell 1981-1983) – Flickr

    Eric’s Note: Today I am glad to feature the work of Jack Hubbell (Cyclops-Optic) on the blog today. Charlie Kirk turned me onto his work, citing the unique way he saw the world. 

    Jack: To have something in common with Eric Kim. What? Perhaps you think it Photography, but no. Further back than that. Further away than that. Off to a nation called Korea. Whilst Eric’s connection lies with ancestry, mine deals with birth. And by that I mean birth of vision.

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  • Breathtaking Street Photography of New York City by Stanley Kubrick in the 1940’s

    Breathtaking Street Photography of New York City by Stanley Kubrick in the 1940’s

    Stanley Kubrick Street Photography

    Long before director Stanley Kubrick directed influetial films such as Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining — he took incredible street photographs in New York City since he was 17. He worked until the 1950’s for Look Magazine before he decided to pursue filmmaking.

    Keep reading to check out incredible street photographs taken by Kubrick – which are comical, intruiging, and full of energy and excitement! Make sure to also check out Twisted Sifter for all the images!

    *Florian Dirks from my Facebook fan page has let me know that not all of the photographs included below are unposed- some of them are elaborately staged. Incredible photographs nonetheless. Also big thanks to Rinzi Ruiz for directing me towards these photos! 

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  • Enter Thomas Leuthard’s “Street Self-Portrait” Photography Contest!

    Enter Thomas Leuthard’s “Street Self-Portrait” Photography Contest!

    My good colleague and fellow street shooter Thomas Leuthard currently has a street photography contest running titled: “Street Self Portrait” running on Flickr. Some of the rules are below:

    The Rules

    These are some of the prizes for the contest as well!

    • 1st prize – 3 years of Flickr Pro
    • 2nd prize – 2 years of Flickr Pro
    • 3rd prize – 1 year of Flickr Pro

    If you have any further questions about the contest, please post them in this thread on Flickr.

    Good luck to everybody and excited to see the winner!

    Enter the contest by uploading your photograph here.

  • Announcing Alex Coghe’s FREE E-book on Street Photography

    Announcing Alex Coghe’s FREE E-book on Street Photography

    I am excited to announce that my good friend and Mexico City-based streettog Alex Coghe has recently published a free e-book on street photography. He goes over practical tips & techniques, philosophy, and general thoughts about street photography. It has a great wealth of information and inspiration – so make sure to check it out!

    You can download a free copy on Scribd or directly here.

    If you want more free e-books on street photography, make sure to check out Thomas Leuthard’s free ebooks on street photography as well.

  • An Inside Look Into the Life of Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel by Gil Cohen Magen

    An Inside Look Into the Life of Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel by Gil Cohen Magen

    Eric’s Note: I am excited to present these images by photographer Gil Cohen Magen for his upcoming book: “Hassidic Courts“. The images are a great insiders look to the lives of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and shot with a great street photography aesthetic. Check them out and let us know what you think! 

    The award winning Israeli photographer Gil Cohen Magen has an exclusive and extensive collection of photographs about the inside life of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel. Gil  has been given exclusive access to observe and photograph the religious and cultural rites of these closed communities,ceremonies that have never been photographed before and have never been shown to the outside world.

    Cohen Magen spent a decade preparing his book “Hassidic Courts”. During this time, Cohen Magen obtained unprecedented access to these usually closed communities. He captured rare religious ceremonies and extraordinary moments in the lives of Hassidic Jews.
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  • Beverly Hills Street Photography POV Video with Leica M6 and GoPro

    I have recently been working on a project in Beverly Hills that explores the following themes: wealth, disparity, happiness, image, and gloom. In my last POV video in Downtown LA many of you asked me to edit in the shots, and I did! Note that not every shot is fantastic- but wanted to include the shots as an educational tool to help you better understand how to approach, frame, and capture your subjects.

    I am currently shooting with a film Leica M6 and Kodak Portra 400 film. The video was recorded with a GoPro Hero HD 960 video camera.

    Featured in the video: Medhi Bouqua. See my past feature with him on the blog here.

    What do you think about this video? Let me know how you would like me to change/edit my future videos in the comments below! 

  • Review: Steve’s Camera Service in Los Angeles (getting my Leica M6 repaired)

    Review: Steve’s Camera Service in Los Angeles (getting my Leica M6 repaired)

    Below is the text pulled from my Yelp review of Steve’s Camera Service to fix my broken Leica M6.

    So here is the story:

    About 3 months ago, I inherited a Leica M6 from a good friend of mine. I had only shot digital (with a Leica M9) and shooting film was a huge blast. I took that baby through half of Asia (Tokyo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, etc).

    Then about a week ago I was shooting with it in Downtown LA and suddenly at around 20 shots in- my film advance lever would get jammed. I was scared crapless- because I had to get it fixed ASAP (heading to Hong Kong in 3 days to teach a street photography workshop).

    Anyways, I asked on Twitter about the broken M6 problem- and a bunch of guys referred me to Steve.

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  • Los Angeles Street Photography Workshop by Bellamy Hunt (Japancamerahunter) and Rinzi Ruiz 3/10-3/11

    Los Angeles Street Photography Workshop by Bellamy Hunt (Japancamerahunter) and Rinzi Ruiz 3/10-3/11

    I am excited to announce that Bellamy Hunt (Japancamerahunter) and my protege Rinzi Ruiz will be teaching a street photography in Los Angeles March 10th-11th. The workshop will be a fantastic opportunity for beginners and intermediate photographers to learn more about the beautiful craft of street photography- including how to take photographs of strangers, composition, as well as shooting on the streets of the City of Angels!

    The workshop will be hosted at the Hatakeyama Gallery in Downtown LA. If you are a Los Angeles native or have ever wanted to visit – it will be an amazing opportunity to shoot all the colorful districts of Downtown. This includes the colorful fashion district, the dazzling jewelry district, and the amazing light rays from Broadway.

    Beautiful Downtown LA

    Some topics that will be discussed in the workshop:

    • Beating your fear: How to get over the fear of shooting strangers. By learning simple techniques we will teach you how to overcome your fears and how to get into the mindset to go out shooting without being nervous.
    • Find your style: Everyones style is different and we want to encourage yours.
    • Be critical: Learn how to self edit your work and how to select the pieces that really define you.
    • Working for yourself: Learn how to develop projects that will help you define your style.
    • Shooting: What street photography workshop would be complete without actually hitting the streets and shooting?

    The course will be $395 for the weekend. Places are limited, so sign up quickly before spots are sold out! Check out more details at: www.lastreetphotographyworkshop.com

  • Feb Volume 1: The 13 Best Street Photographs From the Community

    Feb Volume 1: The 13 Best Street Photographs From the Community

    Street Photography

    (Above photo by Robert Larson)

    I know it has been a while since I featured street photography from the community – but here is the last batch of great shots I have noticed on Facebook! If you would like to get one of your shots featured in the future, make sure to upload them to my Facebook fan page! (I prefer using Facebook because it is easier to sort/look through all the photographs).

    Some tips to get included in the next post:

    1. Don’t use watermarks on your photographs
    2. Don’t over-process your photographs
    3. Street portraits are great – but try to incorporate the subjects/backgrounds more
    4. Get good lighting. Try not to include shots that have been shot mid-day
    5. Crouch more. Get at least eye-to-eye level with your subjects
    6. Think about balance and composition. Don’t have your subjects too center-focused
    7. Don’t shoot people’s backs. Sometimes they work but typically they don’t
    Keep reading to see the rest of the photographs!
  • Why Sharpness is a Bourgeoise Concept in Street Photography

    Henri Cartier-Bresson

    “Sharpness is a bourgeois concept” – Henri Cartier Bresson

    In the modern age of photography, everyone seems to have an unhealthy obsession with how sharp lenses are, how much bokeh they produce, and how “3d” they can make their images appear.

    Ignore these statements. Anyone who talks at excessive length about any of these topics are misled into thinking that what makes a great photograph are the effects that expensive lenses can give you.

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  • Streettogs Gallery Feature: “The Extras” by George L. Smyth

    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.: Street Photography is rarely about someone we know very well. The subjects are usually those who are unknown to us and more often than not, we will never encounter again. The only evidence of the existence of these characters is the photograph made during that brief encounter.

    In George Smyth’s The Extras, he shows strangers he encounters his daily life. It is something so simple and what street photographers tend to do but what made his work unique is that he presented his work on Bromoil prints. Bromoil printing is an alternative process where the silver from a traditional darkroom print has been replaced with lithographic ink by hitting the print with an ink charged brush for thousands of times. Needless to say, it is a laborious and time consuming process.

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  • Snapshots from my Singapore Street Photography Workshop and “Proximity” Exhibition

    Snapshots from my Singapore Street Photography Workshop and “Proximity” Exhibition

    At the Leica store in Singapore for my "Proximity" Exhibition

    Already missing the warm weather and awesome chicken rice in Singapore! Huge thanks to Adam Rahim for letting me stay at his place (and being my manager), Leonard Goh, Gracia Yap, and Sunil Kaul from Leica for hosting my workshop – as well as Invisible Photographer Asia for letting us use their gallery space. Let me not forget AikBengChia for being my guest speaker at the workshop as well!

    Keep reading to check out all the snapshots of the workshop and exhibition!

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  • Snapshots from my Korea Street Photography Workshop and “The City of Angels” Exhibition

    Snapshots from my Korea Street Photography Workshop and “The City of Angels” Exhibition

    korea street photography workshop
    My lovely grandma at my exhibition opening!

    Going to Korea was a trip to be remembered for me. Not only did I have the chance to teach my first street photography workshop (in my mother country) but also taught it in both English and Korean! Huge thanks goes to Josh White, Dani Kim, Jasmine Aum, Olivia Lee, Jinhwan Roh, Summer and the rest of the Leica Korea team.  I also had my first solo exhibition at the Illum Gallery at the Leica Store in Seoul.

    Check out some snapshots from the workshop and exhibition below!

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  • What’s Important in Street Photography: Style, Technique, Or Something Else?

    What’s Important in Street Photography: Style, Technique, Or Something Else?

    I recently read a critique on Severin Koller’s blog regarding the ethics of street photography and shooting street photography close, with a wide-angle, and a flash (similar to Bruce Gilden). He brings up issues that I think that all street photographers should consider when they think about why they shoot street photography and whether there is a “right or wrong” approach in street photography.

    For this post, I will try to type out some of my personal thoughts on the topic at hand. There will be many flaws in my argument but please bear with me—I consider it more of a personal essay that will help me explicate my own thoughts. I will try to draw from street photography books, my personal experiences, as well as some pseudo-philosophy to back up any of my claims.

    My ultimate claim is that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to shoot street photography (as there is an abundance of street photography styles out there). However when it comes to street photography, we should argue less about the aesthetics, styles, technique, and approach and —and concentrate on the question: “Why do we photograph?” It doesn’t matter if you use a wide-angle lens or a normal lens or if you use a flash or not. In the end the most important question remains: “Am I creating images that makes a statement on humanity, and will my images have the power to influence others to see differently?”

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  • “Conquering Your Fear of Shooting on the Streets” Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in Kuala Lumpur (3/3-3/4)

    “Conquering Your Fear of Shooting on the Streets” Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in Kuala Lumpur (3/3-3/4)

    INTERESTED IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY BUT SCARED OR DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN?

    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 learn the best settings to use on your camera to capture the decisive moment on your camera? Do you want to meet other street photographers that are as equally passionate about street photography or interested in learning like you?

    If you are an beginner or intermediate street photographer and want to conquer your fear of shooting in the streets or looking to improve your skills, this workshop is for you. Through this dynamic and hands-on 2-day workshop you will get to learn:

    1. How to get over the fear of shooting street photography
    2. How to shoot candid images without anybody noticing you
    3. How to tell a story with your photos
    4. The best technical settings to use in street photography
    5. The secret of converting your photos into beautiful black and whites
    6. How to react to people who get offended by street photography
    7. How to capture “The Decisive Moment
    8. The laws of street photography
    9. What techniques for taking great street photographs
    10. The history of street photography
    Read more for more information about this upcoming exciting street photography workshop in Kuala Lumpur!
  • What About Henri Cartier-Bresson? The Lightness Of Life. An Interview with Street Photographer Knut Skjærven

    What About Henri Cartier-Bresson? The Lightness Of Life. An Interview with Street Photographer Knut Skjærven

    At The Beach (1) Shot in Normandy, France in 2006.  What goes through Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work is a certain lightness of life. It has to do with the subjects he picks, the way he handles them, and also with the print expression that he seems to insists on. Decisive moments and precise compositions, sure, but the lightness of life is the thread that carries it all.

    Eric’s Note: I am pleased to feature Knut Skjærven to the blog today, a street photographer with a fantastic eye which I see mirrors many of the aesthetics of Henri Cartier-Bresson. The interview is quite long, but very informative. Keep reading! 

    Knut: First of all, Eric, thank you for asking me for this interview.  I am flattered that you suggest that there is a certain inspiration, and maybe even a likeness, in some of my pictures to those of Henri Cartier-Bresson. You said: “I love how your images convey a similar aesthetic to Henri Cartier-Bresson”.

    That is a great, great compliment. I am not sure that I deserve it. I know I don’t. After all, it is not that long ago that I started taking photography seriously.

    Sure, I have been taking pictures for many years, but it never occurred to me that I perhaps should spend more time with it. It was not till 2010 that I decided to start a proper photographic project. That project is still running. That brought about a change.

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  • SPNC – Year 2 – Instruction # 10: “Illuminate people. Use flash or other light sources.”

    SPNC – Year 2 – Instruction # 10: “Illuminate people. Use flash or other light sources.”

    I am very excited to be part of the Street Photography Now Community’s Instruction #10. Check out the link below to participate!

    http://www.flickr.com/groups/spnc-year2-instruction10/

    More info about SPNP:

    This is the tenth Instruction for the Year 2 of the Street Photography Now Project, written to inspire fresh ways of looking at and documenting the world we all live in. Photographs you contribute should be new work made in response to the Instruction.

    The group will open on Friday 03.02.12 at 10.00 GMT. You have until 10.00 GMT on 17.02.12 to upload one photograph in response to this instruction.

    For more info on the project, join the mother group here: www.flickr.com/groups/spnc/
    Recommended bedside reading if you haven’t bought it yet:www.thamesandhudson.com/streetphotography.html
    Wonder what the instructions were in Year 1? streetphotographynowproject.wordpress.com/

  • Ollie Gapper: Making the Best of a Rough Situation and Your Opinions on the CritiqueMe Series

    Ollie Gapper: Making the Best of a Rough Situation and Your Opinions on the CritiqueMe Series

    ollie gapper

    Ollie: Let me start this with an apology. I haven’t had time this week to produce a nice in-depth interview or to find something or someone to write massively about, (the reason is stated below) so as much as I dislike talking and promoting my own work, this week I haven’t really got a choice.

    So, as a lot of you will have known from observing my Twitter and Google+ accounts, I have recently spent a night in hospital whilst undergoing tests for a sleeping disorder. It was nothing major, just an uncomfortable night of being hooked up to a computer that monitors my brain activity. I decided to make use of this situation and bring a few cameras with me to enable me to produce some work.

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  • “Why I Love Street Photography” by Alex Coghe

    “Why I Love Street Photography” by Alex Coghe

    Eric’s Note: This guest blog post is by Alex Coghe, a passionate street photographer from Mexico City. I had the great pleasure of meeting Alex in Los Angeles for the ThinkTank Gallery “YOU ARE HERE” street photography event sponsored by Leica. See this post why he loves street photography, and see how it echoes with you too! 

    Alex: Street Photography for me is all about the photography. There are so many genres of art, but street photography is the most powerful to me.

    Street photography is one of the biggest passions in my life. My mind is always on street photography. I spend a large amount of time either shooting on the streets, blogging about street photography, networking with street photography, and thinking about street photography.

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  • Introducing the Streettogs Gallery – Open for Submissions!

    Introducing the Streettogs Gallery – Open for Submissions!

    Eric’s Note: I am pleased to announce the great concept of the “Streettogs Gallery” — a concept by A.g. De Mesa, a passionate street photographer from Manila in the Philippines.  Hopefully his idea can help bring more great photo series, documentary series, and photo essays! 

    So what is this about?

    A.g.: Stemming from Eric’s piece on making a series, Streettogs Gallery is a column appearing every Wednesday wherein I will showcase street photography based photo series, documentary projects, and photography essays together with my  thoughts on the stories and the artist which could hopefully contribute to the aesthetic and knowledge of you, the readers.

    I also hope to encourage a healthy discussion and show our opinions about the work presented and to judge it not whether if it is good or bad technically (an area in which Ollie’s CritiqueMe series is all about) but  rather if it contributes to the art form that is street photography and to push it further.

    Read more to see how you can get your work featured here!

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  • Street Photography POV Video in Downtown LA with Leica M6 and GoPro HD Camera

    Just out shooting the streets of the fashion district in Downtown LA with my film Leica M6 and recorded with a  GoPro HD Hero 960 mounted on top of my hotshoe.

    LA Streettogs (featured in the video)

    Joel Sheiner:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/65951850@N08/

    Dana Barsuhn:
    http://www.danabarsuhn.com/

    Rinzi Ruiz:
    http://www.rinziruizphotography.com/