Archives for September 2012

Experience the Magic of Film: Introduction to Film Street Photography in Kyoto (11/16-11/18) with Eric Kim, Bellamy Hunt, Sean Lotman, and Junku Nishimura

WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF SHOOTING AND DEVELOPING FILM OF THE BEAUTIFUL STREETS OF KYOTO?

Do you have a film camera just lying around collecting dust? Have you been ever curious about experiencing the magic of film of creating life in your images by processing your own negatives? Do you wish to gain a new appreciation for the craft and experience of film?

Film isn’t just another style in photography, it is a different artistic approach. This workshop in Kyoto can help challenge your photography in a unique way, and kickstart your creativity. It will re-invigorate your photography, while giving you the chance to experience the beauty of Kyoto in the fall.

I am excited to announce that I will be teaching this one-of-a-kind workshop alongside Japanese film pros Bellamy Hunt, Sean Lotman, and special guest Junku Nishimura. If you want to learn how to shoot film with some of the best film shooters in Japan you definitely don’t want to miss this workshop and unique opportunity.

Regardless of your previous experience shooting and developing film, we guarantee that you will gain a unique insight into different approaches and techniques to film photography that will help take your photography to the next level.

Street Photography Google+ Hangout with Rinzi Ruiz and Vivienne Gucwa, hosted by Karen Hutton and Dave Veffer

Thanks to Trey Ratcliff for inviting me to his Google+ Hangout talk on street photography. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to host, but Karen Hutton was generous enough to lead the discussion. I was able to join my good friend Rinzi Ruiz and Vivienne Gucwa in which we talk about street photography and the stories behind some of our work.

Thanks to Dave Veffer for helping out with the whole production!

Some of the photographers we recommended during the Google+ Hangout:
Adam Marelli, Matt Obrey, Nathan Wirth, and DeShaun Craddock.

Streettogs gallery Work in Progress: Minh Nghia’s Photobook “In Transit”

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.: 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.

Award-winning Multimedia Journalist, Street Photographer, and Professor: Interview with Richard “Koci” Hernandez from The Mobile Photo Group

(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!

10 Tips How to Unleash Your Creativity in Street Photography

(Above photograph: Hong Kong, 2011. Eric Kim)

One of the most influential books I have recently is titled: “Imagine: How Creativity Works”. It was a book I was recommended by my good friend and fellow street photographer Brian Sparks. It outlines studies done on creativity, creative people, and the actual science done on the subject.

Sometimes we think that creativity is something that we are born with, and cannot be taught. I think (and the book suggests) the opposite. Creativity can indeed be taught, and there is scientific studies that suggest it. I can only hope that with this post it can help you unlock some of your own creativity in photography, and make your street photographs more unique, creative, and stand out from the crowd.

The article also features some of my unpublished work from 2011. Hope you enjoy!

My Personal Thoughts on the New Leica M, Leica M-E & Sony RX-1

Leica recently has released a range of new cameras at Photokina, including the Leica M, Leica M-E, Leica S3, Dlux-6, and V-lux 4.

As a street photographer, the two cameras that were interesting to me were the new Leica M and Leica M-E. Here are some of my thoughts of these new cameras as well as the Sony RX-1.

Why Talent is Overrated in Street Photography

(Above photo from my “Downtown LA in Color” series, 2012)

I believe firmly in the idea that talent is overrated, not only in street photography but other facets of life. We look at those who are successful in their fields, and we clamor how talented they are– and how they must have some innate skill or insight that nobody else was born with.

After reading many books on talent and success including “Talent is Overrated”, “Outliers”, and “Image: How Creativity Works” the findings are quite similar. Hard work and “deliberate practice” is what makes people great in their fields, rather than being born with talent. Talent isn’t an adjective to describe ourselves. Rather, talent is a verb– something we must nurture and constantly work on over the years.

Interview with Kai Man Wong from Digital Rev TV on the Leica Blog

In-case you missed it, check out my interview with Kai Man Wong from Digital Rev TV on the Leica blog. We chat about his interest in street photography, his hectic life as a caster, and his fake british accent.

Check out the entire interview here.

Travel Update: Shooting Street Photography in New York City (and heading to Venice!)

Street photography is phenomenal in NYC- it is truly the mecca here. Now heading off to Venice for my week-long workshop with Adam Marelli. Wish me a safe trip and thanks for everyone in NYC for showing me such a marvelous time :)

Street Photography Weekly Assignment #8: “Motion” Winners

I am excited to share that this week’s winner for the “Motion” street photography assignment is Timothy Cadman hailing from NYC!

When I first saw Timothy’s photograph, it instantly popped out at me. I felt the sense of anxiety, confusion, and the pulse of the city of New York City through his photograph. Also considering the fact that the man is wearing a suit and a tie adds to a feeling of oppression, as I see a suit and a tie in such a dark film noir sense as something oppressive. Not only that, but the subject’s head is in the middle of the sky, which gives his face some separation from the background, and the neon lights on the left and right side of his head frame him nicely in the center. Once again, the feeling of “motion” in this shot is very apparent with the streaks of light and shadow around the man.

Timothy is going to now choose the new assignment for assignment #9 (to be announced).

Stay updated on the blog and my Facebook fan page for more details! Let’s all give him a round of applause in the comments below!

1970’s American Street Photography from Robert M Johnson from Massachusetts

Eric’s Note: I have known Robert M Johnson for the internet for quite a while. I was initially drawn to his work from the nostalgia that it brought me (most of his work was shot in the 1970’s). I was drawn even closer to see his visual style and sharp eye for capturing moments and people. I also love seeing the similarity between his work and that of Frank, Cartier-Bresson, and Winogrand. Read a little more about him below, and check out his images too!

Robert M Johnson is an American Street Photographer located in Massachusetts, USA. He is a self taught photographer immersing himself in the history and nuances of his craft. His images were all shot during the classic 1970’s period of Street Photography. He always presents his work full frame and never crops an image.

The “3 A” Theory: The Secret to Memorable Street Photographs

(Above image from my “Korea: The Presentation of Self” series, 2011)

I am very interested in ideas and how they spread. Especially “viral” ideas. A while ago I came upon this study on virality that studied the most shared articles on The New York Times and the researchers had a hypothesis on what causes something to spread like a virus.

Their research suggested that the articles that got shared most applied to their “3 A” theory — awe, anger, and anxiety. Articles that evoked a strong emotional response from the readers.

Curious how you can apply this to your street photography to make more memorable images? Read on.

Helen Levitt’s Color Street Photography from New York City in the 1970’s

Helen Levitt is one of my favorite street photographers – as I love her celebration of life through the classic shots of NYC. To me her work speaks to my heart- the small joys of everyday life through the children on the streets and people just living their everyday lives out and about in the neighborhoods of New York.

I recently visited the photography section of the MOMA, and came upon a slideshow of Helen Levitt’s Slides (in the video above). In 1959 and 1960 she received grants from the Guggenheim Foundation to shoot the streets of New York in color (her previous work was done in black and white). A crazy story is that the best of her shots were stolen from her apartment in 1970. However undeterred, she continued to shoot and her work was featured at the MOMA (in 1974). What remains is a soulful look into the city, in the vibrant medium of color which was very underutilized in that era.

Photos by Helen Levitt

2012-09-09_2229 — Click to see more photos by Helen Levitt on American Suburb X

If you want to see more color photos by Helen Levitt (in high resolution), check out this feature on her on American Suburb X here.

Books by Helen Levitt

Below are some lovely books by Helen Levitt (and affordable!). Highly recommend you guys to pick up a copy via Amazon.

Helen Levitt (a great and affordable collection of her work-recently published)
Slideshow: The Color Photographs of Helen Levitt
Helen Levitt (an older publication of her work, you can find really cheap used copies on Amazon)

What do you think of Helen Levitt’s work – and which of her images are your favorite? Share your thoughts and love in the comments below!

Burn My Eye Photography Exhibition Opening @ Third Floor Gallery in Cardiff (Friday, Sept 14th)

I am excited to announce that Burn My Eye (an international photography collective) is holding its second exhibition at the very prestigious Third Floor Gallery from September 14 to October 28. They are one of my favorite photography collectives at the moment- I love the energy, originality, and exuberance of their members’ images. Make sure to put it in your calendar and swing by the opening, which is Friday, Sept 14th!

Burn My Eye is: Zisis Kardianos, Charlie Kirk, Andrew Kochanowski, Alexandros Konstantinakis Karmis, Frédéric Le Mauff, TC Lin, JB Maher, Jason Penner, Justin Sainsbury, Jack Simon and Justin Vogel.

Check out the Facebook invite here.

Video Interview with Anton Kawasaki about Instagram and the Future of Mobile Photography

Anton Kawasaki is a member of The Mobile Photo Group and also a street photographer based in NYC. He uses the iPhone more or less exclusively for his work, and started shooting around the same time that Sion Fullana started as well. Coming from a nearly a 20-year background in the comic book industry and also being an editor, his photos of NYC are colorful, vivid, and introspective. He gets close both emotionally and physically to his subjects, and is able to capture those wonderful “decisive moments” which bring a little humanity and life into the crazy life of the big apple.

In this interview we discuss an article he wrote, “Is Instagram Defining, and Therefore Ruining, Mobile Photography?” and get more in-depth about his thoughts.

* Once again, the interview was done in a crowded and loud cafe (it is impossible to find anywhere quiet in NYC) so pardon the excessive noise!

Photos by Anton

Street Photography Weekly Assignment #9: “Motion”

Luke Ding, the winner of last week’s weekly street photography assignment: “Surreal” has chose the theme for this week which is: “Motion”

You have until this Sunday (the 9th) @ 11:59pm (via your local time zone) to upload your best (1) street photograph that you shoot this week (no old photos allowed) to my Facebook Fan Page. I will select the entries I like the best and feature them on my blog!

Now go out and shoot!

Video Interview with Sion Fullana, NYC Street Photographer from The Mobile Photo Group

In New York, I was very pleased to meet up with Sion Fullana, a journalist, film-maker, and street photographer based here. He is originally from Spain, and once coming to the city (and getting an iPhone 3G as a present from Anton Kawasaki)–he started hitting the streets and shooting. After several popular photos he published (including the kiss in Times Square–which was shot with a point-and-shoot), his visibility skyrocketed on the internet. He is also very active on Instagram, and is one of the members of The Mobile Photo Group.

Sion is an incredibly down-to-earth guy — check out the interview to find out more about his beginnings and how he discovered street photography through his mobile device!

* Apologies for the noisy background — am using an external microphone on my iPad to make the interview louder (but the ambient sound is much louder too!)

Photos from Sion

To see more photos, read on!

From Military Photographer to Street Photographer: Interview with Gary Tyson from Hong Kong

Last year when I taught my street photography workshop in Hong Kong, I finally had the chance to meet Gary Tyson in person (and teach alongside him). Gary is a very thoughtful and down-to-earth guy who shows great compassion for the subjects that he shoots. He had a beginning in military photography, and now founded his own company F8 Photography in which he shoots assignments, teaches workshops, and also does video work.

In his free time he loves to travel all across Asia, and his true passion is street photography. If you want to find out more about Gary and his work, read on!

Best Student Photos from my NYC Introduction to Street Photography Workshop with Adam Marelli

Photograph by Warren Emmons. Click to see more.

I had a phenomenal time this past weekend teaching my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop with Adam Marelli. Not only did everyone push themselves to get over their fear of shooting street photography, but they also applied the fundamentals of design & composition (taught by Adam) in creating solidly constructed images! Make sure to see the link below and comment on your favorite shots.

See all student photos on Facebook >>

Also make sure to check out my upcoming workshops:

2012:

9/29-9/30: Toronto: Introduction to Film Street Photography – More info
10/13-10/20: 7 Day Street Photography California Coastal Cruise – More info
11/2-11/4: Tokyo – Introduction to Street Photography Workshop – More Info
11/9-11/11: Tokyo – Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop – Register intent
11/16-11/18: Kyoto – Film Street Photography Workshop – Register intent
12/9-12/15: Calcutta, India – Week-long Immersion Course – More info & Register Intent

2013:

2/23-2/24: Mumbai, India – Introduction – (email kaush_par@yahoo.co.in for more info)
2/27-2/28: Pune, India – Introduction – (email kaush_par@yahoo.co.in for more info)
3/2-3/3: Mumbai, India – Int/Advanced – (email kaush_par@yahoo.co.in for more info)
3/8-3/10: Bangkok, Thailand – All levels – Register Intent
3/16-3/17: Hong Kong – Intro – Register Intent
4/13-4/14: Beijing, China – Intro – Register Intent
4/20-4/21: Shanghai, China – Intermediate/Advanced – Register Intent

3 Concepts from Cognitive Science That Can Help You Become a Better Street Photographer

What makes a photograph memorable? What makes a photograph so powerful and so magical that it burns itself into our memories? Why do certain photographs withstand the history of time? Why do certain shots that are perfectly composed and framed are easily forgotten or dismissed? What makes a great photograph? How much of it is subjective vs objective? Is there a “science” behind making a memorable photograph?

These are many questions and thoughts that constantly revolve in my mind. Although there are no definite answers to any of these questions, many things I have been learning in sociology, psychology, and cognitive science have been giving me some clues.

While there is no certain “magical checklist” in what makes a certain photograph memorable, I will apply some studies to a hypothesis which could help you create more meaningful and memorable images from some thoughts from cognitive science.

Curious? Read on.

Snap! Contemporary Street Photography Talk @ Museum of NYC, Monday Sept 10th with Bram, Gilden, Plachy & Sandler

(Above photograph copyrighted by Richard Bram)

I saw a message via Richard Bram on Twitter about an upcoming street photography talk in NYC at the Museum of NYC, Monday Sept 10th at 6:30pm! If you are in town, make sure to attend! The price is only $12 and I am looking forward to the informative talk! I will be there in attendance too :)

Information

Event: Snap! Contemporary Street Photography
Date: Monday, September 10
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Museum of NYC
Description: Contemporary street photographers discuss their stories, what they won’t shoot, living in a world where everyone has a camera on their phone, and more.

Join us for a conversation with contemporary street photographers who will reflect on how they approach people, public spaces, and the unpredictable nature of their work. The program will be moderated by curator Sean Corcoran.