Currently in Michigan, and getting ready to head to Tokyo. Before I left, I wanted to make this video to share a little of what’s in my bag, what I am preparing for the trip, some of my reflections about shooting street photography on film the last 10 months, what you have to look forward in the blog, and much more! Thanks for the kind words and support – talk more soon :)
Archives for October 2012
Capturing The Spirit of Detroit: Video Interview with Brian Day, Street Photographer
The past weekend I had the great pleasure of catching up with Brian Day, a street photographer based in Detroit. I first met Brian Day through a reference by my manager, Neil Ta – and ever since I met Brian (like Neil) I have had a serious bro crush on him.
Not only is he a very talented photographer that explores many genres, but he is also incredibly humble.
Check out the interview I did with him above in which we talk about his early influences in photography, how it is to shoot street photography in detroit, and advice that he gives other street photographers starting off or trying to find their own unique voice in street photography.
I have done several features including Brian, including his “Walkers With the Dawn” series you can see here.
To see my past video interview with him (as well as his images) read on!
Street Photography Magazine, “Radiate” Issue 3 Available!
I am excited to share that Stu Egan has recently published Issue 3 of Radiate Magazine. This issue contains great photography by Kaushal Parikh, Tony Marciante, Abby Robinson, Zisis Kardianos, Andrew Kochanowski, Gustavo Gomes and Tony Spatara. With over 100 pages of photography and interviews, this is definitely something you will love.
While the PDF download is free, I highly recommend everyone to order a print copy, which is only $15.75. I’ve ordered the last two issues, and not only is the print quality excellent, but the double-spreads look fantastic on paper (not on the computer). Nothing beats kicking back after a long day after work on the couch reading Radiate, or even reading it on your commute. Also the print copies are at-cost, so know that you are getting the lowest possible price.
Check out Issue 3 with the link below:
Also make sure to check out past issues:
I also did an interview with the editor and founder Stu Egan in the past. You can see that interview here.
Sneak peaks to Radiate Issue 3
Support this great initiative by Stu (he dedicates a ton of work on this for no profit) by sharing this with your friends and fellow street photographers! Also show Stu and the rest of the guys who are featured some love by leaving a comment below.
Street Photography Weekly Assignment #9: “Sensuality/Sexuality” Winner
I am excited that for this week’s winner for the “Sensuality/Seuxality” theme chosen by last week’s winner Timothy Cadman is Josefiel Rivera!
- Definition of Sensuality (by the Merriam-Webster dictionary): The relating to or consisting in the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of appetite.
- Definition of Sexuality (by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary): The quality or state of being sexual.
The reason I enjoyed Josefiel Rivera’s image the most because it has a great combination of surrealism as well as a social statement when it comes to sexuality. Below are some my thoughts of what I find fascinating about the image:
[Read more…] about Street Photography Weekly Assignment #9: “Sensuality/Sexuality” Winner
Capturing The Simplicity in Chaos: The Street Photographs of Matt Obrey from the UK
Eric’s Note: I am happy to share the work of Matt Obrey, a street photographer based in the UK. He is part of the new revisedMEDIA collective, and I love his use of light, simplicity, and black & white + color for his work. In the streets where chaos reigns supreme, he is able to find those simple and sublime moments to find some order in this world of ours. Read more about him below and check out his images!
Matt: I’m a 37 year old self employed wall and floor tiler and have been shooting the streets now for around 2 years. I work with a Fuji X100 as my main camera and occasionally use my Pentax ME Super. I work in both black and white and also in colour. Im proud to be part of revisedMEDIA, a collective of photographers from around the globe.
Alec Soth Lecture and Film Screening, Today Oct. 25, 7:00PM at the Detroit Film Theater
(Above video: Trailer for “Somewhere to Disappear“)
Eric’s Note: Brian Day, fellow street photographer from Detroit, just passed along this information regarding a unique opportunity to meet Alec Soth, Magnum Photographer. More information about the event below:
Brian: Just thought I’d pass this along for those of you within reach of the Detroit area. The Detroit Film Theater is a nice space. An exhibition of Soth’s work will also be in the Detroit area (Cranbrook Academy) beginning November 16.
Capturing The Disappearing Faces of Chicago: Interview with Brian Soko, Street Photographer
Eric’s Note: Brian Soko is a street photographer based in Chicago, Illinois. I was first introduced to Brian’s work by Jason Martini, another street photographer based in Chicago. Brian is a native of Chicago, and has been shooting there for many years- and has experienced the changes and evolution of the city. Armed with his camera, his work is straight and honest — showing a great deal of diversity of subjects in his photos, most of which are quite dark and grim. However he shows a great deal of compassion and humanity for his subjects– and remains very humble about his work. I am pleased to share this interview with him.
The Challenges and Rewards of Shooting Street Photography With a Medium-Format TLR Camera
Eric’s Note: This guest blog post is by Christian Nilson, a street photographer based in Zurich. Christian attended my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in Berlin this year, and upon meeting Juliane Eirich (one of my guest lecturers) and seeing her work, he decided to experimenting using a square-format TLR. In his article below he shares his experiences and challenges.
Christian: After having met Juliane Eirich at Eric’s workshop in Berlin, in May this year, I was intrigued with her photography and the square format. She uses a medium format TLR, which is both a format and a type of camera that I have never used. The first thing I did after my return from Berlin was to check the auction sites for a used Ricohflex and I was soon successful. A couple of days later I had it in my hand. Full working condition. I popped a roll of film in it and went out shooting. It took a bit of getting used to the different way of shooting and composing.
Venice/Verona Introduction to Composition/Design Workshop Student Photos & Snapshots
The Week-Long Introduction to Composition/Design Workshop in Venice/Verona with Adam Marelli was a huge blast. Not only did we have the opportunity to explore the beauty, architecture, and history of Venice/Verona – but we also were able to enjoy the great foods, wines, and sights there. The support and energy from all of the workshop participants was incredible, and needless to say that everyone’s photography improved throughout the entire week together.
The workshop was also a special opportunity for me, because it was the first week-long workshop I ever did. I loved it because it gave me more time to get to know everyone more personally on a 1:1 basis, as we did wake together, eat breakfast together, have countless espressos & spritzs’ during the day, shoot together, review together, and dine together. It was a very unique experience that I will never forget.
You can see all the student photos on Facebook here.
Read more to see the video from the workshop and snapshots!
The Psychadelic Color Film Street Photography of Sean Lotman from Kyoto
(“The Troublemaker” – Kyoto, Japan. Sean Lotman)
Eric’s Note: I am excited to share this feature with Sean Lotman, a film street photographer currently based out of Kyoto. His colors are phenomenal, have great richness, and soul. He will also be teaching alongside myself, Bellamy Hunt, and Junku Nishimura in our upcoming Kyoto Introduction to Film Street Photography Workshop (11/16-11/18). See his thoughts on photography and his inspiration images below.
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Interview with Jason Eskenazi on “Wonderland: A Fairytale of the Soviet Monolith” – A 10-Year Odyssey Around the Former Soviet Union
(All photographs in this article copyrighted by Jason Eskenazi)
Eric’s Note: I am pleased to share this interview that two cute dogs did with Jason Eskenazi on his stunning book, “Wonderland: A Fairytale of the Soviet Monolith“. The book is a journey through the former Soviet Union that took Eskenazi 10 years to complete. The original interview was conducted by two cute dogs with Jason Eskenazi in a bar in Istanbul, and I transcribed the audio to make this text-based interview.
In the interview two cute dogs talks with Jason about his background, what got him interested in starting the project, as well as practical advice about how he put the book together, sequenced it, and how to see more of the frame. Curious? Read on.
11 Lessons Diane Arbus Can Teach You About Street Photography
(All photographs copyrighted by the Estate of Diane Arbus)
Diane Arbus is a photographer that has a very profound impact on me. When I first saw her photograph of the “grenade kid” — it hit me in the chest and has burned itself in my mind ever since. Upon studying more of Diane Arbus’ work — I found her photographs to be very applicable to my interest in shooting street photography of strangers- mostly as a mode of portraiture.
There is a wealth of knowledge on Diane Arbus (several memoirs, books, and even movies have been made on her), and I cannot say I am an expert on her work. However here is some golden knowledge I have found from one her books published by Aperture that I found incredibly insightful that I wanted to share with you.
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Home is Where the Heart Is
After traveling for the last several months, I really enjoyed the last two weeks relaxing and recuperating in East Lansing, my new home in Michigan with Cindy. It has helped me work on some writing that I have been meaning to do (on Magnum Contact Sheets and Bruce Davidson) and catch up on some work. I still have a lot of work to do, but wanted to make this video recapping some of my thoughts about traveling, the importance of friends & family, and the privilege it is to stay at home with your loved ones.
I’m heading to LA today for an interesting project I’m not able to talk about at the moment, but will keep you guys all updated in the next few weeks.
Thanks again for all of your endless support and words of encouragement, it keeps me going! Also if anyone wants to meet up in LA this week, let me know!
3 Reasons Why You Should Use the iPhone 5 For Street Photography by Mike Avina
(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.
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.
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Discover the Streets of Calcutta, India: Week-long Introduction to Design/Composition Workshop with Eric Kim and Adam Marelli (12/10-12/14)
Join Eric Kim and Adam Marelli…
Street Photography Workshop: Introduction to Design/Composition
Calcutta [INDIA] – December 10th-14th
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!
Interview with Maciej Dakowicz on his “Cardiff After Dark” book Published by Thames & Hudson
Maciej Dakowicz is a Polish photographer, traveller, organiser of photo trips and gallerist living in London, UK. He holds a PhD in computer science, but abandoned science to focus on photography. He is one of the founders of Third Floor Gallery in Cardiff, a member of the Wideangle photo agency and the un-posed Polish street photography collective. He has worked on various photographic projects in the UK and abroad and his interests are in documentary, travel and street photography.
I am very pleased to have interviewed Maciej for his new “Cardiff After Dark“, which is published with Thames & Hudson. The book is available now from various international book retailers, including amazon.co.uk, amazon.fr, amazon.com and the Book Depository (worldwide shipping).
Read more to find out about Maciej and his new book!
15 Lessons Bruce Davidson Can Teach You About Street Photography
(All photographs in this article are copyrighted by Bruce Davidson / Magnum Photos / Steidl)
Bruce Davidson is a photographer that I deeply look up to and admire. He first started taking pictures when he was around 10 years old, and has now shot for a span of over 60 years. He has covered many important political issues, such as the freedom riders – as well as local issues such as the impoverished state of East 100th Street in New York City, and the dilapidated subway. He is truly a “photographer’s photographer” – as he shoots, develops, and prints all of his photographs by himself and during his working career would “live like a monk”.
Davidson refuses to define himself or his photography. He doesn’t agree with the “documentary”, “journalism”, or “fine art” classification (even less with “street photographer”). However I feel that his photographs appeal to many street photographers- and there are many lessons of wisdom that he can teach all of us about street photography.
This article will cover a little bit of background history of Bruce Davidson as well as what us street photographers can learn from his photography and philosophy. Also note that this article is very in-depth and long. Brew yourself a strong cup of coffee and dive in!
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Miami Street Photography Festival 2012 (December 7-9th) featuring Alex Webb, Rebecca Norris Webb, and Maggie Steber
(Photograph copyrighted by Alex Webb / Magnum Photos)
I am excited to share the first upcoming Miami Street Photography Festival 2012. It will be featuring some of my favorite photographers, including Alex Webb (Magnum Photos), Rebecca Norris Webb (photographer, author, poet), and Maggie Steber (National Geographic). It will be a very unique 3-day event, showcasing some of the best emerging street photography – and their goal is to promote the love of street photography through exhibits, workshops, lectures, photowalks and portfolio reviews.
The festival will be held in Miami’s internationally acclaimed Wynwood Arts District during the height of Art Basel on December 7-9, 2012. More more details about the schedule click here.
If you are interested in attending the 1-day Masterclass with Alex Webb & Rebecca Norris Web you can find more details here.
Submit your work to be featured
The main exhibit will feature photographs selected from entries submitted by participants from all over the world. We invite photographers of all levels to submit their favorite images for juried selection in the Miami Street Photography Festival.
To submit and for the official rules, click here.
Deadline for submission is October 21, 2012 at 5:00pm EST.
Read more to see work by Alex Webb, Rebecca Norris Webb, and Maggie Steber.
Book Review: Magnum Contact Sheets
One of the most valuable books I currently have in my library is Magnum Contact Sheets. It is a book that was put out by Thames and Hudson in the last year or so, and contains over 139 contact sheets from 69 Magnum Photographers.
For those of you who are not familiar with contact sheets, they are a direct print made from a roll or sequence of images of film. Before the days of digital, they were an invaluable tool to photographers to quickly look through and edit their work (choosing their best images).
The book is a hefty behemoth full of knowledge, insights, and philosophies of the Magnum photographers within. I know that not everyone has the ability to access the book (as it is sold-out almost everywhere across the world and it is quite expensive) so I wanted to make this post to share some of the insights I learned from the book. I hope this post will help you and your personal journey in photography!
“Our City. Our Life” Photo Exhibition from Street Photographer Travis Jensen @ Galette 88, Thursday (10/4) from 6-9PM
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!