A quick update for the Samsung Camera NL NX20 campaign here in Chicago in the video above! Unfortunately I was mistaken and there is no live feed available on Facebook, only visitors to the Amsterdam Beurs van Berlag exhibition. If you are in Amsterdam, make sure to check out the exhibition event on Faebook here.
Keep reading to see the shots that I got from today!
I am excited to share that starting today (Thursday 11/29-Friday 11/30) I will be doing a live-streaming street photography exhibition with the Samsung NX20. The concept is that every 2 hours I will be emailing (via the NX20) my best photos to a gallery space in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam every 2 hours alongside 4 other street photographers. Edit: footage of the video and shots will be available later!
If anyone is available in Amsterdam to check out the exhibition, see all the details on Facebook here.
Confused or want to learn more? See the video above or keep reading below!
Eric’s Note: When I was in Berlin earlier this year, I was able to meet up with Severin Matusek, the head of content & community at EyeEm, one of the most popular mobile photo sharing applications. He manages EyeEm’s worldwide community affairs, blog and partnerships and he has also previously published photos books, city guides and camera commercials for Lomography.Â
To learn more about EyeEm and Severin, keep reading below!
(Above: Photograph from my on-going “Suits” Project. The Netherlands, 2012)
When I was in Korea earlier this year, my friend and fellow street photographer David Kim shared a TED talk with me titled: “How great leaders inspire action.†David holds a leadership position at his job, and he told me that this talk changed the way how he lead others and how he leads his own life. Needless to say, I was fascinated by the talk and after watching it – it changed my life.
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.
Heading back to the states from Tokyo today, so I made this video to give you guys all an update and what to look forward to! Thanks so much for your continued support, it means so much to me :)
Eric’s Note: I am pleased to feature this article by Colin Corneau, a Brandon, Manitoba based photojournalist and street photographer. A few months ago he organized a charity photography auction, and wanted to write this article to share his experiences. Also check out his past article on this blog on why he shoots street photography solo here.Â
Colin: We all know the pleasure of creating a photograph that we really like, and the pleasure of one that other people like, too. But it’s not often that a photograph can reach the level of making a difference to other people – occasionally, a photojournalist will produce an image that inspires others to positive action or someone will make a photograph that alters how we all think about something.
Those photographs are few and far between though, and a lot is left up to chance. But there is a way that you can help your photographs hit that higher level – an auction whose proceeds go towards a charity.
One of the guys I have been spending the most time with here in Tokyo is Mike Nguyen, a street photographer based in Tokyo. What I love about his work is that he is a very versatile photographer – combining landscapes, portraits, and street shots into his distinctive style. His photos are a visual diary of Tokyo and his life’s experiences – allowing him to “…hang onto what continually vanishes” and to “capture the minute splinter of reality that is a fleeting moment” (from his bio).
Watch the interview I did with him above, and see more of his images below.
The team at Custom SLR (one of my awesome sponsors) is starting a kickstarter campaign for their new “ProDot” – a tactile shutter release button for cameras. When they first told me about it, I thought it would be a great solution for street photographers out there using DSLR’s to get more tactile response when shooting on the streets.
I know many street photographers who use a similar button for their Leica’s and Fuji cameras, which they feel makes it easier to hit the shutter button.
If you are a DSLR user and interested in the ProDot, it will be only $15 USD to receive a version in Black, Red, and Clear. In addition, you will also gain contributor status and be listed on the CustomSLR website. Shipping to the states is free, $3 USD shipping anywhere outside the states. Also they are currently thinking about making a screw-in version, so if you are interested in that please leave a comment below.
To see the promo video and more images of the ProDot, read on!
Erics’ Note: This guest blog post is by Christian Nilson, a street photographer based in Zurich. For this article he shares his experience (so far) of the 1 year, 1 camera, 1 lens project. You can also see his last article he wrote on the benefits of shooting a TLR for street photography here. Hope you enjoy the post!Â
Christian: 3 down 9 to go!
Eric asked me if I could write something about the “project†that I’m currently working on. 1 year, 1 camera, 1 lens, 1 type of film or “Leica as a teacherâ€, this project is known under different names, the first I read about it was on The Online Photographer blog. It caused a bit of controversy there since it mentions that you have to use a Leica rangefinder and many comments were left saying that this is elitist etc. In my 3 months experience I don’t see using a Leica rangefinder as a necessity, I think it is important that you use a film camera and a simple one at that. With simple I mean, no automatic, aperture priority or shutter priority setting. To get the most out of this you need to shoot fully manual.
About a week ago I met up with my buddy Mijonju, a great photographer (who also has a great YouTube channel about film cameras). I visited him at the Impossible Project Space in Tokyo, and he gave me a tour of the store, taught me more about the Impossible Project, and his own interests in film and current projects.
Keep reading to see some of his Instant Photos!
I was very impressed with all of the student work with my last two workshops with Bellamy Hunt in Tokyo. For the Introduction to Street Photography Workshop, students focused on overcoming their fear in street photography, better understanding what to look for in a street photograph, and also improving their composition. For the Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshops, students stepped outside of their comfort zone to find their own style and voice by focusing on a weekend project.
I hope you enjoy the images from all of the students!
As a note, there is also only 3 days left for the early-bird discount for my Calcutta Week-Long Introduction to Design/Composition Workshop with Adam Marelli (12/10-12/14). Don’t miss your chance to fully immerse yourself in the streets of India, break out of your creative rut, and have an unforgettable experience!
In this interview I had the chance to chat with Bellamy Hunt, aka Japan Camera Hunter. We chatted about how he started photography, his inspirations, and why he does what he does.
Keep reading to see more of Bellamy’s street photography below!
Having fun with my mate Bellamy Hunt (Japan Camera Hunter) in Tokyo. Hope you enjoy the video where we talk about the philosophy of shooting film, film cameras, and his favorite film recommendations!
The last few weeks I was in Michigan, and heard about the disaster from Hurricane Sandy. I was quite ignorant of how severe the situation was, thinking that it was just “another storm” going through the states.
I was horribly wrong.
I contacted a few friends and family there and the damage and after-math is far beyond what I initially thought. Here is a message I got from my friend Jae after reaching out to him:
Jae: Thank you again for reaching out to me after Hurricane Sandy. Things are getting more and more difficult in the NJ, NY area, but I count my blessings that my family is safe and that we have not gotten flooded from the storm.
There are many who have lost their lives, their home, and hope from this storm. In New York, town like Breezy Point, Staten Island, and Rockaways look like a war zone with many homes either burned down to the ground or completely flooded.
In New Jersey, towns from Belmar south to Spring Lake suffered similar fate from this storm. For the rest of us with our homes in tact, we are getting by with no electricity and heating for 6 days now. The most serious problem now is the shortage of gasoline for our cars and generators. The average wait at limited gas stations is 3-6 hours and the line stretch for 1-3 miles all around the clock.
Folks are getting more and more desperate with news of looting and fights breaking out throughout these regions. My friend even had his generator stolen in the middle of night!
Disasters like this can feel so far away and foreign. Fortunately my close friends and family have been safe, but many others have lost their homes, personal possessions, and even their lives.
As photographers we privileged. Although many of us still struggle to make ends meet at the end of the month, we generally spend quite a bit of money on cameras, lenses, and accessories. I can safely say that donating $20 won’t hurt our bank account.
I feel as a community we should band together, and help our fellow men, women, and families in this great time of need. I know that this blog is read all around the world, and I want to use this platform as a way to mobilize help and aid to those suffering now. You never know when you will be in a time of need, so treat others how you would like to be in the same situation and open up your hearts.
There are many wonderful and hard-working organizations providing relief to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. I think The American Red Cross will be the best organization to donate to, as it will equally disperse disaster relief to those in New York and New Jersey.
I urge you to donate at least $20 to this cause. That is about the price of 4 Starbucks coffees, or the price of two lunches. For that small sum of money, we can provide blankets to those who are cold, food to those who are starving, and a dry place for people who have lost their homes to spend the night.
Donate to the American Red Cross Here >>
To see the full extent of the damage, also see images of the after-math on The Atlantic here.
(A photograph from my ongoing “Suits” project. London 2011)
This is an essay I wrote addressing our obsession with “favorites” and “likes” on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, 500px, Google+, photo blogs, and so on. If you have ever felt that you were photographing more for affirmation from others than yourself, give the essay a read. Â I share my personal experiences and also make practical suggestions in the end how to overcome an addictions to “favorites” and “likes”. (more…)
The ThinkTank Gallery in Downtown LA is the home to many street photographers in LA. Last year, I was one of the curators for “YOU ARE HERE” – a street photography exhibition in which photographers spent a week photographing the fashion district. It was a great success, and you can see the video of the event in the link below.
I was at the ThinkTank gallery when it first got started, when it was nothing but an abandoned warehouse with no running water, electricity, and rubbish all over the place. Now if you go there, it is a vibrant and bustling home for photographers, artists, and members of the community to showcase their work and art. If you watch the video at the top, you can see how cool the place really is.
If you want to support the love of street photography (they are in the middle of planning YOU ARE HERE 2), and art in Los Angeles, donate to this cause. Not only will you help them open their doors officially, but you will also get some great goodies (including some of my photos, prints of other work, and more!
Donate and support this noble cause by using the link below!