Month: July 2014

  • The Quick Straight Right of Sye Williams: Interview by Chris Stoltz

    The Quick Straight Right of Sye Williams: Interview by Chris Stoltz

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    A.g.’s Note: Chris Stoltz shares to us one of his favorite photographers he got the privilege of shooting with, the L.A. based Sye Williams. Sye shares some of his inspirations, personal work, Photography Origins, and nuggets of wisdom. All of the photos are the respected copyright of Sye Williams. Here’s Chris with the interview:

    Chris: Sye might be my new favorite photographer. I met him recently on a video shoot while working as a grip. He showed up because he was friends with the rest of the crew, arriving via skateboard. I hit it off with him immediately because he had a Leica M8 dangling over his shoulder. I asked him about his recent purchase and, in-between grabbing lights and helping with the video, he told me how his career in photography started.

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  • Alec Soth Advice on Approaching Strangers, Working on Projects, Photographing Abroad, and More

    Alec Soth Advice on Approaching Strangers, Working on Projects, Photographing Abroad, and More

    Copyright: Alec Soth / Magnum Photos
    Copyright: Alec Soth / Magnum Photos

    While in NYC, I visited the ICP bookstore and picked up “Ping Pong Conversations: Alec Soth with Francesco Zanot” a lovely photobook/series of interview questions. I found it to have lots of great wisdom regarding photographing strangers, editing, and projects.

    I copied my favorite excerpts which I found was particularly helpful, especially to those of you who want to be more serious about your photography and projects. Read more to learn from him!

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  • A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again

    A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again

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    Dear Eric,

    You are 18 years old. You just got a point and shoot digital camera from Mom as a high school graduation present. You are super excited, as you never had a camera before. A lot of exciting things will happen in your life surrounding photography. I wanted to write this letter to you and give you some advice I wish I knew. This is coming from your 26-year-old-self.

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  • The “One Street Photograph a Day” Challenge

    The “One Street Photograph a Day” Challenge

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    I think one of the most difficult things as a photographer is to stay inspired. How do we stay inspired to shoot everyday– when the boredom and monotony of everyday life sets in?

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  • It is Impossible to Take 100,000 Bad Street Photographs in a Row

    It is Impossible to Take 100,000 Bad Street Photographs in a Row

    Stockholm, 2015
    Stockholm, 2015

    I recently read some advice by author Ray Bradbury for aspiring writers:

    “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.”

    I think the same applies for street photography. To change the numbers a bit– I think it is impossible to take 100,000 bad street photographs in a row. I think it was Henri Cartier-Bresson who said, “Your first 1,000 photos are your worst.” I think in the digital age, it is more like “Your first 100,000 photos are your worst”.

    Assuming you shot 100 photos a day, that would be 36,500 a year. So at that rate, you can reach the 100,000 street photos mark in 3 years. If you’re more prolific and shoot more– you can reach that 100,000 mark much quicker.

    I think it is impossible to take 100,000 bad street photographs in a row.

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  • A Photographer’s Guide to SEO, Blogging, and Social Media

    A Photographer’s Guide to SEO, Blogging, and Social Media

    Hong Kong, 2012
    Hong Kong, 2012

    If it weren’t for my blog I wouldn’t be anybody. I have my blog and the street photography community to thank for my “success” in life.

    I’m lucky to be born in a age where one can easily build an online presence with a blog and social media. And of course, I have to greatly thank you, my dear reader, and the street photography for supporting my blog and the beautiful genre of street photography.

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  • How to Embrace “Stream-of-Consciousness” in Street Photography

    How to Embrace “Stream-of-Consciousness” in Street Photography

    Berkeley, 2015
    Berkeley, 2015

    One of the best pieces of advice I got on writing is the importance of writing without editing. Which means, turn off the inner-censor in your mind and write freely.

    What or who is the “inner censor”? Well, the inner-censor is the little voice in your head which tells you “Oh don’t do that, that’s stupid. That sounds stupid. That looks stupid.” It is that inner-voice that prevents you from writing in a stream-of-consciousness flow.

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  • Street Photography is a Journey, Not a Destination

    Street Photography is a Journey, Not a Destination

    Indianapolis, 2013. Part of my on-going "Only in America" series.
    Indianapolis, 2013. Part of my on-going “Only in America” series.

    I have often read that life is a journey, not a destination. Meaning that we all have goals in life. But the happiest moments aren’t when we reach our goals. Rather, life is a “beautiful struggle” in which we are happiest when we are pursuing our goals. When we are pursuing our happiness.

    I have often found the same is true with street photography. I am always motivated by my photography through the projects I am working on. I used to think that once I had my project completed and published– it would bring me great joy.

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  • 10 Tips on Shooting Street Photography on Film

    10 Tips on Shooting Street Photography on Film

    Leica M2 of Callan Tham
    Leica M2 of Callan Tham

    I have learned a few things about shooting street photography on film from my own experiences (and the advice of others). If you want to read the full list of things I learned shooting film– read more!

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  • 12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography

    12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography

    San Diego, 2013
    San Diego, 2013

    Photos in this article are from my on-going “Only in America” series.

    I’m currently reading a lovely book titled: “A Philosopher’s Notes: On optimal living, creating an authentically awesome life and other such goodness.” It is a easy and insightful read– and I have been savoring the book so far.

    In one of the chapters, I stumbled upon “12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Life” via the book “The How of Happiness“. The list is as follows:

    1. Expressing Gratitude
    2. Cultivating Optimism
    3. Avoiding Overthinking and Social Comparison
    4. Practicing Acts of Kindness
    5. Nurturing Social Relationships
    6. Developing Strategies for Coping
    7. Learning to Forgive
    8. Increasing Flow Experiences
    9. Savoring Life’s Joys
    10. Committing to Your Goals
    11. Practicing Religion and Spirituality
    12. Taking Care of Your Body

    I found the list to echo everything in the self-help and philosophic literature I have read so far. And of course in the spirit of this blog– I wanted to link the concepts of happiness and street photography.

    So how can you “scientifically” gain more happiness in street photography? Here are some ideas I glued together:

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  • Saigon Diary #6: Trip to Pulau Bidong, Switching to Black & White, Thoughts on Digital

    Saigon Diary #6: Trip to Pulau Bidong, Switching to Black & White, Thoughts on Digital

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    Sorry guys, it has been a while since I last updated my “Saigon Diary” series. A lot has happened since the last time we talked. During that time, I taught a week-long Saigon street photography workshop, I traveled to Malaysia and visited Pulau Bidong (a refugee camp where Cindy was born). I also took a week-long trip to Singapore, where I did a free talk for Fujifilm Singapore, did a 3-day weekend workshop, and now I am back home.

    I am only in Saigon for another week and a half, then Cindy and I are heading to Hanoi for a weekend. Then after that, we are traveling to Seoul and Tokyo (teaching an intro workshop in Tokyo), then Cindy is heading home. After Cindy heads home, I’m teaching a workshop in Hong Kong with Gary Tyson, then teaching a workshop in Sydney and an intermediate/advanced workshop in Melbourne.

    Not sure where I can update you guys– but will try to skip around with my thoughts.

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  • Producing or Evoking Myths: Street Photography by Peter McCollough

    Producing or Evoking Myths: Street Photography by Peter McCollough

    McCollough001

    Peter McCollough is a photographer based in Oakland, California. 

    Peter: The inspiration for these images is manifold but films would be at the root of it all. While going to school for photojournalism my idealistic intentions of doing something positive for the world through documentary work faded away for various reasons. I was naive. I knew I could excel in the industry, but at personal and artistic costs that made me realize I wasn’t a good fit for it.

    I’m a person driven by dream logic and imagination, so it’s more comfortable to try and bend reality towards fiction. When I began using documentary images in edits that felt like fictional stories, I started having fun again. Street photography became a natural segway because it’s so much easier to project onto what you’re photographing. It’s a really free, non-committal genre, less complicated. Editing is a big deal. I’m way more attached to edits than individual images. It’s rare that an individual image moves me the way that a string of well placed images do.

    My friend pointed me to a quote that sums up how I’ve always felt about it all:

    “The only photojournalistic images that remain interesting are the ones that produce or evoke myths.”
    -Torbjørn Rødland

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  • Streettogs Academy Assignment No. 2

    Streettogs Academy Assignment No. 2

    Assignment 2

    I’d like to start by thanking everyone who joined our Streettogs Academy facebook page and giving a congratulations to everyone who participated in our first Assignment and props to Helio Tomita who got our Editor’s choice. We hope you learned something new from that assignment. As promised, our editor’s choice will be the one choosing the theme for our next assignment. Here are some of Helio’s thoughts in selecting our assignment:

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  • Magnum Photographers Give Advice, Share Personal Challenges, and Talk About Technology

    Magnum Photographers Give Advice, Share Personal Challenges, and Talk About Technology

    Copyright: Richard Kalvar / Magnum Photos
    Copyright: Richard Kalvar / Magnum Photos

     

    I recently came upon this superb publication by IdeasTap and Magnum. In this magazine, there are exclusive interviews with 12 Magnum photographers– spanning from advice for young photographers, difficulties in photography, and their thoughts on technology. I included my favorite quotes from the magazine in the feature below, enjoy!

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  • Before/After: Saigon Travel Street Photography Workshop 2014

    Before/After: Saigon Travel Street Photography Workshop 2014

    Ed Comino-2
    Photo by Ed Comino, shot during my Saigon Street Photography Workshop.

    I recently had the pleasure of teaching a week-long travel street photography workshop in Saigon, Vietnam. It was seriously the time of a lifetime— I loved all the time I spent with all the students, and it was inspiring to see how much progress everyone made during the week. I also loved the sense of friendship and community that formed during the workshop— over talking about photography, eating great Vietnamese food, and (very) strong Vietnamese iced coffee.

    It is an experience I will never forget— and to see the before/after of the students really brings me a lot of pleasure and happiness as a teacher. Check out their images below, and you can see my upcoming street photography workshops for 2014 and 2015.

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  • Disregard Critics: Make More Art

    Disregard Critics: Make More Art

    Garden Grove, Los Angeles 2013
    Garden Grove, Los Angeles 2013

    “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” ― Andy Warhol

    As street photographers, I think we are all artists. We craft our version of reality from fragments from everyday life. We don’t just take photos– we make them.

    In my art– I am quite insecure at times. I want to make great photographs– images that awe and inspire my audience. Whenever I upload an image that doesn’t get as many “favorites” or “likes” as other images I wonder to myself, “Perhaps that photograph wasn’t any good?”

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  • Streettogs Academy 1st Assignment “Square” Results and Analysis

    Streettogs Academy 1st Assignment “Square” Results and Analysis

    Streettogs-Academy-Group-1st Assignment banner

    Before we begin, I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone who participated in the first assignment of Streettogs Academy. We hope you continue to participate in the group and learn a thing or two about street photography I’m trying to see how I can better moderate the group to make it an enjoyable and educational experience for everyone.

    So without further adieu, here are some of the best entries and our editor’s choice for our assignment.

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  • Why Sharpness is Overrated

    Why Sharpness is Overrated

    Copyright: Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos /SPAIN. Valencia. 1933. Inside the sliding doors of the bullfight arena
    Copyright: Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos / SPAIN. Valencia. 1933. Inside the sliding doors of the bullfight arena

    Sharpness is over-rated in street photography. Even Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, “Sharpness is a bourgeois concept.”

    I remember when I first saw one of HCB’s exhibitions in person in Paris, I was surprised by how soft most of his shots were. And many of his photos were significantly out of focus (thinking about the famous shot of the man in a bullfighter’s ring in Spain (above).

    When I stated street photography, I was obsessed with sharpness. This of course, was due to all the nerds on gear forums who showed corner to corner sharpness tests on brick walls. I was suckered into thinking a sharp photo was a good photo.

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  • Shooting the Streets of Downtown LA in my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop

    Shooting the Streets of Downtown LA in my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop

    I recently edited some behind-the-scenes footage that my friend Todd Hatakeyama shot of my Downtown LA Introduction to Street Photography Workshop. We had a ton of fun sharing our passion for street photography, interacting with people on the streets, and giving honest feedback and critique on each others’ work– and I was amazed by the sense of friendship & community that formed during the workshop.

    If you want to build your courage in street photography, be re-inspired, and meet other passionate street photographers– check out my upcoming street photography workshops in Tokyo, Melbourne, Stockholm, London, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto, and NYC.

  • Be Cool: The Photography of DAYV MATTT

    Be Cool: The Photography of DAYV MATTT

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    (A.g.’s note: I’ve been a long time fan and follower of DAYV MATTT on tumblr. He is such a great person to interview and is the type of person who tells it like it is! He Straightforward in his answers and in his photography. This was a really fun interview and I hope all of you enjoy. Cheers! All Photos are owned by Dayv Mattt.)

    A.G.:You started out in Toronto Photographing the Jungle/DnB Rave scene right? How did you end up in the streets of Seoul, then in Colombo?

    DAYV: Shooting DnB raves was a lot of fun because I didn’t really dance, and it was fun documenting the scene. It was a pretty close knit group back then but as the parties got bigger I attended less and less shows. I never thought those pictures would go anywhere…and for the most part, they haven’t. In 2002 a buddy of mine who was living in Seoul called me up and asked me if I wanted to work with him in Seoul. I said yes, and seven days later I was in Korea. Seoul didn’t really have a music scene I gave a rat’s ass about at the time so I started shooting street photography. It just sort of grew on me. In 2012 I moved to Sri Lanka for reasons I don’t really want to get into, but I will be returning to Seoul, then Gwang-ju, this coming July. I’m pretty stoked to shoot in Gwang-ju, which is around three hours south of Seoul.

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  • Video Interview with Brian Soko in Chicago

    Video Interview with Brian Soko in Chicago

    This is a video interview I did with Brian Soko in Chicago about a year ago. Enjoy his images and a transcript of the interview below!

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  • Street Photography Contact Sheets #1: Face Tattoo, Downtown LA 2014

    Street Photography Contact Sheets #1: Face Tattoo, Downtown LA 2014

    At a recent workshop in Downtown LA, I was shooting with one of the students (Luis) when we come across an interesting character with all these tattoos all over his body. He told us he just got out of jail (a few days ago), and was struggling on the streets. We gave him around 2 bucks, and asked him if it was okay if we took some shots. He had no problem with it– and to pose for the camera.

    I asked him somewhere along the line what other tattoos he had, and he got excited and showed us all of his other tattoos all over his body.

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  • On Going With the Flow in Street Photography

    On Going With the Flow in Street Photography

    Indianapolis, 2014
    Indianapolis, 2014

    I just finished reading a book titled: “Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity”. It was a fascinating read on the paradox of “wu-wei”– which is a concept in Taoism of “action without action”. This means nature accomplishes everything without effort. Similarly, we should be able to accomplish many things in our life without unnecessary effort. In-fact according to wu-wei, most things in life (especially things we love) should be effortless.

    Of course you know in my blog, I like to relate everything I read back to street photography. And I think this idea of “wu-wei” in street photography is quite fascinating.

    To sum up, in street photography (according to wu-wei), our best shots should come to us naturally– without making any unnecessary effort.

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  • What Do You Want Out of Street Photography?

    What Do You Want Out of Street Photography?

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    Many of us shoot street photography because it is challenging, fun, and brings us great joy. However one question I find that most people don’t ask themselves (myself included) is what we ultimately want out of photography.

    I just finished an intense week-long street photography workshop in Saigon which was absolutely incredible– and one of my students Sascha Jung asked me what I ultimately wanted out of my photography, and whether I wanted to become a great photographer or a great teacher.

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  • Video Interview with Steve Simon, “The Passionate Photographer” in Dubai

    Video Interview with Steve Simon, “The Passionate Photographer” in Dubai

    When I was in Dubai, I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Simon who wrote an incredible book titled: “The Passionate Photographer“. We talk about working on projects, finding passion, and advice for aspiring street photographers. Read more to see his incredible photos:

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  • Shooting a Hasselblad Street Portrait in Downtown LA

    Shooting a Hasselblad Street Portrait in Downtown LA

    Here is just a fun short behind-the-scenes clip of me shooting a street portrait with a Hasselblad in Downtown LA. Enjoy!

  • On Free Street Photography

    On Free Street Photography

    Detroit, 2013
    Detroit, 2013

    One question I am asked a lot is how I make a living in street photography, and questions about selling prints, and making money.

    To start off, I am blessed enough to make a living from my street photography in teaching workshops. I make about 95% of my living from workshops (and around 5% from Amazon affiliates from links to books and other products on the blog).

    But I have always been an advocate of “open source” in life and photography– and the greatness of having things open and free.

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  • Looking for the bigger picture, Interview with SelvaSP Collective

    Looking for the bigger picture, Interview with SelvaSP Collective

    Photo by Gustavo Minas
    Photo by Gustavo Minas

    (Editor’s note: All photos are the respected copyright of the members of SelvaSP) 

    Take a look at this interview of  SelvaSP. They are a street photography collective hailing out of Sao Paulo, Brazil. We explore how this collective is being run, what it is they look for, and how they approach the art of street photography.

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  • On Bridging the Gap in Street Photography

    On Bridging the Gap in Street Photography

    Tokyo, 2012
    Tokyo, 2012

    I feel one of the most important traits to become a better street photographer is first identifying what makes great street photography. This means having good taste.

    A quote from Ira Glass from NPR comes to mind– in terms of having good taste:

    “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you.”

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