₿LOG
Hey streettogs, to continue with my “Ask Eric Kimâ€Â series (any questions you had about street photography, business, marketing, social media, etc.) I put a question out on Facebook regarding what questions you had (so I could try my best to help out and offer some ideas):
Kai Kienzle asked the following:
“How [do you]Â discover interesting scenes in your familiar (thus boring) home city?”
I recently read a book titled: “How Google Works†and came across the “10x principle†that Google apparently follows.
The idea is quite simple, elegant, and powerful: to be successful in any field, do it 10x better than anybody else.
I recently put together a “real-world” review of the Fujifilm X100T for street photography (which you can read here). I also wanted to record a video of some of my thoughts of the X100T (I really like it), and some of the settings, functions, aesthetic differences of the camera. In my opinion it is the best “bang-for-the-buck” camera for street photography on the market right now, and a great companion if you want to upgrade to a smaller body.
If you have any other questions about the camera, leave a comment below and I will try to reply to as many as I can! For those of you who have the new X100T, how do you like the camera?
Hey guys, I am really excited to share that Matt Stuart (from In-Public) is coming to the states and teaching two workshops with Leica Akademie (in Los Angeles and San Francisco)! The workshop is only $599 and limited to 12 participants, and this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss out on! Matt is one of the most talented street photographers out there, and I can guarantee this is an experience you will never forget. More info below:
Thank you to Fujifilm Vietnam and Gin Tran for putting together this feature of me shooting street photography in Saigon this summer. I hope the tips I share in this video can help you when it comes to traveling and shooting street photography. I also give some tips when it comes to shooting with the Fujifilm XT-1 with the 27mm f/2.8 lens (read my review here) and the Fujifilm x100s (read my review here). You can also read my new review of the Fujifilm x100T on the blog here.
If you are curious what it like shooting street photography in Vietnam, check out my “Saigon Diary” series below:
Everyone seems antsy and excited for the next assignment. So I’ll be quick and not do my usual introduction this time and head straight to it!
Here is what Streettogs Academy 6 editor’s choice, Sam Traschel picked for us:
In an effort to be more helpful, I am going to start putting together more video lectures and features for YouTube. In this presentation, I give some practical advice how to overcome your fears of shooting street photography– including the philosophy, approach, and tips.
Check out my Free Ebook: “31 Days to Overcome Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography“
My recent article: “How to Harness Your Fear to Become a More Confident Street Photographer”
@mikebeecham on Twitter asked me, “How do you manage the funk of the winter months?”
I think this is a great question, because it is hard to stay motivated during the winter months. I share some of my thoughts, an introduction to this new series, and suggestions in this first episode of “Ask Eric Kim”.
Book recommendation to stay inspired in the winter:
What are some ways you stay motivated to shoot during the winter? Share your tips in the comments below!
Recently I had time to meet up with my good friend Joe Aguirre in SF. He was able to show me his new place, projects he is working on, and we talk about some of my personal “mid-life” street photography questions towards the end.
You can see my past video interview with Joe here.
If you’re like me– you deal with moments of “uninspiration”. There are days that you want to go out and shoot, but there is some sort of “resistance†which holds you back.
What is a good way to become re-inspired?
Street photography is one of the most difficult forms of photography out there. Not only do you have to rapidly compose, frame, and approach strangers— but you have to do so with the risk of “injury.†They might injure you verbally (threaten to break your camera, give you a dirty look and call you a creep, or curse at you) or they might injure you physically (try to grab your camera, hit you, shove you, etc).
All photos copyrighted by Alex Webb / Magnum Photos. You can pick up a copy of “The Suffering of Light” on Amazon here.
After my month-long trip abroad in Stockholm, London, and Dubai I am finally (mostly) over my jet lag and have recovered at home. I’m sitting in my apartment and thinking to myself: what should I focus on for the blog?
I have thought about this a lot— and realized that 99% of the photography sites on the internet are gear-related. This includes news about the newest cameras, rumors about upcoming cameras, gear reviews, lens sharpness testing (taking photos of brick walls, and seeing how sharp the edges are).
(Editor’s Note: Today’s guest post and photographs are by Switzerland based street photographer Hakim Boulouiz. Enjoy!)
Hakim: One of the first lessons in photography has to do with the famous quote from photographer and ecologist, Ansel Adams, “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.â€This magic formula applies to all facets of photography without exception. As soon as we start talking about the “photographic interventionâ€, we have to question the composition, choice, selection; whether to accentuate certain elements or to do away with distractions as we seek to create an impact for the eye and for the heart. The whole process is a very precise surgical procedure with a little help from Mr. Chance.
However, in street photography, “making†a photograph is out of the question. So how to be a street photographer (or how to go about becoming one)? For starters, here are two steps:
Here we are once again with the results and analysis! Things have been going fine in the group as I have recently posted new policies and updated the criteria to further clear the mission/vision of what streettogs academy really is. As we go along, I hope people get a lot out of the group and at the same time, enjoy the experience of photographing in the streets. We had around 150++ entries for the “Direction” that was set by Assignment 5 editor’s choice, Enamul Kabir Rony. Cheers again to Enamul for the great assignment theme.
I have a problem. It is definitely a “first world problemâ€.
I currently have too many cameras in my house. This is what is sitting on my shelf at the moment (all the cameras I own):
Too many damn cameras.
Hey streettogs, I am excited to share that registration is officially open for my upcoming Downtown LA Introduction to Street Photography Workshop (Jan 2-4th) and my Portland Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop (Jan 9-11th). Make sure you sign up quickly before the early-bird discount expires!
If you want to conquer your fears of shooting street photography, improve your composition, and meet other passionate street photographers– don’t miss out and see my full list of upcoming street photography workshops in 2015 below:
Hohoho, Merry (upcoming) holidays streettogs. If you weren’t sure what to ask for the holidays this year, I have compiled this list of street photography books to ask Santa (or your friends, family, significant other) for. Read more to see my full list of recommended books below!
In “The War of Artâ€, the author Stephen Pressfield talks about “The Resistance†— and how it is the biggest obstacle to all of our artistic pursuits and endeavors.
We can encounter “The Resistance†in many ways in our life. We encounter it when we want to start our own business (and we have thoughts of self doubt), we encounter it when we want to start exercising more (but the resistance keeps us from leaving our house), and we encounter it when we want to go out to social functions (we are nervous of meeting new people, and would prefer to stay at home).
As this article is very long, I recommend reading this by saving it to Pocket or Instapaper. All photos in this article are copyrighted by Henri Cartier Bresson / Magnum Photos.Â
I recently picked up a copy of “The Mind’s Eye†– which is a great compilation of thoughts and philosophies Henri Cartier-Bresson wrote. Aperture published this great volume (as they are an amazing non-profit dedicated to promoting photography, education, and great ideas).
Ever since I have been back home, I have been dedicating more of my energy, attention, and focus to great photography books – and trying to distill the information. I’ve learned all of these great lessons personally– and I want to share that information with you.
I recommend reading this article by saving it to Pocket, Instapaper. All images in this article are copyrighted by Josef Koudelka and Magnum Photos.
“Exiles” by Josef Koudelka is one of the must-buy books of this year. Previously (before this re-print by aperture) the book would sell second-hand for around $300. I personally couldn’t afford a copy — and when I heard this edition (the last and final) was coming out, I jumped on it like a fat kid on cupcakes.
Before writing this book review, I re-read the book several times, read a lot of interviews by Josef Koudelka– and reflected on the book (and the life and photography of Koudelka).
Hey streettogs, I just got back from an epic 5-week trip in Stockholm, London, and Dubai– and now finally have some time to decompress and recover from my travels. Below is a round-up of some of the videos I shot in Dubai, lots more stuff to come! :)
Over a nice local meal in Dubai, my buddy Imraan and I have fun with my Hasselblad– and show a brief tour of how to use it:
Ever curious what Gulf Photo Plus is? Mohamed Somji (one of the head folks at GPP) gives us a tour of their office in Dubai– and I also interview his background in documentary photography as well!
Behind-the-scenes look for the opening for the Dubai International Street Photography Exhibition I helped curate:
You can also check out more of my new videos on my YouTube channel.
