Archives for April 2015

Free E-Book: On Being an Artist and Photographer

Dear streettogs, I am excited to share that I have a new free e-book to share with you guys: “On Being an Artist and Photographer“. The chapters include:

Chapter 1: How to Succeed and Survive as an Artist and Photographer
Chapter 2: The Role of the Artist and Photographer
Chapter 3: How to Express Yourself as an Artist and Photographer
Chapter 4: How to Have a Creative and Flexible Mind as an Artist and Photographer
Chapter 5: How to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone in Art and Photography
Chapter 6: How to Be Self-Compassionate as an Artist and Photographer
Chapter 7: Conclusion

This free e-book is a compilation of all of the previous blog posts I’ve been writing on the book: “Akademie x Lessons in Art and Life“. I know the blog posts are a bit difficult to download and access, so I put them together in an easy-to-access free download file.

Free download:

This book is “open source” meaning you are free to distribute, edit, change, remix, or share this with your friends (freely and openly). Enjoy:

PDF
Google Doc (please help me edit this text with your suggestions).

If you want to read the full e-book on this blog, “read more”. You can also save the book to “Pocket” and “Instapaper“.

Other free e-books:

Here are some other free e-books on street photography you might enjoy:

“Street Photography 101: An Introduction to Street Photography” (translation into Portuguese here)
“The Street Photography Project Manual“
“31 Days to Overcome Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography“
“The Social Media Blackbook for Photographers“
“Letters from a Street Photographer“
Street Photography Aphorisms, Heuristics, and Sayings

How to Be Self-Compassionate as an Artist and Photographer

I think as artists and photographers we often put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We always put pressure on ourselves to improve our photography, to take our work to the next level, and to make “original” work.

In “Akademie x Lessons in Art and Life” artist (and our tutor) Shirley Tse gave lots of interesting ideas on art that are quite taoist/buddhist in nature. Her ideas reflect on self-compassion in art, and some of her lessons include loving (not judging), being critical without being judgmental, sharpening one’s visual intelligence, and not worrying so much about being original (but more focus on being authentic).

Let’s dive in.

How to Break Out of Your Comfort Zone in Art and Photography

I think one of the most exciting things about being an artist is following your curiosity, passion, and to pursue a life-long path of learning.

Continuing from my “Akademie x Lessons in Art and Life” series, here are some lessons I learned from the Raqs Media Collective in how you can constantly transform yourself through art, how to step outside of your comfort zone, and thrive in a life-long pursuit of learning:

How to Have a Creative and Flexible Mind as an Artist and Photographer

Continuing my series on “Akademie x Lessons in Art and Life”, I thoroughly enjoyed an essay titled: “Me and Marcuse” by Michelle Grabner. She exposed me to a lot of new ideas that I want to explore below on the following topics: what art is for, the importance of filtering images, undoing and re-doing your world-constructs, and the importance of learning:

How to Express Yourself as an Artist and Photographer

Continuing the lessons I’ve learned from “Akademie x Lessons in Art + Life”, I want to share some thoughts I’ve learned from Carol Bove, one and the artists and “tutors” from the book.

Carol expresses ideas on self-expression, what work means to her, time and information management, as well as uncensoring and finding yourself. I hope you enjoy these ideas:

Instagram as a Vessel For Sharing Street Photography

(Editor’s Note: Words and Photographs by Ryan Tacay)

In a world of instant-gratification and disposable media, it’s hard to take something like instagram as a serious way to share something artistic and long-lasting. Going past the jokes about it being all about the bathroom selfies, things I ate today, or this afternoon’s sunset, it’s actually one of the best ways to get one’s work out there and seen.

For starters, with instagram claiming they have about 300 million active users compared to the 92 million that Flickr has, it’s safe to say that although the images are displayed no larger than a 640×640 pixel square format, there’s a larger audience. Having come from Flickr since 2005, I get more traffic and activity on instagram these days. It has become my preferred method of sharing my street photos.

The Role of the Artist and Photographer

Continuing my education with “Akademie x Lessons in Art + Life”, I wanted to share some thoughts I have gleaned from Piero Golia, one of the artists and “tutors” in the book. Here are some of his ideas that stirred my thoughts and creativity, and how I think we can apply these concepts as a photographer.

Free Presentation: Street Photography 101

I just gave a free street photography webinar, and here are some of the slides that I shared on practical tips, assignments, and “traits of great street photographers”. The video recording of the event will be available in a week or so, will also make sure to share. In the meanwhile, enjoy this presentation!

You can also see the presentation on Slideshare here. You can see the full list of all of my presentations here.

How to Succeed and Survive as a Photographer and Artist

I am currently reading: “Akademie x Lessons in Art + Life”, which is probably one of the most inspirational art/life books I’ve picked up as of late. It is a beautifully printed and bound book, folding open like a school instructional manual.

I personally never went to art school. I entered college as a Biology major (to become a doctor like a good Asian kid), but upon going into school (and realizing I hated science and math), I switched to the exact opposite: sociology.

Travel Updates: My Experiences in NYC and Now Back in Berkeley!

Hey streetogs, after my 3-week trip in Chicago, Toronto, NYC, I am excited to finally be back home in Berkeley. It is wonderful to enjoy sleeping in my own bed, being back at home with Cindy, and the lovely weather of Berkeley. Unfortunately, I think I caught a mild cold while traveling, and will spend the next few days recuperating. Fortunately, caffeine and green tea has been my new friends (gonna take a break from the coffee for a while until I get better).

Jared Krause: Inspired by Light and Colour

(Editor’s Note: Words and Photographs by Jared Krause)

I started shooting in June of 2009. I had causally been thinking about photography and decided to buy a camera. I started posting to a photo blog because I felt like photography was a good way to share my experiences with other people. Shooting street photos gave my photography purpose, a goal and a style to pursue rather than just taking random shots of anything. It was a edgy and new to me. I decided to start posting photos to my blog every day, and did so for over a year. In that period, I got very comfortable using my camera, and quite familiar with light, contrast, colour and the other elements involved in photography. Even though I wasn’t shooting street, I was learning.

Seek Progress, Not Perfection in Your Photography

I just finished reading a new book titled: “Becoming Steve Jobs”, which is a new biography on the life of Steve Jobs. I also read the other (more famous) Walter Isaacson biography: “Steve Jobs”, and found this to be a great refresher to the life, work, and passion of Steve Jobs.

In “Becoming Steve Jobs”, one thing I found fascinating was how Steve Jobs was a practicing Buddhist. Although he could be a ruthless businessman, he balanced that with meditation, mindfulness, and Buddhist practices.

What Music Albums Can Teach You About Street Photography Projects

London, 2014. Part of my on-going "Suits" series. — London, 2014. Part of my on-going “Suits” series.

I love music. I love listening to music when I’m writing (like I am doing now), I love listening to music when I’m driving, and I love having music play in the background when I’m with my friends.

I have a lot of favorite artists and I have found one thing that separates the “successful” artists and from the “unsuccessful” artists: the “successful” artists continue to produce work (and don’t die off).

Dissecting the Layers of Portland: An Interview with Nick Gervin

(Editor’s Note: Interview by Eric Kim. Photographs by Nick Gervin.)

Eric: Hey Nick great to have you. Can you start off by telling us a (brief) life story and how you first picked up a camera?

Nick: Thanks for having me, Eric. I first picked up a camera in 1992 at the age of twelve. I wanted to document the graffiti art I was discovering in and around Portland, Maine. At that time, the city was in poor shape and it had a lot of derelict buildings that I would skip school to explore.

I really had no clue what I was doing when it came to photography; I was more of a point-and-shooter then. Still, I felt that the documentation was important and, later on, it would prove to be. Like all things in life, the graffiti didn’t last forever and the photographs I had made then helped document a subculture. I continued to point-and-shoot over the years, mostly with disposable cameras.

How Has This Negative Experience Made You Stronger as a Street Photographer?

It is inevitable. Sooner or later, someone will give you shit for taking their photograph. No matter how good your intentions are, there will always be someone who will be offended.

You can smile, be friendly, and use all the right techniques — but there are just some people who won’t respond positively.

There will be some people who will give you dirty looks, tell you to fuck off, or threaten to call the cops on you.

How To Get People to Say Yes When Shooting Street Portraits

In my street photography workshops, I often give the students a “5 yes/5 no” assignment. The concept is simple: you approach a bunch of strangers and ask permission to take their portrait. You intentionally try to get 5 people to say “yes”, and 5 people to say “no.”

Sometimes students struggle to get all 5 people to say “yes”, and sometimes students have no problem.

So what are some good strategies to quickly develop a rapport with strangers, and have strangers to say “yes” to having their picture taken?

Remember: Street Photography is Supposed to be Fun

Part of my on-going "Suits" project. — Part of my on-going “Suits” project. SF, 2014.

One thing to remind myself: street photography is supposed to be fun. If you’re not having fun, why are you doing it?

We all have the stresses of everyday life that we have to deal with. We have to deal with stressful commutes, unreasonable bosses, difficulties at home, drama with friends and family, and financial stresses and worries.

Street photography is supposed to be the exact opposite of that.

Street photography is therapy for the mind, soul, and body. Street photography is a chance to (momentarily) escape all the bullshit of everyday life. Street photography is the chance to empty our minds, and to simply stray the streets without a single oppressive thought in our mind.

Street photography is the chance to wander, to explore, and to feel like a child again.

Street photography is the chance to meet interesting strangers on the streets, to enjoy nice and fun conversations, and to meet other like-minded passionate people.

Street photography is having the thrill of the “hunt”— of trying to find an interesting image (in an area that might be boring).

Whenever street photography becomes like a chore or stressful for you, take a break. You’re doing something wrong.

You shouldn’t treat street photography like a job. Treat it like leisure. Treat street photography as an activity that brings you supreme happiness and joy in your life. Treat street photography as an outlet which makes you feel truly alive.

Don’t compare yourself to other street photographers. After all, their life circumstances are different from yours. Perhaps they don’t have a family and have much more free time to shoot than you. Perhaps they live in a more “interesting” city than you do. Perhaps they are better connected, and therefore are more “famous” than you.

Strive to become the best street photographer you can, and enjoy the journey and the process.

Be like a kid again— have fun like a child in the playground for the first time.

The street is our playground.

Now go hit the pavement and have fun :)

How to Find Your Style in Street Photography: Learn What Not to Photograph

One of the most interesting ideas that I’ve got from Nassim Taleb’s book “Antifragile” is his concept of “via negativa”. The concept is this: when describing something, negative descriptions often work best.

What is a negative description?

Well, describing what something isn’t can better define something.

Street Photography Quick Links: March 2015

From here on out, Photography Quick Links will now be known as Street Photography Quick Links. Just like from last month, a compilation of interesting news, write-ups, videos, and other things about street photography and other related genres that I have personally consumed. Since it is international women’s month last March, there’s a special section on the work of great female photographers!

Presentation: Tips, Techniques, and Assignments to Conquer Your Fear of Street Photography

Hey streettogs, I just uploaded some slides for a free talk I did for Chase Toronto the other day on tips, techniques, and tricks to conquer your fear of shooting street photography.

You can also download the slides for free here. Enjoy! :)

My Experiences Shooting Medium-Format Film vs a Smartphone in Street Photography

So after a long trip in Stockholm, Dubai, and London I wanted to share some of my experiences shooting medium-format (Hasselblad 501c + 80mm lens and Mamiya 7 + 80mm lens) for street photography (and traveling in general).

To start off, I have been really fascinated with shooting square-format photographs recently. To be honest, my first real fascination with shooting squares was from Instagram (and of course photographers like Lee Friedlander and Vivian Maier).

So I first started shooting a lot of squares on my smartphone (squares in-camera, post-processing in VSCO, and uploading to Instagram and social media). Then I realized I had a Hasselblad that my friend Jeroen Helmink gave me about 2 years ago (which was collecting dust on my shelf) that I wanted to try out. Dutifully while living in Berkeley, I carried around my (quite heavy) Hasselblad while on my daily chores and just exploring the neighborhood.

Call for Entries: Observe Collective Street Photography Competition 2015

OBSERVE is holding their first group exhibit in opening on June 12, 2015 in the Städtische Galerie in Iserlohn, Germany, and will run through July 26, 2015.

The exhibit will feature the works of the 13 members of the collective. Several members will be present in the opening as well.

In line with the exhibit, OBSERVE will hold their first ever street photography competition with a total of over €1000 in prize money. The theme is “Under Construction”. The competition is open to all photographers of all ages worldwide.

Archives for April 2015

Free download:

Other free e-books:

Other Free Video Street Photography Lectures