Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — There is so much negativity and bullshit out there in modern life. I always hear people bitching and moaning about the difficulties of their lives, how they want more money, how their camera isn’t good enough, how their significant others are horrible people, and how…
Read as a Google Doc. — “Over the last 10 years, what has interested me in taking photographs is the maximum — the maximum that exists in a situation and the maximum I can produce from it.” – Josef Koudelka I just finished the second day of my workshop here in Stockholm, and after an…
Eric Kim Draft v1 (8/28/2015) Special thanks to Paul King and Alan Morris who have contributed lots of edits! Introduction Dear streettogs, I am excited to share you the first draft of my upcoming book: “Learn from the Masters of Street Photography.” There is a ton of text, a lot of typos, grammatical error, incomplete…
Read this article as a Google Doc (would love your comments/edits), download and print as a PDF, as an .epub (e-reader), or .mobi (for Kindle). I also recommend reading the original: “On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca (order the paperback on Amazon). — “What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day…
This article is written by Neil Ta, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by Eric or any other contributors to the website. My life is pretty good. I live in one of the coolest cities in the world, I have a lot of…
Read as a Google Doc or PDF. — Dear Friend, I wanted to share with you some thoughts that are on my mind: The first thing that came to mind: “small is beautiful.” So I have a problem; I am inflicted with this American obsession that “bigger is better.” We want bigger houses, we want…
Dear streettogs, I am excited to share my new upcoming street photography workshops for the rest of the year! If you want to conquer your fears in street photography and meet new peers, don’t miss out on this chance to invest in your education! I know the workshop isn’t cheap, but I can guarantee you…
(Words and Photos by Pierre Belhassen) I’m Pierre Belhassen. I started photography 10 years ago. After studying cinema, I was given a camera. I wanted to discover New York City. It became a revelation in my life. I realized that there are endless possibilities and different ways to reinvent reality. For me, there was no doubt. I…
Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — Dear Ming, I wanted to write you this letter regarding all the trolls and “haters” you have been getting over on your blog. I have a lot of advice for you– advice that has helped me deal with all the negativity on the internet. None…
Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — Hey Josh, I just wanted to write you this letter wishing you a happy (belated) birthday, and the lessons in life you’ve taught me, and how much I appreciate your love and friendship. Shit, I still kind of forget how we first met “virtually.” Was…
Cheers to another assignment wrapped and here’s a new one to keep everyone in Streettogs Academy moving, shooting, and perhaps for this assignment, following the beat!
Read this as a Google Doc or download a PDF. — I have a problem. I often get too attached to my photos, especially my bad photos. I look at all of my photos like my children, and I have a hard time deciding which to keep and which to ditch. One mantra I have…
(Cover Photo by Community’s Choice, Jomel Bartolome) In order for a photograph to exist, it has to have light but for this assignment, we are going to focus on the other side of the spectrum which is darkness. Darkness is not just the absence of light but it also connotes certain meanings. That is why…
Read this article on Google Docs or download as a PDF. — I believe photography (and life) is more about subtraction (instead of addition). I’m re-reading “Antifragile” by Nassim Taleb, and his chapter on “Via Negativa” is absolutely golden. The concept is that in modern life, we think the secret to happiness, success, and health is…
(You can also read this as a Google Doc, or PDF) Dear friend, I just finished reading a book by Roman philosopher Epictetus, titled “Of Human Freedom.” It got me thinking a lot about my own freedom in life, how to be happy in all situations, and how to treat some of the “diseases of…
I am currently working on a new book: “Learn From the Masters of Street Photography”, which is a distillation of all of the lessons that I’ve learned from the masters of street photography. You can get a free sneak peak by downloading the PDF of the sample chapters here. If you want to learn more,…
Jack Simon, a good friend and a street photographer I greatly admire shares what he thinks makes great street photography in the 2 minute video above. Check out my video where I shoot with him in San Francisco here.
“One should not spoil what is present by desiring what is absent. Rather, realize that what we have were among the things we might have prayed for.” – Epicurus (via the “Epicurus reader“) I’m never satisfied. I always want more. Nothing is ever good enough. My lifestyle isn’t fancy enough, I lust after different cameras,…
Dear friend, I want to share with you something that has been on my mind for a while: whether a photographer should take a photograph everyday, or only when he/she feels like it. I know I often espouse the benefits of always having your camera with you and taking photos everyday. But what’s the point…
Hey streettogs, just gave a free talk at EyeEm in Berlin last night titled: “7 Lessons from the Masters of Street Photography.” You can see and download the slides for free here.
My friend Josh White made a great point to me about cameras in photography: why is it that we as photographers always talk about the camera we want (that will apparently make us more “creative”) rather than using the cameras we already own to create art? I’m currently re-reading “Letters From A Stoic” by Seneca in…
“You are not supposed to be a slave of mechanical tools, they are supposed to help you and be as small and unimportant as possible not to disturb the communication.” – Anders Petersen There is a disease and a sickness out there. It afflicts thousands (if not millions) of photographers globally, and it costs people…
This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;) Disclaimer: Sarcasm doesn’t always transfer into written word. Well, “tomorrow” turned into a week. Thank you for those who worried that I…
“Rather than catching people unaware, they show the face they want to show. Unposed, caught unaware, they might reveal ambiguous expressions, brows creased in vague internal contemplation, illegible, perhaps meaningless. Why not allow the subject the possibility of revealing his attitude toward life, his neighbor, even the photographer?” – William Klein There is a general…
“Sometimes photographers mistake emotion for what makes a great street photograph.” – Garry Winogrand Imagine this situation: it is a cold and rainy day. You are out shooting on the streets, and you are feeling miserable. You haven’t got any good shots all day, despite the fact that you left your warm (and dry) house…
“If you start cutting or cropping a good photograph, it means death to the geometrically correct interplay of proportions. Besides, it very rarely happens that a photograph which was feebly composed can be saved by reconstruction of its composition under the darkroom’s enlarger; the integrity of vision is no longer there.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson Another…