Dear friend,
I want to give you 3 simple street photography suggestions/tips:
1. Shoot 25% more than you think you need to shoot
When you think you got the shot in street photography; you haven’t.
Try to shoot 25% more than you think you should.
For example, when I make photos of a scene, I try to push myself to take 25% more photos than I think I need to.
When I push myself 25% more, I often get my best photographs.
You can push this philosophy in different ways in life:
- For business, charge 25% more for your product or services than you think you should (in order to not under-sell yourself)
- When doing pushups, do 25% more reps than you think you can (to build muscle)
- When you’re angry, push yourself to be 25% more patient, for 25% longer.
- When you’re fasting, and getting really hungry, push yourself 25% longer (by not eating)
Learn more: Contact Sheets >
2. Clean edges
Often the difference between a good and bad street photograph is how messy the edges of the frame or the background is.
So as a solution, try to clean your edges.
When I’m making street photographs, I don’t look at the center of my frame. I only look at the edges of the frame when I’m composing. I also look at the background.
In terms of negative space, I try to add a little bit of white space around the head of my subject.
Also another way you can think of street photography: you’re trying to subtract distractions from your frame, not add. The best street photographs work by subtraction.
The same goes with life: seek to subtract the superfluous from your life:
- Subtract negative people
- Subtract excess cameras and gear
- Subtract negative energy
- Subtract complaints, anger, and frustrations
3. Get eye contact
Eyes are the windows to the soul. So to make a better street photograph, try to get eye contact in your street photographs.
Get close to your subject, bring up your camera, and wait for the subject to notice your presence. Then take a few photos, and wait until your subject looks straight into your lens.
Or if you approach a stranger to make a street portrait of them, ask them:
Please don’t smile, and just look straight into the lens.
This will give you a much more authentic street photograph.
In real life, the better you are at making eye contact, the more successful you will be in business, in overcoming your fears, and also building stronger personal relationships.
Learn more: How to Overcome Your Fear of Eye Contact in Street Photography >
Keep it simple
I hope these 3 tips are easy to remember. Remember, let’s keep things simple in street photography and life.
Always,
Eric
Street Photography 101
If you’re new to street photography, start here:
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography
- Street Photography by Eric Kim
Beginner Street Photography Articles
Get started in street photography:
Definitions in Street Photography
How to Shoot Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Street Photography
- 70 Street Photography Tips for Beginners
- 15 Street Photography Techniques and Tips
- A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again
Street Photography Equipment
- What is the Best Camera for Street Photography?
- What is the Best Lens for Street Photography?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography
See all articles to conquer your fears >
Intermediate Street Photography Articles
Take your street photography to the next level:
- How to Become a Stoic Street Photographer
- The 10 Principles of Good Street Photography
- 7 Tips How to Capture “The Decisive Moment” in Street Photography
- The Importance of Social Skills in Street Photography
- The Street Photography Code of Ethics
- “Taking” vs “Making” Photos in Street Photography
- Follow Your Gut in Street Photography
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Never Chimp While Shooting Street Photography
Advanced Street Photography Articles
Find deeper meaning in your street photography:
- How to Master Street Photography
- How to Be a Zen Street Photographer
- Personal Street Photography
- The “Bookend” Technique in Street Photography
- Street Photography is Self-Therapy
- Zen in the Art of Street Photography
- Taoism and Street Photography
- How to Find Your Style in Street Photography
- Follow Your Gut in Street Photography
Street Photography Tips & Technique
Learn how to shoot on the streets:
- 70 Street Photography Tips for Beginners
- 15 Street Photography Techniques and Tips
- Take More Risks
- Don’t Think About Composition When You’re Shooting Street Photography
- 7 Tips How to Capture “The Decisive Moment” in Street Photography
- 7 Tips How to Make a Great Street Photograph
- Tokyo Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Video: Why it is Important to “Work the Scene” in Street Photography
- Shoot Less, Better
- Make Shitty Photos
- Shoot Effortlessly
- 10 Tips for Candid Street Photography
- 103 Lessons I’ve Learned From Street Photography
See all street photography tips and techniques >
Street Photography Guides
In-depth guides on street photography:
- How to Shoot Candid Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Portraits with Permission
- How to Shoot Black and White Street Photography
- How to Shoot Color Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Portraits with Permission
- How to Shoot Layers in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Urban Landscapes
Street Photography Equipment
The best equipment for street photography:
- What is the Best Camera for Street Photography?
- What is the Best Lens for Street Photography?
- Why I Love Cameras with Non-Interchangeable Lenses
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for Cameras in Street Photography
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera for Street Photography
- In Street Photography, The Smaller the Camera, the Better
- Why Sharpness is Overrated in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography on a DSLR
Street Photography Editing and Workflow
- Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom
- How to Edit (Choose Your Best Photos) in Street Photography
- How Studying Contact Sheets Can Make You a Better Street Photographer
- Debunking the “Myth of the Decisive Moment”
How to Start a Street Photography Project
- Free E-Book: The Street Photography Project Manual
- How to Start Your Own Street Photography Project
- How to Come Up With a Personal Photography Project Idea
Learn From the Masters of Street Photography

“He without a past has no future.”
If you want a distilled version, read the free ebook: “100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography.”
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Alec Soth
- Alex Webb
- Anders Petersen
- Andre Kertesz
- Ansel Adams
- Araki
- Blake Andrews
- Bruce Davidson
- Bruce Gilden
- Constantine Manos
- Daido Moriyama
- Dan Winters
- David Alan Harvey
- David Hurn
- Diane Arbus
- Dorothea Lange
- Elliott Erwitt
- Eugene Atget
- Eugene Smith
- Garry Winogrand
- Helen Levitt
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
- Irving Penn
- Jacob Aue Sobol
- Jeff Mermelstein
- Joel Meyerowitz
- Joel Sternfeld
- Josef Koudelka / Part 2
- Josh White
- Lee Friedlander
- Magnum Contact Sheets
- Magnum Photographers
- Mark Cohen
- Martin Parr
- Mary Ellen Mark
- Rene Burri
- Richard Avedon
- Richard Kalvar
- Robert Capa
- Robert Frank
- Saul Leiter
- Sergio Larrain
- Sebastião Salgado
- Shomei Tomatsu
- Stephen Shore
- The History of Street Photography
- Todd Hido
- Tony Ray-Jones
- Trent Parke
- Vivian Maier
- Walker Evans
- Weegee
- William Eggleston
- William Klein
- Zoe Strauss
Free Downloads
Free Street Photography Ebooks
Distilled information on street photography:
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Street Photography 101
- Street Photography 102
- Film Street Photography Manual
- The Street Photography Composition Manual
- The Street Portrait Manual
- 31 Days to Overcome Your Fear in Street Photography
- Zen in the Art of Street Photography
For more resources on photography, Start Here >