1. Walk 25% slower

Flash street photograph in Istanbul, 2014 // Eric Kim

My biggest problem in street photography is that I run around like a chicken with my head cut off.

When I walk too quickly, I don’t see many decisive moments. When I walk 25% slower, I see more decisive moments.

Why? If I walk slower, I let my subjects come to me.

2. Work a street corner

Street photograph in Mumbai, 2014 by ERIC KIM

Another tip: try this assignment from STREET NOTES: wait on a street corner (or a street intersection) for 25 minutes, then only shoot that street corner for 25 minutes. Set your phone to a 25 minute timer, and then set it to airplane mode. I call this the ‘Pomodoro Photography Technique.’

This is how Joel Meyerowitz shot a lot of his color street photographs — by finding a good street corner, with good light, and trapping his subjects like a hunter does with tigers.

Santa Claus and Suit. London, 2014 // ERIC KIM

Also, when you do this…intentionally take a step back. Like really far back. Try to see your subjects coming from the extreme left of the scene, and the right. Often when they intersect at the street corner, interesting things happen. They often collide, and there can be interesting facial or hand gestures.

Suits in front of currency exchange. London, 2014

The benefit of working a street corner, especially if you are standing at an intersection– you have ‘God View.’ Like in a video game — you see BOTH directions coming at the same time. You can see more than your subjects on the streets.

When your subjects all fall into place at the street intersection, the light looks good, and there are interesting hand gestures, you can capture a good ‘decisive moment.’

3. Shoot street photography near or inside hotels

A Suit in front of a hotel lobby. NYC, 2014 // ERIC KIM

I love shooting street photography near hotels, because you can photograph a richer and more “exclusive” social class, who are less likely to punch you in the face if you shoot their photo.

Shoot outside hotel lobbies, inside, and at the restaurants.

He owned the hotel. San Diego, 2014

Also, just shoot more candid photos in semi public, semi private places. Like the mall. Or the subway.

Downtown LA, 2016. I saw this lady in a random elevator and asked for her portrait.

4. Escalators

Three men. Shot on an escalator, during my lunch break. Santa Monica, 2011

Look for the leading lines at an escalator, in the mall, or anywhere…and shoot when your subject enters the frame, preferably legs split in a “V” shape.

Figure 1: Note how the curving lines of the escalator frame the man.

Or just shoot fun photos of your partner, when handing out at the nice (air conditioned) mall.

On the escalator at the mall. Saigon Center, 2017 #cindyproject

Mall street photography is fantastic, especially for those of us who live in hot climates.

And to be more stealth, act like a dumb tourist.

5. Look at the streets, not at your phone.

Houston, Texas. Girl with orange nails.

If you shoot on your phone, set it to airplane mode…so nobody “phones” your “camera”. (Credit to @OGGSIE).

I know, it’s very interesting what your friends are doing on Facebook, or the latte your friend has on Instagram. But if you want to see more decisive moments in street photography, you gotta look at the streets.

I love steet photography because it CONNECTS me with reality. With the public. With my fellow human beings. It takes me AWAY from false reality (social media and my devices).

Girl in yellow dress on her phone. Istanbul, 2014

To be a better street photographer, we just need to PAY MORE ATTENTION to the outside world.

6. Shoot at bus stations

Man on wheelchair. Istanbul, 2014

A tip from my friend Charlie Kirk, shoot at bus stations. Good action.

7. Shoot “indecisive moments”

Urban landscape. Berkeley, 2015. Telephone pole.

Shoot urban landscapes with no people and no “decisive moment.” Sometimes the decisive moment is the fact that you are there, you PERCEIVED the moment, and that you are alive…and here.