The Fishing Technique Illustrated by Annette Kim

Think of yourself a street photography fisher– instead you are fishing for people.

ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER

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Why fishing?

Woman in yellow, background in blue, and leading lines outlined in red.

A fisherman goes out to sea, with his trusty tackle and boat– and is patient. The fisherman doesn’t always catch fish — but he tries his hardest.

The fisherman realizes that he can be the most skilled fisherman in the world, but without a little bit of luck– he will catch no fish.

Street photography and fishing

The same is in street photography — treat yourself like a street photography fisherman.

Be patient, find good locations (where you think the fish will bite), and setup your line.

This is the technique that Henri Cartier-Bresson used in his photography: he saw interesting scenes and backgrounds, and waited for his subjects to enter the frame.

Henri Cartier-Bresson / HCB Foundation. FRANCE. The Var department. Hyères. 1932.

For example, note this Henri Cartier-Bresson picture of a bicycle– he saw the nice composition, leading lines, and waited for the right subject (bicycle) to enter the picture.

Red leading lines of the composition of Henri Cartier-Bresson's Bicycle Shot. — Red leading lines of the composition of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s Bicycle Shot.

You are a movie director

A good movie director finds a scene, or a ‘tableau’ — and then inserts the actors.

Or as William Shakespeare once said:

All the world is a stage.

Therefore, see the streets as your own stage. Setup the stage, and the scene, and wait for the right people to enter the frame.

Woman with umbrella. Seoul, 2011 // ERIC KIM

Eric Kim photography Bauhaus Piet Mondrian — Walking lady Bauhaus by ANNETTE KIM

Conclusion

Be patient, like a good fisherman.

If you see a good scene for street photography, wait 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or even 1 hour. Just ask yourself:

How bad do I want the shot?

Also — don’t just take 1-2 shots. Rather, try to aim to take at least 100 photos of the scene, and choose the 1 best picture once you get home.

HAVE FUN,
ERIC

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How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography
What to Look For When Shooting in the Streets – Available exclusively through the Eric Kim Newsletter

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