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The Fishing Technique in Street Photography

The Fishing Technique Illustrated by Annette Kim
The Fishing Technique Illustrated by Annette Kim
The Fishing Technique Illustrated by Annette Kim

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


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Why fishing?

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

Leading lines. Three Men
Leading lines. Three Men

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 in yellow, background in blue.
Woman in yellow, background in blue.
Woman with umbrella. Seoul, 2011 // ERIC KIM
Woman with umbrella. Seoul, 2011 // ERIC KIM

Bauahaus Annette Kim leading lines walking lady umbrella elegance.

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


MASTERS now available on Amazon

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HENRI WRIST STRAP

HENRI WRIST STRAP

HENRI WRIST STRAP: Never Miss the Decisive Moment.


TAKE YOUR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Push yourself outside out your comfort zone with STREET NOTES: Mobile Edition.

STREET NOTES PAPER EDITION ON AMAZON >


Street Photography Visualizations

Visualization: What to Look For When Shooting Street Photography

Visualization: How to Overcome Your Fear of Photographing Strangers


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FREE Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Street Photography: How to Overcome Fears of Photographing Strangers
FREE Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Street Photography: How to Overcome Fears of Photographing Strangers
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY VISUALIZATION: What to look when shooting on the streets
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Exclusively available on the ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER
Exclusively available on the ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER

New from HAPTIC: Street Photography Visualizations made by ANNETTE KIM:

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

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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 101

Tokyo, 2012

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

New Street Photography Articles

Mad men. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z

  • How to Conquer Social Anxiety With Street Photography
  • Street Photography Secrets Debunked
  • 10 Dynamic Street Photography Tips
  • The Benefits of Shooting Street Photography
  • The Street Photography Manifesto
  • My Experience Shooting Digital Medium Format in Street Photography
  • Why Do You Feel Guilty Shooting Street Photography?
  • Improvise in Street Photography
  • Ethics in Street Photography

STREET NOTES MOBILE EDITION

Hot off the digital press, we have now made our popular STREET NOTES available for your Amazon Kindle.


FUNDAMENTALS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

elegance, seoul, 2009 Eric Kim street photography

  • The Psychology of Street Photography
  • Fundamentals to Street Photography
  • How to Conquer Fear in Street Photography
  • Street Photography Secrets
  • NEO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Street Photography Lenses
  • Street Photography Settings
  • Street Photography Techniques
  • Street Photography Ideas
  • CLOSER.
  • CLEAN BACKGROUND

Street Photography Inspiration

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  • How to Enter the Street Photography Zone
  • Simple Street Photography Tips
  • How to Defuse Confrontations in Street Photography 
  • How to Make Controversial Street Photographs
  • Street Photography Project Ideas
  • How to Make Good Street Photos
  • Is Defining “STREET PHOTOGRAPHY” a Good Thing?
  • STREET PHOTOGRAPHY “RULES” TO BREAK
  • Walking Meditation in Street Photography
  • 10 COMMANDMENTS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
  • Street Photography is Improvisation
  • In Praise of Randomness in Street Photography
  • How to Become a Fearless Photographer
  • How to Make Better Street Photographs
  • 12 ERIC KIM Street Photography Assignments
  • Meaningful Street Photography
  • 25 Street Photography Tips by ERIC KIM

Beginner Street Photography Articles

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Get started in street photography:

Definitions in Street Photography

  • Visual Sociology Street Photography
  • Why Street Photography?
  • What is Street Photography?
  • Why Shoot Street Photography?
  • The History of Street Photography

How to Shoot Street Photography

  • How to Shoot Street Photography
  • Street Portraits 101 by ERIC KIM
  • 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

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  • What is the Best Camera for Street Photography?
  • What is the Best Lens for Street Photography?
  • What to Consider When Buying a Camera

See all equipment articles >

How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography

  • How to Conquer Your Fears in Life
  • Shoot What You’re Afraid Of
  • How to Channel Your Fear into Bravery

See all articles to conquer your fears >


Intermediate Street Photography Articles

eric-kim-street-photography-color-chroma-19

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

eric-kim-street-photography-suits-color-kodak-portra-400-2

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

laughin-lady-contact-copy

Learn how to shoot on the streets:

  • 70 Street Photography Tips for Beginners
  • 15 Street Photography Techniques and Tips
  • Flash Street Photography Guide
  • 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

tokyo-eye-eric-kim-street-photography-contact-sheet-0000545

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

0-eric-kim-street-photography-sweat-downtown-la

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

See all equipment articles >

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

MASTERS PROTOTYPE by HAPTIC

“He without a past has no future.”

Start here:

  1. Why Study the Masters of Photography?
  2. Great Female Master Photographers
  3. Cheat Sheet of the Masters of Photography
  4. 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
  5. Beginner’s Guide to the Masters of Street Photography
  6. Download All Articles >

The Masters of Photography

Prague, 1968. Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos
Prague, 1968. Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos

Classics never die:

  • Alfred Stieglitz
  • Alec Soth
  • Alex Webb
  • Alexey Brodovitch
  • 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
  • Fan Ho
  • Garry Winogrand
  • Gordon Parks
  • Helen Levitt
  • Henri Cartier-Bresson
  • Irving Penn
  • Jacob Aue Sobol
  • Jeff Mermelstein
  • Joel Meyerowitz
  • Joel Sternfeld
  • Josef Koudelka / Part 2
  • Josh White
  • Lee Friedlander
  • Lisette Model
  • Magnum Contact Sheets
  • Magnum Photographers
  • Mark Cohen
  • Martin Parr
  • Martine Franck
  • 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

  • Eric Kim Lightroom Presets
  • Street Photography Presentations

See all free downloads >

Free Street Photography Books

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Distilled information on street photography:

  • STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MANUAL by ERIC KIM
  • The Art of 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 >

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