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Photography Technique: Take Photos While Walking!

cindy los angeles high angle

cindy los angeles high angle

Dear friend,

A simple technique to make more photos: take photos while walking!

eric kim los angeles photography 2018-1069116

The basic idea is this:

Sometimes we over-complicate photography, and try to make too perfect compositions. We agonize about framing and composition, and spend too much time in one spot, instead of quickly/effectively taking several photos of a scene, and moving on.

So as a basic idea, try this out:

Take photos while walking.


You can do this in many different ways. You can do this in street photography: photograph your subjects while they are walking (or while you’re walking and they are stationary), or while BOTH you and your subject are both walking.

eric kim street photography tokyo 2018-1057118eric kim street photography tokyo 2018-1057198eric kim street photography tokyo 2018-1057225eric kim street photography tokyo 2018-1057229

The benefits of taking photos while you’re walking/moving is this:

  1. Your photos will be more dynamic: with more energy and movement.
  2. You will randomly make interesting compositions: Sometimes the randomness of movement is good for photography.
  3. You keep moving: I love street photography because it lets me walk/move more. And the more you move and walk, the more photo-opportunities you will continue to find/discover.

Tip: Hold your camera high in the air, and point downwards

As a composition tip, while walking alongside your friend/partner/subject: hold your camera high in the air, and point downwards, and frame using your LCD screen. Try to simplify your background and the edges of the frame:

eric kim photography Cinematography composition - cindy nguyen - miss step-1056976


Tip 2: Don’t overlap elements in the background

Processed with VSCO with a6 preset
LA Urban landscape, shot on phone while walking and Processed with VSCO with a6 preset

Another idea: when you’re shooting while walking/moving, try to separate your subjects/elements in the background. For example when shooting urban landscapes, don’t have the telephone poles and buildings overlap. Add a little negative space in-between them.


Tip 3: It is all about timing

Arrows diagonal pink

When you’re trying to move and walk and frame at the same time, treat it like a first person shooter video game. Try to aim, frame, compose, and simplify your background all at the same time. Like a good shooter video game: it is all about nailing your timing.


Tip 4: Blur is OK

eric kim street photography tokyo lumix 2018 - CHROMA-1046301

There is too much obsession over sharpness and focus in photography. Motion blur is fine and often adds more energy to your shot! So if you get blur in photos, treat it like a ‘beautiful mistake’.


Tip 5: Get close

eric kim street photography tokyo lumix 2018 - CHROMA-1045774

Get closer to your subjects. The closer you get to your subjects, the more intimate your photos, and the more emotion/soul they will have.

Learn more: 15 Tips How to Get Closer in Street Photography


Videos of me shooting street photography while walking

See more YouTube Videos >


New Street Photography Products

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  • New Henri Shoulder Strap
  • MASTERS VOLUME 1: Mobile Edition

Street Photography 101

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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

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography

Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Mastering Street Photography
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography

Become the best street photographer possible by picking up a copy of Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography. This book is full of all my distilled knowledge and wisdom on street photography over the last 10 years, crafted specifically to empower you in street photography.

For more free resources, presets, and PDF visualizations on street photography, join my free ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER to stay inspired and empowered.

Also join ERIC KIM EXPERIENCE if you want to take your street photography to the next level and conquer your fears and meet new peers.

To join a positive and passionate community, share your photos in ERIC KIM FORUM. Look forward to having you friend :)


Street Photography Techniques

  • New Tokyo GoPro Fusion POV Street Photography YouTube Videos
  • ERIC KIM Street Photography Tips and Technique
  • The 360 Degree Technique in Street Photography
  • How to Work the Scene in Street Photography
  • How to Shoot Layers and the Bookend Technique in Street Photography
  • Street Photography Technique: GET CLOSE & FILL THE FRAME + GOLDEN DIAGONAL COMPOSITION
  • Street Photography Techniques: The 3D Scan/360 Degree Technique (Shooting Head-on) and Holding Your Camera High in the Air and Point Downwards (and Use Your LCD Screen to Frame the Scene)
  • The Walking Alongside Someone and Shooting Until They Notice You Street Photography Technique
  • SUPER INNOVATIVE NEW GOPRO STREET PHOTOGRAPHY POV EXPERIENCE: Cutoff Technique, Shooting Head-on with Flash, and Slow-Motion on RICOH GR II at 28mm
  • How to Shoot a Street Portrait: Tips, Technique, and GoPRO POV Tutorial
  • Street Photography Technique/Composition: Leading Lines and Crouching Down Low
  • How to Shoot Layers in Street Photography: GoPRO POV Video Composition Tutorial
  • How to Shoot Street Photography with a 24mm Lens
  • The Cutoff Technique in Street Photography
  • THE CUTOFF TECHNIQUE IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: GOPRO POV KYOTO ERIC KIM

JUST SHOOT IT. HENRI NECK STRAP by ERIC KIM

ERIC KIM x HENRI NECK STRAP
ERIC KIM x HENRI NECK STRAP

See HENRI NECK STRAP on AMAZON >


Street Photography Articles

Mad men. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z

  • Street Photography is Like Fishing
  • Why Do We Feel Nervous Shooting Street Photography?
  • Street Photography Philosophy
  • Everyday Street Photography
  • Why Street Photography?
  • Why You Must Follow Your Own Voice in Street Photography
  • How to Overcome Guilt in Street Photography
  • 5 Dynamic Off-Center Street Photography Compositions
  • 5 Night Street Photography Composition Tips
  • How to Talk to Strangers
  • How to Overcome Fear in Street Photography
  • Street Photography Empowerment
  • Eric Kim’s Top 30 Street Photography Tips
  • How to Shoot Street Photography on a 35mm Lens
  • 7 Tips How to Conquer Your Fears of Shooting Street Photography
  • Street Photography Lifestyle
  • How to Use Tactful Flattery in Street Photography
  • 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 Photography Composition Techniques

  • 10 Inspirational Sergio Larrain Compositions
  • 5 Henri Cartier-Bresson Photography Composition Lessons
  • Street Photography Technique: Overlap
  • Street Photography Composition Lesson: Chunking
  • The Fishing Technique in Street Photography

STREET NOTES.

STREET NOTES MOBILE EDITION x RICOH GR II
STREET NOTES MOBILE EDITION x RICOH GR II

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

STREET NOTES PAPER EDITION ON AMAZON >


LEARN FROM THE MASTERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

LEARN FROM THE MASTERS by HAPTIC

Timeless wisdom from the masters of street photography.

Learn more about MASTERS >

Buy MASTERS on Amazon >


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

eric kim street photography marseille kodak portra 400 sunbather beach

  • 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

eric-kim-street-photography-color-chroma-1

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

Tokyo Eric Kim rain umbrella

  • 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

eric-kim-street-photography-only-in-america-14

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 >

HENRI SHOULDER STRAP

Film Leica MP x Henri Shoulder Strap (CREMA BROWN)

Supreme >


Street Photography Starter Kit

street photography starter kit by ERIC KIM

Master street photography >


HENRI WRIST STRAP PRO

Henri wrist strap pro

For the pros >

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship

My brand-new Udemy Course, "Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship" now live!

Seize your destiny >


Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography

eric kim ultimate beginners guide to mastering photography udemy

Master photography >

ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS

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Unleash your creative potential:

2021:

  • April 10-11th, 2021: BOSTON / Discover Your Unique Voice in Photography Workshop [Register Intent Here]
  • May 1-2nd, 2021: CHICAGO / Street Photography Composition Masterclass [Register Intent Here]
  • May 22-22nd, 2021: NEW YORK CITY / STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS by ERIC KIM [Register Intent Here]

Be notified of when new workshops are live here.


ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER

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