All photography is good photography, but I still think street photography is the best:
1. Challenge and difficulty is more fun
Street photography is hard, scary, challenging, and difficult. This is what makes it so great.
2. Street photography makes us more human
Street photography forces us to interact with people. Street photography makes us more empathetic and compassionate with other people.
3. Street photography is fun!
Street photography is hyper fun. I love shooting street photography, traveling, and talking/interacting with others! I get great joy when I’m out shooting and interacting with others.
4. Composition in street photography is interesting, fun, and interactive
There is nothing more fun, challenging, and interesting to make new and innovative compositions [using human beings as your subjects!]
See these four boys, all looking different directions:
5. Social documentary
For me, much of photography is sociological. I call it ‘visual street photography sociology’.
The idea is this:
Through photography, you better can analyze, dissect, and critique society.
For example, people often think of Vietnam as a poor country with rice-patties. But they never see all the Rolls-Royce’s in Vietnam and Hanoi:
6. Discovering new modes of living
Photography and street photography makes me much more adventurous. As a consequence, I have witnessed and experienced more different cultures. This has been great, because it has helped expand my mind. I now realize:
Wow, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to live. Much of how we view and interact with the world is based on our cultural pre-assumptions.
The best thing about experiencing new cultures is this:
You can live your life however you want.
You don’t need to be a slave to any culture. Instead, you have the power to create your own [unique] culture.
7. Art-creation opportunities are everywhere!
To me, more fun to create your own artwork than to collect the artworks of others.
For example I get deep inspiration from abstract artists [Piet Mondrian, Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock], but I get EVEN MORE inspiration by creating my own photographic art-works:
8. Street photography as a way of life
Street photography is life. Life with humans. A life of art-creation, exploration, empathy and love.
Shoot on!
ERIC
Street Photography 101
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If you’re new to street photography, start here:
- Street Photography 101 Tutorial
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- How to Shoot Street Photography
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STREET PHOTOGRAPHY STARTER KIT: Everything You Need to Master Street Photography.
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Street Photography Lifestyle
- Why Street Photography is the Best Photography
- Street Photography is a Way of Life
- How to Conquer Anxiety
- Street Photography is Art with People
Street Photography Articles
- 5 Simple Street Photography Assignments
- Street Photography Composition Ideas
- 10 Advanced Street Photography Tips and Techniques
- Daredevil Photography
- Lingering Technique: How to Work the Scene in Street Photography
- Why Photograph People?
- No Guilt in Street Photography
- Street Photography is Hard.
- Street Photography Inspiration
- 5 Simple Tips How to Shoot Better Street Photos
- 10 Super Simple Street Photography Tips
- How to Shoot Head-On in Street Photography
- The Decapitation Technique in Street Photography
- Be Brazen in Street Photography
- How to Shoot Better Street Photographs
- Drive-By Technique in Street Photography
- How to Shoot a Wedding Like a Street Photographer
- Street Photography is 80% Risk Taking!
- 10 Simple Street Photography Principles
- 5 Fundamental Street Photography Principles
- 10 Street Photography Assignment Ideas
- How to Tell Stories in Street Photography
Street Photography Techniques
- Photography Technique: Take Photos While Walking!
- 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
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Street Photography Ideas
- 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.
Push yourself out of your comfort zone with STREET NOTES: Mobile Edition.
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LEARN FROM THE MASTERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
Timeless wisdom from the masters of street photography.
FUNDAMENTALS OF 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
- 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
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
- 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
- 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
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.”
Start here:
- Why Study the Masters of Photography?
- Great Female Master Photographers
- Cheat Sheet of the Masters of Photography
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Beginner’s Guide to the Masters of Street Photography
- Download All Articles >
The Masters of Photography
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
Free Street Photography Books
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 >