Practical ideas:
1. Obscurity
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/orange-silhouette-mission-san-francisco-only-in-america-eric-kim-street-photography-color90-3000x1987.jpg?resize=3000%2C1987&ssl=1)
Obscure the face of your subject. Like in the above photo — you cannot see his eyes or his identity. By obscuring his face, the image becomes more mysterious. You wonder “open ended questions” like:
- Who is he?
- What is his personal story?
- What are those tattoos on his back?
- What is his emotions?
- What is on his mind?
2. Surrealism
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/eric-kim-eye-flash-surreal-woman-poster-background-porta-400-flash-leica--3000x1990.jpg?resize=3000%2C1990&ssl=1)
Shoot juxtapositions of a subject against a strange background.
Pro-tip: shoot with a flash to make the photos look more surreal!
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/surreal-street-photography-eric-kim-flash-leica-portra-400-london-phone-1.jpg?resize=2000%2C1327&ssl=1)
3. Social statement
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/86220017-eric-kim-move-it-here-to-pick-up-daddy-michigan-america-3000x1990.jpg?resize=3000%2C1990&ssl=1)
Make social commentary, critique, or social-political-economic opinions through your photos!
You can also talk about in your photos:
- Race
- Gender
- Equality
- Economics
- Politics
- Government
- Health
- Family
- etc…
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/black-mary-and-jesus-graffiti-flash-kodak-portra-400.jpg?resize=3000%2C1990&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/woman-popsicle-downtown-la-layers-eric-kim--3000x2000.jpg?resize=3000%2C2000&ssl=1)
4. Let the viewer make their own interpretation
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/loveless-road-trip-america-photograph-ONLY-IN-AMERICA-by-ERIC-KIM00008-3000x1990.jpg?resize=3000%2C1990&ssl=1)
Don’t make the photos too obvious. Leave it open to interpretation. This is called a ‘curiosity gap’. Let the viewer be curious enough to try to interpret the photo.
5. “Cherry on top”
I call this a ‘cherry on top’. Having a small detail which transforms a normal photo into a great photo.
For example in the below image, what are the details you find interesting or noteworthy?
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/red-bull-pink-hollywood-eric-flash-canon-ONLY-IN-AMERICA-by-ERIC-KIM00010-3000x2000.jpg?resize=3000%2C2000&ssl=1)
For me, it is the two cans of Red Bull in her hand. And the other hand has a cigarette. What does this say about this type of lifestyle? Good or bad? Good and bad — how so?
What do you think is her story? Why does she need to drink all these Red Bulls — for what?