Havana, 2020 #streettogs #ricohgriii #color

Black and White or Color for Travel Street Photography?

Always the tricky thing:

Should I shoot monochrome or color when I’m shooting travel street photography?

Practical thoughts after shooting Havana, Cuba for a week (having never been there before).

Go into a new place with no preconceived notions

First of all, a “blank slate” (tabula rasa) notion is good before shooting travel street photography in any new place. Contrary to popular belief, my recommendation:

Look at no photos of a place, and don’t do any research of a place before going there.

This is a true visual adventure and odyssey.

But Cuba is so colorful!

Havana, 2020 #streettogs #ricohgriii #color
Havana, 2020 #streettogs #ricohgriii #color

This is the basic idea:

Place [x] is so colorful. It is a crime to NOT shoot it in color.

I agree, but at the same time, you gotta follow your own gut. I saw lots of colorful stuff in Havana and shot some photos in color (positive film JPEG preset in RICOH GR III), but 90% was monochrome for me.

Some color photos:

But ultimately my sense was this:

Monochrome feels better to me.

Monochrome photos:

Thus the basic idea is this:

Figure out whether you wanna shoot black and white (or color) once you get there.

And also:

When you’re there, feel free to shoot BOTH black and white (or color).

To JPEG or to RAW?

Based on my experience: better to shoot JPEG than RAW. Why? Nowadays modern digital cameras actually produce BETTER JPEG renditions of a scene, than compared to RAW photos. Also personally speaking, shooting JPEG has sped up my photographic and artistic workflow by 10x+.

  • selfie eye glasses
  • selfie mirror

Now my one camera one lens setup is RICOH GR III, shooting JPEG (high contrast black and white) and ERIC KIM STRAP.

Generally speaking, anything you can do to simplify your photographic workflow is good.

Conclusion

Ain’t better for monochrome or color. Both are good.

  1. Figure it out once you get there
  2. Shoot both
  3. When you’re reviewing and editing your photos after the trip, figure out which you prefer the best!

ERIC

HAPTIC INDUSTRIES >


STREET PHOTO 101

CONQUER YOUR FEARS AND MEET NEW PEERS at ERIC KIM EXPERIENCE >

If you’re new to street photography, start here:


Master Street Photography

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY STARTER KIT: Everything You Need to Master Street Photography.


Never Stop Shooting

Email Address

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 Philosophy

Street Photography Articles

cyan pink composition istanbul

Street Photography Techniques


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 Ideas

Mad men. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z

Street Photography Composition Techniques


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

Street Photography Inspiration

eric kim street photography marseille kodak portra 400 sunbather beach

Beginner Street Photography Articles

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

Get started in street photography:

Definitions in Street Photography

How to Shoot Street Photography

Street Photography Equipment

Tokyo Eric Kim rain umbrella

See all equipment articles >

How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography

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:


Advanced Street Photography Articles

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

Find deeper meaning in your street photography:


Street Photography Tips & Technique

laughin-lady-contact-copy

Learn how to shoot on the streets:

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:

Street Photography Equipment

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

The best equipment for street photography:

See all equipment articles >

Street Photography Editing and Workflow

How to Start a Street Photography Project


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:


Free Downloads

See all free downloads >

Free Street Photography Books

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

Distilled information on street photography:

For more resources on photography, Start Here >