Often we take photography too seriously.
Why not just photograph for fun?
Why fun?
A child plays for fun. But when a child is playing and having fun, a child is learning. A child is being challenged. “Fun” is simply a feeling of pleasure — of interesting challenge, novelty, and deep learning.
Fun-forward photography
Focus on making photography fun, exciting, enjoyable, curious, and challenging for yourself!
- Shoot in new places
- Travel photography
- Impose fun creative constraints (one camera, one lens) or one aesthetic (only black and white, or only color)
- Focus on a certain photographic theme, project, or pusuit
- Talk with your subjects, interact with them, and engage your subjects while shooting street portraits.
Play as children do!
Observe children more; and follow their ethical behavior! They play for the sake of play, and they have fun!
Become more child-like, less adult-like.
ERIC
PHOTOGRAPHY 101
Dear friend,
If you’re new to photography, start here:
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography
- Free Photography Bootcamp
- 100 Photography Tips for Beginners
New Photography
- Photography as Discovering Beauty in Unlikely Places
- What is the Secret of Making Great Photographs?
- Why Do You Do Photography?
- You’re an Artist.
- How to Edit Your Photos
Photography Tips
- 15 Tips How to Make More Interesting Photos
- 10 Tips How to Shoot More Photos Everyday
- 7 Tips How to Shoot Surreal Photos
- 10 Tips How to Fill the Frame in Photography
- Look Up! 16 Photography Composition Perspective Tips
- 10 Simple Black and White Photography Tips
- 10 Simple Black and White Photography Tips
- 5 Simple Street Photography Composition Tips
- 5 Simple Street Photography Composition Tips
Photography Articles
- How to Elevate Your Photography to the Next Level
- You’re (Already) a Photographer!
- 7 Tips How to Shoot More Photos
- Everything is Permitted in Photography!
- 20 Dark Tips How to Shoot Shadow Photos
- How to Give a Constructive Critique in Photography
- 15 Tips How to Shoot Better Selfies
- Photography is All a Matter of Perspective
- Photography Warmup Assignments
- 5 Simple Tips How to Take Better Pictures
- 10 Tips How to Shoot Better Architecture Photography
- 7 Reasons Why I Love Digital Medium-Format Photography
- My Experience Shooting Digital Medium Format in Street Photography
- My Experience Shooting my Friend Wedding on Digital Medium Format
Photography Techniques
- Photo Technique: Look Up
- Street Photography Technique: Overlap
- The Fishing Technique in Street Photography
- The “Bookend” Technique in Street Photography
Everyday Photography
- How to Shoot Better Night Photography
- How to Shoot Better Macro Photography
- Everyday Photography
- 10 Tips How to Take Better Photos of Everyday Life
- 15 Tips How to Shoot Better Selfies
- 10 Tips How to Take Better Photos of Everyday Life
Color Photography 101
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Color Photography
- Opponent Process Color Theory For Photographers
- Color Theory For Photographers
Photography Philosophy
Photography Inspiration
- How to Become a Self-Confident Photographer
- The Spirit of Becoming a Photographer
- How to Make Better Pictures
- 10 Tips How to Take Better Photos of People
- How to Avoid Boredom in Photography
- How to Master Photography
- A Photographer’s Guide to Seeing
- PRETENTIOUS PHOTOGRAPHY
- Photography Energy Management
- How to Unlock Your Potential in Photography
- There Are No Good or Bad Photos
- The 5 Minute Photographer
- A-Z: PHOTOGRAPHY DICTIONARY by ERIC KIM
- Why I Want to Be a Photography Newbie Forever
- PHOTOGRAPHY FLUX.
- 10 Creative Photography Assignments to Re-Inspire You
- 50 Photography Tips by ERIC KIM
The Fundamentals of Photography
- Make Simple Pictures
- The Art of Reading a Picture
- How to Choose Your Best Photos
- GET CLOSER.
- Keep or Ditch?
- What Makes a Good Photo?
- Why Photography?
- Everyone is a Photographer
- How to take better pictures
- How to take better selfies
- How to Paint With Light
- Why Bokeh is Overrated
Photography Equipment »
- What is the Perfect Camera For You?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
- More Megapixels, More Problems
How to Take Better Photos »
- How to Take Better Photos
- How to Capture Emotion in Your Photos
- How to Create a “Curiosity Gap” in Your Photos
Composition Lessons »
- Composition Lesson #1: Triangles
- Composition Lesson #2: Figure-to-ground
- Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals
Photography Assignments »
- 40 Practical Photography Assignments
- 15 Street Photography Assignments
- 25 Photography New Year’s Resolutions
Contact Sheets »
- Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Street Photography Contact Sheets Volume II
- Debunking the “Myth of the Decisive Moment”
Editing (Image Selection) »
Creativity »
Motivation »
- Each Photo You Take is an “Attempt”
- How to Overcome Photographer’s Block
- Why Do You Need “Inspiration” to Shoot?
Post-Processing
- How to Edit Your Photos
- Grain is Beautiful
- Are Filters “Cheating” in Photography?
- Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom
How to Create a Body of Work
Technical Photography Settings
Learn From the Masters of 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