ERIC KIM

selfie ERIC KIM and seneca

Low-Key Photography

Low-key photos are photos that skew towards the dark end and the darker side. The opposite of ‘high key’ photography (very bright photos).

Low-key photos are more dramatic, dark, and mysterious. I say that a low-key photograph is around 80% dark, and 20% bright (80% black, 20% white).

The benefits of low-key photos:

Depends on the vibes you’re going for

selfie ERIC KIM and seneca

If you’re trying to make more ‘artistic’ photos, typically the darker your photos, the better. Why? Because when your photos are darker, there are *LESS* details, which forces you (the viewer) to fill in the gap and details with your mind and imagination:

Do both.

seneca normal exposure

Impossible to know which exposure or exposure-compensation is the ‘best’ while you’re shooting. Thus I suggest to ‘work the scene’ and try to experiment with all forms of exposures, and *LATER* you select the one which you best like.

  • selfie ERIC KIM and seneca
  • seneca normal exposure

COMPOSITION by KIM

In pursuit of making (greater) compositions!

THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY COMPOSITION

  • STREET by KIM42 clear and dark

VIRTUAL REALITY COMPOSITION

  • three dimensional composition ERIC KIM
  • leading lines
  • leading lines walking lady
  1. ERIC KIM VIRTUAL REALITY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPOSITION LESSON

The Game of Composition

composition-layers-ERIC-KIM-

Technical compositions

Composition Studies

  1. Helmut Newton Photography Composition Studies
  2. W. Eugene Smith Composition Studies
  3. PDF: ERIC KIM Photography Composition Studies
  4. PDF: Josef Koudelka Photography Composition Studies
  5. PDF: Richard Avedon Photography Composition Studies
  6. PDF: Henri Cartier-Bresson Photography Composition Studies

Philosophy of Composition

Henri Cartier-Bresson Composition Simplified GIF
Henri Cartier-Bresson Composition Simplified

Aesthetics

Downtown LA, 2015 (shot on a Ricoh GR with the fixed-focal 28mm lens)

ERIC KIM X ANNETTE KIM X BAUHAUS REMIX

Master composition for yourself:

Photography Composition Concepts

Street Photography Composition Tips

Tokyo, 2017
Tokyo, 2017

Photography Composition Tips

Color Theory

Color wheel theory: Dynamic tension between opposing colors.
Color wheel theory: Dynamic tension between opposing colors. Image from CREATIVE EVERY DAY

Learn From the Masters of Composition

Sergio Larrain Compositions
Sergio Larrain Compositions

Dynamic Photography Composition 101

Leading lines. ERIC KIM DYNAMIC COMPOSITION
Leading lines. ERIC KIM DYNAMIC COMPOSITION

Painting Compositions

Vermeer

Dynamic Photography Composition Tips

Chiaroscuro. DYNAMIC LIGHT AND SHADOW. Hanoi, 2016 by ERIC KIM
Chiaroscuro. DYNAMIC LIGHT AND SHADOW. Hanoi, 2016 by ERIC KIM

Composition Theory

Dynamic low angle composition. Tokyo, 2011 by ERIC KIM
Dynamic low angle composition. Tokyo, 2011 by ERIC KIM

Take your composition to the next level:

Street Photography Composition 101

DYNAMIC REFLECTIONS. Man and three reflections by ERIC KIM
DYNAMIC REFLECTIONS. Man and three reflections by ERIC KIM

For distilled lessons on composition, read the free ebook: “The Street Photography Composition Manual.”

Further articles to improve your compositions in photography:

Composition Theory

Chiaroscuro. DYNAMIC LIGHT AND SHADOW. Hanoi, 2016 by ERIC KIM
Woman and door. Chiaroscuro. DYNAMIC LIGHT AND SHADOW. Hanoi, 2016 by ERIC KIM

Learn compositional theory:

Compositional lessons from the masters of art

Composition lectures

Composition pictures/grids

Eric Kim photography Bauhaus Piet Mondrian

Golden Diagonal Composition

golden diagonal composition
Golden Diagonal Composition / Kyoto Station, 2018