Surreal photos are more interesting, and more artistic.
1. Shoot with a flash
We don’t see reality with a flash. Shoot with a flash to make photos more surreal.
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/eric-kim-street-photography-flash-portrait-nyc-800x534.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/seoul-mask-film-leicam6-flash-korea-2012-eric-kim-street-photograpy-black-and-white-Monochrome-6-800x1174.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-1-jazz-hands-flash-hollywood-800x533.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/red-flash-girl-street-portrait-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![Street portrait with flash (Denver, 2019)](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/8C87C0A5-39C6-448A-9DCD-1CB6D145A775.jpeg?ssl=1)
![San Francisco, 2015 #cindyproject](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/cindy-flash-san-francisco-elevator-1.jpg?ssl=1)
2. Selfies with flash over your face
RICOH GR II with flash covering your face, when shooting into a mirror or reflective surface.
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ERIC-KIM-PORTRAIT-SELFIE4.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/selfie-shadow-3-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/selfie-hanoi-flash-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/saigon-hotel-bathroom-selfie-1.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ricoh-gr-ii-selfie-london-061.jpg?ssl=1)
![Lisbon, 2017](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/selfie-lisbon-red-mondrian-074.jpg?ssl=1)
3. Hyper-close portrait with wide angle lens and flash
RICOH GR II in macro mode and flash. Street portraits turn people abstract, when using a wide angle at a close distance (28mm).
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS1.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS2.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS3.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS6.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS7.jpg?ssl=1)
4. False colors
Post process your photos with a “false color”preset or post processing style. Don’t make your colors look realistic. Colors are far more fascinating when they’re unreal.
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-19.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-26.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-34.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-37.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-38.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-39.jpg?ssl=1)
![](https://i1.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/eric-kim-street-photography-oc-lumix-g9-2018-1600-color-46.jpg?ssl=1)
5. Silhouette
We don’t see the world silhouetted. Shoot shadows and silhouettes of people.
![Hanoi, 2017](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/D4E528C1-09F8-47A8-AD33-52C979BFE7C8.jpeg?ssl=1)
![Hanoi, 2017](https://i2.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/99481D85-6B2B-4CFD-B504-AD48C8B6B06A.jpeg?ssl=1)