I genuinely believe that creativity isn’t something that is born within us — rather it is a skill we can cultivate. We can cultivate our creativity by “cross-pollinating” different fields of interests, by following our curiosities, and also by setting “creative restraints.” Know that no matter where you are, you can be creative– no matter what.

More articles on creativity

1. How to Master the Creative Process in Street Photography
2. 5 Ways to Improve Your Creativity in Street Photography
3. Why You Should Procrastinate in Your Photography

I once read some advice that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dad gave him: “Be useful to others.” I think it is one of the best ways to find “success” in your life, and to contribute value to the rest of humankind.

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Life is short and cruel if you don’t follow your dreams. It is easy to be stuck in the cubicle and work a job you hate for 40 years, to await retirement (that might never come), in the hope that “happiness” will happen in the future.

My suggestion: don’t give up on your crazy dreams you had when you were younger and in college. Stay hungry, stay foolish, and don’t give up on yourself.

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In this video, I walk around with my GoPro mounted on top of my Ricoh GRII, and shoot a little street photography in Hanoi. I try to work on layers, and “working the scene”, and even taking some photos of people shooting selfies of themselves.

More videos to come!

I’m sure you had this experience before— you’re in class, taking a multiple-choice test. You think the answer is “C”, and you circle it in. Then a second later, you second-guess yourself, and circle “B”. You get the test back in a few days, and you find out the correct answer was “C”. You kick yourself in the butt, and you swear that you will always go by your gut-intuition next time.

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Lately I’ve been studying a lot of fashion photographers. Why? I love how many of them started off as painters— having a concept in their mind, and being able to execute them in real life.

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If you want a quick introduction how to shoot better composition in street photography, check out this video. I distill 3 main street photography composition techniques:

1. Leading lines
2. Depth/Layers
3. Triangles

You can also watch my longer more in-depth composition presentation below:

For an in-depth look, download my free e-book: “The Street Photography Composition Manual.”

Street photography composition articles

More in-depth composition articles below:

• Composition Lesson #1: Triangles
• Composition Lesson #2: Figure-to-ground
• Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals
• Composition Lesson #4: Leading Lines
• Composition Lesson #5: Depth
• Composition Lesson #6: Framing
• Composition Lesson #7: Perspective
• Composition Lesson #8: Curves
• Composition Lesson #9: Self-Portraits
• Composition Lesson #10: Urban Landscapes
• Composition Lesson #11: “Spot the not”
• Composition Lesson #12: Color Theory
• Composition Lesson #13: Multiple-Subjects
• Composition Lesson #14: Square Format

Dear friend,

I am currently at the J.W. Hotel in Hanoi, one of the most ballin’ places I’ve been here so far. Cindy is here for an orientation meeting for her Fulbright scholarship, and I’ve just sat at the cafe all day, reading, writing, and reflecting.

I just finished an (overpriced, but delicious) bowl of Beef Pho, and I just had an idea for a letter— talking about language acquisition and how it has been for me to learn a foreign language (Vietnamese).

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If you want to learn how to be more low-key and “invisible” when shooting street photography, here are some tips:

1. Click, pause, move on
2. Click, take a step closer, click, repeat
3. Don’t make eye contact
4. Pretend like you’re shooting something behind them
5. Pretend you’re recording a video

Know that being “invisible” in street photography is a bit overrated. Don’t be afraid to bring the camera up to your eye, interact with strangers, and chat them up. However there are certainly times you want to be more covert– especially if you’re shooting somewhere you shouldn’t be shooting. Regardless, always have a stout heart, don’t hesitate, and make the photos you were destined to shoot!

I have a lot to thank to social media for my “success” in photography and this blog. But what is social media good for, what is it not good for? How do we get more followers, but why do we need more followers?

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If you’ve ever wanted to shoot a photograph on the streets, but was nervous or hesitated, try these practical tips and techniques out:

1. What is the worst case scenario?
2. Assume everyone is your friend
3. Convert fear into excitement
4. Ask for permission
5. “Pretend like I’m not here”
6. Photograph their hands
7. Compliment your subject

For a more in-depth lecture on how to conquer your fear of shooting street photography, watch the video below:

Articles how to conquer your fear of shooting street photography

1. Shoot What You’re Afraid Of
2. You Have Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself
3. How to Channel Your Fear into Bravery in Street Photography
4. Don’t Be Afraid
5. How to Overcome Your Fear in Street Photography with “Rejection Exposure Therapy”
6. How to Harness Your Fear to Become a More Confident Street Photographer
7. How to Avoid Paralysis by Analysis in Street Photography
8. How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer
9. How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

You have an inner-potential that you’re just waiting to unlock. Don’t wait for others to give you permission to fulfill yourself creatively. Start today, and know that you have no limits.

I think as photographers and creatives, we can learn a lot from scientists. Scientists, when trying to discover “truth” — they experiment. They don’t always take conventional wisdom for granted. They challenge pre-existing beliefs, and see whether it is correct or not.

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Dear friend,

I wanted to give you an update about life in Hanoi, after about 4-5 days of living here, and some random meditations about life.

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Matter lays inert if an outside force doesn’t act upon it. If you want a ball to roll, you need to push it.

How do you expect to unlock your own potential, and set your ideas in motion, if you don’t give it an outside push?

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There are no “rights” and “wrongs” when it comes to defining “street photography.” It is your definition. For me, street photography is documenting humanity. It can be done in a public space (subway, mall, park) or can even be done in indoor public spaces.

There are a lot of different styles in street photography (candid, street portrait, witty observations, urban landscapes). Find the style that best fits your voice, and shoot from the heart.

Many of us have creative ideas. But complexity is what gets in the way.

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I recently did my first fashion shoot, with the help of my good friend Bil Brown. Here is some GoPro behind-the-scenes footage, shot by Cindy.

If you haven’t read the article, read: 7 Lessons I’ve Learned Shooting Fashion Photography For the First Time.

• Art direction: Bil Brown
• Model: Suede Brooks
• Style: Shaina Feldman
• Beauty: Elaina Karass-Jircitano
• Video footage: Cindy Nguyen

I read an article recently about James Altucher— in which he shared the secret of becoming a great DJ is knowing how to “clear the dance floor” — meaning, you choose a song that isn’t popular, which causes everyone to stop dancing and leave. Having the courage to play a song that you like (but you know that everyone else hates) takes courage. It takes guts.

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Dear friends,

Currently at “The Coffee House” in Hanoi, and really caffeinated (just had a double-shot of espresso, and some of Cindy’s iced coffee).

Being here in Hanoi is absolutely wonderful. We are currently staying at the Hanoi Palace City Hotel (which we thought was a 4-star, but more like a 2-star), but still the place is clean, has great service, and in a great location.

I just want to use this diary to share some of my first impressions of Hanoi, and how daily life is here:

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Dear friend,

I was recently thinking about what my purpose in life is. And I think I got it (for now): “My purpose in life is to empower others.” Pretty simple, huh?

I’ve thought about it a lot— and also the more I’ve given, the more I’ve received. It is a positive feedback loop. Help others to the best of my extent, and then all of my needs are taken care of.

How does your photography empower you, and how can you empower others?

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Dear friend,

If you want to earn money through your photography, and have really considered to yourself: “Should I earn money through my photography?” I hope this is some advice that can help you. It has helped me— it is only advice I wish someone told me. And of course, your mileage may vary.

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A lot of photographers want to make money with their photography. But a better question should be this: “Should I make money with my photography?” In this article I want to share some of my personal experiences— whether monetizing your passion will lead you to hate photography, or whether it will empower you.

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Dear friend,

I’m currently at Dripp coffee shop in Fullerton, California— waiting for Cindy’s younger sister Jennifer to get out of class, then we are going to have “in and out” burger for lunch. Today is our last day in America before we move to Vietnam/France for the next 2 years, and I think this is a good chance for me to start an ongoing series of letters, journals, diary entries, and meditations. I have no idea what the next 2 years of my life is going to look like. I’m partly afraid, but partly excited. This is going to be one hell of an adventure.

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No matter who you are, you probably love being creative. Many of us pick up photography to escape the dread of our day jobs.

However the issue is that many of us become less creative as we get older. How do we stay creative and retain that child-like curiosity when we were younger?

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Walter Margerison is one of my closest homies in Berkeley. Not only did he get his start in “street photography” via inspiration by skating, he is also passionate about coffee. In his office at Artis Coffee in Berkeley, we chat about his love of film, his thoughts on the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 and Ricoh GR II, and his personal philosophy of photography.

Follow Walter:

• Instagram
• Website

Also check out our brief review of the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 with Walter below:

For me, I see myself less of a photographer and more of a teacher. My passion has always to empower other people. Being an extrovert, it brings me the most joy to see others fulfill their potential.

Do you have what it takes to become a photography teacher? I will share some of my ideas on what it means to be a photography teacher, and how you can improve your own teaching skills (if your dream is to teach photography).

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I’m about to move to Vietnam for the next 1.5 years, and France for 6 months— and I’ve been thinking about what to bring and what not to bring for my trip. I know in my heart that I don’t need much, I can pack light, and be happy. But still— there is that gnawing fear of “what if?” which is holding me back.

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Here are some student photos from my “Discover Your Unique Voice in Street Photography” workshop in Downtown LA. Each student worked on a small mini-project for the weekend, working on honing their individual style and voice. In this post are my personal favorite individual images from them.

See all the images below, and if you want to hone your vision in your street photography, check out my upcoming street photography workshops.

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I recently had the great pleasure of shooting fashion photography for the first time with Suede Brooks (model), fellow photographer Bil Brown (he arranged it all), as well with stylist (Shaina Feldman), beauty (Elaina Karras-Jircitano), and Cindy (creative director, and lighting assistant).

I’ve been interested in shooting fashion for a while now— especially when I first saw the work of Richard Avedon and William Klein (who both had interests in street photography, but did wonderful fashion work). Furthermore other artists like Guy Bourdain, Helmut Newton, Man Ray, and many others showed me how beautiful the human body can be, and how creative fashion can be as well.

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A few weeks ago, I did one of my popular “Conquer Your Fears of Shooting Street Photography” workshops. I am incredibly proud of all the students’ best photos from the workshop. We worked hard to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones, approach strangers, all while trying to capture “decisive moments.”

See all of their epic photos below, and also check out my upcoming street photography workshops.

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Dear friend,

I am excited to share my new book with you: “The Personal Photography Manual.” If you’ve ever wanted to find more meaning, purpose, and direction in your photography, I recommend you to pursue “personal photography.”

What exactly is “personal photography”? To me, it is a genre of photography that focuses on yourself— focuses on your personal life experiences, focuses on photographing your loved ones, and the other elements of your “boring” and everyday life. In this book I share some of my personal struggles and how I’ve been able to keep myself inspired, regardless of my life situation or where I live. I hope this book can empower you to become the best photographer you can become. You can either download the PDF or read it all in this post.

Keep it personal,

Eric

Download PDF

• Direct Download
• Google Drive Download >>

Download text:

• Microsoft .docx
• PDF
• .txt

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If you love cameras and can’t stop buying them (for the sake of it) I hope you enjoy this video on how to cure our illness. Often we think that our cameras aren’t good enough– but it is ourselves which is the problem. No matter how good our cameras are, they will never be “good enough.” The secret is to be grateful for what we have, to make the best of “good enough”, and to shoot with whatever camera we own.

Honestly, I’ve shot with $10,000 cameras and even more expensive ones– and for those I know who have these cameras, they’re never satisfied either.

Even realize that the smartphones we have today would have been considered miracles by photographers even a few decades ago.

My suggestion: instead of buying more cameras, try to sell/give away your cameras. The more you purge yourself of superfluous gear, the more liberated you will feel. You will have fewer distractions, and more focus in your photography.

I also suggest try to avoid marketing and advertising as much as possible. Whenever I visit a gear-review forum, I feel the pangs of GAS. The same is when I look at advertisements or commercials. Either use an ad-blocker, or avoid visiting these sites all together.

And once again, always remember to practice an attitude of gratitude. Let us always count our blessings, and go out and take photos with whatever we have.

More articles to conquer GAS:

1. 10 Practical Tips to Fight G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)
2. How to Be Grateful For What You Have
3. 10 Tips on How to Cure Yourself of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

When I’m out shooting in the streets, I’m not sure what will make a good photograph. However, I know what I am afraid of.

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Dear friends, if I haven’t told you yet– I’m moving abroad for the next 2 years. For 1.5 years, I’ll be in Vietnam (8 months in Hanoi, then 6 months in Saigon). After, 6 months in France (3 months in Paris, and 3 months in Marseille).

Figuring out what to pack for 2 years abroad is tough. I’ve never done it. But for my trip, I’m deciding to pack my ThinkTank Perception 15, Ricoh GR II camera (probably going to leave the film Leica at home, because digital is easier to travel with), GoPro Hero 3 (to do more YouTube Videos), and of course my laptop (13” Macbook Pro) and smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge).

I also am packing only 3 pairs of basic clothes (3 uniqlo airism v-neck mesh shirts, 3 exofficio boxer briefs, and 3 drymax socks). A few dress clothes, and my Nike Free RN Motion Flyknit shoes (my new favorite shoes).

I plan on keeping the Kindle and the iPad at home– as I do most of my reading on the Kindle app on my phone. Also I’m trying to pack as light as possible (probably just one backpack, and another luggage for misc. things).

Thanks for all the love and support, will keep you updated with the packing, traveling, and adventure in Vietnam and France!

One of my friends asked me: “Eric, what should I do if I’ve totally lost my passion or inspiration for photography” This is what I would tell him:

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What is your “style” in street photography? How can you make your work stand out? What makes your photos unique, and what do your photos say about you?

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There is a sea of photographers out there. How do you distinguish yourself from the mass of other photographers?

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“The Decisive Moment” — a fabled concept introduced by the founder of street photography (Henri Cartier-Bresson). The “decisive moment” is that beautiful fleeting moment– where all the compositional elements come together, and you only have a split second to capture the moment. How can you better capture the “decisive moment” — or better yet, identify the decisive moment?

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If you’re like me, you might have a hard time staying inspired in your photography. Here are 7 tips which have personally helped me:

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The photographers I admire the most are the ones who are able to combine their outside interests to make their photography their own.

I first met Bil Brown on Instagram, and since them have collaborated with him in sharing ideas about street photography, fashion, poetry, and Japanese aesthetics. Bil started off as a poet, discovered photography by accident, and now runs his own magazine (Black & Grey Magazine) and does fashion work. In the YouTube interview, we see the gear he is shooting with now, how he got started, his favorite photo books, and tips he has for anyone wanting to get more into fashion/street photography. Also make sure to follow Bil and his new YouTube Channel.

I recently did a workshop at the studio of my friend Bil Brown, and was blown away with his awesome collection of Japanese photo-books. He re-sparked my interest in Shomei Tomatsu.

I’ve seen many images of Shomei Tomatsu before, and was intrigued by his mysterious, surrealistic, and extreme compositions. His photographs had a sense of darkness to them, longing, and a bitter-sweet nostalgia of the past.

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Trust; human civilizations have survived for millennia with it. Societies without trust have disintegrated. Trust is the glue which holds humankind together.

How can you use trust to help you succeed as a photographer?

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Nobuyoshi Araki (more commonly known as Araki) is one of the most controversial figures in the photography world. While he is a rock star and a superhero in Japan, a lot of the outside world sees his work as sick, pornographic, and misogynist. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Warning: Photos are NSFW.

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Dear streettogs, lately I’ve been inspired to take things “back to basics”. Often I take photography too seriously and forget the importance of always staying a beginner, and sticking to fundamentals. Consider this an opportunity for me to share some practical tips I’ve leaned over the last 10 years in terms of what I think makes a great street photograph (either watch the video above, or read more for the text).

Of course this is not an all-inclusive list; there’s lots of other things which make a great street photograph. But if you’re starting off in street photography, or want a quick refresher, I hope some of these ideas will spark some inspiration for you:

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Hey streettogs, if you want to learn some practical tips and techniques when shooting on the streets, check out the video above, or read more to see all 15 tips:

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Another quick video on how I direct my subject when shooting street portraits. You can see the first version: How to Direct Your Subject for a Street Portrait.

In this video, you can see how I interact with my subject and direct them for a street portrait. You can see how I asked my subject to stand behind a clean background, how I started further, and then started to frame closer. I also tried to get my subject to be more interactive by playing with her hair, and throwing it back and forth. Shot in macro mode with a flash in “P” mode on the Ricoh GR II.

If you want to learn more how to shoot street portraits, check out my free book: “The Street Portrait Manual.”

Shot in Downtown LA by Todd Hatakeyama.

I often do a poll during my workshops: “Raise your hand if you don’t like having your own photo being taken.” Usually more than half of my students raise their hands.

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It is hard to know what makes a “good” photograph, but it is easy to know what makes an intimate photograph.

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Dear friend,

I wanted to write you this letter about the importance of staying fresh creatively by taking a break from your photography, not forcing you to take photos everyday against your own will.

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For a long time I’ve seeked “happiness” in my photography and life. While I still don’t know what “happiness” is, I know what makes me unhappy.

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Dear friend,

One thought that I’ve been thinking about: why do we “need” more likes or followers? Do we desire more likes or followers because it boosts our self-esteem? Or because it helps validate our photography? Or because we want to gain more power, fame, money, and influence with our work? Or a little bit of everything?

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Dear streettogs, here are the slides that I used during my “Street Photography 101” presentation on Day 1 of the Adobe Live-Streaming Workshop. In this presentation I talk about how to conquer your fears in street photography, practical tips, and show some of the contact sheets behind my favorite photos.

You can also download the PDF for free.

Also check out my other free street photography presentations on Slideshare.

Dear streettogs, if you didn’t have the chance to watch my free 2-day live streaming street photography workshop with Adobe, below are the videos. If you want to learn how to conquer your fears, find your style in street photography (and see me breakdance and do really bad freestyle rapping), watch the videos below:

Part 1: How to Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography

Part 2: How to Find Your Voice in Street Photography

Thank you so much for your patience and support as Cindy and I worked to prepare the last batch of Henri neck straps. We received a lot of great feedback, and have made the newest batch a little bit longer in length and the leather of the neck pad softer. This run is limited to 100 straps, pick one up before they sell out:

• Purchase the “Henri” Neck Strap on Amazon: 79.95 USD >>

For International Orders (outside of the US), you can order here >>

Dear streettogs, I am super pumped to announce that I am hosting my first free live-streaming street photography workshop on July 19-20th (12-3pm Pacific time) on the Adobe Twitch Channel >>

The workshop is a two-day affair, and streamed live (so you can ask me any questions or feel free to interrupt me during my presentations). July 19th will be focused on how to conquer your fears in street photography, and July 20th will be focused on how to work on your own personal projects and discover your own personal style.

Also through the event (starting July 19th) I will give honest feedback and critique to some of your street photos with the hashtag #StreetPhotoJam on Instagram/Twitter on July 19th).

See more info for the event on the Adobe Blog >>

I remembered when I was sitting in my cubicle, dreaming and lusting after a digital Leica M9. I imagined after buying it, all of my life’s problems would be solved. I imagined the camera would inspire me to be more creative, brave, and inspired in my photography. I imagined how cool I would look in the streets with a Leica over my shoulder. I also imagined how much more people would “respect” or admire me, simply because I had a Leica.

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