Human artist blog / Street photography / Philosophy
I grew up with hip-hop, R&B, and “street culture.†Most of me and my buddies were kids up to no good— constantly roaming the roads, riding our bikes, listening to hip hop, burning and …
I’m a nosy person. Whenever I go to new places I love talking to the staff, locals, and to just look around.
I am not easily satisfied. I always want the “best”; “good enough” never satisfies me.
You are unique. You are special. Nobody sees the world the way you do.
I just had a fantastic time teaching my NYC Introduction to Composition Street Photography Workshop this past weekend with my lovely group of students.
Dear streettogs, I just finished teaching my “Introduction to Street Photography Composition” workshop here in NYC, and I put together a brand new set of slides from scratch: Street Photography Composition 101. Study composition …
The other day Instagram announced that they will change the way photos appear on the home stream: instead of showing most recent uploads, Instagram will use an algorithm which shows the “most relevant” photos …
As photographers, I think we all want to make more interesting photos. We want to make photos that aren’t boring, aren’t cliche, and somehow show our unique viewpoint of the world.
I always make excuses for myself in my photography. I always think my equipment and camera is the limiting factor. I feel that I have a creative genius inside— wishing to come out. But …
I like the idea of not being a slave to your past. Not to be a slave of your past history, and to burn the ashes of your past self— and to leave no …
Dear aspiring filmtogs, I want to share my newest creation with you: “Film Street Photography Manual.” Print it out on standard printer paper, fold it in half, and make it your new companion. Also …
Words and Photos by Maarten Rots. Maarten: I thrive under restriction; I like it when things are closed off. By (temporarily) taking away many of the variables of everyday life I create room to focus …
Today Flickr just announced that they are taking away one of the key “free†functions today; the ability to auto upload photos from your computer directly to Flickr. Now you need to signup for …
I recently taught an Introduction to Shooting Street Photography on Film workshop in Dubai, and I know some friends who are getting into film (which inspired me to make this recording). I talk about …
Dear streettogs, I am excited to announce that I (finally) published my first paper-back book: “Street Photography: 50 Ways to Capture Better Shots of Ordinary Life” in collaboration with DEXT; my Swedish publisher.
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on some of my thoughts on “humanistic photography†— how this might be a better definition and way to visualize and understand “street photography.â€
Dear friend, I think one of the things that makes us miserable in photography is that we often compare ourselves with others— but rarely do we look behind ourselves, and look how far we’ve …
Mark Alor Powell chats with Eric and talk about Mark’s book Open at Noon. They explore making meaning, photobook making, and going through that process of making a photobook. (Photos by Mark Alor Powell, …
no·tice: attention, observation, awareness, to know. Dear friend, I want to share some thoughts with you about the importance of “noticing†in today’s age of distraction, audio-visual stimulation, and the inability to sit in …
That quiet voice inside your head that says: “That might be interesting— why don’t you take a photo?†Then your rational mind goes: “No, that will be a boring cliche— don’t take a photograph.â€
I had a thought the other day: what if smartphones had the same image quality as full-frame DSLR’s? How would this change photography, and how we shoot?
My homie Karl Edwards (runs StreetShootr.com) just put together this fun review of the Fujifilm X100T (considered the “poor man’s Leica” by many– but I think it is one of the best value cameras …
Dear friend, Do you ever have that feeling that you are stuck in your photography that you don’t know what direction your work is going, whether you should give up, or whether your work …
Sometimes I feel a bit frustrated— I feel that all the great discoveries in photography have already been made; and there is no new roads to pave. But in reality, there is still so …
Dear streettogs, I am very excited to announce my new free PDF e-book: “Street Photography Contact Sheets.” This book was born out of my desire to share my process of shooting street photography; in …
(Photos used in this interview is used with permission from Streetfoto and the respected copyright of the owners. Streetfoto Poster image by Jack Simon) San Francisco is probably one of the most under rated …
“Blessings on blessings on blessings. Look at my life man, that’s lessons on lessons on lessons.†– Big Sean (Blessings) Man, we are so blessed. We have so many blessings in our life. We have blessings on …
You never know when a good photo opportunity will present itself to you. Always be prepared.
(Cover Photo by Oguz Ozkan) We’ve always love the hard work that Observe Collective puts out. They understand that photography is not just shooting but also showing your work. Presenting your observations if you …
They often call the business world the “rat race.†The concept is that we are all like rats on a spinning wheel— trying to earn more money, trying to earn more advancements, trying to …
I think one of the most difficult things in the modern world is to ignore what everyone else is doing, and focus on what you are truly interested and passionate about.
Dear friend, It seems that we as photographers have this overly-obsessive fascination and obsession with “image quality†— through how sharp our images are, how well “bokeh†renders, the depth-of-field or “3d-ness†of images, …
I don’t know about you, but I love to look.
“The only thing we have to fear is…fear itself.†– Franklin D. Roosevelt I genuinely feel that one of the worst diseases in the modern world is having a sense of “irrational fear.†We …
in·spi·ra·tion: a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation Dear friend, One of the things I am always hunting for is “inspiration†…
pas·sion: A strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor. From the Latin word “patiâ€, which means to ‘suffer.’ We are often told in society “follow your passion†— and I do believe that concept …
Dear friend, I’ve written a lot of articles on how to shoot street photography— but I realized I have written very little on why shoot street photography. In this article I will outline some …
Okay, I just got off a 16-hour direct flight from Dubai to San Francisco. Yeah, I am pretty jetlagged (slept last night at 7:30pm, woke up today at 1:30am). Anyways, I am starting to …
Just finished the coolest workshop here in Dubai– the 2-day Experience the Magic of Film Workshop at Gulf Photo Plus 2016. The students all hit the streets with their cool film cameras (some 35mm …
Interview by A.g. De Mesa. All photos by Dayv Matt. Last time we talked with Dayv, he just finished his first book, High Street Low Street: Seoul and was in the process of making his follow …
I’m currently here in Dubai, and had a chance to check out the Fujifilm X70. TLDR; the X70 is a compact digital camera with the same sensor as the Fujifilm X100T, and a 28mm …
As a part of GPP 2016 in Dubai, I just finished a “Conquer Your Fear in Street Photography” workshop with my epic students. I was so impressed to see how much progress the students …
For this month’s assignment, the editor’s choice, Kim Allen, chose “Adapting to the elements!” (Details of joining and more info after the jump!)
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on traveling; my experiences globe-trotting around the world, my motivations, and things I have learned along the way:
Empathy: “The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.†Sometimes I can be a cold bastard. I see other people in the street suffering and be indifferent to their pain. I often …
Dear streettogs, I am very excited to announce the new edition of the “Henri” Neck Strap (Mark II). This new version is made from a darker-leather, similar to the color of dark mahogany wood …
Dear friend, I wanted to share some personal thoughts I’ve been having about “street photography†in general— that I feel that “social photography†would be a better definition.
“In the world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.†–Oscar Wilde Sometimes we wish to get something. But once we actually get …
Dear friend, Do you remember when you were a kid and there were those “chicken soup for the soul†books? Yeah, I remember those too. I remember reading these stories as a kid, and …
Another thought I have had on my mind: how to stay curious in life. One of the things I learn most from children is how amazingly curious they are in life. They see the …
Black and white is where my heart and soul is. I feel that by shooting in black and white, I can better communicate and convey my emotions, thoughts, and feelings. I feel that black …
Dear friend, Today (Jan 31st) I turn 28 years old. I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect on the past, and also share some life lessons I’ve learned (so far) in my short, …
Dear friend, I’ve been thinking a lot of “physicality†in photography— how physical objects bring us a lot more happiness and joy than the invisible, intangible, and digital.
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on how to enjoy the process of photography, rather than worrying about the results.
There are a lot of reasons why shoot street photography. But one thing people never think about: street photography can be used as a form of self-therapy.
Dropbox PDF Download >>> Dear streettogs, in order to make access to information about street photography more open and easily accessible, I put together my book “100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography” …
It is the year 4016 AD. Life hasn’t changed much. People are still stressed about finances, their families, their positions at their jobs, and whether they will get more “followers†or “likes†on their …
Here we go! This latest one was very nice from my point of view because I got to know a little bit of each of the member just by their photographs alone. It was …
“Find out what to write, not how.†– Seneca (Letters to Lucilius) Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on the importance of knowing what to photograph, rather than how to photograph.
Why put so much pressure on yourself? Why make things harder than they need to be? Do you take photos because you genuinely enjoy it, or do you want some sort of external recognition? …
This guest article is by Nick Smith. Someone who I’ve followed for sometime is Trey Ratcliff. For those who aren’t familiar, he’s known for his HDR style images.
I believe that photos are best created from subtraction. Just like how a sculptor makes a statue.
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on having creative confidence.
Dear friend, Often I’m asked, “Eric, what is the best camera for street photography?â€
Even in ancient times, poets and playwrights would constantly seek the approval of the public.
Street Photography Quick Links is a compilation of Links, Projects, News, Videos, Events, or anything that is related to street photography or photography in particular that I have personally consumed. Perhaps these might interest …
My friend Aaron Offord sent me Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” which has been one of the most inspirational and uplifting books I’ve read in a while. The story outlines Frankl’s story of …
I have lost hundreds and thousands of photographs over the years, due to hard drive failures, forgetting to backup my images, or by accidentally deleting photos (before transferring them).
Dear friend, I wanted to share an idea I had with you in regards to philosophy, life, photography, physics, and Elon Musk from Tesla.
Dear friend, I wanted to share some thoughts with you on “reducingâ€, “subtractionâ€, “less is more†— whatever along those lines.