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What You Can (and Can’t) Control in Street Photograpy
There isn’t a lot of things you can control in street photography. However these are the things you can control:
Philosophy
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #6: How to Live a Purposeful Life
Tied into the previous chapter on how to live a happy life– I also encourage trying to live a purposeful life. What is the difference between a happy life and a purposeful life? I think simply a “happy” life is to be free of pain, to be overall joyful, and to be free of stress…
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #5: How to Be Happy
For this chapter I want to focus on a section which I think is important for everyone in life: learning how to be happy, fulfilled, and content with your street photography (and your personal life). Happiness is one of the most elusive things in the world– which we have always chased for millennia. However the…
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #4: Fuck Fame
I’ll admit it. I’m incredibly jealous. Whenever I see my close friends, other photographers, family, or anyone else doing “successful” things– I feel a tinge of jealousy. In the back of my head– I might think negative thoughts like, “That person didn’t deserve that recognition or success” – self-doubt myself “Why am I not as…
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #3: How to Focus on Your Life’s Work
There are so many distractions out there. We live in an age where it is almost impossible not to be distracted. Our phones are constantly buzzing. We see thousands of advertisements a day that are vying for our attention. We are bombarded with emails from spammers, we are bombarded with notifications, we are bombarded by…
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #2: How to Deal with Negative Criticism (Part 2/2)
This is Part 2/2 of my chapter on How to Deal with Negative Criticism. Read Part 1 on How to Deal With Negative Criticism.
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How to Make Memorable and Meaningful Street Photographs
We all want to make a memorable street photograph. An image that burns inside our memory. An image that touches our heart and touches our soul. We want that image to be epic, energetic, edgy, and emotional. And of course, we want external validation for our image (via respect from other photographers, validation on social…
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #2: How to Deal with Negative Criticism (Part 1/2)
For this chapter in my on-going “Letters from a Street Photographer” book, I wanted to write a topic that I am very familiar with– how to deal with negative criticism (and thrive and benefit from it). For those of you who have followed me and my blog for a while– you will know that I…
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“Letters from a Street Photographer” #1: How to Live and Shoot without Regrets
This is Chapter 1 on a series of blog posts I will do on the philosophy of Stoicism, and how I relate it to street photography. I draw upon the book: “On the Shortness of Life” from Seneca. The title of this series is inspired by “Letters from a Stoic” (also by Seneca). I have…
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15 (More) Lessons Taoism Has Taught Me About Street Photography
I have been a long-time admirer of the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and Stoicism. In-fact, I have gained more insights about photography from these philosophies (than I have from any book on photographic theory). I recently re-read a new english version of the “Tao Te Ching“– the classic manual on the art of living.…
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On Opportunity Costs in Street Photography
Life is short and limited. We only have so many days to live. We only have so many zeroes in our bank accounts. We all want to live happy, productive lives. We want happiness in our photography. We want to creatively thrive, and live a life which we don’t have any regrets. I have lots…
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On Purpose and Street Photography
I’m currently reading a book titled: “Happiness by Design: Change What You Do, Not How You Think”. In the book, the author defines happiness as being primarly composed of two things: pleasure and purpose. To find “optimal” happiness in life, the author encourages us to find a balance between pleasure and purpose in our life.…
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On Patience and Street Photography
I am often frustrated with my photography. Sometimes I will prowl the streets for hours, without getting any decent shots. Sometimes I ask myself, “what is the point of all of this”– does it all really matter? One of the biggest inspirations in my photography is Josef Koudelka. He is the type of photographer who…
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On Excuses and Street Photography
We often have tons of excuses in life. We don’t have enough time. We don’t have enough money. We don’t have the opportunities to do what we love. I always make tons of excuses in my street photography. When I am traveling on the road, I have tons of opportunities to shoot and always feel…
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Please Tell Me My Photos Suck (And How I Can Improve)
We are insecure. We don’t want people to be brutally honest with us. We like feeling liked. We don’t want to hear the truth, or at least what people really think about us and our work. We like it when things are sugar coated (I know I do), and facing reality can be tough. I…
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“Needing” versus “Wanting” to Make Photographs
What motivates you in street photography? What is the fuel that keeps you going? Why do you decide to go out and shoot, even though you might be tired, exhausted, or frustrated?
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Nobody Gives a Shit About Your Photos
Nobody gives a shit about your photos (except yourself). Sometimes I get frustrated and confused why I take photos. I think ultimately I take photos because I want my photos to influence, affect, and perhaps inspire my viewers (and other photographers). This sometimes gives me anxiety because it puts a lot of pressure on me…
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Embracing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in Street Photography
I recently came across a funny phrase: “FOMO”. It stands for “fear of missing out”. Nowadays, “FOMO” is ubiquitous in digital life. We always feel like we are missing out– that someone is doing something more interesting than us.
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Savoring the Moment
I just checked out of my hotel in Seoul, and was on my way to the subway. I had a bunch of bags I had to carry, and ended up missing two potential street photos I would have liked to capture: One of the shots was a guy in a suit, with his suit jacket…
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A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again
Dear Eric, You are 18 years old. You just got a point and shoot digital camera from Mom as a high school graduation present. You are super excited, as you never had a camera before. A lot of exciting things will happen in your life surrounding photography. I wanted to write this letter to you…
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How to Embrace “Stream-of-Consciousness” in Street Photography
One of the best pieces of advice I got on writing is the importance of writing without editing. Which means, turn off the inner-censor in your mind and write freely. What or who is the “inner censor”? Well, the inner-censor is the little voice in your head which tells you “Oh don’t do that, that’s…
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Street Photography is a Journey, Not a Destination
I have often read that life is a journey, not a destination. Meaning that we all have goals in life. But the happiest moments aren’t when we reach our goals. Rather, life is a “beautiful struggle” in which we are happiest when we are pursuing our goals. When we are pursuing our happiness. I have…
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12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography
Photos in this article are from my on-going “Only in America” series. I’m currently reading a lovely book titled: “A Philosopher’s Notes: On optimal living, creating an authentically awesome life and other such goodness.” It is a easy and insightful read– and I have been savoring the book so far. In one of the chapters,…
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Disregard Critics: Make More Art
“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” ― Andy Warhol As street photographers, I think we are all artists. We craft our version of reality from fragments from everyday life.…
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On Going With the Flow in Street Photography
I just finished reading a book titled: “Trying Not to Try: The Art and Science of Spontaneity”. It was a fascinating read on the paradox of “wu-wei”– which is a concept in Taoism of “action without action”. This means nature accomplishes everything without effort. Similarly, we should be able to accomplish many things in our…
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What Do You Want Out of Street Photography?
Many of us shoot street photography because it is challenging, fun, and brings us great joy. However one question I find that most people don’t ask themselves (myself included) is what we ultimately want out of photography. I just finished an intense week-long street photography workshop in Saigon which was absolutely incredible– and one of…
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On Free Street Photography
One question I am asked a lot is how I make a living in street photography, and questions about selling prints, and making money. To start off, I am blessed enough to make a living from my street photography in teaching workshops. I make about 95% of my living from workshops (and around 5% from…
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On Bridging the Gap in Street Photography
I feel one of the most important traits to become a better street photographer is first identifying what makes great street photography. This means having good taste. A quote from Ira Glass from NPR comes to mind– in terms of having good taste: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told…
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On Polarization and Street Photography
I am a big fan of Nassim Taleb and his concept of the “barbell theory” which he derives from his book: “Antifragile” (one of my top 3 favorite books). The concept of the “barbell theory” is that you embrace two extremes in life– rather than going for the boring “middle” strategy. For example Nassim Taleb…
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On Shooting For Your “Inner Scorecard”
I recently finished reading “The Snowball“, a biography on the life of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. One inspirational thing I got from the book was how Buffett always played by his “inner scorecard” — staying true to himself and his own standards. Seeking to please himself, and not…
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F$%K GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)
This article by Josh White, a street photographer based out of Korea. This article originally appeared on Josh’s blog here. DEFINITION Gear Acquisition Syndrome (abbreviated to GAS) is a term used to describe an urge to acquire and accumulate lots of gear. TREATMENT None GAS hasn’t received any major medical attention. GAS is not a clinical condition. It can be the result…
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On Fun and Street Photography
Life is too short to do shit you don’t like doing. I know a lot of people who work in jobs they absolutely hate, stay in relationships they don’t enjoy, and force themselves to do hobbies that they aren’t that interested in. We all have relatively short lives while we are here on earth. Not…
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On Failure and Street Photography
Photos in this article are from my “Grandfather” series. “99% of street photography, if not more, is about failure” – Alex Webb Street photography is all about failure. The failure to have the courage to take that one shot. The failure to capture “the decisive moment.” The failure to get a clean background. The failure…
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On Happiness and Street Photography
I think I can speak on behalf of all of us that we all want to be happy. In some shape, way, or form. Over the years I have thought a lot about happiness. How to “optimize” my life to become “happier.” How to avoid unhappiness in my work, relationships, and my sense of purpose…
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26 Lessons Life Has Taught Me About Street Photography
Today I turn 26 years old. Life has been one hell of a ride so far. When I was a kid, I had no idea I would be where I am today– with the love of my life, phenomenal friends I have met all around the world, a supportive family, as well as the freedom…
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On Expectations and Street Photography
Photos in this article are from my time in Michigan in 2013. In life I have a certain strategy: I set very low (or no) expectations for myself and try my personal best. I know often people say you should always set your ambitions and expectations high– but I find several faults with this strategy:
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On Criticism and Street Photography
Photos in this article are from my Gallo Boxing Series in Michigan. You can see all the GoPro POV videos on YouTube here. “To try to please everybody is to please nobody” – Publilius Syrus For those of you who follow my blog (or even worse, my YouTube channel) know that I have a lot…
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On Neomania and Street Photography
I hate advertising in a lot of ways. Although I think there are some beautiful advertisements (that I think can double as art) at the end of they day, they are just trying to get you to buy something. And with that– advertisers and marketers often create false wants (which we get confused with “needs”).…
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In Praise of Slowness in Street Photography
Photos in this article are from my road trip from Michigan to California. One thing I hate about the modern world is our addiction to speed. We want everything to be done faster, more efficiently, and better optimized. We are frustrated when we are loading up a website on our smartphones and it takes longer…
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Why I Killed Street Photography
Eric’s Note: This guest article is written by A.G DeMesa— a street photographer based in Manila. A.G.: What is street photography for me? Surely it isn’t the mundane. Nothing gets more mundane than a 16 year old’s meal taken over Instagram. It’s not about capturing history or the little human acts because you will just…
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On The Importance of Street Photography Books
I think one of the best ways to become better in street photography is to look at a lot of great street photography books. Books by the masters. Books by Magnum Photographers. From the point of this writing, I have been shooting street photography for 7 years. However it wasn’t until around 3 years ago…
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On Legacy and Street Photography
One day we are all going to die–whether we like it or not. I have been thinking a lot about death lately– which I know might not necessarily be healthy for a 25-year-old, but still feel that it is something important to consider. Regarding death, I often think about the legacy I am going to…
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On Jealousy and Street Photography
The other night before I went to sleep, I was reading a book on my iPad and then wanted to post an inspirational quote onto Facebook. So I logged into Facebook, shared the quote– and suddenly got sucked into the news feed. I started scrolling through the activity of all my friends– and started to…
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On Friendship and Street Photography
The last two weeks I have spent in Istanbul with my good friend Charlie Kirk. I first met Charlie around two years ago in Paris– and since then we have shot together, had good food and drinks together, critiqued each others’ photos, taught together, and met others together. During many of my other travels I…
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My Vision of Open Source Photography
When I first started this blog, I wrote about the idea of “open source photography.” To sum up the idea, I wanted to make a personal vow to always keep the information on this blog open and free for anyone to use, remix, or share. I remember when I was an undergraduate student at school, and…
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Don’t Compete, Collaborate.
“You don’t eat to be “the best” taster the world, don’t take a stroll to be “the best” stroller in the world, don’t push buttons in an elevator to be the best button pusher in the world.” – Nassim Taleb One question which has always bothered me is the following: “Why are photographers so competitive?”…
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Shoot Every Day As If It Were Your Last
I was sitting at home with my girlfriend Cindy, and I suddenly got a call from my cousin overseas. After two bouts of heart attacks while he was in the hospital, he passed away suddenly. My mom then called me and told me that I had to immediately get on the next plane to Korea…
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A Photographic Existential Question: Integrating Photography, Happiness, and Sociology
“What do I want out of photography” has been a question I have been grappling with for the last few weeks. When I was still in school, I had barely any time to even practice my photography, let alone contemplate what I wanted out of it. However now, after graduating college and having more free…