Beautiful Picture of a Rolleiflex in Gold
Found this beautiful picture of a Rolleiflex on the internet today. Thought I’d share it with you guys (drool). You can read more about this amazing camera here on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolleiflex.
Posts
My Love Story With Beirut, Lebanon [recap]
(11-17-10, waiting for my flight at 6:25AM at the Beirut, Lebanon Airport)
My last week in Beirut, Lebanon has truly been a very humbling experience. I left leaving Los Angeles to teach my street photography workshop in Beirut, Lebanon with my friends/family telling me to “be careful” in Lebanon as it was still “politically unstable” and that I might “get shot” while here. Many also suggested for me not to go, but I decided to take my chances and plunged both feet in.
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3 Reasons Why You Have to Travel to Beirut, Lebanon Before You Die
Despite what the media and general public says, Beirut, Lebanon is not full of terrorists and no– you will not get shot here. First coming to Beirut, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Everybody told me to be careful and that it was a dangerous place. However after being here for about 4 days, I highly recommend everyone I know to come visit here. Not only does everybody speak English, French, and Arabic–but there are some of the kindest people here in the world.
In this post, I will give you some reasons which show why Beirut, Lebanon is indeed “The Paris of the Middle East,” and why it is such a beautiful country and why I don’t want to leave. In 2009, The New York Times also called Beirut the #1 place to visit as well! [Link]
1. It is a street photographer’s paradise
I would say that Beirut, Lebanon has one of the most lax laws on street photography, as there are no laws concerning photography here. Sure you don’t want to do things such as shoot photos of military or embassy buildings, but everything else is free reign.
I was surprised that most people here didn’t mind getting their photos taken of. In-fact, there were many people who would approach me in the streets and ask me to take photographs of them. Some of them even invited me into their homes to talk and some even offered me coffee.
When you are walking around the streets, you will find street photographs around every corner. Beirut, Lebanon is a city of contrasts. On one side of the street you will see a decrepit and abandoned building, while on the other side you will see new apartments and shopping centers. Not only that, but the streets are always full of hustle and bustle and people are constantly interacting with one another.
2. It has amazing food
Sure every country has its great foods, but Lebanese food is on a totally different level. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have probably gained 10 pounds in the last few days getting my hands on all these different types of foods. The food here is fresh, hearty, and always satisfying appetites.
Fallafels, lamb, hummus, olive oil, pitas, wraps, tomatoes, barbeque beef, and grilled onions are only a few of the things that will delight your tastebuds.
3. The people treat you like family
As I write this, I am currently staying at my host (Mohamad Badr’s) house. Although I did not know him at all before, he treated me like family and truly opened up his home to me. Not only that, but all the times that I went to his families’ houses to eat dinner, they were always open to me and really spread their love with me as well. Mohamad’s aunt even told me if I stayed in Beirut, she would find me a beautiful wife! (of course I declined as I already have a beautiful girlfriend/manager back home).
But regardless, the feeling of community here is very real. In Los Angeles I often feel that everybody is always out their for themselves and don’t spend enough time with friends and family. Here, people have a huge emphasis on spending time with one another and are always out on the streets having a great time.
There are a million other reasons why you got to travel to Beirut, Lebanon before you die. I highly encourage everybody out there to disregard the public inaccuracies of the media and the general consensus about Lebanon being a “terrorist country.” Definitely swoop on in and you will definitely have the time of your life.
Just landed in Beirut, Lebanon!
Update: Photos available here on Facebook.
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Hey guys,
Just wanted to update you on my travel in Beirut, Lebanon. After 5 hours waiting at LAX, 11 hours on a flight from LAX to London, a 5 hour layover in London, and a 7 hour plane trip from London to Beirut, I have finally landed in Beirut, Lebanon. My flight arrived about an hour later than expected, but it was a great pleasure meeting my host Mohamad Bahr and Thomas Leuthard at the airport. I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t be able to find me at the airport, but then I realized that I am probably the only Asian in Lebanon (so it was really easy).
After landing down, Mohamad took Thomas and I to one of the downtown districts where I had some of the most amazing Lebanese street food. They were chicken skewers marinated in Garlic, roasted over a charcoal fire, then wrapped with some sauces I am not quite sure what they are. Regardless, they were delicious beyond belief. After downing a Pepsi as well, we hit the streets and walked around at 12AM in the morning.
Beirut definitely has a fascinating vibe and soul to it. It reminds me a lot of Seoul, Korea–with the narrow streets and the tall buildings. In the area that we were shooting, there were many art/movie posters plastered all over the walls, which gave the area a very artsy feel. Not only that, but the city was hustling and bustling with cars and people in the street. It truly felt alive.
Anyways, we arrived at Mohamad’s place, and after a nice little chat with him and Thomas, I passed out and am currently writing this at 10:09AM in the morning, waiting on one of our friends here to get us traditional Lebanese breakfast.
For the record, my workshop here is going to be from Saturday to Sunday, and there are already quite a bit of people signed up on Facebook. I am quite excited to do my presentation, and I am sure it will be a great learning experience as well. I already feel the warmth and love of the Lebanese people, and my stomach is already in love with the food here.
Also per the request of Piotr and a few others, I will be posting my slides online via slideshare or some other medium for you guys (who can’t attend) to check out. Stay posted and wish me luck! I hope to post some pictures soon as well!
Heading to Beirut, Lebanon to teach my street photography workshop!
Hey guys,
I am excited to tell you guys I am heading to Beirut, Lebanon tomorrow! Through all of your generous donations and sponsorships, I am able to make this trip. My heart goes out to everybody in this community who has not only gave me so much, but has helped me support my journey through creating this street photography blog.
The workshop will be two days long, and will involve myself presenting tips & techniques regarding street photography. Not only that, but participants of the workshop will actually be given time to go out and shoot with me! In addition, I also have a guest street photographer, Thomas Leuthard, who will also be a guest speaker. I have never done a workshop or anything like this, but I have definitely put a lot of time, energy, and love into this presentation. Hopefully all goes well!
As with the blog, I will continue posting once I come back from my trip, which is next Thursday (11/18). Hopefully I will be able to blog while I am there, but in reality– I will probably be too preoccupied traveling, meeting new people, and of course–taking photos.
If you want to know more about the event, check out the Facebook event for my workshop here.
You can also check out my original blog post here.
Sponsors who made this trip possible:
-Raoul Marinescu
-Kay-Won Chang
-Pamela Mandeville
-Neal Bingham
-Bob Soltys
-Justin Tzou
-Amy Huang
-Shawn Murphy
-Graham Alderton
-Ziga Puh
-Juan Carlos Olivo
-Irma Jessica Salgado
-Jan Klomp
-Ziga Puh
-Aleksandr Bortnik
-Eivind Sandstad
-Don Crossland
-Matthias Mariacher
-Jim Kneuper
-Holly Pyon
-Stephanie Chiang & Kenneth Kim
-Pamela Mandeville
-Aldrin Gamos
-Lisa Kim
-Rosa Seo
-Justin Lee
–Thomas Leuthard
Do you have Leica M9 envy? Then read this.
Let’s admit it–if you are a street photographer and not driving a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, you probably want the Leica M9. Trust me, I want it really badly too–it has been on my mind for quite a while. But honestly, can we justify purchasing a $6,900 camera just because the camera we have doesn’t pay an homage to Henri Cartier-Bresson and all of the other street photography masters? Mind that this is not taking into account the extra $2000 or so you need to purchase Leica lenses as well. So before you plunge yourself $6,900 deeper into debt, perhaps you should read this:
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I Want to Buy a Rangefinder Part 1 and 2
The best thing I have found on the internet for a while:
Part 1
Part 2
An Inspirational Lesson Learned About Street Photography
Note: I got this email from aspiring street photographer named Tasos. It was quite inspirational and eye-opening. I thought I would share it with you guys!
The other day I was out, and as usual I had the camera with me.
I took a photo of 2 gentlemen. It was a great learning experience.
I shared my thought with another member on flickr who was kind enough to comment on my photo.
Here is my letter to Mary (fellow flickr(er)):
Hi Mary. Thanks for your comments.
You know this photo is very important to me. Not because of the subjects, composition, lighting etc. I am hoping to take much better photos than this one. The reason why this photo is important to me is because it taught me something about shooting “street”. I am getting my courage up shooting with a wide angle lens, and getting close to people. I think that it is important/necessary when shooting street. So I think I’m getting comfortable with that part. I practice even when the camera isn’t to my eye, by trying to hold eye contact with strangers for as long as possible, seeing if the other will turn away first (something that was hard for me because I’m normally not that type of personality). Sometimes the other person looks away first, sometimes they smile, and sometimes they scowl (that’s when you have to break a smile). Having said this, here I am in this parking lot. I get out of my car, full of confidence, and I am walking up to these guys. At first they are unaware of me and I snap a couple of photos. Nothing special. but then on the last shot, the man on the right takes notice. He didn’t seem all that enthused. I had my shot, and I moved on. At that moment I thought highly of myself as I had the shot, wasn’t timid etc.
When it came time to leave I got into my car.
The man on the right had left. The man on the left was still sitting there.
As I drove by him. He was looking at me, with a sort of questioning look, and at the same time kind of upset. I didn’t break eye contact, and he looked away first. This time I felt very poorly of myself. It was as if I had broken him. As if I had taken something from him that he wasn’t willing to give.
It was at that moment I learned my lesson.
You see, street photography (I am learning) walks a thin line. On one hand you are documenting the human condition, and you want people to be natural and unposed, unaware of you. But what happens when you get noticed (like I was)? My reaction (just walk on by), at least in this case, wasn’t the right one. I should have approached them, made some small talk, and let them know what I was doing. Instead, I felt as if I had been caught taking something that wasn’t mine.
Later that night I came home and found a link to this article titled: “People Like to be Honored.” It clarified what I had experience earlier that day (almost as if fate had it waiting for me).
Links:
Add Tasos as a contact on Flickr and follow him on Twitter!
Have any of you guys had an epiphany or lesson you learned about Street Photography? Leave a comment below and share your story with us!
Inspirational Street Photography Quote of the Day: Matt Stuart
“Buy a good pair of comfortable shoes, have a camera around your neck at all times, keep your elbows in, be patient, optimistic and don’t forget to smile.”
– Matt Stuart
How to Take Street Portraits (without being awkward)
Some may argue that posed portraits of people on the streets is not “street photography” per-se. However regardless of all these definitions, I still feel that there is merit in taking portraits of people you might encounter on the street who have fascinating stories to share. There have been many occasions in which I have randomly started talking to people and wanted to simply take their portrait as it interests me as a photographer. However one problem that many people have is that they feel “awkward” doing so. Therefore I will teach you guys some practical tips how to take street portraits without being awkward.
1. Use a preface
Asking to take somebody’s portrait is a bit uncommon in western culture, although not everybody is totally opposed to it. To break the ice in asking a person for their portrait, using a preface is always a great way to make the other person feel relaxed.
My favorite preface to use when asking random people on the street to take their portrait is “I know this might seem weird, but would you mind if I took a photo of you?” In saying “I know this might seem weird,” you are acknowledging to the other person that what you are doing is against “the norm”, but it reassures the other person that you have no malicious intent. When asked this, most people shrug their shoulders and say, “Sure I guess so–why not?” Granted that you will get some people who say “no,” but I would say I find much more people who say yes.
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How to Take Street Portraits (without being awkward)Read More »
Inspirational Street Photography Quote of the Day: Bruce Gilden
“I’m known for taking pictures very close, and the older I get, the closer I get.”
-Bruce Gilden
Also if you haven’t seen it, check out WYNC Street Shot’s Video of Bruce Gilden Shooting on the Streets.
Announcing the Sukhee Chung Photography Foundation
Introduction:
I had dream, well two.
The first dream that I had was creating a scholarship foundation named after my beloved mother, Sukhee Chung.
The second was spreading my love of photography, especially to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds who didn’t have access to it.
It then struck me like a lighting bolt. Why not create my own foundation for photography that helps under-served students and name it after my mother?
Thus the Sukhee Chung Photography Foundation (SCPF) has been born.
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Announcing the Sukhee Chung Photography FoundationRead More »
Inspirational Street Photography Quote of the Day: Weegee
“People are so wonderful that a photographer has only
to wait for that breathless moment to capture what he wants on film”
– Weegee
Inspirational Street Photography Quote of the Day: Robert Doisenau
“The marvels of daily life are exciting; no movie director can arrange the unexpected that you find in the street.” – Robert Doisneau
3 Tips How to Quit Making Excuses and Shoot More Street Photography
Every street photographer needs to take more photos. Street photographers (and many other types of photographers) don’t go out and shoot photos nearly as often as we should. In an ideal world, we should be outside every day, trying to capture the beauty of everyday life. Whenever photographers say, “I don’t have enough time” or “I’m too busy”–it is all just excuses. If there is something we care about enough, we will make excuses to go out and take photos. To help you get out on the streets more and shooting, I will outline some quick and practical tips that could help you be more on the streets and shooting photos.
1. Carry your camera with you everywhere you go
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3 Tips How to Quit Making Excuses and Shoot More Street PhotographyRead More »
Street Photography: What differentiates a good photo from a bad one?
In 2009, street photographer Blake Andrews famously wrote a blog post stating that “99.98% of street photographs are crap” in response to Nick Turpin on street photography. You can read more on the subject here.
This got me wondering, what exactly differentiates a good street photograph from a bad one? People say that art is subjective, but when it comes to st reet photography (and other forms of photography), I find it uncanny that there is a general consensus in the street photography public what constitutes a good and bad street photograph.
Recently in the news, the British Journal of Photography recently awarded this image, “Man asleep on the Golden Mile, Durban, South Africa.”, by South African photographer Michelle Sank as the best single image category of its International Photography Award.There was a ton of unrest on the internet with some people calling the piece “a joke” and others calling it “rubbish.” Honestly when I saw the image, I was a bit turned off too. I didn’t see the strong merit of the image, when there were tons of other great photographs that were submitted.
In searching for the truth of what makes a good street photograph, I will chronicle some of the aspects that I have noticed of all award-winning and inspiring street photographs.
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Street Photography: What differentiates a good photo from a bad one?Read More »
The 5 Most Inspiring Street Photographs of the Week
Recently I have started a Flickr group titled “Aspiring Street Photographers.” Here are the 5 most inspirational photos that I chose (although there are a lot of other great images in the pool). Check them out and hopefully they inspire you to continue taking great street photographs as well!
Want to be included in next week’s post? Join Aspiring Street Photographers and add your best images! Also remember to not just add photos to the pool without commenting on others! We are a community, not view-whores :)
9 Tips for Aspiring Street Photographers
Recently I asked on my Facebook fan page I asked the members of the community what tips they had for aspiring street photographers. They gave some quite insightful/fun answers that I would love to share with you.
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25 Ways How to be a Bad Street Photographer
Note: I love making lists, as I feel that they are fun ways to learn and gain more insight about street photography. Please do not be offended by this list, as they are some of my own personal opinions about street photography. However I feel that these “rules” are broad enough to apply to most street photographers. If you don’t agree with any of the points below, leave a comment and tell me otherwise!
- Never carry your camera with you
- Be “too lazy” to go out and take photos
- Only keep your batteries charged half-way before you go out and shoot
- Take photos of your subjects a mile away
- Make excuses that “your camera is not good enough” for street photography
- Be afraid of taking photos of people in public
- Try to imitate the styles of other street photographers, instead of nurturing your own
- Spend more time on internet forums than on the streets
- Never share your photos with anybody else
- Miss “The Decisive Moment“
- Always follow tourists when looking for photo opportunities
- Stop taking photos in a public space when confronted by police
- Only take photos during the day
- Never experiment with your shots
- Be unwilling to accept constructive criticism of your photos
- Don’t backup your photos
- Be suspicious in public
- Look at your LCD more than you look at the street
- Stick out like a sore thumb
- Shoot before you think
- Only take photos of peoples’ backs
- Walk around in public with a massive telephoto lens
- Never travel to new places to take photos
- Run away from your subjects after taking photos of them
- Only capture extraordinary subjects/scenes, not the mundane
Like this list? Make sure to also check out my other popular lists, 101 Things I Have Learned about Street Photography as well as 100 Things I Have Learned About Photography.
Want to help under-privileged high school students learn photography? Donate your old point & shoot camera today!
See the Phoenix High Photo Class Website here: http://phoenixhighphotoclass.wordpress.com/
Hey guys,
Some of you may not know, but I am teaching a digital photography class to a high-school class of 25. The school is located in Los Angeles (near Venice) and is called “Phoenix High.” The majority of the students are from lower socio-economic status neighborhoods and under-privileged backgrounds, and struggling to make it through school. Although their lives are tough, they find a lot of inspiration and joy in photography. Therefore, I am currently trying to get donations for old point and shoot cameras (11 to be specific) for the students to use.
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My 5 Best Street Photographs of All-Time (and the story behind them)
I have always looked at many great street photographs and have always wondered what the story was behind them. Interesting enough, I also get many questions about what was going on in my head when I shot certain photos of mine. Therefore I thought it might be a good thing to show you my 5 best street photographs of all-time, and explain a little more about the backround story as well as what was going on in my mind at the time.
1. “The Conductor” – Downtown Los Angeles
This is actually one of my first street photographs that I took. I was in Downtown LA with my girlfriend Cindy, and we went to go watch a show at the Ahmensen Theater, which is right next to the LA opera house. In the courtyard, there is this beautiful fountain that shoots streams of water at different intervals. Cindy exclaimed how beautiful it looked, and I ran over with my camera in hand, and snapped a few photos. I recall seeing the near-perfect silhouettes of the two people, and waited for the moment where either the man or woman would do something interesting. My wish was blessed, and the man on the left raised his hands as if explaining something to the woman. I snapped the photo and recall thinking, “It almost looks as if the man is conducting the streams of water to shoot up”. I then thought of the title, “The Conductor” and it has just stuck.
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My 5 Best Street Photographs of All-Time (and the story behind them)Read More »
3 Ways How Being Injured Helped me Become a Better Street Photographer
About two weeks ago, I was playing basketball and when I went up for the rebound, I landed on someone’s foot and fell my entire weight roll onto my left ankle. Then I proceeded to hear the cracks (like cracking your knuckles, except times five) and then the final pop at the end. It was a pretty serious sprain.
I then went to the doctor the next day and got an x-ray. Although I didn’t break any bones (thank God), I was going to be in crutches for at least 2 weeks. This meant going 2 weeks without shooting any street photography.
As you guys can imagine, I got pretty antsy staying at home all of the time. I felt that the streets were calling my name–and longed to go shoot.
Fast-forward 2 weeks and now I am walking with a slight limp (thanks for all the words of encouragement + prayer). I took the liberty the other day to shoot street photography, and I gotta tell ya–it was pretty damn painful. Every step forward felt like a thousand needles piercing into my ankle, and it was hard to even walk the distance of a block or so.
But as I like to think, “Everything happens for a reason.” I then noticed that although it was difficult shooting street photography while still injured, there were some learning points that I got out of it. This is what inspired me to write this post. I will therefore tell you how being injured helped me realize some points that helped me
1. Walking slower helped me capture moments I might have missed.
Due to the fact that I was injured, I walked extremely slowly while shooting street photography around the 3rd Street Promenade. Although at first this was incredibly frustrating, I started noticing things I might have missed while healthy. I started to see more “interesting characters” I might have missed if I were walking at full speed. In slowing down, I started to “see” better as a street photographer.
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3 Ways How Being Injured Helped me Become a Better Street PhotographerRead More »
“The Conductor” – Poem
Note: Remember that great poem that my student Edward Lim wrote about my photo, “Midnight Dining“? Well he is at it again and this poem that he wrote is on one of my favorite photos, “The Conductor.” Show him some love and leave a comment below!
Eyes blind in concentration,
Hands perched in the air,
The barren floor, waiting,
Instruments ready.
Hand and baton descends
Liquid notes leaps up,
Graceful with rhythm,
A grand Forté.
From the ground,
The baton leads a river
A gossamer cascade
Glistening gold
A dance of light,
Symphony of water
In harmonious key
The midnight waltz
“Midnight Dining” – Poem
Note: One of the incredibly talented Sunday school students I have at my church named Edward Lim saw my “Midnight Dining” image and was inspired to write a poem. Not only am I humbled that he decided to write a poem based on my image, but I am also impressed by his fluency in the literary arts. Show him some love and leave him a comment below!
Walk home late at night
A day of toil done
Amid the chaos of chores
And thus night meal, forgotten
A midnight vendor
A hearty greeting
A snack before the halfway
And thus sat down
Midst of city light
The narrow strip of sky
Sets glow to nigh
And thus the dim alley
Not quite Christmas
Couple of months ’ till so
They hang above, those light
And thus a starry sky
“Mime at St. Pancras” at Tom Kaszuba’s Crib
Tom Kaszuba is a very talented street/architecture/landscape/HDR photographer based in Norwich, Connecticut. He is a photographer that I look up to highly, as he was one of the first people who gave me a ton of support and love when I was starting off my street photography. We originally met at the Black & White Vision forum at Fred Miranda, and our relationship has been solid after that.
Recently on Twitter, I asked why people loved street photography. Out of all the responses I got, I loved Tom’s the best:
@tomkaszuba: My fave thing about street photography is making art out of real life.
To show my gratitude for his guidance through my photography and just having awesome insights into street photography, I sent him one of my favorite prints, “The Mime at St. Pancras.” He was even awesome enough to send me some photos of it hung up in his house! (That lovely lady in shot #1 is his wife btw)
Keep posted to see if you can win more photos from me ;)
Which is better? Film vs Digital for Street Photography
As of late, film has been having quite a comeback. Many photographers enjoy the “look” of grainy analog film, and many people even say that they enjoy the experience of shooting with film as well. In an article published by Wired, Charlie Sorrel states:
“Kodak’s US marketing manager of professional film, Scott pro film Scott DiSabato said that sales of color film are steady, and that black and white film is ‘doing extremely well’ He sees it as a mini-revolution, adding that ‘it almost feels that there is a very real resurgence for film.’”
Many places such as Urban Outfitters have caught upon this trend, selling Holga cameras, which are toy-plastic film cameras which give images an interesting cross-processed look. Sales for these types of cameras are strong within the young demographic, and it almost seems to be a rebellion against digital.
This leads to the question, what is better for street photography, film or digital?
This is definitely not an easy question to tackle, as both sides of the debate have their own valid points and refuse to give up any ground. However for the purposes of this post, I will try my best to give an un-biased view to both sides of the argument.
@faireunvoeu on Twitter sent me this quote from film photographer Simon Watson on digital photography:
“There is a smoothness that is so ugly & slick, it looks like a gimmick.”
In my own personal experience being born and having grown through the “digital revolution,” digital photography is the only thing I have ever truly known. Sure I remember when I was a kid and having to wait for the film from my mom’s old camera to get developed, or waiting on prints from my old disposable camera from field trips. However other than that, digital has been everything to me. My first camera was a Canon Powershot SD600, and the other two cameras after that (my Canon Rebel XT and Canon 5D) have been digital as well.
It is quite ironic, because I have been attracted to the “film look” as well. I use Nik’s Silver Efex Pro to add grain into my images as well as strong vignettes in my black-and-white workflow. There is something that I couldn’t put my finger on, but I feel that it pays homage to the old “film look” of the street photography masters.
Digital definitely has its pros when it comes to street photography. It is no secret that it is much easier for photographers to learn photography on digital cameras as opposed to film cameras. First of all, digital cameras allow you to instantly see the results of your photos on the back of your LCD screen, to check for exposure, framing, focus, and even sharpness. This takes a lot of guess-work out of photography, as with film it takes much more time to develop and process images. Therefore when shooting street photography, an aspiring street photographer will thus have an easier time learning from his or her mistakes, or even learning how to better compose when shooting from the hip.
However recently, I have inherited an old film rangefinder, the Contax IIIa. Although I have only shot a few rolls with it, there is definitely a much different experience shooting with film. I feel that when I am shooting with film, I feel much more calm, and that there is some sort of inner-peace that I get shooting with it. Due to the fact that I am not able to “chimp” and look at the back of my LCD after shooting every image, I focus more on the experience of shooting on the streets, rather than focusing my efforts on the outcome of my images.
Furthermore, due to the fact that I can only shoot about 24 exposures or so from each roll of film, I am much more selective with my shots, which makes me focus more on my framing and composition of shots, so I don’t “waste” any of my film.
However I think in the long run, the convenience of digital trumps film by far. Being able to take raw images, edit them on your computer, and directly upload them to Flickr or online is much better than having to purchase film, send it to get developed, wait, download your images to your computer, then upload it online.
The way in which we share photos has fundamentally changed. Remember back in the days when people actually shared physical photographs with friends and family, and even made duplicates for them to have? Such an experience is now foreign to the modern person, as Facebook is much more convenient.
Getting back to the subject at hand, I feel that digital is still much more advantageous to the modern-day street photographer than film. I do not discount the merits of shooting film, but with new digital incarnations of even “classic” cameras such as the Leica M8,8.2, and 9, there is a huge shift toward shooting digital. Even Chris Weeks who wrote a book on street photography “Street Photography for the Purist,” he was initially turned off by digital cameras, but upon getting his Leica M9, he is starting to embrace it much more, as said in his more recent film documentary, “Street Photography: Documenting the Human Condition.”
Street photographers–what is your opinion on digital vs film photography? Leave a comment below and leave your 2 cents!
The 5 Most Common Questions about Street Photography (and the answers)
Hey guys,
I thought about writing this blog post after receiving many questions regarding street photography. I saw it as a great opportunity to help clear up some misconceptions about street photography, as well as answer questions from many aspiring street photographers from around the world! If you have any other general questions, feel free to leave a comment below and have either me or some other street photographer from the community answer your question!
1. Do I need a model release form when shooting people in the streets?
No. As long as a person is in a public area and not on private property, you are free to take their photo without having a model release form. However the tricky part is when it comes to selling images of people shot in public areas. If the photo you are selling clearly defines a person’s face, then you need a model release form.
Edit: In the US, you are allowed to sell a recognizable photo of someone on the street as a work of art. What you are not allowed to do is to sell it for commercial photography — that is to say, photos being used to sell a product. This would prevent the sale of photos of a recognizable person to (let’s say) a stock photo service, but not as a work of art, or photojournalistic purposes.
Relevant reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nussenzweig_v._DiCorcia
-Thanks Brandon!
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The 5 Most Common Questions about Street Photography (and the answers)Read More »
Thank you for the Love and Support — I’m going to Lebanon!
Apologies for talking a bit quiet, as well as the squeaking (it goes away after the 25 second mark)– but thank you again for the love and support in helping me achieve my dream of going to Lebanon to teach my street photography workshop! In this video I give a quick shout-out to everybody who has helped me in my photography journey. Words cannot express my gratitude to you guys!
For those of you guys who have no idea what this street photography workshop in Beirut, Lebanon is about–read more here.
3 Tips How NOT to Look Like a “Creep” when Shooting in the Streets
One of the questions that I often get from aspiring street photographers is, “How do I not look like a ‘creep’ when shooting in public?” I believe that this is one of the main factors which bars many photographers from getting their feet wet with street photography. In many societies, taking photos of strangers on the street is definitely not the “norm,” and can be interpreted as offensive to many. However although a photographer may feel like a “creep” when shooting in public, he most likely isn’t.
Street photographers try to capture the beauty in everyday-life, and attempt to journal their life through their lens. The term “creep” implies that the person is shooting strangers for some ill or mischievous reason.
In order not to look like a “creep” in the streets, you must first change your mindset that you are not a creep. In thinking that you are being “creepy” by shooting random strangers in the street, your body language will show it as well. Your movement in the streets will be erratic, your eyes will be shifty, and you will make other people feel uncomfortable. It is sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy in this way, therefore it is important for you to shift your frame of mind.
If you constantly tell yourself, “I am a street photographer there to capture the beauty in the mundane and I mean nobody ill will,” thoughts of being a creeper will disappear over time. Granted that every street photographer will have a difficult time doing so, the more you do it, the less awkward it will be.
In order to help you get over that feeling of being a “creep in the streets,” I will give you three quick tips on how not to look like a creeper when shooting street photography.
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3 Tips How NOT to Look Like a “Creep” when Shooting in the StreetsRead More »
How to Quit Making Excuses and Travel (before you die)
Whenever I ask people want to do before they die, it always seems that traveling is on top of their list. Yet, so few people travel—why? Sure there are the default answers, “It is too expensive”, “I have no time”, “Isn’t it dangerous?”, “I have ‘responsibilities’ that I have to take care of” and the list goes on. However when it comes down to it, all of these statements are truly nothing but excuses.
For the longest time I have always wanted to go backpacking in Europe. However I faced the problem that many other people faced, regarding money, time, confusion, etc. All I knew was that it was a burning passion and aspiration of mine, and that no matter what—I wanted to go.
I can fortunately say that the last summer I was finally able to make that dream come true and I backpacked through Europe for 30 days. I started off in Paris, flew to Rome, took a train to Florence, took another train to Cinque Terre, continued to Venice, and then Prague, and finally flew out to London where I spent the rest of my time. How was my trip you ask? It was the trip of a lifetime. Words cannot express the breath-taking sights I had, the cordial people I met, the aroma of the wine I had, the taste of the local cuisine, the awe-inspiring architecture, and oh yeah—the copious amount of photo-opportunities.
Now let’s get back to the issue of “practicality.” I’m sure all of you are thinking, “I would love to go travel to _______” but I don’t have the money for it. Honestly, I believe that to be nothing more than an excuse for most people.
Are you a student in college?—you truly have no excuse. You have the best time of your life to travel, when you have nothing truly “tying you down.” There are tons of study-abroad opportunities, and you still have summer breaks! Can’t afford it? Take out a loan—(that’s what I did). Sure you probably have no to little money right now, but what you don’t have in money—you have time.
Do you have a full-time job? Take a vacation and even travel for a week. Most jobs in the United States give you at least two weeks of vacation time a year. Don’t get any vacation time? Well you should probably quit the job you have right now and get a new one. Don’t have any money and a load of debt to pay off? Stop spending your money on things that you don’t need (cars, clothes, eating out, etc) and invest that money into saving for a trip. You probably have a half-million things lying around that you could probably sell on eBay or Craigslist as well.
Are you married and have kids? Take them with you! The last thing that you want to do is use your kids as an excuse. They will have the time of their life as well.
If you died tomorrow, would you have any regrets on not traveling? Where have you always wanted to go, but always made excuses why NOT to go instead of making excuses WHY to go. Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Korea, Tokyo, Hong-Kong, Africa, the Middle-East, Paris, or India? Or can you see yourself on your death bed, regretting not going because of
Considering that people always make reasons why NOT to go traveling, I will make some reasons WHY you should go traveling:
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How to Quit Making Excuses and Travel (before you die)Read More »
What Goes on in My Mind When I Shoot in the Streets
Stumped for ideas, I recently I asked to the members of my Facebook Fan page what I should blog about next. These are the responses that I received that inspired me to write this post:
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- Eric Houng: “What prompts you to snap a picture of someone? is it cuz you see a story about that person? stuff like that :] (inspiration… that’s the word i was looking for hahah)”
- Mithun Kumar: “Do we apply brains or just go with the instincts when photographing on Streets?”
- Yvette Murphy: “Related to above requests– how much of it is planned, i.e. you see the possibility of a shot ahead of time and wait for it to happen and, simply, spontaneous, i.e. the right place at the right time. For example, I had seen the possibility of a great shot, I waited for the right time…and perhaps I lost patience, but it never happened.”
- Rick Heath: “What does one need to do in terms of mindset on the street….I would love to do this but do not want to be threatening. How do you be forward in a nice way. Does this make sense? In other words, what does your mindset need to be…..frame of mind, etc.”
Therefore I will try my best to explain my “workflow” of my thoughts when shooting in the streets. The scenario I will explain my thought process when I went to shoot on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica (during my lunch break yesterday). I tried my best to record and write out my thoughts as candid as possible.
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What Goes on in My Mind When I Shoot in the StreetsRead More »
(UPDATE: I’m going!) Help Me Achieve My Dream of Leading a Street Photography Workshop in Beirut, Lebanon!
UPDATE 9/30/10! Thanks to your kindness and generosity, I have raised enough money to finance my plane trip to Beirut, Lebanon! Huge thanks to everybody who contributed, especially to Thomas Leuthard who paid for a large percentage and will be presenting at my street photography workshop as well! I will keep you guys informed with more updates soon :)
Peace and love,
Eric
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Hey friends and photo buddies,
After my “101 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography” post went viral, a project coordinator of this art group named Spearminds in Beirut, Lebanon contacted me, asking if I was interested in leading a street photography workshop there. More info here.
The email I received from the Project Coordinator:
Of course you guys could all image how excited and giddy I was hearing this news. For the last few months, I have been dedicating so much of my time and energy in spreading the love of street photography for the rest of the world. I cannot say how grateful I am for YOUR support (and the rest of the community) in contributing your thoughts, spurring interaction with other individuals, as well as spreading the word. This blog and my photography has grown faster (and bigger) than I could have ever imagined possible in my life.
Excited about this opportunity, I went to Kayak and I discovered that a round-trip ticket to Beirut is ~$800. As a recent college student heavily in debt, this trip is not exactly within my budget. This is where I ask for help of you, my friends and the photography community to help achieve my dream of traveling to Beirut, Lebanon. Not only could I lead a street photography workshop that can inform and inspire the lives of others living somewhere halfway across the world, but I can also capture some amazing photographs there as well.
Cheapest flight on Priceline:
Not many of you know, but in my free time I have also been teaching a photography class at a continuation school in Los Angeles named Phoenix High School. The 25 students in my class are mostly from low socio-economic backgrounds, and have never had the opportunity to take any photography workshop. You should see their faces when I teach them the fundamentals of photography, and even take them on “photo outings” where they go out and take photos for themselves! You can see more information on a site I set up for them here. You can see how serious I am about teaching photography, and the true love of it I have.
So please help support my dream and make a donation today via Paypal! You are free to donate however much you want (Suggested Donation of $5 or more). Also, I have also recently opened a store for prints, and you can support me by purchasing some of my prints as well.
Thank you for the love and support! Please spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and your blog! I will be forever grateful — and I will bring back some amazing photos too! :) If you do not have any money to contribute, please join my Facebook Group and invite your friends to join and help out!
<3 Eric
(Suggested Donation: $5 or more)
Eric Kim’s FREE Street Photography Lightroom 3 Presets
In holding to my mantra of open source photography, I have decided to give away all of my presets that I use in my street photography for Lightroom 3 for FREE. Feel free to share these presets with anybody/everybody you know.
The Ultimate Aspiring Street Photographer Resource Post
This post was originally posted here by Neal Bingham, but I thought I’d repost it here to share it with the rest of you guys. A great resource for any aspiring street photographer. Please pass it on! Also follow Neal on Twitter!
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I thought it would be useful to create a topic where people can share links to resources – whether that’s tips for beginners on how to get started, interesting articles found elsewhere on the web, or just amazing examples of street photography to give us all a bit of inspiration.
For starters:
Websites:
In-Public – collective of modern street photographers:
www.in-public.com/
Photographer Not a Terrorist – a movement dedicated to defending the right to photograph in public – find out more about your rights here (UK only)
photographernotaterrorist.org/
Magnum Photos – legendary photo agency founded in 1947 by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa and others:
www.magnumphotos.com/
Articles:
Michael David Murphy’s invaluable ‘Ways of working’ guide:
2point8.whileseated.org/wow-footer/
A view from photographer Nick Turpin on the relationships between street photography, fine art photography and photojournalism:
www.sevensevennine.com/?p=429
Opinion and discussion: 99% of street photography is crap:
blakeandrews.blogspot.com/2009/09/streetwise.html
Street photography for the purist – free ebook by photographer Chris Weeks:
www.e-booksdirectory.com/details.php?ebook=270
Videos:
NYC street shooter Joe Wigfall in action, demonstrating how he ‘sees with his hands’ to capture candid moments without interfering with the scene:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-IOEAlBpSo
Documenting the Human Condition – documentary discussing street photography and the rangefinder camera:
Part 1: vimeo.com/6497905
Part 2: vimeo.com/6502390
Part 3: vimeo.com/6504591
Please feel free to share any other relevant or useful links below!
How to Shoot from the Hip
In street photography, one of the popular techniques that photographers employ is “shooting from the hip.” To sum it up, “shooting from the hip” it is holding your camera at wait-level, and shooting upwards without looking through the viewfinder. One of the reasons why this technique is widely popular is because it allows you to take much more candid images of people, as they do not see you shooting them with your eye through your viewfinder, and assume you aren’t taking images. Another thing is that when shooting from the hip, you often get a much more interesting perspective as you shoot from a much lower perspective.
Although there are some individuals who are opposed to shooting from the hip and consider it as the “easy way out,” simply disregard their words. As you will soon find out, framing while shooting from the hip is very difficult when starting off. For every 100 shots you take shooting from the hip, you will probably only get 5-10 or so “decently” framed images.
Although I do not use shooting from the hip as my primary type of street photography, I will try my best to walk you through how you can effectively shoot from the hip and get amazing candid images of people.
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The Death of Street Photography (and what you can do to stop it)
Lately on the web, there has been a ton of buzz about the phobia that people are having about street photographers. We have been called creepers, pedophiles, and even in some cases, terrorists (as the TSA would like the public to think). Is all this anti-photographer sentiment leading to the death of street photography as we know it?
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The Death of Street Photography (and what you can do to stop it)Read More »
Join “Aspiring Street Photographers” on Flickr!
Hey fotog friends,
I recently created a Flickr page dedicated to all of your awesome street photography titled: “Aspiring Street Photographers.” Feel free to join and contribute your images (as well as inviting your friends to join as well!) I hope to build a well-knit community of street photographers of all skill-levels to share their photographic insight with one another, while giving constructive criticism and feedback on images. Please join and hope to see you there soon :)
101 Things I Have Learned about Street Photography
In lieu of the popularity of my last post about the “100 Things I Have Learned about Photography,” I decided to make a new list that pertains to street photography specifically. Also if you don’t know, I am currently writing a book titled: “Street Photography 101,” and the excerpts are being posted here. This new list is a homage to the Street Photography 101 book that I am writing.
Note that there is some overlap of some of these points with the previous list that I wrote, but I thought it may be essential for new-readers to note. Also, feel free to critique, comment, and share this list with anybody you want. I would love to hear your feedback.
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101 Things I Have Learned about Street PhotographyRead More »
Please introduce yourselves!
Hey guys,
So after my guest post on Digital Photography School for my “10 Tips for the Aspiring Street Photographer,” I have been getting a lot of love from the online photography community. In order to get to know you guys better (and for you guys to get to know one another better as well), why not leave a comment and introduce yourselves? Let me know where you’re from, how you found out about my site, and what about street photography appeals to you? Looking forward in hearing from all of you :)
The Top 4 Street Photography Techniques
When it comes to street photography, everybody has their own style and techniques. What interests one street photographer may not necessarily catch the eye of another street photographer. However in order for you to get a better grasp of what kind of styles there are in street photography, I have compiled a few elements that street photographers like to use to their advantage when constructing their images.
Play with Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a big and fancy word that artists love to use. If you are not familiar with the word, it simply means drawing a stark contrast between two elements in an image. One could use juxtaposition in his or her favor by creating an image that is interesting, ironic, or just plain uncanny.
For example, if you were to see a sign that says “get fit” and you see a woman eating an ice cream, that makes for an image with great juxtaposition. Or you can see a sign that says “get big” with a small person standing next to it.
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Eric Kim Street Photography Typography
I love typography. I played around with some new free font I picked up at Smashing Magazine and playing with color schemes from Colour Lovers and mashed this little piece up together. Leave me a comment below and let me know what ya think!
How To Buy an Amazing Road Bike for under $200
Whoever is looking for a bike, take this advice from my friend Miles’ step-dad. He was a competitive biker back in the day, and he still fixes bikes for a living. An amazing period, with a great wealth of information. Big thanks to him for helping me purchase my first road-bike, a Nishiki Prestige (pictured above) for only $175 (I talked the guy down from 200) ! It runs like a dream, and is in mint condition. Also it looks pretty sweet with the red tires and all.
Here is the original E-mail he sent me. Hopefully this will help other people who are looking for bikes themselves.
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Hi Eric (I’m Tom),
I think we can do this, I’ll scour Los Angeles Westwood craigslist and send some ads to you so you can go out and look at bikes. The best deals are the late 1980s Japanese bikes, the ones you want have aluminum alloy wheels, but a steel lugged frame. I highly recommend Centurion “Iron Man”, Nishiki ‘Prestige”, Miyata 600 and higher to 1000, Fuji “Team”, Shogun “1000”, Univega several models with 700c wheels, Schwinn “Tempo” and a few other models made in Japan like”Prelude”
In the mid to late 1980s, the dollar was strong against a weak Yen, the Japanese were producing world class bikes and selling them in the U.S. at prices that other manufacturers couldn’t touch. This ended about 1990 and started about 1985 so you want to look for bikes from that time period only. After 1990, bikes became overly complicated and the frame quality declined as the Japanese economy was pulling ahead.
Another possibility is an American bike like a Trek, or a British bike like a Raleigh, but the chances of finding those (a good quality one)for $200 is slim. (keep in mind that all the companies made low-end or junky bikes during this period as well as fabulous bikes, so here are things to watch for.
#1 Frame tubing, The best Japanese steel was Tange #1 and Tange #2, there will be a sticker under the seat on the frame tube saying whatever the tubing is, Tange 1 and 2 are double-butted chrome-Moly and that is the lightest and strongest. Double butted means the inside diameter varies, towards the ends that need extra strength, the tubing walls are thicker because that’s where the stress is. The middles of the tubes are thin. You don’t want to buy bikes where the tubes are dented at all or repainted, original finish is a must. Paint scratches are O.K. but dents are a deal breaker.
At 5’11”, depending on leg length, I’d recommend a 56 to 60cm frame, the measurement is from the centerline of the crank axle up the mast to where the seat-post drops in. People selling bikes often give false measurements so you need to bring a metric tape measure.
Avoid bikes with 27” wheels, if the bike has 27” wheels, it means the bike is either cheap or too old. Make sure you get 700c wheels, on aluminum rims, with aluminum hubs, bring a magnet if you can’t tell the diff.
The deraillers should be Shimano, it’s possible that they could have SunTour, but those are most likely older than the time period we are looking for.
Bikes of this period have a head sticker, not a headbadge, (unless it’s a Schwinn)
#2, spin the wheels, there should be no wobble or hop, this is important, the wheels should spin for a long time, if the wheel stops after a couple seconds, something is wrong.
#3 don’t worry about bad handlebar tape or worn or rotted tires, those should be replaced anyway when you buy a used bike, you never know where the last owner’s hands have been and you don’t need gross stuff on yours.
#4 bring a 5mm and a 6mm Allen wrench, loosen the seat post and make sure it is still adjustable, same with handlebar neck, bikes left in the rain often get alumi-ferric corrosion in those areas and get stuck, and you don’t want that. The seat post clinch bolt is usually only turnable on the chainwheel side remember, one side does NOT spin. Sometimes people put the clinch bolt in backwards though, so carefully try the other side if the bolt on the chainwheel side does not spin easily.
Let’s begin…
T
“Dots” Feature on Juxtapoz Magazine
Lately I have been trying to contact a bunch of Los Angeles art magazines to have them feature my work. One of the magazines that contacted me back was Juxtapoz magazine. I was lucky enough to get featured as their “pic of the day” on their site. Hopefully one day I could get featured in their paper-back magazine. Below is a screenshot of their site.
Street Photography 101 Guest Post on 7×5
Hey guys,
Hope you guys had a great weekend and are ready for the rest of the week!
Anyways recently, I had the great pleasure to write a guest blog post for a photography site called “7×5.” I wrote a somewhat easy-to-read post written very colloquially how a beginner can get started with street photography. Definitely not the most eloquent or comprehensive guide, but an interesting read I still think anyways! I got lots of great feedback on Twitter about this post at @erickimphoto as well!
Read the guest post here.
Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Fairfax Street Photography
So on this day, I decided I would do something fun with my street photography, which was to ride around on my road bike and take photos. I have never done this before, but I thought– hell why not. I then pondered where I wanted to go take photos, and I settled upon going to Hollywood to take some photos. I then packed my Timbuk 2 Commute 2.0 messenger bag with some water and my camera, and hopped on my bike, not sure where this journey would lead me.
When heading toward Hollywood, I decided to ride down Westwood Blvd, and headed up Santa Monica Blvd toward Century City. The first thing I passed was this awesome wall on the side of a liquor store. I hopped off my bike and took a couple of snaps.
In front of the store.
I then headed to the back of the store (where there was more dots), hopped off my bike and thought it would be a great thing to model. It is a 1980’s Nishiki Road bike and it rides like a dream. Here it is lookin all purty with the awesome art in the BG.
A vertical shot.
Another mural I saw while riding by. Discrimination? HELL NAW!
I then headed into Beverly Hills, where I saw this awesome portrait of who I believe to be, Kobe Bryant.
As I kept on biking, I came upon a car rental in Beverly Hills. Supposedly it’s “Black and White” (ie full of ballin cars)
FERRARI ENGINE!
SICKKKKKK
Some cool street art I also saw:
I love the dystopia-like look of the below image.
Man, American Apparel is getting more and more trashy.
Self-Portrait
Checked out some of the stores near Fairfax.
Lots of fun.
After biking around and taking so many photos all day, I was getting pretty damn hungry. I asked one of the locals where I should go to eat, and he highly recommended “Canters,” a local deli that has been around for more than fifty years. I went, and took a seat. The waitress asked me what I wanted, and I told her what was popular. Without even flinching, she struck my menu with her stubby and muscular pointing finer, which was aimed at the Pastrami Sandwich. Quite shocked, I jumped back and said I’d get one. She asked me what I wanted to drink and I automatically said “Coke.” Little did I know that Coke was going to cost me $2.50 (damn).
Anyways, the bad boy came out. And OMG… it was the most amazing pastrami sandwich I have ever had in my life. Perfectly juicy, and so soft and meaty. This photo just makes me drool thinking about it.
Oh yeah– I also wrote an essay about “Street Photography in Los Angeles.” I still gotta type it up and post it here.
After a bomb ass meal and getting a ton of writing done, I headed down Fairfax and came upon the Supreme store. Pretty sweet stuff in there.
Kewl decks.
Biked some more, and got my favorite image of the day below.
After a long days of biking and shooting, went back to “The Lab” where the magic happens. I still have so many photos to process…but stay tuned for more fresh street photography from Los Angeles.
Street Photography, Korea. Portrait by Charles Choo Jr.
An old image taken by Charles Choo while we were shooting street photography in Seoul, Korea last summer. I had tons of fun with the guy, and this is an image of us drinking a beer in the middle of the day in public outside a Korean “7-Eleven.” Got to miss the good times in Korea…
Chinatown, Downtown Los Angeles Street Photography
About a weekend or two ago, on a lazy Saturday morning, I decided that I was going to take photos that day–although not sure where or how I was going to get there. I therefore planned that I was going to check out the LA MOCA, and then took my stuff and jumped on the first bus that I could find.
However while I was on the bus, I saw something interesting on the side of the street, and got off my bus way too early. After taking my photograph of what I wanted to, I realized that I was lost in the middle of nowhere. However I just walked around the streets, meandering where I wanted to go next.
I then jumped on another bus and got off on the metro stop in the middle of Korea-town. I never took the subway in Los Angeles before, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Therefore I jumped on the subway, still not quite sure where I wanted to go. I looked at the map, and Chinatown was on the list. I had heard lots of interesting things about Chinatown in Los Angeles, yet never had the opportunity to go. I then thought to myself, “Why the hell not” and headed toward there.
I had never been to Chinatown before, so I kind of followed where the streets lead me. However I was quite pleased to say, it was a great opportunity for street photography. The Chinatown area was very quaint and quiet–with a few people strolling in and out of the area. If you look at the below images, you will also see they have an interesting “film” look to them. I recently made a new preset based on one that I downloaded online, and I quite like the look. I feel it gives that “dreamy” look that I felt when I was experiencing the place.
Hope you enjoy this little mini-photo essay of Chinatown in Downtown Los Angeles, through my eyes.
Jacob Patterson Street Portraits
My full-series of Jacob Patterson, a Los Angeles based artist who specializes in graffiti, shoes, and street art. A truly amazing and inspirational artist and person. I look forward in collaborating with him more in the future.
I got in contact with Jacob, and he gave me a tour of the “ThinkTank” in Downtown Los Angeles, an art warehouse he is currently building up with fellow artists. We talked, chilled, grabbed a burrito (thanks Jacob!) and I told him that I would snap him a few photos before he left. This is the product of literally 5-10 minutes of shooting.
Check out his sites:
Serendipity – Street Photography 101
Serendipity. One of the most beautiful things about street photography. Stumbling upon something totally unexpected, but so intrinsically unique and beautiful it cannot be put into words. All of your sensations tingling, giving all of your sensory features a feast from a thing or a place that you have never known existed.
Serendipity. A reward for being adventurous and daring. Taking the road off the beaten path. Not being a dumb tourist and following everyone else like sheep. Being a nomad; thirsting for new sights and adventures.
Serendipity. Being in the present and on the prowl, like a jaguar in the streets. Disregarding your “common sense.” Taking the “scenic” rather the quickest route.
Serendipity. Your own little jewel. Taking it and forever keeping it in your box of memories. Taking a photo of it for a keepsake and making it immortal. Wanting to share it with the world, and wanting others to experience a small slice for themselves as well.
Serendipity. Living life without a map. Spinning around in a circle while closing your eyes, then throwing a dart on the map—determined to go wherever the hell it lands.
It is not the destination, stupid. It is about the adventure.
Serendipity. Taking your time and being patient. Not rushing to the nearest attractions but appreciating the beauty in the mundane. Looking for ordinary things, rather than the large and glamorous.
As a street photographer, you must jump into experiencing serendipity. Grab nothing but your camera and storm out into the streets, and letting your curiosity lead you.
Now it’s your turn.
Jacob Patterson Portrait Sneak Peak
Was able to meet up with the famous Jacob Patterson over in Downtown Los Angeles, in the Fashion District where he is working on his art. Was able to snap a few photos of him. Since I’m super tired right now and cannot process all of these images, I’d like to at least give you guys a sneak peak.
More to come…
Santa Monica Street Photography Outing
Images from a recent visit to Santa Monica. Tons of great street photography to be done around here:
Adventures in Madison: Amazing Food, Sights, and Art
To continue from my last post from Chicago,
Cindy and I took the bus from Chicago to Madison, where she is currently studying foVietnamese for the summer. I stayed there for a week, and was able to meet all of her friends as well as get amazing local food (thanks for the recommendations Cydney!) and check out some of the local sights.
Initial thoughts about going to Madison: “Wisconsin? What the hell is there? Just a bunch of cheese and cows.”
After coming home from Madison: “Damn I’m going to miss this place. I wish I could have stayed longer.”
Coming from LA, Madison was a complete 180 for me. Instead of being full of smog, traffic, and crazy drivers– Madison was full of fresh air, bikes, and friendly people. Whenever walking around, I would always get friendly “hello’s” from the locals while being able to soak in the feeling of “community” that permeated through Madison.
See Madison was a bit like a bubble…but a really nice and pleasant one. It is the ultimate college town, with students taking bikes and mopeds to class, hanging out at cafes and restaurants after class on State Street, which is a huge street which connects the campus of the University of Madison-Wisconsin to the Capitol Building. Interestingly enough, cars are not allowed to pass through this area, which makes it extremely pedestrian-friendly and bike-friendly as well.
Life seemed to run at a very comfortable pace in Madison. I never felt rushed or anxious during my time here. This brought me an inner-calm which I cannot put into words. I could easily see myself living there–grabbing an ice cream cone on a hot day, heading to the lake, and relaxing with a beer-in-hand, while reading a nice book with Cindy by my side.
Anyways daydreaming aside, I whole-heartedly enjoyed my experience there and highly encourage other people to go visit. It is right next to Chicago as well–so you could get a 2-for-1 experience! Anyways, onto the photos:
First place on the list: Husnu’s. A local favorite, and the first restaurant that Cindy took me to. A turkish-and-Mediterranean joint, and Cindy couldn’t quit talking about the olive oil there (which was divine).
Afterward, we went to “The Daily Scoup,” which is Madison’s most famous ice-cream place. Cindy kept on raving about the ice cream there, and it did not disappoint. Creamy and full of texture… oh man I already miss it.
Then we headed to Cindy’s dorm– where I was able to meet all of her friends and also make some food in the communal kitchen. We seriously hung out there 90% of the time, just cooking, talking, chilling, and hanging out.
While I was in Madison, I promised to meet Cydney over at Material Lives. We met over the internet and had never met in person, but we were down for the challenge! We met over at Dotty’s Dumplings, another of the local joints. It was a great pleasure meeting her, and I even documented my feelings about the experience over at my wordpress blog. Long story short, she was an awesome and amazing person, and she really gave awesome tips about Madison while we were there. She was even generous enough to lend Cindy one of her bikes!
Surprisingly enough, Madison is full of hipsters. And along with hipsters are lots of cool and trendy vintage shops. Me and Cindy were able to check out a few.. and had a great time in the process!
Getting fat at a Gyro’s joint (supposedly pronounced “Euros”– who knew that?)
Walking around State street….
Cindy and I going to eat–when suddenly it started to pour like hell.
Going to visit the Capitol Building.
Beautiful architecture inside.
Walking alongside State Street, checking out more of the sights.
A quaint little boutique shop Cindy and I came upon–full of color and life.
Words could not be truer:
Studying at the amazing library at the University of Madison-Wisconsin. They even have robotic shelves that move when you push a button!
In Madison, they have a bike recycling center in which they take old bikes, fix them up, and then paint them crimson-red and hand them out practically for free to students. Cindy was able to borrow this from one of her friends, and she let me ride it around for a day or two. Do not let the looks deceive you: although it looks broken-down, it actually rode very comfortably. A great way to check out the local sights of Madison.
I was biking down State Street, and decided to check out the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
One of the posters advertising their exhibit for the “Triennial” that they have–in which many Madison artists exhibit their best work.
Inside with their beautiful architecture.
Photos taken from the roof. Downloaded a few cool presets from PresetPond.com, a site with free Lightroom 3 and Aperture plugins.
A picture of the Orpheum, one of the classic old-school theaters.
More of the amazing architecture–with the light coming in.
A portrait of one of the helpful guides at the museum. I told her how impressed I was by the modern art at Madison and how it could rival some of the exhibits in Los Angeles.
What I especially loved at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art was that it wasn’t too big, but not too small. At times museums can get so exhausting because there is that obligation to check out every single exhibit. However in about two hours, I was able to check out almost all of the exhibits pretty well-indepth, with some energy left to go exploring for the rest of the day.
The Orpheum Theater from outside. I love this old vintage look.
Buildings I found in an alleyway.
Grabbing a hot-dog at a local stand.
A cute kid who was “working” with his grandpa (in the background).
In front of the Capitol Building with Cindy, having a picnic after grabbing some Five Guys, which is one of the best burger joints that I have ever visited. The burgers and fries (imho) are 10x better than In-and-Out’s.
The Juicy Juicy Insides.
Ton of people out for Madison’s “Outdoor Concert.”
Cindy Posing outside.
A beautiful sunset on the way back to her place.
So long story short… Madison is pretty awesome. Go check it out.
Chicago Street Photography
Two weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of heading to Chicago for the first time in my life. My girlfriend Cindy at the time (and currently still is) studying Vietnamese at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, and after being away from one another for a month, decided to meet in Chicago. I flew over from Los Angeles and Cindy took a bus from Madison and we both rendezvoused at the airport. After that, we were able to spend an entire wonderful day in Chicago, while eating at the “Taste of Chicago“, which is one of the largest food festivals in all of Chicago which happens once a year. We also met up with my cousin Holly who lives in Chicago, and she was able to show us around Millennium Park as well as some local food places.
Anyways a quick rundown of my impressions of the city: It reminded me of a mini-Manhattan, except with more greenery and better-tasting food. I got a great vibe from the city, as it felt alive, dynamic, and full-of-soul. Also it was great to visit a place where two of my favorite rappers (Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco) are from. I can truly see where they got their inspiration from in creating their music about the city (Chi-town) that they love.
Didn’t have too much time to take photos, as I was busy eating the amazing food (the deep-dish pizza is not hype) as well as taking in the environment. However I was able to grab a few snapshots which illustrates my impressions of the city.
The next day Cindy and I headed to Madison, where I stayed there for about a week. Photos to come…
“I Shoot In The Streets” Graphics
Hey yall,
One thing that I have always wanted to do was design T-shirts and maybe have my own little “Street Photography” line. Maybe Urban Outfitters would eat this stuff up?
I always have been fascinated with design–especially typography. I still definitely am a huge noob at it, but I think that it is something that I enjoy doing. What do you guys think of these graphics that I made? Could they look good on a T-shirt?
Version 1: White
Version 2: Black
Tell me what you guys think! Leave a comment below :)
Show Your Favorite Photos – Results
Hey guys,
So I ran my first “Show Your Favorite Photos” mini-contest on my blog today, in which anybody could participate by uploading their favorite photos to my Facebook Fan Page. Here are the gorgeous images of the people who participated and links to their sites (if they had one).
Stay tuned for the next “Share Your Favorite Photos” contest! :)
What Should I Shoot? – Street Photography 101
Before you go out and shoot, you must decide where to go out and shoot. I usually go to an area with lots of people walking around. Museums, parks, or any downtown area work very well. The more people you have in a certain area, the more likely your chance of finding interesting subjects to shoot.
However you shouldn’t only limit yourself to heavily-populated areas. The beauty of street photography is that it has no limits. You can shoot photos anywhere; it doesn’t only have to pertain to the streets. You can probably find great subjects for photographs in very mundane places like the grocery market or even the library. The entire world is up for grabs.
Above all, the best way to go out and shoot is to pick a location and simply go out. Have a few places that you want to check out in mind, and let your curiosity guide the rest of your little mini-journeys. When I go out, I prefer to take an entire day walking around while taking public transportation to get to my location, be it the subway, bus, etc.
I also bring all of my stuff in a messenger bag, as it makes taking things easily accessible. I typically only carry around 2 prime lenses (my Canon 35mm f/2 and Canon 24mm f/2.8) along with some water and some food. Also just in case, I make sure to pack an extra battery and memory card along with any other random necessities I may need. However I try to always keep my bag as light as I can. Just for reference, I use the Timbuk2 Commute 2.0 bag which I highly recommend that holds nearly all of my stuff. Although it is a bit pricy, it is made out of fantastic materials and also has room to carry my laptop as well. Messenger bags don’t have to be expensive, however. There is a great deal for several in different colors on Amazon for under $20.
Once you walk, bus, or metro to your destination, just feel free to walk wherever you want. Lead yourself down barren alleys, into random stores, and toward strangers. Open up and talk to the local people in the area and strike up a conversation. Tell them about your photo journey and if they have any places that they recommend you check out. Don’t be too picky with what photos you decide to take. If something just attracts your eye for one reason or another, take a photo of it. Don’t feel obliged to only take photos of what you would consider “street photography.” Keep your mind and options open.
After a long day of shooting, go home, download your photos from your memory card to your computer, and have the fun of picking your best images, while reliving your exciting little adventure.
Getting Close – Street Photography 101
Something that is imperative to street photography is to get close. Street photography is not only about documenting life, but being an active participant. Therefore in order to capture the true essence of a scene, use a wide-angle lens and get really close to your participants to capture the scene and the mood of a scene. Wide-angle shots allow the viewer to be immersed in what you are shooting and “see it from your eyes.” Furthermore by shooting with a wide angle lens, you are able to capture more of a scene which gives your images better context and life.
But if I am shooting with a wide-angle lens, doesn’t that mean that I have to get close to people? That definitely is true. This may be uncomfortable to many people, but often the most interesting images are created when the subjects that you are capturing are aware of your presence and react. Getting the looks of shocked people looking straight into your camera can create images that captivate your audience—making them truly feel that they are a part of your scene, rather than a voyeur merely looking in.
Although I advocate using wide-angle lenses when it comes to street photography, I am not stating that it is the only way to participate in street photography. I know a great street photographer named Tom Kaszuba who uses telephoto lenses to isolate his subjects and get great candid portraits of them in moments of contemplation. These can make effective images which are nearly as moving. However I would avoid using telephoto lenses when shooting in the street merely because you are merely “afraid” of taking photos of people. I have noticed through my experience that it is much more awkward to get “caught” pointing a huge lens straight at a person, rather than getting caught shooting a portrait of a person right in front of their face with a wide-angle lens. The reason being is that because you are so close, people will assume that you are taking a photo of something behind them.
If you are still a bit timid of shooting wide-angle portraits of candid people in the streets, practice on your friends and family. If you don’t have a wide-angle prime lens (such as a 24mm or 35mm, which I use) but a wide-angle zoom lens, practice shooting pictures of people really close at your widest setting. This will typically mean that you are standing only 3 feet away from that person. Note how wide-angle images of people will capture their essence while pulling the viewer into the images themselves.
What are you waiting for? Get close! Don’t be afraid, and see what happens.
Only Show Your Best Photos
This is a general tip which is quintessential to photography. Like they say, you are strongest as your weakest link. The same applies to photography; your photography is only good as your worst photo. If your audience sees all your work and stumbles upon a photo that doesn’t seem “as good” as your other images, it lowers the legitimacy of your photography by a notch. You don’t want to show your audience a series of snapshots; you want to show them a gallery of your best work.
A common mistake many photographers do is have two images of the same scene in a series. Sometimes a scene can interest us and we will take several images of it, and we feel that they are all great. As difficult it is, you have to strive to only show your best image.
To determine which image is your best, try to be brutally honest with yourself and just make the decision. If you are in a huge rut, you could always ask a friend for a second opinion. I did this quite often with my girlfriend Cindy. I show her two different variations of the same image and ask for her honest opinion. The majority of the time I go with her opinion.
I know choosing between two photos is like choosing between two children. It is very difficult– but it is something that has to be done.
My Vision of Open Source Photography
You might have heard the phrase “open source” tossed around. But what does it really mean? To state simply, it is a movement in which individuals wish to provide access to technology or knowledge for free to the masses. A great example of one of the most popular open source platforms in technology is Linux, which is a fully-functional operating system (created to compete with Windows) except that all of its code (as well as the entire software) is open and available to the public for free. In addition to Linux, there is OpenOffice (Microsoft Office alternative), Gimp (Photoshop alternative), as well as a plethora of other software which allows users to have access to software for free.
Piggy-backing off the idea of open source software, I am a huge proponent of “open source photography.” When I refer to photography as open source, I am talking less about the technical aspects and more of the philosophy behind it. In the realm of photography, there can be a lot of elitism amongst photographers who have the latest and most expensive cameras and lenses. This often causes many new photographers (or photographers on a budget) to be intimidated and not delve into photography worrying that their point and shoot cameras are simply not “good enough” and that they can’t get a decent photo without having a thousand dollar+ camera.
One of my visions about photography is to tear down these walls of discrimination and allow photography to be open to all, regardless of the experience, gear, or interests that somebody may have. This passion that I had inside me helped install some of the virtues to “The Photography Club at UCLA,” a photo club that me and two of my friends started. Nearly half of our club was made up of individuals who had point and shoot cameras, and they were able to take photos nearly as great as others in the club who sported DSLR cameras. As the president, I also encountered many fellow students who were interested in joining the club, but always were reluctant to join because they didn’t have a “pro camera.” However I would always encourage them to join regardless of their background with photography. The only thing I told them was required was a passion for photography.
With the boom of the digital age, photography is now much more accessible as the advance of technology has also driven down prices. When point and shoot cameras first came out with less than a megapixel sensor, they cost nearly $500. Nowadays, you could get a camera with a 12+ megapixel camera for around $100-$200 dollars. The same is with DSLRs (Digital Single Lens Refex Cameras—ie. the “pro” cameras). The first DSLR cameras that came out cost thousands of dollars, but now you can obtain a solid starter DSLR for around $500 (still not a small sum of money by any means, but much more accessible). Even for individuals on a budget, purchasing a camera is now affordable.
Getting back to the concept of open source photography, I wish to provide as many of my photographic insights to others for the pure advancement of photography as a whole. This means that I never keep any of my photographic techniques secret. I strive to share with people how I convert my images to black and white. I strive to teach people how to best utilize their cameras. I strive to spread the love of photography for anybody who has the passion for it. Furthermore, I also strive to provide a hub in which photographers from all over can feel free to share their images, their insights, and their techniques on photography as well. Hopefully my photography blog will achieve this in one way or another.
Photography allows anybody to become an artist. Not everybody is gifted with drawing, painting, or designing, but photography makes creating art as simple as clicking a button. Granted that creating a good photograph is more difficult than just clicking a button, the potential of creating a captivating image is indeed that easy. Photography allows the creation of something tangible in mere milliseconds, something that cannot be done in any other form or art. Even children with no formal training in art can pick up a camera and take snapshots of life which can move and impress adults.
I am not quite sure where this journey of mine of promoting open source photography will take me, but I know that my passion for photography is not something I can keep to myself. Help me achieve my vision and promote this idea of making photography available to all—whether it be to your friends, family, or to that nagging little cousin who always tugs at your shoulder, wanting to learn how to take photos. You’ve got nothing to lose—but everything to gain.
The Soul of the Street Photographer
Here is an essay that I wrote on Street Photography that I plan on including in the introduction of my Street Photography Book that I plan on publishing. It is a bit long, but I hope you enjoy it:
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The Soul of the Street Photographer
I feel that street photography is the most pure out of all the forms of photography. In all other forms of photography, the photographer is always trying to strive to take a photo of something that is out of this world; be it a majestic sunset, a mysterious creature, or a flower so beautiful that we are shocked in awe by it.
However street photography does the exact opposite.
The photographer takes what is in this world, no matter how dull or mundane, and turns it into a piece of art. The man who is sipping a cup of coffee at the coffee shop, or the woman who is carrying her groceries home, or the couple who is sharing an embrace at the corner of a crosswalk. These are all very ordinary events and we all just let it pass by our very eyes. We don’t pay attention to these things, let alone see it as something “beautiful.”
That is where the role of the street photographer comes in. He captures that one instant and makes it immortal and frames it, and allows everyone to actually take a second out of their busy schedules and contemplate on it. Nobody truly notices these moments in their lives, and with the help of the street photographer, these people start cherishing these small yet wonderful things in their lives.
The idea to look at a very ordinary scene and to interpret it in a different way is the most difficult part of a street photographer. By paying special attention to lines, curves, shadows, light, and context, a photographer strives to make this ordinary scene into somewhat of a stage in which he wishes his actors to interact with somehow.
A street photographer has very little control over his images, as he simply tries to capture little bits and pieces of everyday life which are fleeting and once they disappear, they are gone forever. All a street photographer can do is frame his shot, check his camera settings, and click his shutter. He cannot control his environment as his stage is dynamic and constantly changing and evolving. The types of people who are constantly walking in and out or the way they act with the environment or other people are uncontrollable. So to take a truly great street photograph, the street photographer has to have a little bit of luck on his side to have the ideal conditions just when he hits that shutter.
This however, doesn’t mean that a street photographer doesn’t have skill and is simply “lucky” when taking images of his photographs. Granted that whatever scene a street photographer comes upon is beyond his control, a street photographer is the one who is able to creatively take with what he has and make it into a story.
If anything, a street photographer shouldn’t even be regarded as a photographer, but rather a storyteller of sorts who is able to capture a certain scene and have the viewer interpret it in a certain way. A true successful street photograph is one that piques the viewer’s interest, and has him or her constantly guessing and interpreting what “is going on” in the photo.
However the street photographer as a storyteller has the most difficult job of them all; to tell a story without having any control over it. Compared to a writer who makes up his own stories, a street photographer must work with what he has to tell a certain story or tale.
To be a successful street photographer, one must have a passion for seeing the world and exploring all the beauties behind it. How can one expect to capture great moments in life without actually going out to the world and seeing all of these things happening? Often individuals look at some of the world’s finest street photographs and mutter to themselves, “I could have taken that photo if I was there.” But the fact is, that the person was not there at that certain moment and if that person could not truly see like a street photographer, that person would have simply let that moment pass by.
If the street photographer is not at a certain place at a certain moment when something fantastic occurs, how can he not expect to capture it? It is metaphysically impossible not to do so.
While taking photographs in the streets, the street photographer is instilled with an incredible sense of freedom. He is like a lion to his jungle and is free to roam wherever he wishes. Nobody can tell him where to go, what to see, or what to do; he simply does as he likes. Only his instinct controls him where to go next.
While roaming around his urban jungle, he almost melds and becomes part of the environment. Although others are aware of his presence, nobody pays special attention to his motives or movements. The street photographer will be able to take multiple photos at incredibly close proximities to people, without having them even notice or without having them even caring. But to walk around and not be given notice to, he must be fluid in his movements and be careful not to disturb any of the life around him.
The street photographer is also adventurous and is willing to take the path less followed with the hopes of finding a moment of serendipity and genius. The street photographer will go down that mysterious alley or up those misleading stairs while others will not. The street photographer wishes to see new things and places and is not content with staying in the same place for much too long. When he finds himself in a foreign and daunting environment, he does not react with fear but rather with a sense of curiosity and is willing to explore.
A street photographer is also more preoccupied with his photographers rather than worrying about his gear. The fallacy of many photographers is that they often chase the newest cameras and lenses hoping that these expensive tools will help their shortcomings as a photographer. Granted that a point-and-shoot camera can have considerable lag when it comes to taking photos which makes it difficult to capture a certain moment in time, a simple DSLR or even film rangefinder can do the trick. The quality of his images are not dependent on how sharp they are, but rather the intrinsic quality of composition, genius, and creativity apparent.
However the only concern a street photographer must have when it comes to the question of camera equipment is by having his trusty primes nearby. Although zoom lenses may be more practical in other types of photography by allowing photographer to use multiple focal lengths, they are not as effective as tools when it comes to street photography. Their smaller aperture and larger size make them too slow for night settings and too conspicuous for street settings.
Prime lenses also help street photographers to be more creative with their work, by further imposing even more limits on what little control they have of their scenes. On top of not having control of the people around them, they are restricted to only a certain focal length which may invite them to think of more creative ways of capturing a certain scene which may have not been thought of before with a zoom lens. For example, if a street photographer had a zoom lens and saw something interesting in the distance, he may be simply tempted to zoom into the scene which disconnects him from the environment. However if a street photographer chose to use a wide-angle lens, it may invite him to become “part of the scene” and get closer to get stronger images which really put the viewers into the shoes of the photographer.
However all-in-all, a street photographer is a lover of life. He does not discriminate and sees all people as beautiful in their own inherent ways. He constantly pushes himself to immerse himself amongst people, and not only be a voyeur but a full-on participant. A street photographer cherishes every moment that he experiences and lives, and most importantly, strives to share those little slices of life with others.
Get Featured on Eric Kim Photography’s Blog!
Hey guys,
In order to see more of your guys’ amazing photography, I decided to run a mini-competition for about a week (until Saturday) for people to contribute their images, which will get featured on this blog!
Instructions:
- Go to my Facebook Fan Page
- “Like Me“
- Post your best photo to my wall (instructions)
- That’s it!
Next Saturday (July 17th) I will post all of the photos on my Facebook Fan Page to this blog! I will also give you guys credit and include a link to your Facebook, Twitter, Blog, or whatever.
Looking forward in seeing your guys’ entries!
ha.inthevisual. photography
25 Things I Have Learned Traveling While Backpacking in Europe
Hey guys, In lieu of my popular post on the “100 Things I Have Learned about Photography,” I originally planned on writing a “100 things I have learned about traveling in Europe” post as well. However this time around, I decided to embellish more on each of the points that I presented. Therefore, I realized that I would cut my list short to “25 things I have learned while traveling in Europe.” Furthermore, I also have had a few friends asking me for pointers or tips for backpacking in Europe. So hopefully in the near future, I will be able to write (to the best of my knowledge) a comprehensive guide for students trying to backpack in Europe (on a limited budget). So until then, please read my post and feel free to share this list with anybody you want via Facebook, Twitter, Email, or IM. Also please leave me a comment below as I always love hearing feedback! :)
25 Things I Have Learned while Traveling in Europe
- Pack lightly. There is no worse feeling than lugging around a bag of bricks on your back when you are trying to enjoy yourself.
Patiently Waiting. Paris, 2009 - Be frugal, but enjoy yourself. You don’t want to blow away $20 every meal that you are eating when on the road, but at the same time you want to enjoy the local cuisine.
Skating. Paris, 2009 - Use the local language. Although you may be worried about butchering the language and that locals will criticize you, the opposite Is more true. People appreciate the fact that foreigners try to embrace their culture and highly appreciate it (regardless of how terrible your accent may be).
Italian Resturant Owner. Rome, 2009 - Plan, but not too much. When you are traveling, it is nice to have a peace of mind knowing that you will have a place to spend that night. However on the other hand, spontaneity is the most exciting while traveling. When you arrive at your destination, simply get a map and ask the locals for the top sights. Leave the rest to fate.
Cinque Terre, 2009 - Don’t be afraid. This is what prevents most people from traveling in the first place. There are a million “what if’s” that cross a person’s mind before deciding to travel. “What if I run out of money?” “What if I get mugged?” “What if I don’t enjoy traveling?” All of these concerns may be legitimate to a certain degree, but most of the terrible stuff you hear happening to travelers are over-blown by the media anyways. Most people die without even leaving their country. Do you want to regret that when you are on your dying bed? Embrace your courage and explore!
Rome, 2009 - Make friends. I recall that while traveling, my fondest memories were not so much shaped by the sights I saw or things that I experienced, but rather the people that I met during my journey. Take the time to know fellow travelers or native locals. It is surprising how much I grew while learning about our differences and our similarities.
Thirst. Venice, 2009 - It is better to spend more time in fewer places, than see more places in less time. Traveling is incredibly exhausting. When you are on the road, there will be a few moments that you will be able to sit down and rest. So when traveling, it is best to save your energy and allow yourself to let your surroundings soak in, rather than going for the goal of seeing as many places as you can. Doing this will cause you to get burnt out, which will cause traveling to be more of a chore than something you can enjoy.
Cinque Terre, 2009 - Get enough rest. If you do not get enough rest while traveling, you will be miserable. It is much better to get a late start on the day and enjoy the fewer things that you may see, rather than getting up extremely early when you barely have enough energy.
Sunbathing. Prague, 2009 - Eat up. When you are traveling, you will be a calorie-burning machine. Don’t be shy to fill your stomach while traveling and worrying about stuff like carbs, sugar, fat, etc. Even if you eat a ridiculous amount of food while traveling, you will most likely end up losing more weight than before you started your trip.
Canard. Paris, 2009 - Invest in a good backpack. True the nicer backpacks may run you over a hundred dollars, but they are truly worth it. I highly recommend North Face backpacks (I used the North Face Recon Backpack), as they are extremely comfortable and are built super-tough. Furthermore, they are rain-resistant and their zippers won’t break, even if you fill it to the brim. While traveling I used the North Face Recon, which had more than enough space and zippers for everything I needed during my trip. If you just travel with a more generic backpack like a Jansport, your back will hate you.
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The North Face Recon Backpack. What I brought with me during my trip. Highly recommended. - Take photos, but limit yourself when necessary. If you are a first-time traveler (as was I), you will probably go photo-happy from all of the unique things that you will see during your trip. Although it is great to capture many memories while traveling, it is also important to truly enjoy your trip, rather than trying to document every second of it. I learned this one from my girlfriend Cindy, and it was probably the best travel advice that she ever gave me (even though being a photographer I am naturally inclined to take thousands of photos at a time). Some things are better enjoyed without your camera.
Paris, 2009 - Go alone. People often say that this is the best way to travel. Not only do you have time to get to know yourself better, but you will also be forced to meet other people. Being abroad and having that sense of anonymity is surreal, and it is definitely an experience that everybody should have. I probably had the deepest moments of self-introspection during the few weeks that I traveled alone.
Image in’ Air. Paris, 2009 - Go with a friend. Although this contradicts the point previous, it is also great to go traveling with a friend (or two). You will be able to create memories together that only you two share, and you can always reminisce after the trip is over. Furthermore, it is also economically sound to pool your resources together when it comes to getting a room together, eating food, or getting other miscellaneous discounts when sightseeing. Also inextricably, you will grow so incredibly close to that person so quickly, and build a life-lasting bond with one another through your experiences.
The Entrance. Paris, 2009 - Keep a journal. This is one of the things that I am glad that I was very religious about while traveling. My girlfriend Cindy told me that it was a great practice to do, and so I did. Although during the trip it was sometimes a chore and difficult to do on the grounds that I was always so tired, being able to open that journal and reminisce on past memories was so precious. Also, there is no better way to unwind from a long day than journaling your thoughts, feelings, and things that you did during the day.
Journal Every Day - You don’t need to be rich to travel. Although I was a broke college student, I refused to allow my economic situation to prevent me from traveling and seeing the world. To finance my 30-day trip to Europe, I took out a $4,000 student loan from UCLA and bought my plane tickets, hostel-lodging, as well as my travel expenses. Granted that $4,000 isn’t chump change, in my opinion it was a very small cost to fulfill one of my dreams in life, which was to go backpacking through Europe. There are so many people who make excuses from fulfilling their life dreams due to fiscal reasons. However I am a true believer in that if you want something badly enough, you will make it happen.
Row. Florence, 2009 - Museums are physically and mentally draining. Now I am not trying to discourage any of you from visiting museums when abroad in Europe. Europe houses some of the most distinguished museums from around the world which are home to some of the greatest artists from history. However be warned, museum visits take a LOT of your time and energy. Trying to see more than a museum a day is extremely ambitious (it is difficult to even see all the exhibits in one museum in a day). Just a tip.
Spiral. The Vatican, Rome - Flying via Ryanair is one of the best ways to travel through Europe. If you book flights early enough, you could seriously go on flights from Paris to Rome for $3.00 (including tax and misc. costs). How the hell do they do this? Well first of all, these seats are special promotion deals and the times that they offer are very limited (super early in the morning, or super-late at night). Furthermore, if you are limited in terms of what you can bring (only one carry-on baggage, and it costs extra to bring luggage as well). Furthermore, they bombard you with advertising before, during, and after your flight. However if you are smart, you could seriously have your transportation within Europe for nearly nothing! Check out Ryanair.com for their deals!
Ryanair- the best value for traveling within Europe - Do your laundry by hand. You can easily do this while traveling by using a bungee cord and a bar of soap. To do all my laundry when I was in Europe, I simply washed my clothes in the hostel sinks with soap, and hanged it on some impromptu clotheslines which were made out of a bungee cord with hooks on each side. It would usually take 2 days for my clothes to dry fully, which would allow me to always wear clean clothing while traveling even though I only had around 5 pairs of shirts, socks, and boxers with me. This will save you the hassle of wasting all your money on laundry money and also packing fewer clothes while traveling, which equals less weight on your back.
Buy one of these. - Take the path off the beaten road. Sure the traditional landmarks of Europe may be nice and all, but the most beautiful things that I experienced were not the touristy places, but rather those hidden gems that you fall upon in a moment of serendipity. So do not always feel obliged to see what is popular, but just let your curiosity lead you down mysterious alleys, over gracious bridges, and through unexplored tunnels. Relive the child in yourself.
Cinque Terre, 2009 - Feel free to skip what is uninteresting to you. Don’t feel obliged to do things that seem uninteresting to you. For example, if you enter a famous landmark and it simply doesn’t compel you in any certain way, there is nobody forcing you to be there. You can just speed through the place and just leave. What is one man’s treasure may not necessarily be your cup of tea.
The Dancing House. Prague, Czech Republic. - Smile. Whether you are talking to the manager of your hostel or to a random vendor on the street, smile as often as you can. Smiling at others instantly makes yourself seem much more welcoming to the other person, which can stir up an interesting conversation or interaction. You will be surprised that how far a smile to a random stranger in the streets can go.
The Faces. Paris, 2009 - Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Let’s face it, when you traveling you are going to be lost more than once. Rather than being worried of being stigmatized as a “lost tourist,” put away your pride and ask for help. It is amazing how willing people that people can be when helping others. For example, when I was lost in Venice (the most impossible city to get around without getting lost), I asked a man who was speaking Italian to his friend if he knew where X was. He then quickly stopped his conversation, and walked me for nearly 10 minutes to my destination. There was another time when I couldn’t find my bus to take me to the airport, and a complete stranger walked around with me for nearly an hour, talking to other locals to help me find my bus. People are more kind and generous than one realizes.
Mime at St. Pancras. London, 2009 - Don’t be tied to your computer. When I traveled, I bought an Acer Aspire One Netbook to write quick emails, do research, as well upload images to my hard drive while traveling. However I made it a point to stay off my computer as much as I could during my trip. There is nothing easier than getting sucked into using the internet for hours on end, wasting precious time that you have overseas. Rather than unwinding after a long day of traveling by using the computer, use that potential time to journal (do it in a notebook), get to know fellow travelers, or simply reflect on the day. When you are traveling, disconnecting from the internet can be one of the best ways to “detox” from being wired.
The Louvre. Paris, 2009 - The world is a big place. Although I have done a fair share of traveling while growing up (moving around many times in California, moving to New York for 3 years, driving back across to California in a car, going to Canada, and Korea) I now realized that I barely saw anything at all. Once I went to Europe and experienced a totally different culture, it shocked me to realize how small my home (and country) was to the rest of the world. Although Los Angeles is one of the biggest cities in the world, it is nothing but a speck when compared to the rest of the world.
Via the Eiffel Tower. Paris, 2009 - Home is where the heart is. After my 30-day journey of backpacking in Europe, it caused me to appreciate my home so much more. Although I did visit some of the best museums of the world, relished at the antiquity of the cathedrals, and dined on some of the most exotic foods, I came to the realization that all of these things that I experienced while I was abroad was readily available at home as well. I do not say this to discourage anybody from traveling. On the contrary, this is one of the biggest reasons why I advocate people to travel is because when they come back home with a fresh new pair of eyes, they appreciate home so much more. After coming home, make sure to tell all of your friends and family about your wonderful experiences while traveling, and don’t forget to embrace them and also tell them how much you love and appreciate them as well.
The London Eye. London, 2009
Click below to see more… My Europe Photos Slideshow
Have a great July 4th Weekend! – Off to Chi-town
Hey guys,
I’m going to be going to Chicago for this July 4th weekend to meet up with my girlfriend Cindy as well as heading to the University of Madison, Wisconsin, where we could also hopefully connect with Cydney Alexis! Have a wonderful weekend and see you guys soon :)
How to Master “The Decisive Moment”
“The Decisive Moment” was a term coined by the pioneer of street photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson. During his time, photography was still a relatively new art medium and it wasn’t taken seriously. Furthermore, photographers were often criticized for not having the same discipline and creativity as traditional artists as photographers can create their images in a matter of seconds, not hours.
Anyways, Cartier-Bresson believed that “The Decisive Moment” was that split second of genius and inspiration that a photographer had to capture a certain moment. For example, that half of a second that you have when a man is jumping over a puddle, when a couple embraces for a kiss, or when a person points a finger at another. This moment is fleeting, meaning that once you miss that half of a second to capture that moment, it is gone forever. You can never recreate the same circumstances in terms of location and people.
So an important lesson about “The Decisive Moment” is that the best photo opportunities often flash before our eyes and we must be ready at all times to capture those moments. That means bringing around your camera everywhere you go. Street photography is built on the mundane and ordinary moments, so any moment is a potential for a great photograph. Some of the most disciplined photographers bring their cameras even to places like the bathroom or the grocery market.
You must constantly be looking for moments to capture, so be sure to always keep your eyes and camera ready. Have you ever seen a photo opportunity but you didn’t have your camera on hand and deeply regretted it afterwards? This happens very often, because the greatest photographs can be captured at the most unexpected times.
Also when capturing a “Decisive Moment,” timing is crucial. Capturing an image half a second too late or early can greatly influence the outcome of an image. In many of my images, I take photographs of advertisements which look like they are interacting with people on the street. So if I want it to appear if a woman in an advertisement is staring at a man walking by, I must pull the trigger at the exact moment when eye contact becomes apparent. Half a second too early or late can kill the effect of the image.
So always be quick and never miss those “Kodak Moments.” Once that moment is gone, it is gone forever.
To learn more, read: “7 Tips How to Capture ‘The Decisive Moment’“
5 Tips How To Overcome Your Fear of Shooting in Public
One of the questions that I am asked quite often is, “How did you get over your fear of shooting in public?” To answer that question, I got over it by simply going out and constantly shooting in public. However it definitely does take a lot of practice and effort to build up that courage of shooting in the streets without feeling like a “creeper” or out-of-place.
For those of you who may not know, I recently graduated UCLA with a B.A. in Sociology. Therefore when it comes to photography, a lot of my sociological thoughts get intertwined as well. In many introduction sociology classes, teachers often assign students “breaching experiments,” which involve doing things which violate certain “social norms” which may make you and others feel uncomfortable. However I have found that by realizing that these social norms which govern everyday life are not concrete and can be bent to our whim, I quickly got over my fear of shooting in public.
Therefore these are some sociology breaching experiments that I have put together which could help you first get over your fear of looking “strange” or “awkward” in breaking social norms (such as taking photos of strangers in public). Although these may seem quite easy on the surface, doing them in practice is actually quite difficult. I have been making it a point to practice these breaching experiments as often as I could, and I can admit that I still have a long way to go until I could have enough courage like street photographer Bruce Gilden, who is famous of taking really up close and personal images of people. [YouTube].
5 Sociology Breaching Experiments:
- Make eye contact with strangers and do not look away. If they stare back, smile and see how they respond.
- When entering an elevator, turn the opposite way, even when everyone is facing the “right” way.
- When walking down a busy street, suddenly put your things aside and lie on the ground for five seconds. Then stand up and walk away.
- Smile and wave at a random stranger. See how they react.
- Now take out your camera and take a photo of a random stranger. Observe what happens.
Help get the word out there and share this list with your fellow photographer friends! Post it to Facebook, your blog, or even tweet it!
How to Get Started with Street Photography Part I
So if any of you guys are interested in street photography, the question might be on your mind: “Where do I start?”
Well, for starters you need a camera. The most important step is actually going out and taking photos . If you are new to photography, all you might have is a point-and-shoot (a regular digital camera). This is great when it comes to street photography, because street photography doesn’t require extremely complicated nor expensive gear. A point and shoot can actually be better than DSLRs in many ways because of the discrete body and almost silent shutter. If you have a DSLR or anything else that’s great. As long as you have something to shoot with.
So once you got your camera, you need to go out and start shooting. This is the phase in which the majority of budding photographers fail. People will always find excuses NOT to take photos rather than finding excuses TO take photos. The most popular ones I hear are: “I don’t have an expensive camera,” “I don’t have enough time,” or “I’m intimidated.” Don’t think so much about the details– just go out and do it.
The example I always use to counter the “I don’t have an expensive camera” argument is by telling them how much more convenient and effective even the point and shoots are today. The average Canon Powershot gives great image quality as well as giving instant results… and compare that with a film camera that has a steep learning curve and the inconvenience as well. Furthermore, most modern digital point and shoots have image sensors with such great image quality it is difficult to discern them from DSLR images under normal shooting conditions (during the day).
People will say “I don’t have enough time.” That is never an excuse because the beauty of street photography is that you can take great images of ordinary events, no matter where you are. So if you just carry around your camera with you everywhere you go, you can easily take photos while walking across the street, in a café, or even while walking to class. And I am also a firm believer in the idea that you can always find time for something you are truly passionate about, no matter how busy you are.
The last excuse I hear is that “I’m intimidated, and I don’t know where to start.” I have no idea what people can possibly be intimidated by. Unless you have someone peering over your shoulder every time you are taking a photo, you have nothing to worry about. And to simply start, you just go outside and start taking photos. It’s really that easy.
Monday Meditation – feature in Demand Studios
Hey guys,
Just wanted to share with you that my “Eiffel” picture was featured in the Demand Studios blog! Check out the post here.
Hollywood Weekend Photo Outing
After a long hard week of work, I thought that I’d do something that I have been meaning to do for nearly a year but never went through with it: spend an entire day in Hollywood, just roaming the streets and taking photos. I never know why I never was able to find the time to do so when I was in school. Perhaps I was too busy with my clubs, work, research, and tests. But anyways on Friday night, I decided that on Saturday (today) I was going to go out and go exploring in Hollywood.
But before I went to go explore in Hollywood– of course I had to watch the Korea vs Uruguay game, so I headed over to my friend Jun’s place. After a painful 2-1 loss (we choked twice during the game during goal-scoring opportunities), I had some breakfast with my friend Kay-Won at Jack in the Box and then went home to pack my things.
I then went to my place and took my trusty messenger bag and packed the following things: my camera, my 35mm f/2 and 24mm f/2.8 lenses, a bottle of water, a peanut butter sandwich, my netbook, and some change for the bus. After waiting at the bus-stop for nearly an hour, I finally got on the bus and after a windy trip down Sunset Blvd, I got off the stop and started to explore.
Click on the link below to see the rest of the story….
So once I got off the bus and started to wander around, I honestly had no idea what I was going to do today. All I know is that I wanted to see the “You are the Star” mural on Wilcox and Hollywood Blvd (which I did end up seeing and took a photo of). Therefore I walked a few blocks north to hit Hollywood blvd and I started to make my way walking down East.
I finally got on Hollywood Blvd and passed by all the typical touristy stuff (The Wax Museum, the Chinese Theater, Hooters), etc. I then started to walk around, looking for great photo ops. The first one came to me. I saw this very fashionable guy (who looks pretty metro) casually standing in front of an American Apparel store. Low and behold, there was a mannequin almost mimicking his pose, but opposite. I also was attracted by the colorful swimsuits in the top-left corner. Therefore without any hesitation, I casually stepped back and shot this image with my 24mm (I was standing on the curb…but my wide-angle helped me capture this image).
After walking a few steps down, I saw another photo op. I got really close to this lady who was nicely juxtaposed against this sign, and snapped a photo. Nobody noticed me as all.
Walking down a bit more, I saw this dad patting his son’s head. Thought it was pretty cute.
After walking down a bit, I saw another photo op. The guy on the bottom right was actually smoking, and I wanted to grab an image of him. However once I picked up my camera, he immediately put his cigarette down. Photo fail.
Walking down a bit, I stepped into this little bar. They happened to be showing the USA vs Ghana game, so I sat down and watched a bit. However after feeling a bit antsy of wanting to take photos, I got up and continued my journey.
When I continued to walk down Hollywood blvd, I saw this picture of a woman eating (tofu?) super seductively with a pair of chopsticks, with red all throughout. Like a giddy schoolboy, I was fascinated by this image and rushed across the street, seeing that this woman (my perfect model) was about to pass through. I quickly rushed in front of her, and snapped a few photos, this one being my best one. I think it came out quite nicely–considering the awkward angle I had to shoot with my wide-angle.
I then crossed the street again, saw this awesome mural and snapped an image of it. Too bad I couldn’t get any interesting people in it.
I then see this woman, shooting a photo of a star. Man I gotta get this photo. Click.
I then continued to walk down, and suddenly a small gallery caught my eye. I entered in, and was first caught off-guard by this awesome mural on the wall. I talked to one of the ladies in front and she explained to me that this gallery was called “LACE“, which stands for Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. It has been around for nearly 30 years, and was founded for artists to have a public space to show their work. Admission was free, and it was completely open to the public. They even sold sweet swag in the front as well.
I then stepped into the next exhibit, and out of nowhere I see this HUGE Hello Kitty outline on the wall. I wondered what the hell this was about, and one of the people sitting around told me that it was an exhibition in which the viewer was encouraged to participate. She then read me some “instructions” which were on the table. They went something like this: 1) Sit down 2) Listen to the headphones 3) Listen to what is being said, and trace it inside a hello kitty template (which was provided). Seemed simple enough. I then started to listen, and to my surprise, it was a chapter out of a Holocaust book. It described in detail how Jews were forced out of their homes and into concentration camps. Actually writing the words of the story inside the hello-kitty template made the words stick much more to me, and in this I was able to see the true irony that the author was trying to promote. Contrasting something so horrible as the Holocaust, while writing the words inside of something as innocent as Hello Kitty. I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibit.
After I was done, I slowly put away the headphones and stood up. I then saw a girl (who was watching over the room) sit alone in a chair in a corner of the room, obviously looking quite lonely. I then decided to talk to her, and introduced myself as a recent graduate from UCLA. To my surprise, she also happened to be from UCLA as well. She introduced herself as Mallory Venema, which I commented was an awesome name. She told me that she had often gotten comments that people made fun of her last name for sounding like “Venom”– but I assured her that it was something more mysterious and unique than negative. Mallory then told me that she was an Art-History major, and she was part of the Art-History Club on campus (which featured an exhibition I was featured in titled: “Lost Angeles”). I then yelled out “NO WAY!” and told her I was featured in it. She then realized that I was “The Eric Kim” whose photos everybody enjoyed. I felt quite flattered by this and then we got into a conversation which encompassed her deciding to teach English in France, my Sociology of Facebook class, as well as how I got into photography.
Somewhere along our conversation, Mallory also told me a bit about the exhibition. She described that the entire theme for the month was based on “Participation”– which I found fascinating. The exhibit (shown below) she described as an artist discussing the BP Oil Spill (or as I like to call it–the Oil Geyser–for reasons I will describe later). She told me about how people from the public were encouraged to take some chalk and write what they felt. Looking at the wall, there were some insightful stuff–while some others wrote irrelevant stuff like “Legalize Marijuana” and “420.” I then decided to participate and took a piece of chalk and wrote how I felt: “Fuck BP” as well as writing: “Oil Spill Geyser!” which is a better word to describe how thousands of barrels of oil is constantly erupting from the bottom of the ocean into the Gulf of Mexico everyday.
I then thanked Mallory for her little tour, and continued on my journey.
I then continued to walk down Hollywood Blvd for quite a bit, and finally found the mural I was dying to see! “You are the Star” I found this mural pure genius in the sense that the mural really makes you feel like you are on the stage, while also putting the interesting twist of having all the celebrities look at YOU for the change, not the other way around. In the mural there were many famous celebrities (I could only name a few). However I was a bit sad to see that Marilyn Monroe was graffitied over “Love Me.” Clever–kinda, but more vandalism than being artistic. Why would somebody deface such a beautiful piece like this? Quite a shame.
Check out the full-resolution version here! See all the stars you can spot, and leave a comment!
After admiring the fine mural, I then decided to continue on my Hollywood journey.
I then kept on walking and then saw an image that made me almost as excited as that previous “lustful image.” A flower painted on a wall out of nowhere? Perfect photo opp.
I then stuck around for a bit, waiting for interesting people to pass through. This one definitely has to be the best. A guy riding through on a pretty small bike… with a cowboy hat on. The image doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense, but the tension between the star, the man on the bike, and the flower interest me.
As I continued to walk down I saw a ton of soccer fans dressed in American apparel. I asked one of the bystanders if the US won. They told me that unfortunately they lost, 2-1 to Ghana. There were a ton of people just milling around, and I thought I would join the fun.
Walking and wandering a bit more, I came upon this crimson-red building. On the top I noticed it said, “Home is where the heart is,” which struck a personal chord with me. After backpacking and traveling through Europe, that was the one quote that stuck with me. Putting it on top of a apartment complex? Genius.
I then continued to walk around, and saw where all of the US soccer fans came out of, which was a huge sports bar/pub named “Dillon’s Irish Pub.” Simply curious, I stepped inside the door and observed the place. Tons of fans, beer, and TV screens. Sweet. They even had an upstairs! I hurried up the stairs and started to snap a few photos, when I saw a waitress walking up. Still using my wide-angle, she nearly bumped into my camera when taking this image below. Quite possibly my favorite photo I took all day.
I then left, and continued my journey. Saw some sweet double-decker parking action.
I then came upon a man on a ladder, putting up the letters for a premiere. I had never actually encountered anyone actually in the process of doing this, so I took a moment to simply stand and stare at this man do his job. Him, noticing me, yelled out to me, “How are you doing?” I replied that I was doing fine, and we struck up a conversation. He told me about some of the strategies that he used when centering the text, by calculating how many spaces were on the bottom vs on the top. He also told me that it was difficult to spell out the words, because he had to write the words “backwards” to get it to show up correctly. I also told him that it was interesting how he did everything by hand– something that looked almost like an art. He then commented and told me that some other people just stand on the bottom with a pole and hook and put up the letters like that, but he felt that it wasn’t as nearly personal as doing it by hand. He also commented that in putting that “personal touch” it ended up looking better anyways. I agreed and told him that it looked great.
He then realized that he was missing a few letters and quickly descended his ladder and went inside to fetch them. He wanted to continue our conversation, so he told me to “…just wait right there.” I stood around for about a minute, shifting my feet while looking at some of the posters outside. He then quickly hurried outside and we continued our conversation. Standing next to him, I was impressed by the strength that exhumed him. First of all, he was physically built. Huge bulging biceps, solid and protruding chest, as well as a square-chin which made him look like Rocky. However at the same time his old age peeked through, which was apparent through the few grey hairs peeking out of his jet-black hair, as well as the sun damage in his skin. However, he still permeated youth, as he was quick on his feet and ascended the ladder again quickly. I continued to talk to him for a bit, and then told him that I would be going on my way. He wished me the best, and I continued my journey.
I wish this journey was longer, but it soon ended afterward. I was quite tired, and hungry, and figured I had enough pictures and story to share. I walked back unto Sunset and started to wander around, looking for the bus back home. I ended up eating a hot pastrami sandwich at Togo’s before heading back to the bus stop.
If you read all of this and looked at all of these images, I congratulate you. Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Also if you liked this, feel free to “retweet”, “share on Facebook,” or “like” this!
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