I am very interested in ideas and how they spread. Especially “viral†ideas. A while ago I came upon this study on virality that studied the most shared articles on The New York Times and the researchers had a hypothesis on what causes something to spread like a virus.
Their research suggested that the articles that got shared most applied to their “3 A†theory — awe, anger, and anxiety. Articles that evoked a strong emotional response from the readers.
Curious how you can apply this to your street photography to make more memorable images? Read on.
I am excited to announce that  Burn My Eye (an international photography collective) is holding its second exhibition at the very prestigious Third Floor Gallery from September 14 to October 28. They are one of my favorite photography collectives at the moment- I love the energy, originality, and exuberance of their members’ images. Make sure to put it in your calendar and swing by the opening, which is Friday, Sept 14th!Â
What makes a photograph memorable? What makes a photograph so powerful and so magical that it burns itself into our memories? Why do certain photographs withstand the history of time? Why do certain shots that are perfectly composed and framed are easily forgotten or dismissed? What makes a great photograph? How much of it is subjective vs objective? Is there a “science†behind making a memorable photograph?
These are many questions and thoughts that constantly revolve in my mind. Although there are no definite answers to any of these questions, many things I have been learning in sociology, psychology, and cognitive science have been giving me some clues.
While there is no certain “magical checklist†in what makes a certain photograph memorable, I will apply some studies to a hypothesis which could help you create more meaningful and memorable images from some thoughts from cognitive science.
I saw a message via Richard Bram on Twitter about an upcoming street photography talk in NYC at the Museum of NYC, Monday Sept 10th at 6:30pm! If you are in town, make sure to attend! The price is only $12 and I am looking forward to the informative talk! I will be there in attendance too :)
Description: Contemporary street photographers discuss their stories, what they won’t shoot, living in a world where everyone has a camera on their phone, and more.
Join us for a conversation with contemporary street photographers who will reflect on how they approach people, public spaces, and the unpredictable nature of their work. The program will be moderated by curator Sean Corcoran.
I was honored to meet Anders when I taught my street photography workshop at Fotografiska (he taught a workshop at the same time). People I knew who met him described him as very intense and hardcore- and I was a bit nervous meeting him. However upon meeting him, he was an incredibly loving, caring, and down-to-earth-guy. He looked at my work and gave me great words of advice and inspiration.
Although Anders describes himself as a “private documentary photographer” – I love his thoughts, feelings, and philosophy that I feel many of us street photographers can learn from. If you are curious about learning more, read on!
Hey streettogs, I am excited to share that the great folks at Custom SLR (one of my site sponsors) are launching its black C-Loop and wants you and a friend to shoot in comfort and style. The Custom SLR C-Loop and Glidestrap are fantastic for street photography (as they take pressure off your neck, keep your camera always ready by your side, while keeping your hands free). You can see one of my reviews of the setup here.
The winner of this giveaway will receive the following:
Upload your (1) personal favorite street photograph you have ever taken to my Facebook Fan Page and share the following:
The story behind the shot
Why the photograph is meaningful to you
One piece of advice you would give to other street photographers
Your email address (So we can contact you if you win. It won’t be used for any marketing purposes – we promise).
Notes:
If you don’t have a Facebook, you can leave a comment below and provide a link to your favorite street photograph (and include the following points above).
If you upload more than one photograph for the entry (or don’t include all 4 points above in the caption) you will be disqualified.
#3: Share for More Chances!
If you want another entry to the contest to improve your chances of winning, you can also do the following below!
Tweet:
“Just shared my favorite street photograph with @erickimphoto for a @customslr giveaway! http://bit.ly/Oww3Sc”
*Thanks to PetaPixel for the giveaway format/idea!Â
More Info
Deadline to submit is Sept 6th.
This is a giveaway, and the winner will be chosen via Random.org.
Any questions about the giveaway? Leave a comment below!Â
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info.
A.G.:There is a fine line between cinema and photography. Good cinematography and good photography shows when you have a good arrangement of elements such as light, composition, and subject. But more often than not, a cinematographer has total control of everything while the photographer shooting on the streets uses what the streets provide. So when a photographer is able to show cinematic street scenes, that is a feat of skill in itself. That is why you should check out Ms. Helen Hill’s Mis en scene. (more…)
(Above image: Garry Winogrand, World’s Fair, New York City, 1964. All photographs in this article copyrighted by the estate of Garry Winogrand)
Garry Winogrand is one of my favorite street photographers that I have gained much photographic insight and wisdom from. He was in-arguably one of the most prolific street photographers of his time (he shot over 5 million photographs in his career) and one of the most passionate. However, he hated the term “street photographer” and simply saw himself as a “photographer”. It is an idea I later understood and respected very dearly, as Winogrand was more interested in making photographs than classifying himself for art historians.
I never understood a lot of the things that he said about photography like why you should wait a year or two before developing your shots, why photographs don’t tell stories, and how photographers mistake emotion for what makes great photographs. Although I didn’t really get what he was saying, I was intrigued.
After having done a ton of research on Winogrand and finding out more about his philosophy in photography, I found a treasure chest. Although I am not an expert on Garry Winogrand, he has influenced my street photography profoundly. I wish through this article to illustrate some things that Winogrand taught to his former students (the bulk of the quotes are from “Class Time with Garry Winogrand by O.C. Garza” [PDF] as well as “Coffee and Workprints: A Workshop With Garry Winogrand” by Mason Resnick).
If you want to learn more about what you can learn from Garry Winogrand, read on!
(All images in this article are copyrighted by Stephen Shore)
While in Amsterdam I checked out the FOAM photography museum and picked up a book on Stephen Shore. For those of you who may not know, he is one of the early color pioneers in photography in America. Although his style is classified more as documentary and urban landscape, I think there is a lot of things we can learn from him as street photographers. If you are interested in learning more about color and street photography, read on!
MOO has generously provided us with 2 sets of 100 Classic Business Cards and 2 sets of 200 MiniCards ($50.00 retail value each) for a give-away to four lucky readers of the blog!
I really like MOO Cards for a number of reasons: they’re printed on high quality thick stock, the sizes are unique (the MiniCards are about 1/2 a regular sized business card and the Classic Business Cards are shorter and wider than them as well), and you can choose different images for each card and from images that are already linked to your Flickr account. Having business cards to hand out on the street can come in handy – it definitely can take away the ‘creep’ factor when someone asks what you are doing.
To enter this awesome giveaway, all you need to do is:
Share a link to the street photography photo you would like printed on your Moo Cards in the comment section below OR tweet the link and add @overheardatmoo #ekspmoocontest in the body of your tweet! AND
I have always shot street photography in black and white. After all, it is what all the classic street photographers did. Whenever looking at famous photographs shot by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertesz, Garry Winogrand, and so forth they were always black and white.
The last 6 months or so I have shot exclusively using color film (Portra 400). After about 5 years of shooting mostly black and white and now shooting mostly color I have learned a lot about the benefits and the difficulties of shooting in color. I have also discovered many influential early color photographers who have had a profound impact on myself.
When I started street photography, I resented the fact that I lived in Los Angeles. To me it was a boring, tired city that I lived in- and I wanted to go somewhere more exotic. I wanted to go to Paris, Tokyo, and New York – where the “real action” was for street photography.
I have been to all of those places and while they are fantastic for shooting street photography, sometimes the grass is greener on your own side. However if you are still interested in some tips for traveling and shooting street photography, read on!
One of the biggest misconceptions I know runs rampart in street photography is the “myth of the decisive moment”. What do I mean when I talk about “the decisive moment” simply being a myth?
Well of course there generally is a “decisive moment” when you hit the shutter – to capture that exact moment you desire in a photograph.
However one of the common misunderstandings that plagued many street photographers (including myself) was that the decisive moment simply being one shot. After studying many contact sheets from Magnum Contact Sheets book, I was able to gain a new level of insight to read the mind of a street photographer.
I recently got interviewed for Expert Photography which is run by Josh Dunlop. In the interview we discuss how I got started in street photography, how I would describe my style, as well as advice for aspiring street photographers. Check out the interview below if you have the chance!
As a sociology student at UCLA, I have learned many insightful things through my courses that I have applied to my street photography projects. If you are struggling with finding your own voice in street photography or how to construct a project- check out my post below. I discuss my personal experiences in sociology, how I applied those concepts to my street photography projects, as well as practical advice to those who want to learn more.
I am also excited to announce my new “Dark Skies Over Tokyo” project that I shot in 2011 and just published.
When it comes to street photography, it is easy to get caught-up in the hype of new cameras, spending too much time on blogs, and not enough time out shooting. I think one of the most difficult things in street photography is to find enough time to shoot and being able to also relax when out on the streets.
I suffer lack of focus, obsession about gear, and also not enough time out shooting on the streets. It is a battle I constantly fight with myself to change. If you ever felt that you have had difficulty finding focus in street photography, hopefully this advice I will share will help you. Also included in the article is some of my unpublished work from 2011, hope you enjoy!
Alex Webb’s recent book, “The Suffering of Light” is his seminal book encompassing his entire career shooting color street photography. During several decades he traveled across the world, primarily in Latin-American countries, using Kodachrome slide film to capture the intense color and light of the societies he visited. His images are full of life and are beautifully complex, and crosses many borders and dips into photojournalism and fine art as well.
If you love street photography and are especially drawn to color, definitely pick up a copy of “The Suffering of Light” today. It is definitely one of my top-10 favorite street photography books of all time.
To become better in street photography (or anything in life), it is essential to get honest and constructive criticism. However the problem with the internet nowadays is that our attention spans are short, and the majority of the comments/feedback we get on our Facebook/Flickr streams include phrases such as, “Nice shot!”, “I love the light!”, or my personal favorite “What camera/lens do you use?”
For this article I will try to give some suggestions and guidelines on how to give a constructive critique. Giving constructive critiques to others will not only help others, but it will also help you judge your images better as well.
I also included inspirational images from Fred Herzog for this article, one of my favorite color street photographers at the moment. Hopefully his work will inspire you too!
We street photographers constantly struggle with the concept of identity. We idolize certain photographers and their shooting and aesthetic styles, but sometimes we have difficulty carving out our own photographic identity. We are also, in a way, saying something about the identities of the people we photography in the style we choose to tell the story.
For this exciting challenge, we want you to interpret the concept of “identity” in a street photography image and share it with the community.
Take photos between now and July 15, 2012 and choose your single best shot related to the them and upload it to my Facebook Page before end of day on the 15th. You may choose to add a brief explanation or description of your photo.
Myself, photographer Charlie Atkinson, and my Manager Neil Ta will choose the Top 10 images and place them into an album for the community to vote.
PRIZES!
Grand Prize Winner: The street photographer with the best image as chosen by the three judges will win a Retrospective 7 bag from thinkTHANK Photo (valued at $155 USD).
People’s Choice: The photograph with the most likes at the end of day on July 22, 2012 will win a copy of Street Photography Now (valued at $30 USD), which is a quintessential part of any street photographer’s book collection!
Remember submissions will end July 15th, 2012, so get out there and get shooting! Good luck to all!
Any questions? Leave a comment in the questions below!Â
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Check out more info here.
A.G.:Â Coming back from a small hiatus, I’m bringing you my analysis and some personal thoughts of Manila photographed by Jun Abe and published by Vaccum Press. I would like to apologize if the images of the book is bad, the actual book is absolutely brilliant. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled features next week!
Manila, Philippines. August, 1983. Then President Ferdinand Marcos just lifted Martial Law a few years prior but still hold absolute power over the Philippines. The country was in a state of constant flux due to President’s’ aggressive development plans under his dictatorship. This dictatorship was met with heavy opposition from his political rivals. Most notable is Benigno “Ninoy† Aquino Jr. It is in this month that Ninoy was shot dead in the then called Manila International Airport. With political turmoil and social instability plaguing the country, it was in this period when Jun Abe, armed with his camera, photographed the city of Manila.
30 years later, Vaccum Press comes out with the photographs coming from that trip.
I just read a book titled: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, which was a book about introversion and the conflict they often encounter with extroverts in society. Reading the book as an extrovert, it gave me great insight on how introverts think, behave, and interact with the rest of the world from a psychological perspective.
Being an extrovert myself, I often have a difficult time how introverts think, behave, and see the world. My girlfriend Cindy is an introvert, and I initially read the book to understand her better. In the end of reading the book, it gave me great insights about street photography as well, through better understanding different personality types. After chatting with my buddy Brian Sparks about the idea, he thought it would be a great idea to share this idea (he is an introverted street photographer). So special thanks for him for giving me the inspiration to write this.
Around a year or two ago I had this idea to write a free e-book on street photography, particularly one that was focused on overcoming your fear of shooting street photography. Over the course of that time, I have written a substantial amount on the topic, yet it sat in my folder on my computer. It simply felt too overwhelming in terms of how much I needed to edit the text, how to format the e-book, as well as what images to include.
However when I was in Berlin, my friend Andreas Weeber mentioned the book – and when I was going to release it. I stopped dead in my tracks, and thought to myself: “Oh yeah, what ever happened to that book?”
On my plane ride home, I then started editing it down further, and trying to prepare around an 80% completed project that I would simply share with others. After all, I think perfection is the enemy of getting things done.
Info about the book
As a disclaimer, the bulk of what I wrote for the book was several months ago – and some of my opinions have changed drastically during the time. However, I still think it will be a helpful resource to anybody who is having a difficult time overcoming their fear of shooting street photography. It is also unedited, full of typos, and grammatical errors.
What I ask for you guys is if you could help me edit the book, make some suggestions, and leave them in the comments below. Also if anyone is interested in helping design a pretty-looking PDF version of it, please leave a comment below!
Download
These are the rough cuts of what I have available so far. I am releasing this content as open-source, free for you to pick apart, edit, and distribute freely. However what you are not allowed to do is to charge money for any part of the content in this book. Also I kindly request if you post any part of this book anywhere, please mention my name and link back to my blog.
I recently read a book titled, “Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity” – which was written by an author named Hugh MacLeod. The story goes that MacLeod was struggling and frustrated as a young copyrighter in NYC, and while living at the YMCA, started doodling on the back of business cards while sitting at a bar in mini-comics. His popularity lead to his popular blog, gapingvoid.com – and built a reputation for snarky yet insightful humor about society.
He gives a ton of great advice in the book (I highly recommend everyone who is interested in creativity or need some inspiration to read it). One of the things that he says that really hit me in the chest was, “Validation is for parking”.
One of the mottos that I have is “Buy Books, Not Gear“. Why? While buying gear is important in photography, the best “bang-for-the-buck” way to improve your photography is to buy lots of photography books to improve your photographic vision and insight. Many of us (including myself) can get sucked into “gear-porn” and worry too much about the equipment, rather than gaining inspiration and creating art.
I picked up my copy of Capitolio via the iPad in the iTunes bookstore after being recommended by my buddy Bill Reeves. The word “Capitolio” refers to the domed building that houses a government. For example in Washington D.C., the Capitolio is set on top of Capitol Hill. For this book, Christopher Anderson set out to Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela.
STUCK IN A CREATIVE RUT AND LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION TO TAKE YOUR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
I’m really excited to announce that I will be teaching a 3-day (6/29-7/1) street photography workshop in Downtown LA at the Hatakeyama Gallery. I will be teaching this street photography workshop alongside my close friend and colleague Rinzi Ruiz. Rinzi has a phenomenal eye for light, shadows, and excels at shooting in black and white for his street work. He has also taught alongside me for several workshops and has had great feedback from prior students.
This is the last street photography workshop I will be teaching in Los Angeles until middle of next year (I’m moving to Michigan at the end of August), so make sure to attend before you miss your chance!
This will be an intensive 3 day workshop focusing on developing and executing short and long term photography projects. Â While the course is open to photographers of any ability, we suggest that intermediate photographers looking to advance to the next level would benefit most from this course.
(Above Image Copyrighted By Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum)
So for this week, the assignment is legs! This was chosen by the winner of last weeks challenge Giovanni Savino. Upload your best 1 legs shot captured between now and this Friday to Eric’s Facebook fan page. We will choose the best shots and feature them on the blog!
Recently Complex put out a list titled “The 50 Greatest Street Photographers Right Now” which has caused quite the stir. Although I was happy to see my name on the list, I was a bit embarrassed to see my name there as half of the people included weren’t even what I would consider street photographers.
I chatted with a few people online, and thought it may be a good idea to make a list of 50 street photographers people should follow on Flickr – who may not be as well known. However after crunching away at this for around 5 hours, I only have enough mental energy for 25. Some of the names you may recognize, and others you may not. Regardless check out the fresh talent in the street photography community on Flickr!
I recently came upon the work of Lars Tunbjörk from my buddy Mattias Leppäniemi, a Swedish documentary photographer. What I love about his style is that he is able to effectively combine the energy and grit of street photography, yet make a statement about society through the rigor of the documentary approach.
In his project “Office” he captured perfectly the monotony, chaos, and sense of alienation that offices give the modern-day office worker. Having worked in an office myself, it is fascinating to see this strange social world as an outsider.
(Above Image Copyrighted By Elliott Erwitt / Magnum Photos)
So for this week, the assignment is “One Liners”. This was chosen by the winner of last weeks challenge Hao Jiang. Upload your best 1 “One Liners” shot captured between now and this Friday to Eric’s Facebook fan page. We will choose the best shots and feature them on the blog!
(Pablo Picasso’s original quote: “Bad artists copy, good artists steal”)
When I first started street photography, I remember doing a ton of google searching on street photography. Of course, the first street photographs I saw were street photography from Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Andre Kertesz, and the work of the greats. I also remember seeing a lot of street photography from the guys at in-public, being especially drawn to the work of Matt Stuart, David Gibson, and Jesse Marlow.
I was quite drawn to capturing â€decisive momentsâ€, humorous juxtapositions, and surrealistic images. That was all I was exposed to, and all I knew. I thought that was the only way to shoot street photography, and devoted myself to shooting that style.
I am currently staying with my buddy Brian Sparks in Stockholm, and was fortunate enough to also have him as a co-instructor at my 4-day street photography workshop at Fotografiska. In the above video, I interview him at his home (and also get some sweet book recommendations). Check out his work below, and his book/video recommendations!
Photos by Brian Sparks
Photo Book Recommendations from Brian
Below are some of the photo books mentioned in the video interview.
Hi guys, I hope everyone is having a good weekend, after talking to Eric we decided that the photo above by Hao Jiang has won the second week of the assignment series, so huge congratulations to him!
Albert Khan was a french banker and one of the richest men in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. He set out on an ambitious project to document the people of the world, for the people of the world. He ended up with a collection of roughly 72,000 color autochromes taken from 1908 – 1931. Because they are wet plates they were extremely hard to reproduce and share the work in its true beauty.
Check out the bookhere. There are also a couple of parts of the documentary by the BBC floating around YouTube which are definitely worth a watch.
Thanks to Rich Bowen for telling me about this, it blew my mind as some of these people in the photos where born in the 19th century!
I was shooting with my good friend Mattias Leppaniemi, and he is currently working on a project on the elderly in Stockholm. He took a nice photo of this 88-year old Swedish lady, and had a really sweet story to tell. She told him that him taking a photo of her really made her day – and after he showed her the image she said, “Wow- your camera has really great film, that’s why the photo looks so good!” Watch the video above, it will really warm your heart and remind us why we go out shooting on the streets :)
Eric’s Note: I am excited to announce that moving forward, every Tuesday will be “Charlie Atkinson Tuesdays”. Charlie will help the community by write inspirational articles every Tuesday. Please give him a round of applause as this is his first post!Â
Charlie: On Eric’s last night staying with me in the Netherlands, we found ourselves eating sushi and drinking beer having a discussion about how important it is to always try to go out and shoot as much as possible. This is often difficult, as I have a full-time job as a fashion/product photographer- and I feel tired and uninspired after work. This discussion lead me to mention this quote I heard a while back, which says, “The eye is like a muscle, you have to keep it fit“.
For this blog post I will talk about 3 quick and easy tips to keep you inspired and shooting street photography!
(Copyright: David Hurn/Magnum Photos/Magnum Photos)
I recently finished reading a book “On Being A Photographer” which is an amazing instructional book for aspiring photographers. The book was written by Bill Jay, in collaboration with Magnum photographer David Hurn. The book covers many different things, such as how to select a subject, how to work on a photography project, as well as how to edit and select your best images.
This article is going to be aimed at the top things I learned from reading the book. Now read on and see what you can learn from David Hurn and Bill Jay!
Eric’s Note: This article is written by Misho Baranovic, Melbourne-based street photographer and one of the co-founding members of the Mobile Photo Group.Â
Misho: It’s been over a year since I last posted my ten tips for shooting street photography with an iPhone. Over this time we have seen massive improvements in the quality of the camera and big changes in how images are shared, particularly through the growth of Instagram.
So, here is an updated list of tips for shooting street with an iPhone. These tips are aimed at iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S users. (Some functions mentioned will not work with the iPhone 3.)
Photo by Andreas Weeber. The winning image of the workshop!
Just uploaded the best street photographs from my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop participants in Berlin! See all of the photographs here on Facebook.
We are always told that money doesn’t make us happy. Although I like the saying, it isn’t entirely true. Scientific studies do show that money buys us happiness- but only to a certain extent. For example, if you literally make only $10 a month, of course you will be miserable. However making $10,000 a month compared to $5,000 a month won’t make much of a difference. According to some study I read, money can only buy you happiness to the point that you make $70,000 a year. After that, it doens’t make much of a difference.
Money can make us happier in street photography. You also don’t have to be rich to reap these rewards. Curious on how money can buy you more happiness? Keep reading to find out.
I am currently in Berlin, and about to head out to Amsterdam tomorrow to teach a street photography workshop with Thomas Leuthard. A week afterwards, I will be teaching a 4-day street photography workshop for the Stockholm Photography Week with Fotografiska (the Swedish Photography Museum).
I always try to travel light- and typically carry just my messenger bag and my North Face Recon Backpack. Considering I blog while traveling, I carry more stuff in my messenger bag than I’d like. But to me, it is still relatively light (still trying to find ways to cut down). For those of you streettogs who travel a lot- hopefully my bag shot can help give you some insight on what I just packed for my trip!
When I was in Melbourne, I met up with street photographer and co-founder of the Mobile Photo Group (MPG), Misho Baranovic. For those of you who may not know Misho or the MPG, they essentially shoot street and documentary photography with mobile devices and share their work online through a number of platforms, including Instagram.
Being an Android user myself, I never understood the hype of Instagram. To me it seemed just like another camera app where people would take photographs of flowers, sunsets, or lattes and add tons of crazy processing (lomo or vintage film anybody?). I essentially thought it was a platform only for Justin Bieber lovers or hipsters with too much time on their hands.
On April 5th, 2011 South African photographer Anton Hammerl went missing after coming under fire from Gaddafi loyalists near the oil port of Brega in Libya. The three journalists with him, Clare Gillis, James Foley and Manu Brabo were captured and detained for 44 days.
For 44 days Anton’s family was told repeatedly by the Libyan regime that Anton was alive and well. The truth is he was left to die in the desert.
Anton is survived by his three children – 11 year-old Aurora, 8 year-old Neo, and 1 year-old baby Hiro – and his wife Penny Sukhraj.
The “Friends of Anton” initiative was formed to raise money for the family of Anton. Photographers who have donated prints to the cause include: Â website which has the latest details about the auction: 6.30pm at Christies New York on Wednesday 15 May.
Bruce Davidson
Samuel Aranda (2012 WPP winner)
Alec Soth
Sebastio Salgado
Larry Fink
Marcus Bleasdale
David Alan Harvey
Ron Haviv
Susan Meiselas
Ed Kashi
Simon Roberts
Finbarr O’Reilly
Kate Brooks
Check out the “Friends of Anton” site to see how you can help support this noble cause!
(Above photograph by Jun Shen Chia from his “Tokyo” series)
Eric’s Note: This article is written my good friend, fellow street photographer, and gamer Jun Shen Chia. I met him in Singapore, and marveled at how he was able to shoot so quickly on the streets. I also found out he was a total nerd when it came to video games- and asked him to write this fun article! Enjoy it.
Jun Shen: People ask me, “Jun Shen, how do you shoot so fast on the streets?!?â€Â  I’m like a ninja, whipping out my camera, shooting it, and putting it away so quickly that my subjects don’t know what hit them. They walk away whispering to themselves, “What was that? Did he take our photo?
It’s thanks to video games, folks. Read on to find out why.
Thank you for your feedback and thoughts in my previous article titled, “Why Digital is Dead For Me In Street Photography“. The post I written has sparked a healthy amount of discussion and debate. However I would like to clarify some points which I made in the article which I feel was misinterpreted.
(Above image:Â Henri Cartier-Bresson, Naples, 1960)
Adam Marelli, a photographer based in NYC (also doing a street photography workshop with me in NYC [register intent] and Calcutta India [register intent]) recently wrote up an incredible series on composition, surrealism based on the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Make sure to bookmark all the pages below (they are very thorough and intense) and read them when you have some time on your hands!
(Above photo from my “Dark Skies Over Tokyo” series. Shot with my Leica M6 and Kodak Tri-XÂ film)
I never really understood the appeal of film in the digital age. After all, shooting film was expensive, cumbersome, and a pain in the ass to do compared to digital. Not only that, but with digital I had all the instant gratification I wanted. I didn’t have to wait before seeing my images- they would come to me instantly. I could post-process them all I wanted- to give my images that certain ‘look’ that I desired.
For this post I will share how I first got introduced to film street photography, the pros of shooting street photography with film, and how you can get started shooting street photography with film as well. Keep reading to learn more!
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info.
AG: This week, let me share to you some thoughts on why having a body of work is important while showing a great work from Kip Praslowicz.
After years of studying, looking, and analyzing photographs I have to realize one thing: The body of work is the most important thing a photographer should have. However, the journey of making a body of work is not that easy. It is so consuming that at times, photographers sacrifice their personal lives in pursuit of the great work. More often than not, it results with a lot of emotional and mental stresses. Â With those reasons and a lot more, why then do we need to pursue a body of work? (more…)
Eric’s Note: Tomasz Lazar, a very talented young street photographer recently has had the honor of being chosen by the jury of Emphas.is to present his project “Theater of Life” alongside with such great photographer as: Kadir van Lohuizen,Lynsey Addario, Christopher Morris, Paolo Pellegrin, Tomas van Houtryve, Laura El-Tantawy, Carolyn Drake or Joao Pina. Now he is trying to gather money for next part of my “Theater of Life“. With Emphas.is you can get access to the entire process of developing the project, tracking his every step from planning to research to the travel diary.
Tomasz: Theater of life is a very personal project about life – how I perceive of it. It is an exploration of surrealism in everyday life. Theatre of life is an essay that is a combination of my experiences and thoughts about what surrounds me.
Tokyo, 2016 (with “Eric Kim Monochrome 1600” preset)
I’ve been working on these presets for a long time. They’re mostly optimized for the Ricoh GR and when shooting with flash— but I figure they will look good with any camera (as long as you shoot in RAW).
There are two Lightroom presets included:
Eric Kim Color 1600 (gritty, high-contrast color preset)
Eric Kim Monochrome 1600 (gritty, high-contrast black and white preset)
Under the “Presets” drop-down menu (bottom-left) right-click (or on Mac, control+click) and click “Import…” and then select your presets from your “Downloads” folder
Apply to your image
Older Presets
Downtown LA, 2015. “Eric Kim Neopan 1600” preset.
Below are my Lightroom film simulation presets from 2015:
Eric’s Note: “Waiting For Haiti” is a long-term photography project by photographer Robert Larson that aims to help raise awareness and money to support smaller charities in Haiti. Read the story of Renaldo Fevilien, one of the friends that Robert befriended while in Haiti- and the horrific atrocities that he suffered. *Note that many of the photographs in this post are incredibly graphic and may not be safe for work.
Robert: This is Renaldo Fevilien.
Renaldo and I met during my last trip to Haiti. Our mutual friend Jeanmary Michel introduced us the night I arrived. We were watching The Boondocks and drinking whiskey. I remember looking at Renaldo sitting there with this I.D. card / bottle opener around his neck, and wearing his sparkly clean Lugz. My first impression was “damn thats a big son of a bitch!â€.
TURKEY. Istanbul. 2001. View from a barbershop near Taksim Square. (c) Alex Webb / Magnum Photos
Photographs used with permission from Alex Webb
One of the street photographers who have had a strong impact on my street photography is Alex Webb. Webb is a Magnum photographer who uses strong colors, light, and emotion to capture beautifully complex images. After picking up a copy of Alex Webb’s “The Suffering of Light” I fell in love with his work and his use of color- and started to also make the transition from black and white to color.
If you want to see some things you can learn from Alex Webb and his work, keep reading below!
Suggestion: When you are out shooting on the streets, try to get subjects in your foreground, mid-ground, and background. Be patient and wait until all the elements come together, and think of how your photographs can lead viewers into your photograph, and then out of them.
2. Fill the frame
USA. New York City. 1983. Coney Island.
“It’s not just that that and that exists. It’s that that, that, that, and that all exist in the same frame. I’m always looking for something more. You take in too much; perhaps it becomes total chaos. I’m always playing along that line: adding something more, yet keeping it sort of chaos.” – Alex Webb
If I could categorize some of Alex Webb’s work it would be “orderly chaos”. He often fills the frame with so many subjects that it almost feels too busy. However many of the subjects in his photographs don’t overlap and there are many “mini-interactions” in his photographs. This is what makes his images interesting- as I think his photographs tell lots of small stories inside the frame.
Suggestion: When shooting on the streets, try to constantly add things to your frame – yet know when “too much” is “too much”. Try not to overlap the subjects in your frame, and try to have a nice balance between dark shadows and the light (shoot when the light is good- sunrise and sunset).
3. Walk… a lot
USA. Texas. Dallas. 1981.
“I only know how to approach a place by walking. For what does a street photographer do but walk and watch and wait and talk, and then watch and wait some more, trying to remain confident that the unexpected, the unknown, or the secret heart of the known awaits just around the corner.” – Alex Webb
The only way you are going to capture great street photographs is to walk on the streets… a lot. When you are out walking on the streets, you will open yourself up to many more opportunities to shoot on the streets, and also experience the feel of a place.
Back home in Los Angeles, nobody walks. In-fact I am guilty of it myself. When I go to the supermarket (which is about a five minute walk) I like to drive my car (which only takes one minute). However on the way I am missing potentially great photo opportunities.
Suggestion: Try to walk as much as you can. Even if getting to a place (grocery store, bookstore, shopping center) will take 30 minutes (instead of five minutes) try to walk. Bring your camera along, and you will open yourself up to many more photo opportunities.
4. Look for the light
USA. San Ysidro, California. 1979. Mexicans arrested while trying to cross the border to United States.
“Colors are the deeds and suffering of light.†– Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
“The Suffering of Light” is the title of Webb’s most recent book- a phenomenally beautiful book with smooth and thick white paper, velvety pages, vividly brilliant colors, and a great selection of Webb’s best work from the last 30 years.
From a recent interview he talks about the quote:
“My understanding – of course, I’m not a philosopher or a scientist – of an aspect of Goethe’s theory of color is that he felt that color came out of tension between light and dark. I think that is very appropriate when you think about the kind of color that I shoot.” – Alex Webb
He often describes when he is shooting in places- he looks for the tension between borders. For example, he found Istanbul a fascinating place because geographically- it is located as a hub for many different cultures. It is a melting pot in terms of socio-economic, political, and ethnic terms. He says about Istanbul, “I returned frequently between 2001 and 2005 to complete a book on this vibrant and melancholy city that sits between the divide between the East and west: Istanbul: City of a Hundred Names”.
He also refers to shooting at the U.S.-Mexico border and says:
“…There is something about the transience, the impermanence of the border that has always fascinated me. It’s a place where two cultures meet and intermingle and create almost a third country.”
From another interview when asked about himself shooting:
“When I am working, then I really have to work. I really have to work. I really have to stay attuned. I have to get up early in the morning, get out and I wonder and maybe the light is getting less interesting, then I eat my breakfast… I work in color, where light is really important in a very special way, so I work certain hours much more than others. I am always out at the latter half of the afternoon and in the evening.”
Suggestion: When shooting in color, don’t shoot color for the sake of shooting color. Think about what sort of message or meaning that shooting in color has. Also make sure when shooting with color – shoot when the light is good (morning and late evening).
5. Realize 99.9% of street photography is failure
MEXICO. Boquillas (Border). 1979. Jumping.
“Luck – or perhaps serendipity – plays a big role… But you never know what is going to happen. And what is most exciting is when the utterly unexpected happens, and you manage to be there at the right place at the right time – and push the shutter at the right moment. Most of the time it doesn’t work out that way. This kind of photography is 99.9% about failure.” – Alex Webb
It is rare that you make a great photograph. There are some many things beyond your control. How your subject looks, the intensity of the light, the background, the moment, and so forth.
Therefore realize that when you are shooting street photography, 99.9% of your images are going to be bad photographs.
Suggestion: Go out and shoot as much as you can. Although 99.9% of street photography is about failure, the more you go out and shoot- the more chances you will have to take great images.
If you go out and shoot for an entire day and shoot 100 photographs, you might get 1 decent photograph. If you shoot 200 photographs, you might get 2 decent photographs. If you shoot 300 photographs, you might get 3 decent photographs.
Of course if you machine gun when you are out shooting- it won’t make you a better street photographer. Shoot with intent, and after that – a lot of getting a great image is a numbers game. Remember you can make your own luck.
6. Work on projects
HAITI. Bombardopolis.1986.
“Most of my projects seem to start as exploratory journeys with no visible end in sight.” – Alex Webb
As written previously, I believe that working on projects is a great way to approach street photography. The reason is that working on projects will give you direction, purpose, and will allow you to create a narrative or story.
However working on projects is often difficult. We don’t know how long they will take, or what to shoot. When talking about his own projects, Webb states: “Different projects seem to have different arcs of completion”.
Suggestion: Think about how you see the world, and how your photographs reflect that. First start off by shooting your own life. What makes your city unique from others? If you want to go travel, go to a place with an open-mind and see what themes emerge. Then start focusing on those themes- and narrowing down.
Guanajuato. 1987. Child and statue.
There are times we may hit brick walls with our street photography, and don’t know what direction to head toward. Webb shares one of his experiences:
“In 1975, I reached a kind of dead end in my photography. I had been photographing in black and white, then my chosen medium, taking pictures of the American social landscape in New England and around New York – desolate parking lots inhabited by elusive human figures, lost-looking children strapped in car seats, ad dogs slouching by the street. The photographs were a little alienated, sometimes ironic, occasionally amusing, perhaps a bit surreal, and emotionally detached. Somehow I sensed that the work wasn’t taking me anywhere new. I seemed to be exploring territory that other photographers- such as Lee Friedlander and Charles Harbutt – had already discovered.” – Alex Webb
After this realization, Webb headed to Haiti, which transformed him- and also influenced him to change his work into color.
I experienced something similar myself. When I first started shooting street photography, I shot like Henri Cartier-Bresson – looking for the decisive moment, being patient, and juxtaposing interesting subjects and backgrounds. However after a while, I found myself hitting a dead wall- and being uninterested in that way of working.
I then found a video on YouTube about Gilden shooting street photography- and was fascinated. I experimented shooting with a flash – and found that getting close was more interesting to me, and a better way of working for myself. After all, I find myself to be much more of an outgoing and up-front person, rather than someone who is a more passive and “invisible”.
Suggestion: Experiment if you feel frustrated with your own work. If the way you are shooting street photography isn’t making you happy- try something else. Always shoot in b/w? Try color. Shoot digital? Try film. Always upload your photographs everyday? Try once a month.
Experimentation is very important- but try not to experiment too much. Experiment enough until you find yourself reasonably content, and stick with it!
8. Follow your obsession
MEXICO. Oaxaca state. Tehuantepec. 1985. Children playing in a courtyard.
“I mean its an obsession, you follow the obsession but at the same time you have so many doubts, you know. Why am I wasting so much money going back to this place, taking more pictures? What’s the point of it? No one cares about it. I think I care about it but maybe I am deceiving myself.” – Alex Webb
If you want to become a great street photographer, I think obsession is important. Not all of us want to become great street photographers (we may just do it for fun or as a hobby) but if you take your street photography seriously – work hard and overcome your doubts.
There are times you might doubt yourself why you are out shooting. I experience it all the time myself. But working on projects can help you stay more focused with your photography, while also meeting other photographers, reading photo books, and constantly shooting.
Suggestion: To stay obsessive with street photography, constantly read books on street photography, meet other street photographers, and shoot. In sociology there is a saying that “you are the average of the five people closest to you”. Therefore if you hang around with a lot of passionate street photographers- by proxy- you will become a passionate and (healthily obsessive) street photographer yourself.
9. Capture the emotion of a place
Leon. 1987.
“Color is very much about atmosphere and emotion and the feel of a place.” – Alex Webb
Shooting in color is a great way to capture the mood and the atmosphere of a place. But once again mentioned before in this article- don’t shoot color simply for the sake of shooting color. Think about how shooting color can add context and meaning to your photographs.
UGANDA. Kampala. 1980.
Alex Webb shares about the experience that transformed him to shooting color:
“Three years after my first trip to Haiti, I realized there was another emotional note that had to be reckoned with: the intense, vibrant color of these worlds. Searing light and intense color seemed somehow embedded in the cultures that I had begun working in, so utterly different from the gray-brown reticence of my New England background. Since then, I have worked predominantly in color.” – Alex Webb
Therefore you can see one of the main reasons he switched to color was to capture the mood and intensity of the locations he was visiting.
Suggestion: Think about what kind of mood or emotion your project/photos are trying to tell- and choose the right medium. If you are interested in capturing the darkness and gloom of a place- b/w will probably work better. If you want to capture the energy, light, and excitement of a place- color might work better. Remember the saying, “The medium is the message.”
10. Travel
GRENADA. Gouyave. Bar. 1979.
Before I started traveling and teaching street photography workshops full-time, I had never traveled much. The negative thing about not traveling is that you can become close-minded. You only think about the values of the society you live in- and you forget about the outside world.
MEXICO. Ciudad Madero. 1983.
Traveling has helped open up my eyes to the rest of the world- and has transformed me as a person as well. I see the world from a much more global perspective- and have relished meeting new people while experiencing new cultures.
Travel can also help you get out of a rut in your photography (although not necessary). Webb shares one of his experiences:
“I happened to pick up a Graham Greene’s novel, The Comedians, a work set in the turbulent world of Papa Doc’s Haiti, and read about a world that fascinated and scared me. Within Months I was on a plane to Port-au-Prince.
The first three-week trip to Haiti transformed me- both as a photographer and a human being. I photographed a kind of world I had never experienced before, a world of emotional vibrancy and intensity: raw, disjointed, and often tragic. I began to explore to other places- in the Caribbean, along the U.S.-Mexico border- places like Haiti, where life seemed to be lived on the stoop and in the street.” – Alex Webb
Suggestion: Travel as much as you can. I know in the states, people don’t travel as much as they should. Part of it is the work-a-holic society we live in (and crappy 2-week breaks we get), but even a brief trip to another place in the world can be life changing. Traveling has taught me to be less materialistic, and also more appreciate of other cultures and ways of life- and thinking. It has also helped me explore new photo projects in different parts of the world (in Asia specifically with my “First World Asia” project which is currently underway).
Not everyone can travel- but if you can- travel and open your eyes to the rest of the world as much as you can.
Eric’s Note: I am pleased to feature this article by Colin Corneau, a Brandon, Manitoba based photojournalist and street photographer. Check out his article below explaining the strengths of shooting solo!Â
Colin: First off, let me make clear that my column is in no way making a case against working in groups.I’ve had the pleasure of shooting street with another fellow photographer many times, I don’t think creativity is a zero-sum game — just by getting out there and making an effort to create something, we make the world just a little bit bigger.
Hey streettogs, I am excited that this Thursday 4/12 (tomorrow) from 1-2pm I will be giving a free seminar at Michael’s Camera in Melbourne.
I will be telling the stories behind some of my most memorable images, giving tips on shooting in the streets, and will be open to any questions! I will also be available to do some portfolio reviews afterwards (so bring an iPad or some prints!)
Make sure to drop on by, and follow Michael’s Camera on Twitter @MichaelsCamera
Address:Â 265-269 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia -Â Google Map
(All photographs are used with permission from Junku Nishimura).Â
I just finished reading the book: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business which was a fascinating look into how we build our behaviors and lifestyles through habits. The book argues that the majority of the lives we lead are nothing but a string of routines and habits – and that we could change our lives by changing our habits.
This got me thinking about street photography. The biggest hurdles that I used to be challenged with with my old day-job (and still am struggling with) is finding enough time to shoot street photography. This blog post in reference to the legendary book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey will hopefully help you build better habits to spend more time shooting street photography, and how to get better!
Eric’s Note: Hey streettogs, I wanted to share this great opportunity hosted by Photovoice, a charity that combines social advocacy and photography! If you have ever wanted to give back to the community (while obtaining some great street photography prints) – check it out! More info below :)Â
Photovoice: Leading practitioners from across the world have come together to offer their work in an online sale to raise money for the charity PhotoVoice. The Street Collection includes beautiful, dramatic, comic and moving images that capture the energy and idiosyncrasy of everyday life on streets across the globe. Over 300 prints will be available at just £100 each. This is a unique opportunity to buy outstanding street photographs at an affordable price. Many of the prints available are well known but have never previously been available for purchase.
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info.
A.G.:I’ve been following Lem’s work over at Flickr for quite some time now. He is what I would classify as a classical street photographer with mastery of light, timing, and overall visual design. His terrific use of black and white reinforces that aesthetic especially when he utilizes it to for silhouettes.
I want to emphasize that Lem’s photographs are really good. Although recently, he is posting something that is really unique. (more…)
Hey guys, if you happen to be in Melbourne (or closeby) check out the exhibition launch of the G-STREET Photography Contest on Thursday, 19 April, 6pm at No Vacancy Gallery, QV Building in Melbourne. Originally I couldn’t make it- but now extending my stay here in Melbourne just so I can attend!
Make sure to come out and meet other passionate street photographers, and chat it up with the judges of the contest, Michael Baranovic and Tamara Voninsky.
The best contest entries (not just the winning ones) will be exhibited alongside the judges’ works. Come and see if yours has been put up for all to view and admire!
Hey streettogs, FYI but the call for submissions for the 2012 Angkor Photo Festival is now open! There is currently no imposed theme, and no limit in terms of the number of images you can submit to be considered. Submit below!
Hey streettogs, I am excited to announce that my good friend Todd Hatakeyama (the owner of the Hatakeyama Gallery) is undergoing a plan of creating a dedicated classroom, to continue to nurture the local arts scene in Los Angeles! The Hatakeyama Gallery was used to featured numerous photography workshops, exhibitions, and is on the Downtown LA art walk route! The venue would be used as a hub for all photographers to meet and interact, while giving a location for up-and-coming photographers to display their work as well.
Note: Photos used with permission from Martin Parr
As of late, Martin Parr is one of my idols in street photography. I love his never-ending passion for street/documentary photography (Alec Soth recently called him the “Jay-Z” of documentary photography)- and the thought-provoking images that his photos tell. For this article I will share 10 things that I learned from Martin Parr and his work that I hope will help you in your street photography as well!
*4-2-12 Update: We have randomly chose a winner, and it was Julien Rath! His winning comment was below. Stay tuned for the next free giveaway! :)
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The good folks at Custom SLR (one of my site sponsors) has generously provided a Custom SLR Glidestrap + C-Loop ($64.95 value) for a give-away on the blog! You can have the chance to either win this great strap which is perfect for street photography- especially on your DSLR, Leica, or rangefinder camera. It takes a ton of strain off your neck- while letting your camera hang to the side – perfect for getting ready for “the decisive moment”. You can see a sample video of it in action here.
To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is:
Share your tip on how to re-inspire yourself in street photography when you are feeling uninspired (in 7 words or less)
There are three ways to enter (the more ways you enter, the more chances to win!):
For those of you who may not know, this quarter I taught my first online street photography course with UC Riverside Extension titled, “All the World’s a Stage: Introduction to Street Photography“. Many of the students who enrolled in the class had no experience with street photography before, yet have done incredibly well in the course.
This Friday (3/23) from 6-9PM we will be exhibiting the best street photographs taken by the students from the course.
Editing in street photography is one of the most important aspects to know. When I refer to “editing“, I am referring to the act of choosing your best images, rather than “post-processing”. However nowadays when most photographers refer to “editing” their work, you can almost determine with 99% accuracy that they mean “post-processing” their work. Due to this confusion and interchanging use of the word “editing” – the true art of editing of choosing your best work is a lost cause.
For this article, I will attempt to explain why editing is so important in street photography and give practical tips and advice on how you can become  a better editor of your work (and how to ask others for advice as well). Keep reading if you want to find out more!
Darkon Coan, one of the readers of the blog, recently shared me an image of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s famous “Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare” shot in 1932 compared to what it looks like now in Google Maps shot in 2008. Fascinating to see how little has changed in that period of time!
If you want a quality-education in street photography, I recommend either buying, borrowing, or browsing though some of the books below. Books that are bolded are some of my personal favorites.
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Check out more info here.
AG:Â Photography is nothing without seeing. The light, colors, shadows, contrasts, patterns. Human life in general. And it is in seeing that a good photographer will be able to replicate what was seen in a photograph.
This is one of those works that really invites you to just see. (more…)
Over the last few months, the amount of haters and online trolls I have attracted has increased exponentially. They are everywhere—on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blogs, Online forums, and the worst—YouTube (I swear, half the things people say there…).
To be quite honest, I used to take a lot of these hateful things to heart—and it still does sting pretty hard time-to-time. Growing up, I always took criticism very personally—but through my experiences on the blog and my online social presence has helped me overcome (mostly) all of this haterade people on the internet love to drink.
For this post I will talk about a bit of my experience with haters on the internet, and some advice I would give to anyone else dealing with online trolls whose sole mission in life is to make you feel like crap (while they are still living in the basement of their parents’ house).
Eric’s Note: CritiqueMe is an on-going street photography critique series by Ollie Gapper, a photography student and street photographer based in the UK.Â
Ollie Gapper: So this week I thought I’d try and do something different with the CritiqueMe series, where, instead of trying to offer a full critique to a photographers work, I wanted to shape the critique around one particular aspect I feel the featured photographer and community in general may find useful.
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Check out more info here.
A.G.: Gary Tyson is a great commercial photographer and has been in different locations around the globe. He is also the co-insturctor in Eric’s previously concluded street photography workshop in Hong Kong so I was really delighted whe he sent in a link of a collection of his street photographs.
What I usually do when a collection is sent instead of a series is I try  edit properly to show things in common. It could be aesthetic similarities, strong themes, or repeating subjects. So I pointed out to Gary a subject that continually pops up in his street shots:
