Category: Posts

  • “The Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest: August 18-September 14th

    “The Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest: August 18-September 14th

    The Decisive Moment Street Photography Contest

    I am excited to announce my first international street photography contest. Adam Elmakais is generously sponsoring the contest and is going to give away some sweet Lens Bracelets to the winners!

    The theme of this contest is going to be “The Decisive Moment” as a tribute to Henri Cartier-Bresson, the definitive master of street photography. For the contest you will submit your best street photograph that best highlights the aesthetic of “The Decisive Moment”. I am excited to see all your entries.

    How the Contest Is Going to Work

    • Phase 1: From August 18-September 2nd you will email me your best street photographs of “The Decisive Moment”
    • Phase 2: On September 5th I will choose the 20 best street photographs and will compile them in a Facebook album on my Facebook fan page. People will then vote on their favorite entries to make it to the Top 10 (from September 5th-14th).
    • Phase 3: On September 14th I will judge the Top 10 entries and announce the Top 3 winners.

    How to Enter

    1. LikeEric Kim Photography and Lens Bracelets on Facebook!
    2. Choose your favorite street photograph of “The Decisive Moment” that you have ever shot and email it to erickimphotographycontest@gmail.com
      • Send the photo in a JPEG file resized to 760px (only one photo per entry)
      • Include the following information in the body of the email:
        1. Title:
        2. Location you shot the image:
        3. Tell us the story behind your image (4-8 sentences):
        4. What you love most about street photography (any length):

    Prize

    • On September 14th, I will announce the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners
    • All winners will have their images featured on my blog and will also have the chance to tell the stories behind their images
    • The first prize winner will win 3 Lens Bracelets
    • The second prize winner will win 2 Lens Bracelets
    • The third prize winner will win 1 Lens Bracelet

    Rules & FAQ

    • Each participant is only allowed to enter 1 image.
    • Anyone can enter the contest
    • Entries can be either film or digital.
    • We deserve the right to disqualify any inappropriate images.

    Excited to see all of your wonderful entries!

    Got any questions, comments, or concerns? If so, leave a comment below! I will also put up reminder blog posts along the way.

  • In-Public’s DAVID GIBSON Workshop in Beirut, Lebanon September 2011

    In-Public’s DAVID GIBSON Workshop in Beirut, Lebanon September 2011

    Beirut Street Photography is happy to announce the exciting Street Photography workshop we’re planning with London-based Street Photographer David Gibson from the international In-Public street photography collective.

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  • Alfred Eisenstaedt on Getting Close in Street Photography

    Alfred Eisenstaedt on Getting Close in Street Photography

    alfred eisenstaedt

    The other day I was hanging out with Derriel Almario and we stumbled upon an old Borders bookstore that closed down and was converted into a $1 bookstore. When I saw it, I suddenly got giddy at the possibility that there may be some hidden photography book gems that we could find. Low and behold I stumbled upon a book titled, “The Camera” which was a photography book published in 1970 by TIME.

    There was a chapter on shooting people that particularly fascinated me. Most of the photojournalists interviewed for the book generally agreed it was better to get closer to your subjects than shooting far away with a zoom lens.

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  • Why You Should Stay on the F*cking Bus

    Why You Should Stay on the F*cking Bus

    Jazz Hands
    "Jazz Hands" – Eric Kim

    Finding your own style in street photography is one of the most difficult things to discover. Everyone is influenced by the great street photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Garry Winogrand, but to differentiate yourself from them can be a life-time journey. Personally I have been having difficulty finding my own style, with my earlier work relying more on juxtaposition and architecture. I have recently started to transition in getting closer to my subjects and shooting with a flash–a technique similar to that of Bruce Gilden and very controversial.

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  • Support the Art of Street Photography: Donate to the London Street Photography Festival for 2012

    Support the Art of Street Photography: Donate to the London Street Photography Festival for 2012

    Although I wasn’t able to attend the London Street Photography Festival 2011, I heard it was a huge success. Hopefully I will be able to attend next year, and so will you! If you live in the UK or somewhere closeby, check out their fundraising auction and help support this great cause! All the info you need is below:

    ===============================================

    Festival Fundraising Auction
    24 August 2011, German Gymnasium

    Help us raise funds to ensure the festival is here next year. Enjoy a night of entertainment and fun and have the opportunity to bid on prints from the festival, photographic experiences and much more!Tickets: £20 (includes food, drinks and raffle ticket)

    BUY TICKETS NOW

    =========================================

    For those of you who attended the London Street Photography Festival 2011, how did you like it?

  • LA Street Photography Workshop: Day 1 (Street Photography Fun + Leica Orgy)

    LA Street Photography Workshop: Day 1 (Street Photography Fun + Leica Orgy)

    I am glad to announce that my first day of the street photography workshop was a huge success! Everything went off without a hitch, and the workshop has been great so far! We had a wonderful group of participants for the workshop and great food (courtesy of my mom and younger sister). Not only did we have a great time discussing about street photography and learning tips and techniques for the street, we were able to go out and test some Leica gear when we went shooting.

    Many of the participants were able to test out Leica cameras such as the Leica M9, Leica X1, Leica D-Lux 5, and I had the great pleasure of playing with the Leica S2. All I have to say it is a beautiful camera (although a behemoth). The image-quality is unparalleled (it’s hard to tell on the web) and felt solid in my hands. It isn’t an ideal camera for street photography and was difficult to use in the streets, but it was fun.

    ====================================================================

    Also I am going to have my next Intermediate Street Photography Workshop in Los Angeles on August 27-28th. Please email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com if you’re interested or would like more details!

    ====================================================================

    Read more to check out the photos I took during the workshop with the Leica S2 and my Canon 5D with flash!

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  • Vegas Day 3: Last Day Thoughts and Impressions of the Macbook Air

    Vegas Day 3: Last Day Thoughts and Impressions of the Macbook Air

    Today is my last day in Vegas and all I gotta say is I had a blast. Not only was I able to come here for the first time and experience debauchery, gambling, and great food– but I was also able to shoot great street photographs here. Huge thanks for everyone giving me all the advice of places to check out, and especially to Rob DeRosa for showing me around in Downtown Vegas. Watch the video above to hear more about my thoughts about Vegas, and a quick review of the Macbook Air I have been using during this trip.

    Also I still have 2 spots open for my Los Angeles Street Photography Workshop this weekend (July 30-31st). Check out more information here and email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com if you are interested in joining!

    Read more to check out the photos I took today (although not many!)

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  • Download “Going Candid…” a FREE Street Photography E-Book by Thomas Leuthard

    Download “Going Candid…” a FREE Street Photography E-Book by Thomas Leuthard

    Hey guys if you haven’t heard yet, Thomas Leuthard (85mm) just released “Going Candid…” his FREE Street Photography E-Book. It is fill of great information about how to shoot strangers while getting really close to them, how to share your work, and truly tell a story through your images. It is fantastic information for anybody serious about street photography.

    You can download a free copy here.

    Make sure to leave a comment below and show Thomas some love for his generosity and great insights into street photography!

  • Vegas Day 2: Debauchery, Hangovers, and Flash Street Photography at Night

    Vegas Day 2: Debauchery, Hangovers, and Flash Street Photography at Night

    I just completed my second day in Las Vegas and wanted to share some of my experiences. First of all, it appears that for the entire time I have either been a) Drunk or b) Hungover. Not the most fun when shooting street photography, but I still get the job done. Also today I had the great opportunity of meeting up with Rob DeRosa (one of my LA Street Photography workshop attendees this Saturday-Sunday) and he showed me Downtown Vegas which was a ton of fun. It seemed more soulful than the main strip (as it had more locals and fewer tourists). Not only that, but I was able to have a ton of fun shooting flash with my camera, which was awesome.

    If you are interested in my LA street photography workshop in Hollywood this weekend (July 30-31st), please shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com for more information! There are only a few spots left, and it will be a great opportunity for you to overcome your fear of shooting street photography while being able to test out a Leica M9!

    Make sure to also read more to check out more of the photos I took :)

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  • Vegas Day 1: Debauchery and Daytime Street Photography

    Vegas Day 1: Debauchery and Daytime Street Photography

    Vegas Street Photography Eric Kim

    Although I have lived in LA for many years, I have never been to Vegas before. Deciding to go to Vegas was a random idea, but suddenly it happened. I packed my bag with my street photography gear and headed out Monday morning. I just got here and was able to do some street photography. I’m still pretty inebriated and was barely able to process these images I took during the day. I was able to get a few night street photographs (but ended up going clubbing and kept my camera at home). Hope to do some more street photography with flash tomorrow night–but in the meanwhile read more to check out my photos!

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  • 10 Things Street Photographers Can Learn from Pickup Artists

    10 Things Street Photographers Can Learn from Pickup Artists

    Click to read more

    Neil Strauss, author of “The Game”

    I was talking to one of my buddies today about street photography and how much mental training it required for someone to feel comfortable shooting in the streets. He then saw me shooting on the streets and noticed the way I interacted with my subjects was often similar to that of “pickup artists” as described in Neil Strauss’ best-seller “The Game“. For those of you who are not familiar with the book, the author learns how to seduce women with certain techniques and strategies and documents them. Although the book may sound misogynist, it is more about psychology and a biography than anything else. Also as a note, I quoted an Amazon review of the book to come up with the ten points. Enjoy!

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  • The Opportunity to Shoot the Past is Today

    The Opportunity to Shoot the Past is Today

    Recently from the recommendation of Daniel Schaefer I watched a film called “Midnight in Paris” which stars Owen Wilson and is directed by Woody Allen. The premise of the movie is that Owen Wilson (a writer) is hopelessly in love with the ideal of Paris in the 1920’s and is convinced that his present is not nearly as romantic or great enough. However through a strange series of events he finds himself in the 1920’s Paris where he finds out all the people living during that time-period wished that they were also in an earlier and more romantic time-period.

    Highly recommend everyone to watch this film

    Therefore it had me thinking about street photography and the romanticism we can often attribute to the past. We think of all the great photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, and Robert Frank and think that we can never capture as stunning images because the present is boring. However what we need to realize that today is going to be the past one day, and the opportunity to shoot is now. Don’t let all these excuses about the present not being interesting enough get in your way of shooting.

    Henri Cartier Bresson
    Henri Cartier Bresson – I am sure we can still find opportunities to shoot images like this today

    Also I am excited to announce that for my July 30-31st street photography workshop in LA I am going to have a Leica representative bring Leica M9’s, lenses, and compact cameras for you to shoot with. If you have ever wanted to learn more about street photography (and shoot with a Leica M9) sign up soon! I only have 3 spots available, so please shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com for more information or to sign-up.

    So have you ever been guilty of romanticizing the past and dismissing the present? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment below!

  • The Best Street Photography Blogs on the Web

    The Best Street Photography Blogs on the Web

    Although street photography is still very much a niche online, here are the top street photography blogs I regularly follow online.

    American Suburb X

    http://www.americansuburbx.com/

    Although American Suburb X brands themselves as more of a “photography and culture” magazine, they consistently have photo-essays and interviews with street photographers. If you look at any of their features, they are very well-written and long-format (something that a lot of sites no longer feature). Check out this great feature about Garry Winogrand here.

     

    I recently came upon the great flash street photography work by Dirty Harry and also found out that he curates an awesome street photography blog. On a very consistent basis, he finds the street photographs that he finds the most inspirational to him and posts it on his blog. Stay tuned for an interview with him on my blog soon :)

    Leica Blog

    http://blog.leica-camera.com/

    Where would street photography be without Leica and rangefinders? Regardless, they feature many great interviews with street photographers on their blog and also keep us in the loop with what the masterminds at Leica are up to. Definitely keep them bookmarked.

    B – Blake Andrews

    http://blakeandrews.blogspot.com/

    Out of all the street photography blogs I listed, “B” from Blake Andrews has definitely got to be my favorite. Sarcastic, rugged, and raw– Blake Andrews never sugarcoats anything he has to say that is on his mind. Not only that, but the man has a fantastic eye (he is in In-Public after all) and has great photo-analyses and essays. Here is one of my favorite articles on him on editing.

    Seven Seven Nine – Nick Turpin

    http://www.sevensevennine.com/

    Nick Turpin is one of the anchors in the street photography community and has been working extremely hard in pushing street photography as a serious art in the community. He is also the founder of In-Public and has a fantastic eye when it comes to street photography. Although his blog Seven Seven Nine isn’t updated nearly as often as I’d like–it is still a treasure chest full of great information and insights.

    Yanidel Street Photography

    http://www.yanidel.net/

    Yanidel is a passionate and extremely consistent street photographer from Paris who recently quit his job to travel the world for 80 weeks (the man has balls). I had the great pleasure of meeting with him when I was in Paris, and the guy not only loves street photography but blogging as well. Live vicariously through him and check out his blog!

    JT in Seoul – Josh White

    http://jtinseoul.wordpress.com/

    Josh White is a street photographer that I stumbled upon a couple months back and even had an interview with him on my blog. He describes himself as a “law student on extended vacation in Korea” and is obsessed with documenting the streets of Seoul. Not only does he take great photographs, he also has a plethora of street photography gear (Leica M9, Leica X1, Fujifilm FinePix X100, Ricoh GRDIII, Ricoh GXR, etc) and gives great “real world” reviews. Peep him now!

    Severin Koller

    http://severinkoller.at/blog/

    Severin Koller is a damn good street photographer and has been featured on the Leica blog recently. He hails from Vienna and looks like he is out and about doing street photography workshops with Chris Weeks all around the world right now. Check out his blog for his inspirational images.

    Invisible Photographer Asia

    http://invisiblephotographer.asia/

    If you want a series of wonderfully curated fine art and street photography from Asia, Invisible Photographer Asia is the place. They have been only around for a year through the founding of Kevin WY Lee, but they have exploded in popularity and been getting a ton of great buzz lately. Oh yeah, and I’m a contributor there too ;)

    Burn Magazine

    http://www.burnmagazine.org/

    Curated by Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey, burn is is an evolving journal
    for emerging photographers. All the images included are extremely well-curated, so you know every visit you make you will see some truly great images. Highly recommended for any serious street or journalist photographers out there.

    Street Hunters

    streethunters.net

    street-hunters

    The guys working at street hunters are one of the newest street photography blogs on the block, offering insightful tutorials, tips, and tricks. If you need some inspiration or tips, check them out!

    In-Public Blog

    http://in-public.com/blog/

    in-public-blog

    When I started street photography, I first came across the street photography collective in-public. They do regular interviews on their blog, and are always a great source of inspiration.

    Shooter Files

    http://shooterfiles.com

    fd walker

    I came across F.D. Walker’s blog on street photography — Shooter Files totally by chance. I love how he has bridged street photography and travel photography so well, as well as his enthusiasm and passion. He has great shots and insights, make sure to check him out.

  • New Beginnings Day 8: Street Photography With Wireless Flash at Santa Monica

    New Beginnings Day 8: Street Photography With Wireless Flash at Santa Monica

    Today I hit the streets of Santa Monica and the beach armed with my new YN-560 Speedlight Flash and wireless transmitter. It is a new setup that I have been trying out, which seems to be far better than using a chord for my street photography with flash. Not only is the kit extremely cheap (only $67 for the flash and $20 for the wireless transmitter) but it works well and gives me great images! Screw buying a Canon Speedlite 580EX II for around $500. Having shot with it in Santa Monica today, I have been extremely pleased. Read more to see all the pictures I took.

    Anyways I also have 4 more spots open for my July 30-31st street photography workshop in Hollywood, Los Angeles! It is going to be a ton of fun meeting other street photographers, shooting together in the streets, while also getting helpful critique and learning new techniques. Please email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com if you want more details or would like to sign up!

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  • Conquering the Streets of Mumbai by Kaushal Parikh

    Conquering the Streets of Mumbai by Kaushal Parikh

    Kaushal Mumbai Street Photography
    Simplelives – Kaushal Parikh

    Street photography grabbed my attention only about 3 years ago when I stumbled upon images made by photographers like Cartier Bresson and Joel Meyerowitz on the streets of Paris and New York.

    Those images were so real. So unposed. For the first time I felt emotionally connected to still photographs. I wondered about the people in the images and what their lives must have been like and where they might be today. I marveled at how the photographer captured such a fleeting moment to tell the perfect story. Sometimes I would lose myself in an image for several minutes.

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  • New Beginnings Day 7: Todd, Lighting, and Thorsten Overgaard (+ lots of caffeine)

    New Beginnings Day 7: Todd, Lighting, and Thorsten Overgaard (+ lots of caffeine)

    It has officially been 7 days since I got laid off my job and decided to pursue street photography full-time. Things have been hectic with me working 15-hour days on this blog, booking participants for my workshop, managing my social media networks, and going out and networking! Today I was fortunate enough to meet with Todd over at Lighting Leica and he was able to hook it up with an awesome flash (and wireless trigger) which I plan on using for my flash street photography. Stay posted for an in-depth review later.

    Tonight I was also able to meet up with avant-garde Leica photographer Thorsten Overgaard and had a ton of fun chatting with him and shooting portraits of him with my flash. The guy is super-chill, down to the earth, and did I mention–well dressed? Watch the video above to hear more about my highlights and also read more to see the fun pictures I took as well!

    I also still have 3 spots open for my Los Angeles street photography workshop July 30-31st, so please shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com if you would like to hear more details! Hurry, spots are running out ;)

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  • 6 Photographers Assert Their Right to Take Photos in London (and how you can too)

    This morning Fabrice Drevon told me about this video that has been getting quite a bit of buzz online about 6 photographers who stand their ground and take photos in London of private buildings from public property. Long story short, all 6 photographers get confronted by private security who assert that they have no right to do so (when in reality they can shoot from a public space). Not only that, but in 3 cases police were called as well (who fortunately were very reasonable and well-versed in the law).

    The video is a bit long (16 minutes) but I advise everyone to watch it. The photographers all use common-sense and are reasonable when confronting these doubting private security officers (and have the balls to stand their ground). Here are some takeaway points I got from watching the video.

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  • My First Photography Commission: Shooting Fixie Bike Culture in LA

    My First Photography Commission: Shooting Fixie Bike Culture in LA

    I am excited to say that I got my first paid photography assignment from a digital culture magazine called Stark in covering an LA bike culture scene. Pretty much around 50 bicyclists with tricked out bikes meet up at this central location and drink, smoke, and go out and ride together for around a 20-mile circuit. I went there and captured the footage with my Canon 5D, Canon 24mm f/2.8, my Custom SLR Glidestrap, and my flash. I shot the entire thing in black and white while dragging my shutter (ISO 800, f/11, and 1/3rd of a second for most of my shots).

    I had a ton fun shooting and also made some great connections and hope I have more assignments coming down the line. Every little bit will help me keep the #foodinthecupboards as Devin Palmer mentioned on Twitter. Keep reading to check out the images I shot!

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  • 50+ Inspirational Images of Street Photography in the Rain with Umbrellas

    When it is out raining, I always make it a point to go out and shoot some street photography. The beauty of shooting street photography in the rain is that not only are you able to capture certain reflections and scenes you don’t typically see– but you can also create moody images of people with umbrellas. The folks over at Lava 360 put together a great collection of street photography in the rain of people with umbrellas (including one from Danny Santos (pictured above).

    When it is raining outside, do you like to go out and shoot photos or stay in? Leave your comments below!

  • New Beginnings Day 1: Street Photography in Downtown LA with Flash and Art Walk

    New Beginnings Day 1: Street Photography in Downtown LA with Flash and Art Walk

    First of all, thank everybody so much for their love and support in lieu of my recent layoff at my job (and my new beginning as a full-time street photographer). I read all of your comments on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and my blog and was truly overwhelmed with gratitude. It is great that you guys have my back, which gives me a ton of confidence to live out this crazy dream!

    Also I am still accepting participants for my introductory street photography workshop July 30-31st. If you are interested, please shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com. Continue reading to see more images from my first day being a full-time street photographer!

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  • Travelers Lost in Thought: “The Halted Traveler” by Damien Rayuela

    Travelers Lost in Thought: “The Halted Traveler” by Damien Rayuela

    Damien Rayuela

    When I was in Paris for the Leica + Magnum event, I had the huge pleasure of shooting and staying with Damien Rayuela. Not only is Damien an incredibly talented and passionate street photographer, but he was also worked at Magnum as an intern (this may explain his great photographic vision).

    Looking at his work, I was particularly fascinated with his “The Halted Traveler” project in which Damien captures people staring out into a landscape, deep in thought. Keep reading to see the images from the project, and also a multi-media video he put together as well.

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  • A New Chapter for Eric Kim Street Photography

    Long story short, I recently got laid off my job and now I am doing what I have always wanted to do–pursue my street photography full-time! I just wanted to personally thank everyone out there for giving me all this love and support through the last year. I couldn’t have made it so far without you guys. <3 Some of you may be curious how I plan on doing street photography full-time. Hopefully I will be able to make a living by selling shirts, through advertisements and sponsorships, and also by doing street photography workshops in LA and all around the world.

    (I am teaching an introductory street photography workshop in LA July 30-31st, so please email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com if you’re interested).

    Considering I also will do street photography full-time, stay updated for this blog. I really plan on ramping up the content I produce, including more interviews, videos, how-to-guides, and other goodies. Thank you guys again so much for the love and support– you guys rock :)

    Any words of encouragement or advice you can give me in being a full-time street photographer? Please leave a comment below :)

  • Street Photography With a DSLR and Flash in Hollywood

    Street Photography With a DSLR and Flash in Hollywood


    Tonight I had the fun of shooting flash street photography in Hollywood with Daniel Schaeffer. At first I was a bit worried about shooting street photography in Hollywood (because of all the characters), but I had a very pleasant time. Few people objected to me using flash, and I got some pretty interesting images as well.

    Also I am pleased to announce that on July 30-31st, I am teaching an introductory street photography workshop at the 4th Street Gallery in Hollywood. Shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com for more details, and read more to see my flash images!

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  • 6 Tips How to Master Shooting Street Photography with a DSLR

    6 Tips How to Master Shooting Street Photography with a DSLR

    Seoul, 2009
    Seoul, 2009

    When it comes to street photography, I am a huge proponent that it doesn’t matter what camera you use. Each camera has its own strengths and weaknesses, and as long as it takes photos it works for street photography.

    When I asked a while back on my Facebook fan page, I found out that the majority of the community shoots street photography with a DSLR, so I thought it would be a great idea to write an article on how to most effectively use your DSLR for street photography. Keep reading to read some more tips.

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  • Support Darshan: A Photographic Series on Indian Deities by Manjari Sharma

    Support Darshan: A Photographic Series on Indian Deities by Manjari Sharma

    I recently got an email from my good friend Adam Marelli about a young woman photographer from New York named Manjari Sharma who is currently fundraising money on Kickstarter to complete a photography project titled: “Darshan.” Darshan is a sanskrit word which means sight, vision, or view and what Manajri is trying to accomplish is to prove that a carefully constructed photograph can evoke a similar response to the religious paintings and sculptures.

    I believe fervently in the idea of “paying it forward.” Last September, many of you helped donate generous sums of money to fundraise a plane ticket for me to teach a street photography workshop in Beirut, Lebanon. Therefore I decided to help donate $101 dollars to Manjari’s project and help her achieve her dream. If you watch her video on Kickstarter, you can truly see her passion for the project– and I think it is our goal as photographers to support and help one another.

    Make sure to watch the video that Manjari Sharma put together about the project below, and head over to her Kickstarter page and donate! Adam Marelli also wrote a great feature on his blog as well, make sure to check it out here.



    Make sure to help spread the word by donating, posting this to your blog, Facebook, and Twitter!

  • Leica M9 POV Through the Viewfinder with a 35mm Summilux

    Another fun video of me shooting with the Leica M9 and the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux in Santa Monica’s 3rd street promenade. To record this video, I put my HTC EVO 4G Smartphone’s camera through the viewfinder and walked around and shot. Didn’t include the photos I took during the video because most of them came out out-of-focus (holding this setup was hard). But I hope this video helps you get a better sense of what I see when shooting street photography :)

  • Losing my Leica Virgnity in Paris

    Losing my Leica Virgnity in Paris

    "Wrap Around" - Eric Kim
    "Wrap Around" – Eric Kim

    When I first got my feet wet in street photography and heard of Leica cameras, I couldn’t quite understand the hype surrounding it. Sure it looked like a cool and retro old-school camera, but why the heavy pricetag? After doing my homework, it seemed like everyone who owned one would rave and praise it. In Chris Week’s street photography documentary, “Documenting the Human Condition” he highly encourages everyone to try shooting with a rangefinder and noticed that the “haters” have never shot with Leica’s themselves. This piqued my interest, however I never even dreamed that I would have the chance to shoot with a Leica.

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  • 5 Tips How to Shoot Street Photography Without People

    5 Tips How to Shoot Street Photography Without People

    Matt Stuart
    Matt Stuart

    A question I often get asked is whether or not street photography needs to include people. It was a topic that fascinated me, so I even posted it to my Facebook fan page for the community to discuss. I have talked to many street photographers about this, and the vast majority of the consensus is that street photography doesn’t necessarily have to include people. However if street photography doesn’t have to include people, how can we differentiate those types of images from any other genre of photography?

    Simply put, I feel that effective street photographs without people show the uncanny of everyday life, while showing remnants of humanity. Keep reading to see how you can effectively shoot street photographs without people in it.

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  • Should You Ask For Permission When Shooting Street Photography?

    Currently the video that I shot with my Leica M9 and GoPro HD 960 has been getting quite popular on the web, and has been creating some interesting discussions on what street photography is/isn’t. In this video I discuss my definition of street photography and whether you should ask for permission when shooting street photography.

    Also make sure to check out the articles How to Shoot Street Photography with Permission with Danny Santos and The Street Portraiture Project of Fulton Street by Chris Sorensen.

    I welcome everyone to participate in the discussion and please leave a comment below! How would you define street photography, and do you think you should ask for permission or not–and why? Looking forward to everyone’s thoughts :)

  • Smile, You’re on Leica Camera

    Smile, You’re on Leica Camera

    Damien Pot uploaded this awesome photo of his Leica M9 and flash  to my Facebook fan page. How would you react if someone took a photo of you with this rig? ;)

  • Shooting Street Photography With a Leica M9 and Flash in Los Angeles at Night [First Impressions]

    Shooting Street Photography With a Leica M9 and Flash in Los Angeles at Night [First Impressions]

    Eric Kim Flash Street Photography Leica M9
    Leica M9 and Off-shoe Flash

    With my Leica M9 set up with my Canon Speedlite 430EX, I experimented street photography with a flash for the first time in Los Angeles (3rd Street Promenade). Despite what people say, I didn’t get punched in the face or my camera broken (although I did get shoved once hard in the back). Overall, it was quite a fascinating experience, and I learned a ton about the process. Keep reading to watch the video of  my crazy stories, and also check out some of the photos as well.

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  • The Lessons of Shooting Street Photography in a Small City

    The Lessons of Shooting Street Photography in a Small City

    "Take it inside..." - Keith Chastain
    "Take it inside…" – Keith Chastain. Berkeley

    Eric: For this guest post I am pleased to feature Keith Chastain, an incredibly passionate street photographer who currently lives in a small city. Many of you in the past have asked me advice about shooting street photography in a small city and franking speaking– I wasn’t quite sure what to say. However Keith is able to balance his life in the small city, while scratching his itch for street photography while hitting up big cities like San Francisco. Read more to see his images and read his insight about the subject.

    Keith: I’m thinking of an unoriginal analogy for street photography…Bear with me here…Street photography is a lot like fishing right? We have our favorite spots that usually guarantee us a few bites. Sometimes we come home with a few catches that are small and should have been thrown back, while other times we might return with the big one….A capture worthy of hanging over the fireplace like a fat marlin an old angler dreams of. The fundamental aspect of fishing is fish, just as people are the ones we street photographers set out to catch on any given day.

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  • You Thought Street Photography Was Scary: War Photographers on the Shots That Nearly Killed Them

    You Thought Street Photography Was Scary: War Photographers on the Shots That Nearly Killed Them

    War Photos

    War photographers have a crucial job to society that is not only important but extremely dangerous. Without war photographers, we would not see the true realities of war and the countless number of lives that it affects. History has even proven that a single photo has the power to even end a war.

    Read more about these war photographers’ stories that are incredibly real and chilling: The shot that nearly killed me: War photographers – a special report

    via PetaPixel

  • 85mm and the City: Street Photography in the Big Apple

    85mm and the City: Street Photography in the Big Apple

    "Maturity..." by Thomas Leuthard
    "Maturity…" by Thomas Leuthard

    This guest blog post is from Thomas Leuthard (85mm) who is one of my dear fellow street photographers from Switzerland. Not only are we good friends, but we have taught two street photography workshops together–one in Beirut, Lebanon and the other recently in Switzerland.

    In this blog post Thomas talks about his recent trip to New York City and about his experience shooting there. If you are curious to read what he has to say, read more and also see his great shots!

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  • 5 Tips How to Capture Compelling Shadows in Street Photography

    5 Tips How to Capture Compelling Shadows in Street Photography

    "Father and Daughter" - Eric Kim
    "Father and Daughter" – Eric Kim

    Often times as street photographers, we are too focused on capturing what is right before our eyes, rather than looking up and especially down. Capturing shadows is a wonderful way to open up your eyes to things which are around you, and give the viewer a sense of the surreal. If you are interested in understanding how you can better capture compelling shadows in your street photography, read on!

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  • Inspirational Street Photography Wallpapers by Elliott Erwitt

    Inspirational Street Photography Wallpapers by Elliott Erwitt

    Elliott Erwitt, Paris, 1989 Tour Eiffel
    Elliott Erwitt, Paris, 1989 Tour Eiffel

    Need some inspiration when it comes to your street photography? Check out these beautiful black and white street photography wallpapers by Elliott Erwitt. Click on the images to see the full-resolution images, and keep reading to see more of his iconic images.

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  • Paris Day 5: Interview with Alex Majoli from Magnum and Love For My Friends (last day in Paris)

    Paris Day 5: Interview with Alex Majoli from Magnum and Love For My Friends (last day in Paris)

    "Grimace" - Metro, Paris
    “Grimace” – Metro, Paris

    Today is the last day that I am in Paris, and I wanted to give you a few last updates. I was able to interview Alex Majoli from Magnum, an incredibly passionate and down-to earth photographer. Once I get back home, I will post the interview for you to read. Also I had the chance to walk around with JJ from Leica and take photographs, and also have a great meal of crepes with him and William Yan. Lastly in the night, I met up with Damien Rayuela, Charlie Kirk, and Alexandra Uhart with William. We had a ton of fun (and drinks) — make sure to read more to see the video and the images from today ;)

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  • Paris Day 4: Leica Magnum Paris Convention and New Leica M9-P and 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M lens Announcement

    Leica Magnum Paris Leica M9-P 21mm f/3.5 Announcement
    Myself and Bruce Gilden at the Leica Magnum Paris Event. My hero!

    Today was one hell of a day. It was the official Leica Magnum Paris event, and I was able to attend as a VIP attendee. I was able to meet Naseem (Political blogger), Magnus Froderberg (Photography magazine chief editor on Sweden), Cristina Garcia Rodero (Magnum Photographer), William Yan (Street Style Photographer), Thorsten (Overgaard.dk), Brett (Leica Workshop Photographer), Peter McCollough (SF Street Photographer), Jean-Jacques Viau (Leica Internet Head), Oliver Bachmann (Leica Camera Switzerland Head), and my beloved Bruce Gilden (Magnum Photographer). Did I also mention I met and took a photo with Elliott Erwitt? Watch the video below to read more about my day, and also make sure to check out the photos I took during the event as well!

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  • Why Inspiration is for Amateurs

    Why Inspiration is for Amateurs

    When it comes to street photography, it can often be very difficult to stay motivated and keep shooting on the streets. I told my problem to my younger sister, who recently got me a wonderful book titled “Spark: How Creativity Works” which illustrates the creative lives of influential artists ranging from novelists to musicians. One of the quotes that the author decided to include of Chuck Close inspired me in which he says that inspiration is for amateurs, and true greatness comes from the ability to stay consistent and be tenacious.

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  • “Trapped” – Street Photography Exhibition by Josh White in Seoul, Korea

    “Trapped” – Street Photography Exhibition by Josh White in Seoul, Korea

    Hello everybody, I am excited to announce that Josh White (who I interviewed on my site and the Leica blog) will be having a street photography exhibition of his finest work on June 12 – July 3, 2011 in Guillaume in Seoul, Korea. Read up more information on Josh White’s Blog. If you are in the area, definitely check it out!

  • Black and White or Color in Street Photography: How Do You Make the Decision?

    Black and White or Color in Street Photography: How Do You Make the Decision?

    "Green Umbrella" - James Maher
    "Green Umbrella" – James Maher

    Eric: Quite often I am asked by the community when it is appropriate to have a street photograph in black and white or color. It is a question I grapple with myself daily as well, and I enlisted the help of James Maher, a talented New York street photographer to help write an article on it. I hope you enjoy it!

    James: Street Photography has been around for a long, long time. And for all but the last 10 years, the photographer has had to make a choice before walking out the door: should I use color or black and white film today?

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  • 6 Tips How to Shoot Street Photographs of People’s Shoes (that don’t stink)

    6 Tips How to Shoot Street Photographs of People’s Shoes (that don’t stink)

    Street Photography Shoes by Eric Kim
    Eric Kim

    Thomas Leuthard, who is one of my close friends and fellow street photography workshop teachers, suggested a theme to me a while back that revolved around shooting street photography of people’s feet. At first I was a bit skeptical, but after looking at his images I was quite impressed. As street photographers, we can often get too preoccupied by looking forward that we don’t take the time to look up or down. Although shooting street photographs of people’s feet may sound weird (and a bit stinky), it can make for some fascinating results. Keep reading to find out how you can shoot street photography of people’s feet.

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  • Name that Street Photograph, No. 1

    Name that Street Photograph, No. 1

    It is always important to know photographs by great street photographers to improve your eye and your technique. So let’s see if you know the image above. Leave your guess by leaving a comment below and tell us who the photographer is, and the story behind the image. Let’s see what you guys got!

  • What Makes a Great Composition? Adam Marelli Analyzes Famous Street Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    What Makes a Great Composition? Adam Marelli Analyzes Famous Street Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Great Compositions by Alfred EisenstaedtGreat Compositions by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Adam Marelli, who recently did a wonderful guest blog post on his experiences on shooting with a Leica M9, has recently written a great article on dissecting and analyzing famous street photographs by WWII photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. In the article, he is able to skillfully dissect images from a geometric standpoint, something that great artists and painters have been using for centuries. The post is a bit technical, but definitely worth the read if you want to understand more about composition and street photography.

    Check out the article here.

    So what do you think? Do you think that understanding a good composition is artistic talent, or something that can be taught and analyzed? Leave your two cents by writing a comment below!

  • “Beauty in the Mundane” Street Photography Exhibition by Eric Kim this Saturday at 5:00PM in Tustin, CA

    “Beauty in the Mundane” Street Photography Exhibition by Eric Kim this Saturday at 5:00PM in Tustin, CA

    RSVP on Facebook
    Click here to RSVP on Facebook

    I am pleased to announce that I will be hosting a street photography exhibition this Saturday, June 4th, 2011 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Long Hai Restaurant in Tustin, CA. Join me as I share some of my finest black and white street photography from all around the world including Paris, Seoul, London, as well as Los Angeles  Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

    Admission is free, and complimentary drinks and appetizers from Long Hai Restaurant will be served.

    Also, I will be raffling off all of of my images to help fund-raise for the Sukhee Chung Photography foundation. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Phoenix High photography class I am teaching to underprivileged high school students in Los Angeles. Tickets are $5 a piece, and there is no limit how many you can buy. You can watch a video I did about the class here.

    I would love it if you could make it (if you are in the Los Angeles region!)

  • How to Shoot Street Photography With a Flash

    How to Shoot Street Photography With a Flash

    "Lace" - Santa Monica
    "Lace" – Santa Monica. Shot with my Ricoh GRIII and flash.

    When it comes to street photography, I am always open to new ideas and styles. One technique I have been particularly interested in is shooting street photography with a flash. I have been very inspired by the work of Bruce Gilden and Charlie Kirk. Although this style is quite controversial, I think that shooting with a flash does add an extra dimension to an image, and isn’t quite as unethical as most people claim it to be. After all, it was Bruce Gilden who said, “…the people I shoot in the streets are my friends” and Charlie Kirk who says he shoots “…openly and honestly.” Therefore the last three or so weeks I have been shooting street photography with a flash, and with great success. I will discuss my technique of shooting street photography in the streets with a flash, with special emphasis on mindset as well as technical settings. Read more if you are curious.

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  • 1923 Leica 0-series Sells For a Mind-Boggling $1.89 Million at Auction

    1923 Leica 0-series Sells For a Mind-Boggling $1.89 Million at Auction

    If you thought a Leica M9 was expensive, wait until you put your eyes on this baby. It is an 1923 Leica 0-series which just sold for €1,320,000, or about $1.89 million in US dollars at an auction in Vienna. This old-school gem was sold to a private collector from Asia who wishes to be anonymous to the public. The camera was one of 25 prototypes manufactured in 1923, before Leica started producing these cameras commercially. You can see the winning bid and auction at this video below.

    So do you think the guy who purchased this Leica is crazy or just has too much money to spend? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

    via Engadget and Leica Rumors.

  • 5 Things I Learned After Teaching My UK and Switzerland Street Photography Workshop

    5 Things I Learned After Teaching My UK and Switzerland Street Photography Workshop

    "Purple" - Shot in Brighton, UK with my Olympus EP-2
    "Purple" – Shot in Brighton, UK with my Olympus EP-2

    I am pleased to say after 4 jam-packed days of traveling and teaching a street photography workshop in Brighton, UK and Zurich, Switzerland I am back in Los Angeles. I had the trip of a lifetime and met some amazing people, ate some delicious food, and got some great street photographs as well. I also learned a great deal after doing this workshop and about Brighton and Zurich. Read more to see what I learned after teaching my UK and Switzerland street photography workshop!

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  • Frank Oscar Larson from NYC – Another Street Photography Master Discovered

    Frank Oscar Larson from NYC – Another Street Photography Master Discovered

    Frank Oscar Larson Street Photography NYC
    Frank Oscar Larson

    I was recently on PetaPixel and they did a great story featuring another undiscovered master street photographer named Frank Oscar Larson. In the 1950’s he worked as an auditor in Queens and had a great knack of capturing beautiful moments in everyday life with his Rolleiflex camera. In 1964 he died of a stroke at the age of 68 and his images laid dormant for 45 years before being discovered by his son’s widow in 2009.

    His images are incredibly inspiring, and show a candid look into life in NYC nearly half a century ago. It seems recently there has been a handful of unknown master street photographers popping up recently, especially the likes of Vivian Maier. Read more to see his inspirational images.

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  • How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

    How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

    "Contemplation" – show with my Ricoh GRIII

    A while back on my Facebook page and Twitter I asked you guys “if you had any street photography superpower, what would it be?” The vast majority of you answered: invisibility.

    As a street photographer, being invisible and blending in with your environment is key in getting an amazing street photograph. However, easier said than done right? In this post I will try to outline my thoughts on how to best be invisible when shooting on the streets, and what has helped me stay low-key when I am out shooting.

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  • 11 Inspirational Examples of Shadow Street Photography

    11 Inspirational Examples of Shadow Street Photography

    Street Photography Shadows
    Vincent Tandijo Saputro

    Last week on my Facebook fan page I announced the street photography assignment of the week which was “shadows“. I got all of your wonderful submissions on my Facebook fan page, and chose the best here to feature. I hope you enjoy all the images below and stay tuned to Facebook page where I will announce this week’s street photography assignment.

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  • The Camera of the Future: The WVIL (Wireless Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) Concept

    I was surfing the web, and I came across this gorgeous camera-concept which was made by the design team over at Artefact. I am always curious what the future will hold for cameras, and this concept just may be pretty similar to what we will start seeing.

    Imagine having a street photography camera which allows you to remove your lens from your camera itself (which will allow you to even be more stealthy). Although I don’t know how useful it would be, it definitely makes you wonder about how technology is changing photography as we know it.

    So what do you think? Do you love or hate it? Share your opinions about this camera-concept by leaving a comment below!

  • How to Shoot Street Portraits With Permission by Danny Santos

    How to Shoot Street Portraits With Permission by Danny Santos

    Danny Santos shooting Stranger #85 & Stranger #86 , taken by Paulo Legaspi

    Eric’s Note: I am truly excited to have this guest post by Danny Santos, who is truly passionate about shooting portraits in the streets. I was fascinated and captivated by his work, and I asked him to write a guest post about how he shoots street portraits. Enjoy!


    Danny: Shooting street portraits of strangers is a very daunting task. Often when you see a stranger you want to photograph, you find yourself between a rock and a hard place:  you can’t seem to ask them for their photo, yet you know you just have to.  Here are a few tips that may help you get over that hill. It won’t make it easy, but it may give you the push to start creating your own set of portraits of strangers.

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  • Breathtaking Street Photography by Stanley Kubrick in 1949

    Breathtaking Street Photography by Stanley Kubrick in 1949

    Stanley Kubrick Street Photography

    Long before Stanley Kubrick started filming amazing movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, he was a passionate street photographer. Check out some of these images he took in 1949 in Chicago title: “Chicago City of Contrasts.” All of the images tell incredible stories, and you can see where he got his inspiration for story-telling. Read more to see the rest of his inspirational images.

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  • How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer

    How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer

    Photo by Charlie Kirk
    Photo by Charlie Kirk

    I believe that getting a good street photograph is 80% balls and 20% skill. If you look at the work of such street photographers as Bruce Gilden and Charlie Kirk, you will see that they have incredibly memorable images. Why is that? It is because they get close to their subjects—uncomfortably close by most people’s standards.

    One of the most popular questions I am asked by the community is how to build courage when it comes to street photography. I have learned a ton over the last several years about building the guts to get extremely close to people and take their photograph without their permission. In this blog post I will go in-depth about how you can become a fearless street photographer.

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  • A Great Present for a Street Photographer: USB Film Roll

    Too damn sweet.

    There is nobody harder to shop for than a street photographer. The only things they would probably want is a Leica M9 or an old-school Rolleiflex. If you ever want to please the street photographer in your life, lighten up your wallet and check out these unique USB Film rolls from Photojojo at $20 a pop. They even got some cool ideas what you can do with your old film canisters here. Anybody thinking about picking up some of these or trying to hack their own version at home? More photos included below. Oh yeah if anybody has some extra cash, I could definitely use one ;).

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  • Announcing New Street Photography Shirts in our Store!

    Announcing New Street Photography Shirts in our Store!

    Recently on my Facebook fan page I asked you guys what kinds of shirts you wanted to see. I heard a lot of input that you wanted shirts that had less focus on the cameras and gear, and more of the love of street photography itself. Therefore I designed these shirts for you to to show your street photography pride–wherever you go. You can see all of the designs in the store.

    I am also excited to announce that 10% of all proceeds will go to the Sukhee Chung Photography Foundationwhich strives to spread the love of photography to under-privileged youth in Los Angeles. This way by purchasing a shirt, you will help support other aspiring photographers as well. Everybody is a winner.

    Tell us what other designs you would like to see by leaving a comment below!

  • 5 Tips How to Shoot Street Photography With a Full-Time Job

    5 Tips How to Shoot Street Photography With a Full-Time Job

    "Lost in Thought"
    "Lost in Thought" – Shot near my workplace.

    Recently Neal Bingham, one of the moderators and admins for the Aspiring Street Photographers Flickr group I started asked me to write an article about how I shoot street photography  with a full-time job. I thought it would be a great topic to discuss, as many of us street photographers have full-time jobs while pursuing our passion and hobby on the side. Although life can often be incredibly busy, I will discuss some tips how you can always find time so how I make time to shoot street photography (even with a full-time job).

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  • New #streettogs T-Shirt Design! (Red Dot)

    New #streettogs T-Shirt Design! (Red Dot)

    When asking you guys what kind of shirts you wanted, reader Mark Parry suggested a classic look, with a big red dot. After fiddling around in Photoshop, this is the design that I came with below. If you are interested in purchasing this shirt, check it out in our store! (Shirts are also available for ladies!)

    Click to enter the store.

    Popular Designs:

    Are there any other designs you would like to see? Leave a comment below and tell us what kinds of designs (or additional colors) you want!

  • 12 Inspirational Examples of Street Photography Shot with Film

    12 Inspirational Examples of Street Photography Shot with Film

    "Philadelphia 155"  - Michael Penn
    "Philadelphia 155" – Michael Penn

    Recently on my Facebook page and Twitter I asked for you to submit your best street photographs shot in film. Here are the best submissions I got–congrats to everybody who got their images included! Stay tuned for more weekly assignments, and read more to see the other inspirational images.

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  • 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Sneaky When Shooting Street Photography

    5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Sneaky When Shooting Street Photography

    "Deep Thoughts" - Hollywood Street Photography by Eric Kim
    "Deep Thoughts" – Hollywood

    Recently one of my readers, Tim Agee, asked me if I could do an article on whether or not you should be “sneaky” when shooting street photography.

    This is a very tricky subject, as you need a certain degree of stealthiness to get candid images. However, some of the best street photographers aren’t taken when you are being “sneaky.” Being sneaky infers that you are timid and you have some sort of malicious intent. I advocate for being brave and bold when shooting street photography, and the invisibility will follow.

    What do I mean? As Markus Hartel wonderfully said, “Walk around at ease, be on the move and observe, shoot, nod confidently -or smile- .. and eventually it will become second nature, people care less than you think.” Read more to figure out why you shouldn’t be sneaky when shooting street photography.

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  • Photo Essay: The Imaginative Street Photography of Siegfried Becker

    Photo Essay: The Imaginative Street Photography of Siegfried Becker

    Young man in a carnival costume fooling around with a toy pistol, 03/14/11 Forbach, France
    Young man in a carnival costume fooling around with a toy pistol, 03/14/11 Forbach, France

    For many years I used a studio for the majority of my photography. The attraction of this kind of photography lay in creating artificial imagery, but today I find my subjects in the streets.

    Life writes the best stories and practically no other area of photography proves this better than Street Photography. When you look more closely, the everyday reveals unique moments which are often comical, sometimes surreal and not seldom sorrowful and yet always show the variety of human behaviour.

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  • Submit Your Best UK Street Photograph Contest

    Submit Your Best UK Street Photograph Contest

    To help spread the word about the street photography workshop I am teaching in Brighton on May 21st, MarkB over at X100Photo suggested that I host a street photography contest. I thought it is a fantastic idea for people to showcase their street photography while also having a chance to win a FREE street photography workshop for themself and a friend.

    How to Enter

    1. Choose your favorite street photograph that you shot in the UK and upload it to my Facebook fan page.
      • Include a caption with the following information:
        1. Title:
        2. Image caption:
        3. Location:
        4. Why you would like to attend my street photography workshop in Brighton:
    2. Get your friends to “Like” my Facebook fan page, and “Like” your image.
    3. Encourage your friends to vote for you by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, Email, blog, website, etc.

    Prize

    • On May 7th, I will announce the winner based on who has the most “Like’s”.
    • The winner will win a FREE street photography workshop for themself and a friend for my street photography workshop in Brighton on May 21st.

    Rules & FAQ

    • Voting ends on May 6th at midnight.
    • Each participant is only allowed to enter 1 image.
    • The image must have been taken in the UK.
    • Prize doesn’t include accommodation or airfare.
    • Entries can be either film or digital.
    • We deserve the right to disqualify any inappropriate images.

    Contest Dates

    • April 4-May 6

    Got any questions, comments, or concerns? If so, leave a comment below!

  • I Shoot Street Photography Women’s T-Shirt Photoshoot

    I Shoot Street Photography Women’s T-Shirt Photoshoot

    Everyone knows that street photography is not only for men, but for women as well! To showcase that, I recently did a photo-shoot with Cindy, my wonderful manager and beautiful girlfriend. We had a ton of fun doing this impromptu photo-shoot with her posing with my Contax IIIa film rangefinder. Hope you dig the images!

    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)

    Ladies, let us know what you think about this design by leaving a comment below and tell us what other types of designs you would like to see!

    Also, make sure you check out all of our designs in our #streettogs store!

  • 13 Inspirational Examples of Travel Street Photography

    13 Inspirational Examples of Travel Street Photography

    "Hitchcock" - Hamburg, Germany - Thomas Leuthard
    "Hitchcock" – Hamburg, Germany – Thomas Leuthard

    Recently on my Facebook fan page and Twitter, I asked you to send in your favorite street photographs taken while traveling. Check all the images below to see inspirational images from all over the world! Make sure to follow me to stay updated with the new weekly assignments. Read more to see all the other amazing images.

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  • Street Photography 101 Workshop with Eric Kim- Brighton, UK

    INTERESTED IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY BUT SCARED OR DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN?

    Street Photography 101 is a unique interactive workshop for anyone interested in street photography or looking to improve their current skills. Los Angeles based street photographer Eric Kim will be leading a dynamic one-day workshop in Brighton where you will get to learn:

    • How to get started in Street Photography (with a brief history)
    • Different techniques, equipment and guidelines for shooting in the streets (including the popular “shooting from the hip” technique)
    • Comparison and pros/cons of DSLR, Point and shoot, Rangefinder, Micro 4/3rds, and film cameras for street photography
    • How to get over “The Fear” of shooting in the streets
    • Story-telling techniques and street photography aesthetics
    • The secret of processing beautiful black and whites
    • How to improve your technique and have your work reviewed by Eric and guest London street photographer David Gibson (http://www.gibsonstreet.com/)
    • The analysis and thought process behind choosing the “keepers” from your batch

    The workshop will consist of presentations by Eric Kim with insightful tips for shooting captivating street photographs and plenty of group discussions for improving your own work. Guest street photographer David Gibson be available to give his own insights and provide additional tips for aspiring street photographers.

    Following the presentations, you’ll get a chance to test out your skills through an accompanied on-the-street photography assignment.

    Street photography is not as easy as it looks, but equipped with the right skills and approach, you can come out with captivating photographs!

    Plenty of engaging hands-on activities and more planned!! Read more to see the intro video.

    Intro video by Eric Kim

    Read more to see more details about the workshop!

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  • Street Photography Documentary Film with Eric Kim

    Street Photography from Daniel Seo on Vimeo.

    I am excited to present a mini-documentary that my talented friend and film producer Daniel Seo put together. It was a quite intense project that took us an entire day to shoot (from 6AM to 11PM at night). I am very proud of how Daniel was able to put together my vision of street photography through his production and editing.

    If you want to find more of how Daniel works, please check out his blog and check out his Facebook fan page.

    Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! I would love to hear your feedback.

  • The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photographs in the Rain

    The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photographs in the Rain

    Compare and Contrast - Tom
    "Compare and Contrast" – Tom

    On my Facebook Page and Twitter I asked the community to send in their best street photography photographs in the rain. I chose the best, and also dug up other inspirational images on Flickr as well. Congratulations to everybody who got their images featured. Read more to see the other inspirational images.

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  • 5 Tips How to Take Raw Street Portraits

    5 Tips How to Take Raw Street Portraits

    Raw Street Photography Portrait - Mehdi Bouqua
    Mehdi Bouqua

    Recently I came upon the work of Los Angeles street photographer Medhi Bouqua. He takes incredible portraits of the people of Los Angeles, and I asked him to give me some of his insights about shooting these raw street portraits.

    Medhi: It all began with the street and its surroundings: The Architecture, The street Lights,The cold Concrete, The bright sun, The people walking up and down, The poor, The rich, the young and the old. Street photography has taught me to never hold back from any subject that captures my eyes. I shoot my Raw Portraits as close up shots to capture the emotion, strength, struggle and beauty of people, with both my 35mm Nikon to print and my Rebel Xs Canon to share on the web, I use Natural lighting, no Flash and no reflectors.

    I thought it would also be a great opportunity for me to give you some great tips about shooting raw street portraits, while using Medhi’s photos as examples. Read on and learn more.

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