Eric’s Note: This is article is part of an on-going weekly column by Japancamerahunter (Bellamy Hunt) where he talks about vintage cameras, film, and street photography. You can check out his part articles here. 

Now that you have taken the plunge and bought yourself a film camera you might be wondering what film you should be using. Well, this is a rather difficult one to answer, as one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

But, never fear, Eric asked me, your charming uncle Japancamerahunter to try and steer you through the rough (and sometimes expensive) seas that make up camera film.

Now this article is timely in that it comes off the back of an announcement last week by Fujifilm that they will be cutting production of a number of films. This seems to be a growing trend, and I can imagine it will not be long before only the smaller specialized companies like Ilford and Efke are making film. So if you are fancying a crack at the film game there is no better time than now. Get on it while the going is good.

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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. “Like” Eric 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.

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

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/

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

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.