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Street Photography Shootout: iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy S6

Probably the most fun video I’ve done in a long time: a street photography “Shootout” with bigheadtaco in Vancouver. He used his iPhone 5s while I used my Galaxy S6. The point of the video was to show that smartphones are more than capable cameras for street photography, and often more fun, accessible, and easy.

What are your thoughts on shooting street photography on your smartphone? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Paris GoPro Street Photography POV #4

Hey Streettogs, here is the last gopro video I got from Paris! I hope this gives you some ideas and insights on how I shoot street photography.

My ultimate lesson in Paris (as well in every country), as long as you shoot with confidence, a smile, and without hesitating, you generally have no problems. I shot there for about 2 weeks solid, and only had one negative incident of a confrontation.

I have found most Parisians to be very friendly and open (despite what foreigners have told me). I’ve picked up some French phrases, make an effort to try to speak French, and people are generally very happy to see me try.

Paris is certainly one of the most beautiful places to shoot street photography in the world. If you ever have the chance, come visit, and don’t forget to tell people: “Merci beaucoup” (thank you very much).

Seattle Street Portrait Photography POV with the Samsung Galaxy S6

If you’ve been enjoying these POV videos, I got more of them for you! This is of a recent street portrait session I did in Seattle with this beautiful woman we met in the streets during a workshop. I recorded a video of me directing her on my Samsung Galaxy S6, and also shot while recording. Post-processing done in VSCO with the “dramatic black and white” preset.

Processed with VSCOcam with b5 preset
Processed with VSCOcam with b5 preset

Video: Paris Street Photography GoPro POV with Ricoh GR #3

Hey streettogs, thanks for your feedback. Just recorded a new GoPro POV street photography here in Paris with my Ricoh GR (and edited in the shots as some of you asked).

My recording setup
My recording setup

Here are some of my favorite photos from the video:

R0132869 R0132912 R0132957

Other Paris GoPro Street Photography POV Videos

Both videos are shot with my GoPro and Film Leica MP:

Paris GoPro Street Photography POV #2

Paris GoPro Street Photography POV #1

More Street Photography GoPro POV Videos:

Stay tuned for more videos to come! :)

Video: Paris Street Photography GoPro POV with Leica MP

Hey streettogs, I just put together a new street photography GoPro POV video here in Paris on my film Leica MP. Unfortunately can’t edit in shots (shooting film), but plan on doing more of these to show my working process, as well as the streets of Paris.

More Street Photography GoPro POV Videos:

Stay tuned for more videos to come! :)

gopro setup eric kim paris

“Photography is Photography, a Photo is a Photo”: Interview with Neil Ta

I just had a recent chat with my manager and good friend Neil Ta. Neil is a professional photographer based in Toronto (shoots wedding and commercial work), and his passion is photography. He has dabbled in many different genres of photography, including “urbex” (urban exploration), “rooftopping” (getting to really high places), documentary photography (he is working on a long-term project on “Alexandra Park“, a public-housing complex for low-income families which is being gentrified for expensive condos), and street photography.

In this video interview, we delve deep into lots of different topics. Neil shares how he first got into photography, why he decided to quit his job and travel the world for 6 months+, how we met, not being pigeon-holed in photography, his love (and hate) relationship with film, and why he is currently shooting on a Hasselblad Xpan.

Podcast:

You can listen to the audio podcast below:

Read more to see the topics we covered in the interview, and lots of inspirational links:

[Read more…] about “Photography is Photography, a Photo is a Photo”: Interview with Neil Ta

Video: Why I’m Switching Back to Black and White Film for Street Photography

In this video I talk to Karl Edwards from StreetShootr on why I plan on switching back to black and white film (Kodak Tri-X pushed to 1600) and we just geek out about black and white film in general, enjoy!

If you want to learn how to shoot street photography on film, I recommend reading these articles below:

  1. Introduction to Shooting Film in Street Photography
  2. A Guide on How to Shoot Street Photography on a Film Leica (or Rangefinder)
  3. What I Learned Processing 164 Rolls of Film After Waiting a Year
  4. Why Digital Is Dead For Me In Street Photography
  5. The Benefits Shooting Both Film and Digital in Street Photography
  6. 10 Tips on Shooting Street Photography on Film

Interview with Karl Edwards on Starting StreetShootr, Street Photography as a Harmonica, and How to Shoot with a Leica

I just did a fun interview with my good friend Karl Edwards (he runs StreetShootr) and has a blast chatting about his start in street photography, his tension between shooting film and digital, practical tips on how to shoot with a Leica, his favorite photography books, and why he likens shooting street photography to playing a harmonica. The format is similar to when I “ambush” interviewed him in Provincetown as a part of the Magnum workshop.

You can see Karl’s work on Flickr and his Website. Make sure to check out StreetShootr and to follow on Twitter.

Read more to see his photos and the street photographers he recommends to check out!

[Read more…] about Interview with Karl Edwards on Starting StreetShootr, Street Photography as a Harmonica, and How to Shoot with a Leica

Video Interview with Narrative in SF

I recently met up with Ryan Lum, one of the awesome guys at Narrative, a wearable camera startup. I joined them in their office last week, and talked about my beginnings in street photography and my blog, how it was getting fired (and running this blog full-time), how to shoot street photography (and not get punched in the face), and more. I hope you enjoy the video interview above (and pardon the immature masturbation jokes).

Video Presentation: Introduction to Street Photography Projects

In this presentation, I share how to come up with and shoot a street photography project, and also cover what makes a great street photography project. Some of the projects we cover are:

Project tips/advice:

  • 1. Work on them for a long time (2-10 years).
  • 2. Make it personal.
  • 3. Stay consistent (camera, lens, film, post-processing technique)
  • 4. Focus on the sequencing of images (study films, books, literature). What kind of story you are trying to tell?
  • 5. Project types: “Sense of place”, “Typology”, “Concept”
  • 6. Lots of projects fail (don’t be too rigid, also be flexible)
  • 7. Don’t have pre-conceived notions
  • 8. Have fun!

Ways to stay motivated

  • 1. Get feedback/critique
  • 2. Keep pushing forward
  • 3. Look at photo books

Links:

  1. You can see the slides for free here.
  2. For more inspiration, download my free e-book: “The Street Photography Project Manual.”
  3. If you want to take your street photography project to the next level, check out my upcoming street photography workshops.

Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom

Hey streettogs, I just put together a video introduction to using Lightroom 5 for editing, post-processing, and workflow. In the video I share some fundamental hotkeys, tips, and suggestions. I hope you enjoy the video, and please let me know what other questions you have about using Lightroom 5 (or editing/post-processing in general) in the comments section!

Hotkeys

  • E: “Enlarge”
  • G: “Grid” / “Gallery”
  • F: “Full screen”
  • Tab: Collapse side columns
  • Tab + Shift: Collapse all columns
  • D: “Develop”

Workflow

  1. “F” : Make full screen

  2. Turn on the “Caps lock” key

  3. “P” or “X” :

  • P: Pick (if you think it is a good shot): 5-10%
  • X: Reject (if you think it is a bad shot or a ‘Maybe’ shot): “When in doubt, ditch:” 90%

  1. Go through all of the photos

  2. “Filters off” -> “Flagged”

Video Interview with Blake Andrews from In-Public (#2)

In 2011 I did a video interview with Blake Andrews, and a lot has changed since then. I recently did an interview on Blake’s blog (Q&A with Eric Kim) and wanted to see what he has been up to since the last time we chatted.

In this hour-long interview, we talk about his trip to LA, how it is to shoot in Eugene and Portland, the philosophy and psychology behind blogging, shooting in color vs black and white, as well as his advice for street photographers.

Also as a note, there are some parts of the video where the audio is scratchy, and the video isn’t the highest quality. But I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I did! You can follow Blake below:

Follow Blake on Social Media:

Photography:

Video: How to Use a Leica M Camera for Street Photography with Craig Semetko

Check out this new helpful video by Craig Semetko (author of “Unposed“) on how to shoot street photography with a Leica M camera. Here are some of the tips he shares in the video:

  • Know the camera well enough to not think about it. Then pure seeing and personal vision takes over.
  • Study the masters, in photography and painting, movies, literature, etc. Looking at Cartier-Bresson’s work never hurt anybody.
  • Practice observing and spend a great deal of time roaming the street. You don’t need an assistant to start.
  • Every situation is different. Work fast. Act like you’re looking elsewhere and don’t know how to use the camera.
  • A sense of humor is fundamental to me, as I believe it is for most people. In my opinion, a story without humor is not being truthful–at any given moment, someone is laughing about something somewhere.
  • Do what you are passionate about. The rest takes care of itself.

 

Video Lecture: Introduction to Composition for Street Photography

In this video presentation I share compositional techniques to make better street photographs (diagonals, figure-to-ground, curves, leading lines, framing). You can see all the slides for this presentation here.

Articles on Street Photography Composition

If you want to learn how to improve your compositions in street photography, enjoy these articles:

Video Lecture: Why it is Important to “Work the Scene” in Street Photography

In this presentation, I share the work of the master Magnum photographers (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Diane Arbus, Martine Franck) and share the importance of “working the scene” (via contact sheets). So pretty much– you don’t want to just shoot one photograph of a stranger and move on. Rather, you want to continue to “work the scene” and take lots of shots.

You can see the slides for the presentation on Slideshare here.

More articles on “working the scene” in street photography

  1. Debunking the “Myth of the Decisive Moment”
  2. How Studying Contact Sheets Can Make You a Better Street Photographer
  3. 10 Things Street Photographers Can Learn From Magnum Contact Sheets

 

Behind-the-Scenes Video: Downtown LA Conquer Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography Workshop 2015

I just finished an epic “Conquer Your Fears of Shooting Street Photography Workshop” in Downtown LA this past weekend and put together a fun behind-the-scenes video above. All of the students did an incredible job building their confidence in the streets, getting closer to strangers, and had a lot of fun getting to know one another.

You can see the final student photos on my Facebook fan page and you can also see my upcoming street photography workshops in SF, Chicago, Toronto, NYC, Vienna, & more!

Read more to see snapshots from the workshop as well:

[Read more…] about Behind-the-Scenes Video: Downtown LA Conquer Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography Workshop 2015

Film Isn’t Dead: The Resurgent Interest in Analogue Photography Video

Thanks to Matt Stuart from In-Public for sharing this short 8-minute film about the resurgence of film photography.

Personally I still love shooting film for the added challenge, how it slows me down, the aesthetic, as well as the surprise when I finally get my film developed. Shooting film (I think) has made me a more disciplined photographer, and also improved my street photography in general. Shooting film isn’t necessarily “better” than shooting digital– it is just different. If you’ve never shot film (or it has been a while), I recommend giving it a go in 2015!

If you want to learn more about shooting street photography on film, I recommend reading some of these articles below:

  1. Introduction to Shooting Film in Street Photography
  2. A Guide on How to Shoot Street Photography on a Film Leica (or Rangefinder)
  3. Video: Introduction to Darkroom Film Developing and Printing with Taylan Bagci in Istanbul
  4. The Benefits Shooting Both Film and Digital in Street Photography

Video Review of the Fujifilm X100T for Street Photography

I recently put together a “real-world” review of the Fujifilm X100T for street photography (which you can read here). I also wanted to record a video of some of my thoughts of the X100T (I really like it), and some of the settings, functions, aesthetic differences of the camera. In my opinion it is the best “bang-for-the-buck” camera for street photography on the market right now, and a great companion if you want to upgrade to a smaller body.

If you have any other questions about the camera, leave a comment below and I will try to reply to as many as I can! For those of you who have the new X100T, how do you like the camera?

Video Shooting Street Photography with the Fujifilm XT-1 and x100s in Saigon, Vietnam

Thank you to Fujifilm Vietnam and Gin Tran for putting together this feature of me shooting street photography in Saigon this summer. I hope the tips I share in this video can help you when it comes to traveling and shooting street photography. I also give some tips when it comes to shooting with the Fujifilm XT-1 with the 27mm f/2.8 lens (read my review here) and the Fujifilm x100s (read my review here). You can also read my new review of the Fujifilm x100T on the blog here.

If you are curious what it like shooting street photography in Vietnam, check out my “Saigon Diary” series below:

 

Video Lecture: How to Overcome Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography

In an effort to be more helpful, I am going to start putting together more video lectures and features for YouTube. In this presentation, I give some practical advice how to overcome your fears of shooting street photography– including the philosophy, approach, and tips.

Articles on Conquering Your Fear

Check out my Free Ebook: “31 Days to Overcome Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography“

My recent article: “How to Harness Your Fear to Become a More Confident Street Photographer”

Slides

You can see the slides on Slideshare here.

Listen to the Audio

If you want to build up your confidence in shooting street photography, you can also join me at one of my upcoming street photography workshops.

Ask Eric Kim #1: How to Overcome the “Funk” of the Winter Months in Street Photography?

@mikebeecham on Twitter asked me, “How do you manage the funk of the winter months?”

I think this is a great question, because it is hard to stay motivated during the winter months. I share some of my thoughts, an introduction to this new series, and suggestions in this first episode of “Ask Eric Kim”.

Book recommendation to stay inspired in the winter:

  • “Vinter” by Lars Tunbjork

What are some ways you stay motivated to shoot during the winter? Share your tips in the comments below!

Dubai 2014 Round-up Videos

Hey streettogs, I just got back from an epic 5-week trip in Stockholm, London, and Dubai– and now finally have some time to decompress and recover from my travels. Below is a round-up of some of the videos I shot in Dubai, lots more stuff to come! :)

1. How to Load a Hasselblad in Dubai with Imraan

Over a nice local meal in Dubai, my buddy Imraan and I have fun with my Hasselblad– and show a brief tour of how to use it:

2. Tour of Gulf Photo Plus in Dubai and Interview

Ever curious what Gulf Photo Plus is? Mohamed Somji (one of the head folks at GPP) gives us a tour of their office in Dubai– and I also interview his background in documentary photography as well!

3. Dubai International Street Photography Exhibition

Behind-the-scenes look for the opening for the Dubai International Street Photography Exhibition I helped curate:

You can also check out more of my new videos on my YouTube channel.