• The Benefits of Shooting Street Photography with a Leica (or rangefinder)

    The Benefits of Shooting Street Photography with a Leica (or rangefinder)

    Street Photography with Leica by Bellamy Hunt

    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

    So, it looks like Eric has got himself a Leica M9, the lucky little so and so. So I thought that this would be as good a time as any to write a post about the perceived benefits of shooting with a rangefinder, or more specifically a Leica.

    Now It has to be said that I am a big Leica fan, but that does not mean that they are the only rangefinders. I also have a Contax G2, a Konica Hexar and a Canon 7. They all have their differences, so good, some bad. What I am going to talk about in this is the general benefits that I have found using a rangefinder.

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  • 35 Magnum Photographers Give Their Advice to Aspiring Photographers

    35 Magnum Photographers Give Their Advice to Aspiring Photographers

    Hi 
    (Above image copyrighted by Alex Majoli)

    Bill Reeves, a passionate photographer who is fortunate enough to have Magnum photographers Eli Reed and Paolo Pellegrin as his mentors, told me about a blog post that Magnum had a while back regarding advice to young photographers. It was put together by Alec Soth, who has done a series of fascinating projects such as his most popular, “Sleeping by the Missisippi” which was done on a 8×10 view camera. An interesting excerpt that Bill put together about Alec is below:

    Alec writes up lists of things to shoot. Some normal objects, like suitcases, and others more weird, like unusually tall people. He would tape this list to his steering wheel, and be reminded to shoot those things when he saw them. When he found someone to shoot, he would talk to them, and from that conversation find the next thing to go looking for. An example is he did a portrait of a guy who built model airplanes, and then a portrait of a hooker. The link? She had airplanes painted on her nails. He then went to photograph Charles Lindberg’s childhood home, which led him to photograph Johnny Cash’s boyhood home and so on and so forth.

    I found the advice that these Magnum photographers is golden–and have shared it here to spread the love and knowledge. Keep reading to see their inspirational images and advice. You can also download the free PDF here.

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  • “Finding Your Street Photography Style” Workshop in San Diego (10/7-10/8)

    “Finding Your Street Photography Style” Workshop in San Diego (10/7-10/8)

    I am excited to say that I am teaching my Intermediate Street Photography Workshop in San Diego this up-coming 10/8-10/9 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel. The workshop will be focused on finding your own street photography style, and we will be studying the work of the masters (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Elliott Erwitt, and more). There is a cap of only 8 participants, so make sure to click below for more information before spots run out!

    >> Click for More information about San Diego Workshop

    Also below is my list of other up-coming street photography workshops:

    October

    10/15-10/16: Downtown Los Angeles – Info

    10/22-10/23: Toronto – Info

    November

    11/5-11/6: Mumbai, India – Introductory – Info

    11/9-11/10: Mumbai, India – Introductory – Info

    11/12-11/13: Mumbai, India – Introductory – Info

    December

    12/3-12/4: Tokyo, Japan – (Info TBA)

    12/10-12/11: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia – Info

  • The Top 3 Winners of “The Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest

    The Top 3 Winners of “The Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest

    Street Photography Contest - Decisive Moment

    Sorry for the delay, but finally chose the Top-3 Winners of my first international “Decisive Moment” street photography contest! Many of you voted on your favorite submissions to make it to the top 10, and I chose the top three which I felt captured Henri Cartier-Bresson’s aesthetic of what he would have believed to be the “The Decisive Moment”. Congratulations to everyone who submitted and the winners will be awarded Lens Bracelets of their choice!

    Stay updated as I have lots of other new street photography contests coming up! Keep reading to see all the amazing images and the stories behind them!

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  • Interview with Magnum Photographer Alex Majoli

    Interview with Magnum Photographer Alex Majoli

    When I was at the Leica + Magnum event in Paris a few months back, I had the huge pleasure of interviewing incredibly talented (and humble) photographer Alex Majoli. Part of the highly respected Magnum agency, he has traveled the world and shot a wide gamut of images. This ranges from his personal work of documenting the closing of an asylum in Leros, Greece to various conflicts in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq.

    I interviewed Alex alongside Bart Goossens, a freelance journalist and photographer living in Antwerp.

    You can play the insightful 27-minute interview here on my blog or download the 140mb file to listen.

    Also make sure to check out Leica’s feature of Alex on their blog.

    What did you find most insightful in this interview with Alex? Share your thoughts below!

  • Two Cute Dogs – A Documentary

    Two Cute Dogs – A Documentary

    Charlie Kirk Two Cute Dogs Documentary

    I am pleased to announce that Adrian Storey (aka Uchujin) has just put up the documentary of two cute dogs. Having met him in Paris for the Leica Magnum Event, I would say it captures his eclectic personality quite well. He is quite the character and an awesome guy to hang around with. He takes street photography very seriously, and has created some amazing photos in the last year or two he has been shooting. In addition to his love for street photography, he was one of the major contributors to the Japan Earthquake Charity Print Auction.

    Regardless of all the controversy online shooting flash, you can see in the documentary how he is able to interact with his subjects and get personal with them. He isn’t sneaky with his photography, but does it openly and honestly. I also consider him one of my good friends and also a mentor–who has really pushed me to take my photography (and blog) much more seriously. Although he may come off as brash at times, he has a huge heart and is one of the most generous people I know.

    And why is his name “two cute dogs”? Well he has two cute dogs.

    Watch the documentary here.

    Let us know what you think about the documentary in the comments below!

  • Christmas Came Early! Hands-on with the Leica M9

    The day has finally come that I got my Leica M9 and 35mm 1.4 Summilux in the mail! I have always wanted one, and with the generous support of my loving mother paying for half of it, I am now a proud owner! I just wanted to thank everyone for my street photography journey and helping me live out my dreams. After all, if it weren’t you guys attending my workshops, writing comments, or spreading the word I couldn’t do street photography full-time. Also remember, the Leica is still just a tool. Don’t feel that you need to own a Leica to get good photos.

    Also for those of you who are curious, I am using the Custom SLR strap and YN 560 Flash. You can also pick up some gaffers tape here.

    I’m also planning on making a review for the Leica M9. Anything in particular you guys want me to go over? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

  • Colorful and Humorous Street Photography in Istanbul by Ilker Gurer

    Colorful and Humorous Street Photography in Istanbul by Ilker Gurer

    Istanbul Street Photography

    I was once a very shy person. Like every other photographer, I started off shooting animals and  concrete stuff. People were a bit too complicated and difficult for me to approach. So I concentrated on nature, the environment and buildings where I discovered technical aspects of the camera. However my dream was always to shoot social life and humans. When I took the camera to my hands for the first time, I realized that I needed to get closer to people. Over time I have become much more comfortable doing this. Nowadays when I approach people I do it with a smile on my face which makes them feel much more comfortable.

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  • 10 Street Photography Tips from an Anonymous Street Photographer

    10 Street Photography Tips from an Anonymous Street Photographer

    Click to read more

    I recently got these 10 street photography tips from an anonymous street photographer who wanted to share this information with you. I found these tips to be very insightful, and I hope you will too! Keep reading more to learn about all the goodness.

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  • Chicago Introductory Street Photography Workshop with Jason Martini Day 2 Recap

    Chicago Introductory Street Photography Workshop with Jason Martini Day 2 Recap

    Man, I am pooped. After 2 fun and engaging days of learning about street photography and shooting in the streets I gotta say I have mad love for the Windy City. Some of the nicest folks out there, and Downtown Chicago is definitely one of my new favorite places to shoot. I will miss the hospitality of my beloved cousin Holly and Ian’s pizza, Goose Island Beer, as well as the famous deep-dish pizzas here!

    Huge thanks for all the participants who came out, including George, Rod, Margarett, Josh, Ryan, Alex, Darci, Bob, Jayme, Sam, Angelo, and especially Souvik for helping with logistical details and Jason for leading the workshop with me! I will be posting their 5 best images from the workshop soon, so stay posted!

    Also if you are interested in one of my upcoming street photography workshops, please check out my workshops page for a workshop coming near you! Below is my upcoming calendar. If you have any questions shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com

    October

    10/8-10/9: San Diego –  Sheraton San Diego Hotel –  Info

    10/15-10/16: Downtown Los Angeles – Think Tank Gallery – Info

    10/22-10/23: Toronto – Location TBA- Info

    November

    Dates TBA: Mumbai, India – Location TBA – Info

    December

    12/3-12/4: Tokyo, Japan – Location TBA – Info

    12/10-12/11: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia – Location TBA – Info

    Read more to see all the images from the workshop!

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  • Chicago Introductory Street Photography Workshop with Jason Martini Day 1 Recap

    Chicago Introductory Street Photography Workshop with Jason Martini Day 1 Recap

    Today was a phenomenal Day 1 of my Introductory Street Photography Workshop with Jason Martini in Chicago! It was my first time doing a workshop in Chicago and I was a bit nervous about all the logistical details, but in the end– everything worked well! Huge thanks to Souvik for helping with the accommodations and helping make this thing happen!

    It is crazy to think that three months ago I was talking to Charlie Kirk about how I wanted to do street photography full-time and now it is a reality. It reminds me how important it is for me to stay humble (thanks Mom for the advice!) as well continuing to give back to the community. Thomas Leuthard (85mm) was the one who helped me start my street photography career by supporting my trip to Beirut, Lebanon to teach my first workshop— and in his words, I want to pay it forward. I taught my photography class at Phoenix High School in Los Angeles to under-privileged students and now plan on helping expand this network hopefully world-wide. Watching Born into Brothels (a documentary about a photographer teaching photography to kids in the red-light district in India) truly inspired me, and I just want to continue to spread the love of photography. Therefore stay tuned for some great projects that we can all help support! :)

    Thanks all of you for your never-ending support and encouragement. I truly love you all. Keep reading to see the rest of the photos of the workshop!

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  • The 50 Best Street Photographs from my Intermediate Downtown Los Angeles Workshop

    The 50 Best Street Photographs from my Intermediate Downtown Los Angeles Workshop

    Click to read more

    Photo above by Dana Barsuhn

    One of the most important parts about street photography is to only show your best work. Below are some of the best 5 street photographs taken by my Downtown Los Angeles Street Photography Intermediate Course participants. Add them on Flickr, Twitter, 500px, and take a look at their respective websites and let us know whose work you really dig by leaving a comment!

    You can also check out a recap of Day 1 and Day 2 of the Downtown LA Intermediate Workshop. Keep reading more to check out all the inspirational images below!

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  • So You Wanna Shoot Street Photography With Film, Huh?

    So You Wanna Shoot Street Photography With Film, Huh?

    Click to read more

    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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  • San Francisco Introduction to Street Photography Workshop Recap

    San Francisco Introduction to Street Photography Workshop Recap

    San Francisco Introduction to Street Photography Workshop Participants

    Group photo of the SF Introduction to Street Photography Workshop

    After a trip visiting Cindy in Michigan for a week, I headed my way over to SF to teach my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop. It was also great to have Tom Brichta from Leica come out and help input his thoughts about street photography while letting us play with some nice Leica equipment! Although hiking up hills was tough, it was wonderful to capture the colorful people of the city. Not only that, but we had great company, food, and support!

    I also wanted to thank all the participants Davit, David, Michael Rickey, Michael Cohen, Xiamin, John, Jia, Austin, Justin, Tom, Angela for their willingness to help one another while trying out new street photography techniques! Of course I also want to thank Sarah for letting us use her beautiful home and also to my loving mom for her never-ending support! Make sure to watch the video below– I give each of you guys a shout-out!

    Also if you are interested in any of my upcoming workshops in Chicago, Downtown LA, San Diego, Toronto, or Tokyo check out my workshops page for more info!

    Video Recap

    Read more to check out all the photos from the workshop!

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  • 5 Inspirational Minutes of Steve McCurry’s Colorful Photos from All Around the Globe

    Steve McCurry, Magnum Photographer, and one of the best photographers of the 21st century recently received the first Leica Hall of Fame Award which was recently announced on their blog. According to Leica, “The prize is awarded to photographers who have rendered outstanding service to the Leica brand and to the genre of photography.” The video itself contains some of his most renowned images that tell incredible stories. Sit back with your cup of coffee, relax, and make sure to watch all five minutes!

    Which one of Steve’s photos are your favorite? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

  • New Street Photography Magazine: “Radiate” Released (Issue 1)

    New Street Photography Magazine: “Radiate” Released (Issue 1)

    (Cover photo by Charlie Kirk)

    Stu Egan, a passionate street photographer and magazine editor from London recently put together the first issue of Radiate Magazine, a new street photography magazine filled with great street photographers from all around the globe. Not only does the magazine include great images, but it includes insightful interviews and features from street photographers such as Paul Trevor, John Battaglia, the un-posed street collective (Michal Adamski, Damian Chrobak, Pawel Piotrowski, Zbigniew Osiowy, Tomasz Lazar and Maciej Dakowicz), Charlie Kirk, Misho Baranovic, Bruce Byers and Justin Sainsbury.

    The magazine is 100 pages and is only $21 if you wish to get a real paper-back copy. The magazine isn’t priced to make any profit, and is priced at the basement price to get the thing printed. If you really love street photography, you should pick up the paper-back version and enjoy the beautiful images. I just ordered mine and can’t wait until I get it in the mail!

    They also offer a free digital downloadat the link below.

    > Radiate Magazine Issue 1

    Make sure to also keep posted with their magazine and blog.

    Let us know what you think about this magazine by leaving a comment below!

  • 10 Famous Street Photography Quotes You Must Know

    10 Famous Street Photography Quotes You Must Know

    Garry Winogrand Flip

    (Above image by Garry Winogrand)

    If you want to get a deeper insight into street photography and take better photos, I feel it is very important to study the work of the street photographers who came before us and paved the way for the rest of us. Not only that, but reading the quotes and words by these influential street photographers is a great way to train your mind to take better photos as well. Below are some of my favorite street photography quotes that are concise, inspirational, and have influenced me in one way or another.

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  • “My Time With Henri Cartier-Bresson” by Ishu Patel

    “My Time With Henri Cartier-Bresson” by Ishu Patel

    Henri Cartier-Bresson
    Eric’s NoteThis original article was published on Ishu Patel’s site and re-published here with permission. It details Ishu Patel’s time with Henri Cartier-Bresson and gets some insightful views into his life and photography. 

    AFTER GRADUATING IN 1963 from the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Baroda, India I was lucky enough to be selected by Gira Sarabhai to train as an “apprentice” at the newly formed National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India. And therein lies the story of my valued memories of Henri Cartier-Bresson.

    The plan was to select a cohort of talented Fine Arts and Architecture graduates and to apprentice them in various design disciplines in order to become the future faculty of the National Institute of Design. During those amazing early years the giants of contemporary design from all over the world were invited to the Institute, staying on for months, even years at a time, as teachers and mentors, consultants and project heads. Who came? – Designers Ray & Charles Eames, architect Louis Khan, furniture designer Nakashima, graphic designers Armin Hoffman, Bob Gill, Leo Leonni, and Ivan Chermayeff, animation filmmaker Gullio Gianini, typographer Adrian Frutiger, textile designers Alexander Gerard and Helena Perhentupa, music composer John Cage . . . just to mention a few.

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  • “Alone” by Damien Rayuela

    “Alone” by Damien Rayuela

    Damien Rayuela

    Damien Rayuela, an incredibly talented street photographer and former intern at Magnum put together a wonderful new series titled: “Alone“. His raw and gritty images are bursting with emotion, and tell a very personal story from his life. As stated from his site he describes the series: “Encapsulating those moments when breathing alone feels like a triumph”.

    For those of you who are curious, he used a Contax G3 and Tri-x 3200 and Neopan 1600 film to shoot these images. Read more to see the full series.

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  • Getting Close: Does It Really Make You a Better Street Photographer?

    Getting Close: Does It Really Make You a Better Street Photographer?

    Eric’s note: The following guest blog post is by Simon Garnier, part scientist and part street photographer who lives and works in New Jersey. Read about his experiences in getting close in street photography–and how he grapples with the idea of getting close in street photography. Interestingly enough this post was written before Fabio Pires’ video came out, but it is more relevant than ever. 

    Simon: I am not an experienced street photographer. I started shooting street and candid pictures about a year ago, after several years of irregular experimentations with film and digital cameras. Everything you will read in this post is therefore the result of an ongoing reflection about something that I thought was true, but that I start to find overestimated, and potentially problematic for street photography in general.

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  • How Not to Do Street Photography: My Thoughts

    Today I saw this video of a guy named Fabio Pires doing some very aggressive street photography in London via PetaPixel. Many people mentioned the link to me and asked me what my thoughts were, considering I received a negative response with the video I shot with flash in Hollywood. Here are some of my initial thoughts about the video:

    First of all, I don’t like how this guy is deliberately trying to scare people to elicit a type of response. The fact that he hides behind a phonebooth and then jumps out doesn’t feel right to me. When you are shooting street photography you might scare/surprise people on accident, but that shouldn’t be your primary motive. Even with my street photography, I prefer when I capture images of people candidly without them noticing me. I found in many cases when I get really close to people with a wide-angle lens, they don’t even seem to notice me. And for those who say that I shoot flash to elicit a response– people don’t notice the flash until after you take the photo.

    Secondly, his technique looks very sloppy. I am not sure if he shoots under his arms/sideways all-the-time, but it looks like he was doing that to be showy. Although I believe shooting from the hip without a viewfinder is a good way to get your feet wet in street photography, I believe that using the viewfinder is the best way to get solid compositions and framing. To say that he is “more of a perfectionist than Bruce Gilden” is absolute blasphemy as many of his images have poor composition.

    In addition, his knowledge of street photography seems to very superficial. He mentions that he is out looking for characters, but simply defines “characters” as people who look different. He also mentions that there is no point in shooting “normal people” which I disagree with. Also, I think he should think more about the story he is trying to tell through the people that he captures.

    Lastly, he doesn’t seem to have much respect for the people he shoots, especially the homeless. He has no problem scaring people to get his shot, and the aggressive motion he uses with his camera looks more like a punch than photo-taking. In addition, he mentions that he only deliberately shoots the homeless because they are “different”. To say something like that is unethical in my opinion, as the homeless shouldn’t be seen as easy subjects to capture because of their socio-economic differences from us. All-in-all, you must have the right reasons to shoot your subjects to showcase something beautiful about their character, dress, face, or attitude. You must look for unique and special people to shoot, rather than “different” people. Love the people you shoot.

    Although the guy does come off as arrogant and cocky, what he is still doing is legal. Whether it is ethical is a completely different story. I don’t know many street photographers that try to elicit a response on purpose from their subjects, but if that is his cup of tea and artistic style I don’t feel right to judge him based on a video. Who knows, maybe the guy is just a bit confused or mislead. I feel that art always needs to push boundaries and although this guy is doing the extreme polar end of street photography, that is his style.

    Let us know what your thoughts about the video are in the comments below. And please try to keep the conversation civil.

    Update: One thing I want to emphasize is that let’s not all take out our pitchforks and crucify Fabio. Let’s disagree with his actions, rather than himself as a person. I’m sure he has been reading all the negative comments on the web and feels pretty crappy right now. I know how it feels to be criticized on a large-scale and trust me: it feels horrible. After all the negative press I received after my video, I was actually quite depressed and down-in-the-dumps for several weeks.

  • Think Tank Gallery Looking for for 32 Street Photographers in Los Angeles!

    The Think Tank Gallery is looking for 32 street photographers from Los Angeles for a fascinating project. Selected photographers will have 10 days to shoot in an undisclosed location during October 1st-10th. Those chosen will then have their best 3 images shown in their gallery during the LA Downtown Artwalk on October 13th.

    If you are interested in participating, shoot an email at youareherethinktank@gmail.com with your 5 best images in JPEG format (resized to 950px wide). This can be a great opportunity to get more exposure for your work and even get featured in an up-coming gallery!

    *Deadline to submit is September 15th, 2011

    *You don’t need to be from Los Angeles to participate, but you will have to be in Los Angeles during October 1st-10th to participate.

    This event is sponsored by Leica Camera.

  • The Top 20 “Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest Finalists

    The Top 20 “Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest Finalists

    Rinzi Ruiz

    (“Leaving” by Rinzi Ruiz)

    I am excited to announce that I have chosen the Top 20 “Decisive Moment” Street Photography Contest Finalists. Find the images on Facebook, and vote on your favorite images by “Liking” them! You will have between September 6-14th to vote on the images.

    The 10 final images with the most “Like’s” will advance, and I will judge the Top 3 images.

    See more details from the contest here.

  • Another Viewpoint of the Fuji X100 by Steve Foon

    Another Viewpoint of the Fuji X100 by Steve Foon

    Eric’s note: Steve Foon, a street photographer from the Bay Area, recently offered to write this comparison of the Fujifilm FinePix X100 versus the Leica M9 (which he owns as well). Read his thoughts on the camera and how it stacks up against the M9! 

    Every photographer has a style of photography that just calls their name. Be it wildlife, sports, landscape, architectural, portraitures, models, etc… my personal calling is Street Photography.

    Each genre has certain requirements that will demand that a certain photographic tool be used. Let me clarify that you don’t really have to have a specific photographic tool to be able to shoot the genre you like. It’s just that certain cameras just seem to fit the job better than others.

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  • How to Market Yourself as a Street Photographer

    How to Market Yourself as a Street Photographer

    Click to read more

    Recently I have been thinking a lot about marketing oneself as a street photographer. Through the past year on my blog, I have featured a great deal of street photographers who are extremely talented yet haven’t had the coverage that they deserved. Thinking more about the subject, I thought especially about Vivian Maier who was indeed one of the great street photographers, but was unknown until after she died. Of course Maier purposely didn’t share her photos with others, but I think that photographers have a duty to share their images with others to inspire and show the beauty of life.

    I know there are many street photographers out there who are still very talented yet don’t know how to get their work out there. I have divided up this blog post up to three parts which will hopefully help you understand what you want out of street photography, how to get your work out there, and how to get your work recognized as well.

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  • “My Life and Story about Street Photography” by Ollie Gapper

    “My Life and Story about Street Photography” by Ollie Gapper

    My life, My story

    Eric’s Note: Ollie Gapper is a passionate and  young street photographer who found it as a medium to quite literally take the pain out of his everyday life. Make sure to read his story how he got started with street photography as well as a film he produced for his class!

    My childhood was unique. To be born with a disability is a strange experience, feeling like every ache, pain, dislocation, bruise and cut is just normal, but being told by those around you differently causes you to constantly question your own perception of just about everything. As I grew and matured I realized that what I have is both a severe disability and a unique opportunity. An opportunity to make the very best out of a very bad situation. With near constant trips to London for hospital appointments I tried to find something I could do to break the monotony and negative stigma I’d attached to such visits. I found street photography.

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  • Chinese Street Photographer ERIC Hitting the Streets of Hong Kong and Mainland China with a Mamiya 7II and Metz Flash

    Looks like other street photographers (also named Eric) are shooting up-close and personal with a flash. Except the difference is that he is shooting with a medium-format Mamiya 7II and a large Metz flash. No idea how much it costs to develop all that film, but he makes fantastic photos and the process of him shooting in China is interesting as well. Make sure to watch these videos thoroughly to get a sense of his style which is very intimate, casual, and flows very well.

    Eric Shooting in Hong Kong

    Thanks to Jeff G. Rottman for the tip!

    Also check out his book, “Good Luck China” on the Japan Exposures site.

    via Tokyo Camera Style

  • 50+ Street Photographers You Must Follow on Twitter

    50+ Street Photographers You Must Follow on Twitter

    (Robert Doisneau pictured above)

    Twitter can be a beautiful place to meet and connect with other street photographers on a 1:1 basis, but the biggest problem is the amount of noise out there. Here are some of the 50+ street photographers I follow religiously on Twitter who always tweet interesting content, communicate well, or are great sources of street photography related news.Sorry if I forgot anybody on the list (I am human after all) so please don’t take offense! Also make sure to use the hashtag #streettogs on Twitter to stay posted with anything street photography related!

    1. Eric Kim (of course) ;)
    2. Leica Camera
    3. Magnum Photos
    4. Leica Forum
    5. Thomas Leuthard
    6. Charlie Kirk
    7. Bellamy Hunt
    8. Jason Martini
    9. Leica Rumors
    10. Damien Rayuela
    11. Invisible Photographer Asia
    12. Brian Rose
    13. Josh White
    14. Kaiman Wong
    15. David Kim
    16. K. Praslowicz
    17. Chris Gampat
    18. Tetsu Ozawa
    19. Nick Turpin
    20. BlackXList
    21. Kevin Thornhill
    22. Chun Tong Chung
    23. John Sypal
    24. Andrew Larking
    25. David Edelstein
    26. ISO 1200 Magazine
    27. Jorge Quinteros
    28. Ryan Cabal
    29. M9 Lux
    30. Aaron RTS
    31. Erin Xavier
    32. Simon Garnier
    33. Fabrice Drevon
    34. Faces of London
    35. Pedro Neves
    36. Itchy Shutter Finger
    37. Angelo De Mesa
    38. Victor Bezrukov
    39. Juergen Buergin
    40. Santi Garcia
    41. Dan Redrup
    42. Dixon Hamby
    43. Rudi Neumann
    44. Jackie G Ellison
    45. Chris Porsz
    46. Piet Osefius
    47. Paul Lomax
    48. Garry Larson
    49. Seconds 2 Real
    50. Chris Sorensen
    51. Barend Jan de Jong
    52. Chris Anderson
    53. Who else?

    Leave your suggestions for other fellow street photographers to follow on Twitter below!

  • A Review of the Clik Elite Magnesian 20 Camera Bag

    A Review of the Clik Elite Magnesian 20 Camera Bag

    For my recent Intermediate Street Photography Workshop in Downtown LA, Todd from Lighting Leica and the kind folks from Clik hooked it up with a Clik Elite Magnesian 20 Camera Bag to test out. When I am out shooting, I typically use the Think Tank Retrospective 5 Camera bag, but at times found it a bit small and with one annoyance: it didn’t have slots for water bottles. The Magnesian 20 Camera Bag is fairly larger than the Think Tank Retrospective 5, and is loaded with two water bottle holders on the side (or you can store lenses or flashes there). Read more to see my mini-review!

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  • “A Mirror Will Suffice” by William R. Reeves

    “A Mirror Will Suffice” by William R. Reeves

    Click to read more

    Eric’s Note: This following photo-essay is by William R. Reeves, a passionate photographer and Ph.D student who has many of his images exhibited and on permanent collection. His mentors include Eli Reed and Paolo Pellegin from Magnum Photos. Enjoy his soulful images and story below.

    Trisomy 13 is a rare genetic disorder that kills 80% of its victims before they see their first birthday. Those that do survive are afflicted with a host of disorders ranging from the physical to mental.

    Nathan Huf lived into his twenties, and at the time of his passing was the oldest known living male Trisomy 13 in the world. He was blind, had the intellect of an 8 month old child, and needed around the clock care from his mother Lillie. Despite all of this, he was unanimously voted Homecoming King of Granger High School, a school he never even attended.

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  • My Experience of the Street Photography Now Project by Alison McCauley

    My Experience of the Street Photography Now Project by Alison McCauley

    Click to read more

    Eric’s Note: I was cruising Flickr and I came upon these wonderful images by Alison McCauley that she submitted to the Street Photography Now project. I was particularly interested in her fresh and diverse group of images, and I hope you will as well! Make sure to read more to see her thoughts about the project as well as her inspirational photos!

    These images are a selection from my submissions to the Street Photography Now Project. Sophie Howarth and Stephen McLaren, the authors of the Street Photography Now book (published by Thames and Hudson in 2010) created this project to inspire fresh ways of looking at and documenting the world we all live in. The images contributed to the yearlong project were made in response to a weekly instruction.  Each week a different photographer featured in the book would issue the instruction.  The participants had one week to take and post their image.

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  • Is Your Glass Half Empty? What You Should Be Thinking When Buying a Lens

    Is Your Glass Half Empty? What You Should Be Thinking When Buying a Lens

    Lenses by Bellamy Hunt

    Eric’s Note: This post is by Bellamy Hunt (aka Japan Camera Hunter) who has a weekly column on camera gear, lenses, film, and other topics every Tuesday on my blog.

    The question that everyone asks me when they have decided to buy a camera is usually “which camera should I buy, oh wise one?“ (Well, maybe no the wise one bit, but you know what I mean).

    This is a bit of a loaded question really, as there is no right or wrong answer other than “whatever suits you best”. You could spend hours pouring over the net, reading magazines and reviews or listening to the bloke down the pub, but until you actually hold a camera you have no idea. What I usually tell people is this, find a camera that suits your needs and your style, and most of all, one that feels good in your hand and next to your eye. Because cameras come and go. This is certainly even more relevant now, in the digital age. The average digital camera has a ‘cycle’ of about 3 years, which means that just as you are getting comfortable with your camera, the next piece of eye candy is out there on the shelf flaunting its megapixels at you, and the piece you have in your hand looks forlornly back at you waiting to die.

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  • Download Thomas Leuthard’s (85mm) NEW Street Photography Book: “Collecting Souls: What Street Photography Means to Me” For FREE!

    Download Thomas Leuthard’s (85mm) NEW Street Photography Book: “Collecting Souls: What Street Photography Means to Me” For FREE!

    I am excited to announce that Thomas Leuthard (85mm) has just released his second book on street photography titled: “Collecting Souls: What Street Photography Means to Me“. This book is much more advanced than his previous book, and contains more of his personal thoughts and ideas when it comes to street photography. It includes more than 30 short chapters about street photography, and should help with your own story-telling and style.

    As with Thomas’ other street photography book, it is totally FREE and available for download here.

    If you haven’t checked out Thomas’ first book “Going Candid“, you can also download that here as well.

    Show Thomas some love by leaving a comment below and telling him what you think about his book/generosity!

  • Day 2: Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Recap (Finding Your Own Street Photography Style)

    Day 2: Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Recap (Finding Your Own Street Photography Style)

    The last day of the Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography Workshop really touched my heart. Being able to facilitate a community of equally passionate and open-minded street photographers really made me realize how wonderful life has been to me. A year ago, I had a faint idea of starting a street photography blog to share all my tips and insights about my path of becoming a street photographer. I had no idea that a year after, I would be able to meet people from all around the world and share this same passion for street photography.

    The second day of the workshop went smoothly, and a great time (and great food by my mom and sister) were enjoyed by all! Huge shout-out to The Think Tank Gallery for hosting the workshop and letting me use their venue.Being in the heart of Downtown LA really helped us explore so many colorful neighborhoods (the fashion, jewelry, and toy district as well as Little Tokyo and other areas). Below are some images from the workshop, and expect to see photos from the participants (MatteiNormanNannetteJustin,RinziElizabethIbarionexBoToddJordan, and Dana) soon!

    If you want more information about my upcoming Introductory Street Photography Workshops in San Francisco (9/10-9/11) with Leica or in Chicago (9/17-9/18) with Jason Martini check out my workshops page or shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com

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  • Call for Photographers: Think Tank Gallery Looking for for 32 Street Photographers in Los Angeles!

    Call for Photographers: Think Tank Gallery Looking for for 32 Street Photographers in Los Angeles!

    Hey streettogs, the Think Tank Gallery in Los Angeles is looking for 32 street photographers for a fascinating project. They will select an undisclosed location, and you will be given 10 days to shoot during October 1st-10th. Those chosen will then have their best 3 images shown in their gallery during the LA Downtown Artwalk on October 13th. If you are interested in participating, shoot an email at youareherethinktank@gmail.com with your 5 best images in JPEG format (resized to 950px wide). This can be a great opportunity to get more exposure for your work and even get featured in an up-coming gallery!

    *Deadline to submit is September 15th, 2011

    *You don’t need to be from Los Angeles to participate, but you will have to be in Los Angeles during October 1st-10th to participate.

  • Day 1: Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Recap (Finding Your Own Street Photography Style)

    Day 1: Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Recap (Finding Your Own Street Photography Style)

    Hey streettogs, I’m excited to say that the first day of my Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography went extremely well! It was the first time I taught the Intermediate workshop, and quite frankly was worried how it would go. I made the Intermediate Workshop from scratch (completely new material from the Introductory Workshop) and wasn’t quite sure how it would be in terms of engagement, timing, and fun.

    However things went very smoothly, and I really fed off all the positive energy from the participants of the workshop. We studied the work of some of the great street photographers, such as Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau, Winogrand, Erwitt, and Levitt and learned more about their methodology and philosophy when it came to shooting. By looking at a combination of videos of them shooting on the street, documentaries, as well as images and quotes– it helped us understand their style and how we could apply it to our own.

    I want to personally thank all the participants of the workshop (Mattei, Norman, Nannette, Justin, Rinzi, Elizabeth, Ibarionex, Bo, Todd, Jordan, and Dana) for their enthusiasm to keep an open mind, learn new things, and apply them when shooting on the streets. Although I love doing workshops for the street photography, my favorite is meeting new and passionate people from all around the globe and different walks of life.

    To you guys who attended today: rest up and let’s have some more fun tomorrow! Read more to check out all the photos from today!

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  • The Top 50+ Street Photographers on Google+

    The Top 50+ Street Photographers on Google+

    Top Street Photographers on Google+

    Hey streettogs, I recently put together this list of my favorite 50+ street photographers on Google+ (also based on your recommendations!). Although I got mad love for my folks on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and now 500px— Google+ is definitely a great place to stumble upon beautiful photos and interact. The people at the Google+ team (I’m looking at you +Brian Rose!) have done a fantastic job integrating Picasa and a combination of their past Google Buzz and Wave products.

    Apologies that this list is not as thorough as I would like it to be (and I’m sure I forgot a few people–sorry!). However check out this list of amazing street photographers on Google+ below (rated in no particular order) and don’t forget to add +Eric Kim as well! ;)

    1. +Thomas Leuthard
    2. +Juergen Buergin
    3. +Charlie Kirk
    4. +Jason Martini
    5. +Greg Schmigel
    6. +Markus Hartel
    7. +Chun Tong Chung
    8. +Simon Garnier
    9. +Leanne Staples
    10. +Santi Garcia
    11. +Robert M Johnson
    12. +Robert Larson
    13. +Charalampos Kydonakis
    14. +Victor Bezrukov
    15. +Felipe Apostol
    16. +Jon Savage
    17. +Kevin WY Lee
    18. +Chris Weeks
    19. +Chris Sorensen
    20. +Jason S Moore
    21. +FFrame Fabrianski
    22. +Matt Weber
    23. +Mattias Leppaniemi
    24. +Mihailo Radicevic
    25. +Bo Lorentzen
    26. +Guideo Steenkamp
    27. +John Daley
    28. +Manuel Guerzoni
    29. +Ed Leveckis
    30. +David Jakelic
    31. +Aaron Sosa
    32. +Cyrus Katrak
    33. +Jonathan Hui
    34. +Kevin Meredith
    35. +Ricardo Liberato
    36. +Sung Hong
    37. +Bryan Formhals
    38. +James Dodd
    39. +Trond Lindholm
    40. +Hiroyuki Ogura
    41. +Dairou Koga
    42. +Ontoshiki Vun
    43. +Bellamy Hunt
    44. +Anthony Lima Mok
    45. +Justin Vogel
    46. +Tony Martin
    47. +Sean Wood
    48. +Ludmilla Morais
    49. +Danny Santos
    50. +Peter Earl McCollough
    51. +Dominique Jost
    52. Your recommendation

    Which street photographers would you add to this list? Leave a link to your recommendation below and tell us why!

  • Seconds2Real Street Photography Exhibition in Berlin – October 15th

    Seconds2Real Street Photography Exhibition in Berlin – October 15th

    Some of the talented street photographers over at Seconds2Real, a co-operative of thirteen passionate Austrian and German street photographers are going to be hosting an exhibition titled:  “Fascination Street”, their first exhibition of contemporary Street Photography. The Berlin show opens October 15th, 2011 and runs for two weeks. They will also be showing more than 100 prints at the unique MEINBLAU Kunsthaus.

    Read more information below to get the inside scoop.

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  • “Humor on the Streets” by Gary Perlmutter

    “Humor on the Streets” by Gary Perlmutter

    Click to read more

    My father inspired my passion for cameras and photography when I was a child. This led to me becoming a full time wedding and portrait photographer to pay the bills.

    However in my spare time I have been shooting street photography on and off for over 10 years, mainly since I switched from film to digital and because I have always lived in large towns rather than in the countryside and love people watching. Looking back however I now realize that I always had an observational eye for the ‘street’. At the age of 15 my first published photograph, that made the front cover of my local paper, was of speed limit signs on either side of the road that confusingly didn’t match!

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  • Chicago Street Photography Workshop with Eric Kim and Jason Martini

    Chicago Street Photography Workshop with Eric Kim and Jason Martini

    Pipe it in” by Jason Martini I am excited to announce that I will be teaching an Introductory Street Photography Workshop in Chicago 9/17-9/18 with talented street photographer Jason Martini. This workshop will be great for anybody interested in street photography or wanting to improve their current skills. Here are some of the topics we will cover: 1. How to get over the fear of shooting street photography 2. How to shoot candid images without anybody noticing you 3. How to tell a story with your photos 4. The best technical settings to use in street photography 5. How to post-process and edit your images and create captivating color or beautiful black and white photos. The workshop will be full of insightful tips & techniques, and there will be lots of time for you to ask us your individual questions on street photography. Not only that, but you will have the opportunity to shoot with other passionate street photographers and us on the streets of Chicago.

    WORKSHOP TIME & LOCATION

    Date: September 17-18th Time: 10am-6pm (both days) Location: University of Chicago

    REGISTER NOW:

    If you are interested in registering or would like more information, please email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com

    ABOUT JASON MARTINI:

    Jason Martini is a street photographer based in Chicago and has been featured on The Chicagoist, my blog, and has a published radio-style interview. Check out more of his images on his Flickr.

    STREET PHOTOS BY JASON MARTINI:

    BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO

  • “Waiting for Haiti” by Robert Larson

    “Waiting for Haiti” by Robert Larson

    Click to read more

    Robert Larson, Haiti

    For this feature I interviewed Robert Larson about his experiences shooting in Haiti. He went there to document what was going on after the earthquake, and has had an on-going project about Haiti. The words and images that Robert shared is extremely emotional and powerful, and really shed light on the situation in Haiti as well as the people living there. Read more to see his images as well and his experiences as well.

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  • The 10 Most Important Things You Should Be Looking For When Buying a Classic Camera (Or How Not to Get Ripped Off)

    The 10 Most Important Things You Should Be Looking For When Buying a Classic Camera (Or How Not to Get Ripped Off)

    Click to read more

    Pictured above: Canon 7 Black w/50mm f1.2 screw mount. Shot by Bellamy Hunt

     

    Eric’s Note: For this blog post I am excited to present this article written by Bellamy Hunt (aka Japancamerahunter). Not only is he a skilled street photographer, but he is a professional camera hunter. If you are looking for a vintage or classic camera, he is your man. Knowing nothing about classic cameras myself, I asked him some tips that you may need to know when looking to buy one. Read what he has to say below!

    So, you have decided to take the plunge and buy a classic camera, well hold on to your horses, this is something that you shouldn’t run headlong into with wild abandon.
    Obviously if you are buying a $20 camera most of this will be completely irrelevant to you, but if you are thinking of getting something a bit nicer, then there are a few things you should consider.

    First up, and perhaps most importantly, know what you are looking for. Don’t have a vague idea that you want a film camera and just buy the first one you see; you will just be disappointed.

    Here is a little list of things that you should be looking for when you are buying a classic camera.

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  • 10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography

    10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography

    Don’t forget to order the new re-print of “The Decisive Moment” by Henri Cartier-Bresson!

    I have been doing quite a bit of research into Henri Cartier-Bresson, the godfather of street photography.

    Although my current approach in street photography is more like Bruce Gilden and less of Henri Cartier-Bresson, HCB influenced much of my earlier work and I still deeply respect his photography and philosophies. I hope you are able to enjoy these things I believe you can learn from Henri Cartier-Bresson about street photography. Keep reading to become inspired and learn more.

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  • Upcoming Street Photography Workshops in Los Angeles (8/27-8/28) and San Francisco (9/10-9/11) with Eric Kim

    Upcoming Street Photography Workshops in Los Angeles (8/27-8/28) and San Francisco (9/10-9/11) with Eric Kim

    My incredibly beautiful and talented girlfriend (and manager) Cindy Nguyen put together this great footage of all the “behind-the-scenes” footage of my previous workshops in the UK, Switzerland, and Los Angeles. Props to her for putting together such a well-made video with cool music to accompany it as well! As a reminder, here is my upcoming workshop schedule:

    August

    Level 2: Developing Your Own Street Style (Los Angeles)

    Ready to go out and shoot
    Ready to go out and shoot

    This workshop is going to be held next Saturday/Sunday so sign up while spots are still open! This workshop will be focused on developing your own street photography style, and we will spend time studying the work of the masters (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Garry Winogrand, Vivian Maier, and others). We will start off the first day with a portfolio review of everyone who is attending, and everyone will be given certain tasks and assignments to shoot on the streets. It will be a great learning experience for those who consider themselves intermediate to advanced street photographers who want to continue to develop their street photographic vision.

    • Level: Intermediate-Advanced
    • Location: Downtown Los Angeles (939 Maple Street, Los Angeles, CA)
    • Date: August 27-28th
    • Time: 10am-6pm both days
    • Open spots: 2/10
    • *You don’t need to attend the introductory course to apply

    Email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com for more information or if you would like to register.

    September

    Level 1: Conquering Your Fear of Shooting on the Streets (San Francisco)

    Rinzi Ruiz Shooting On the Streets

    Have some experience in street photography but you are having a hard time figuring out what to shoot or how to get closer to people? Sign up for this workshop where I will teach you great hands-on tips & techniques how to conquer your fear of shooting on the streets. We will understand what makes a great street photograph by looking at the work of influential past and contemporary street photographers.  The environment will be very collaborative and engaging. Check out reviews by Ibarionex Perello at The Candid Frame and Todd Hatakeyama from Lighting Leica to get a good sense if this workshop is a good fit for you. Also check out photos of my participants shooting on the streets.

    • Level: Introductory
    • Location: San Francisco (55 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA)
    • Date: September 10-11th
    • Time: 10am-6pm both days
    • Open spots5/10
    • Leica will be there to demo their cameras/lenses (a great time to test out a Leica M9!)

    Email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com for more information or if you would like to register. Also feel free to check out my workshops page.

    Also check out more of Cindy’s videos at http://vimeo.com/thelittlewave

  • Interview with David Kim about the “Society of the Individual” on the Leica Blog

    Interview with David Kim about the “Society of the Individual” on the Leica Blog

    Recently the Leica Blog just published an interview that I did with David Kim, a Korean-American street photographer currently living in Korea. He shoots film on a Leica M6, and many of his images capture Henri Cartier-Bresson’s “Decisive Moment” aesthetic. It was a fantastic interview, with many insightful thoughts from David himself about how he got started in street photography and soulful photos from Korea. I encourage everyone to check it out.

    Read the interview here: David Kim: Society of the Individual

  • The Street is a Stage: Street Photography from Treviso, Italy by Umberto Verdoliva

    The Street is a Stage: Street Photography from Treviso, Italy by Umberto Verdoliva

    Click to read more

    Umberto Verdoliva

    To talk about street photography you first need to explain what it is.

    I will start off by saying that there is more than one way to shoot street photography. It also depends on the the history and context in which you live.

    European and international street photography has a history and a variety of different styles. However this doesn’t mean that one style or way to shoot is better than the other.

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  • “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.

  • 6 Inspirational Street Photography Essays from my Los Angeles Workshop Participants

    6 Inspirational Street Photography Essays from my Los Angeles Workshop Participants

    Ibarionex Perello

    Ibarionex Perello, from his “Shadows” essay

    For my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in Los Angeles, I assigned all my students to go out on the 2nd day and shoot a consecutive street photography essay. They chose themes such as shadows, hands, tattoos, shadows, and even tourists.

    If you would like more information about my upcoming workshops in Los Angeles on 8/28-8/29 or in San Francisco on 9/10-9/11 check out my workshops page or email me at erickimphotography@gmail.com

    Keep reading to check out the rest of the inspirational images and essays.

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  • The Worst Street Photography Excuses

    A while back Thomas Leuthard (85mm) put up a blog post on 500px titled “The Best Excuses On the Street.” He came up with a hilarious list of mostly bad (some good) excuses to use when people ask what you are doing. I was inspired by the list and thought I’d take a stab at using a few of them on the streets. I called up my friend Alex Lea and he recorded some footage of me from behind (while I recorded with a GoPro on top of my Leica M9). Yeah I shot the video a while back but didn’t have the chance to edit it until a few days ago ;)

    My favorite one that I didn’t mention in the video (but took a stab at Thomas): “You should see Eric Kim, he is a creepy Korean tourist with a Leica M9…

    Although I made this video for fun, I was quite surprised to see that most people reacted somewhat positively to these excuses. Perhaps one could use a lot of these excuses and get away with it. Hope you guys enjoy the video :)

  • Capturing Human Theater With a Flash: An Interview with Charalampos Kydonakis (Dirty Harrry)

    Capturing Human Theater With a Flash: An Interview with Charalampos Kydonakis (Dirty Harrry)

    Click to read more

    Charalampos Kydonakis (or known online as Dirty Harrry) is a street photographer who was born in Heraklion of Crete and raised in Rethymnon. Dirty Harry is indoubtly one of the greatest contemporary street photographers out there. Not only does he consistently create solid work, but he also creates innovative images getting close and at times shooting with a flash. He is an architect by trade, but creates his true artistic vision through his street photography. Read more to see the rest of the interview as well as his inspirational images.

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  • Junku Nishimura: Japanese Street Photographer Shooting the Streets of Singapore

    Recently my colleague and fellow streettog Kevin WY Lee put together a 15-minute documentary for Japanese street photographer Junku Nishimura. The film shows Junku shooting the streets of Singapore with his Leica, and you can even see fun clips of him pop-locking (he is also a DJ and breakdancer). It is quite insightful and well produced–I encourage everyone to watch it.

    You can also see my interview with Junku over at the Leica Blog. Make sure to see more great features over at Invisible Photographer Asia.

    What did you think about the film? Leave a comment below and let us know!

  • 11 Touching Street Photographs of Hands

    11 Touching Street Photographs of Hands

    Click to see more

    Roger Boon

    This week’s street photography assignment of the week was “Hands“. Thanks to everybody who sent in their submissions to my Facebook fan page. Stay tuned for next week’s assignment, and keep on reading to check out the rest of the inspirational images!

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  • 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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  • iPhone Street Photography in Amsterdam by Chun Tong Chung

    iPhone Street Photography in Amsterdam by Chun Tong Chung

    Chun Tong Chung

    Article by Chun Tong Chung. Google

    Chun: I was introduced to analog photography by some friends when I studied abroad for a year in Taiwan. I loved the analog medium immediately and shot as much as I could. Shooting film is still my passion but because it wasn’t really economical, I decided to shoot with what I had available instead, my phone. I discovered some online photo sharing community’s and started to post my pictures there. It wasn’t until then that I started to realize that mobile photography has some serious potential. There are so many apps that you can download and process your pictures with, the possibilities are endless. Of course I tried copying from different people and experimented as much as I could to achieve that distinct mobile photo look.

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  • Exclusive Interview with Blake Andrews from In-Public

    Exclusive Interview with Blake Andrews from In-Public

    For this interview I am pleased to present Blake Andrews, one of the most talented street photographers out there and a member of In-Public. Not only is Blake an incredibly talented street photographer, but he is also a prolific blogger as well.

    In this interview I decided to switch things up a bit. First of all, I conducted this interview via Skype, and have provided the video and audio for you above. Beware the interview is extremely long (around 40 minutes) but I thought it was necessary to have a long-form interview with Blake Andrews. If you have the time to watch it at night after work, I highly encourage you to do so. It will help give you some useful insights about Blake Andrews and his methodology behind capturing great street photographs.

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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?

  • 18 Great Examples of Humor in Street Photography

    18 Great Examples of Humor in Street Photography

    Click to see more

    Phil McAllister

    This week’s street photography assignment was “Humor” and many of you submitted great submissions to my Facebook fan page. Thanks to everybody who took the time to post, and here are 20 of the best images that stood out to me. Keep reading to check out the rest of the images!

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  • Response to My Hollywood and Flash Street Photography Video

    Yesterday I put up a video of me shooting flash street photography in Hollywood as a tool to help people understand how I get close to people and shoot them with a flash. My original intention of the video was to help others build their courage, rather than offend people.

    In the video above I talk about some of my thoughts about the video.

    First of all, I am not Bruce Gilden and don’t claim to be. I am hugely inspired by the work of his and those of others such as Weegee, Charlie Kirk, Mark Cohen, Dirty Harry, and some others. My idea is not original, and I have been copying aspects of their technique I like. Through this experimentation, I have found out I enjoy this style and am curious to keep on trying it out. The experience is much more intimate and has been challenging me both as a street photographer and person.

    Secondly, the images I took in the video were not great. I only put them in there to be instructive and helpful to give people a sense of how the images would look. I can shoot street photography for an entire day and get 1-2 decent shots if I am lucky. To get a good photo in 3 minutes flat is almost impossible.

    Lastly thank you for the comments & critiques. I see my blog more as a hub for street photography discussion, learning, and debate. I purposely never censor any of the comments that people leave, and appreciate everybody’s thoughts. I don’t claim to be the master or have all the answers. Rather being a street photographer that struggled with getting over his fear of shooting street photography– I simply want to help others get over that as well.

    Feel free to leave your thoughts, suggestions, or critiques below. Also thanks so much for the continued feedback and support. Shooting street photography, doing workshops, managing my social networks, and this blog is a ton of work–but it is my passion and I do it all out of love to help you and the community.

    Love,
    Eric

  • Shooting Street Photography With a Flash in Hollywood

    During my Los Angeles Street Photography Workshop, Rinzi Ruiz followed me around and recorded me shooting street photography with my Canon 5D, 24mm f/2.8, YN 560 Flash, and CSLR C-loop and Glidestrap.

    I enjoyed the experience and this time aimed my flash aiming upwards from a low angle (while crouching down). As you can see through the video, a lot of people were very friendly (as long as I smiled and said “thank you” or that I liked something they were wearing). A few people objected and gave me weird looks (as you can see) but I am pleased with a few of the resulting images.

    In addition, the workshop was a ton of fun, and you can see my previous footage talking about Day 1, Day 2, and the best street photographs my students took.

    Also check out my upcoming street photography workshops in LA and San Francisco.

    What do you think of this approach and the pictures I got? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below!

  • 10 Lessons KANYE WEST Has Taught Me About PHOTOGRAPHY

    10 Lessons KANYE WEST Has Taught Me About PHOTOGRAPHY

    Kanye West is one of my inspirations in life.

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  • Student Photos: LA Workshop 2011

    Student Photos: LA Workshop 2011

    Rinzi Ruiz

    Shot by Rinzi Ruiz. Phenomenal light!

    For the first day of my introductory street photography workshop, I was very impressed to see all the great photos everyone took! We were able to edit/post-process each of the photos with one another using Lightroom 3 and Silver Efex Pro, and the results look great. Read more to check out all of the photos!

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  • LA Street Photography Workshop: Day 2 (Friendship, photography, and community)

    LA Street Photography Workshop: Day 2 (Friendship, photography, and community)

    Day 2 of the LA Street Photography workshop was a huge success and I am so sad it is already over! We spent a good time during the day editing our images and post-processing them with Lightroom 3 and Silver Efex Pro, and everyone got some great images! I am still in the process of editing all the images and videos, so please be patient as they get ready ;)

    Also I am accepting sign-ups for my Intermediate Street Photography course on August 27-28th–so please shoot me an email at erickimphotography@gmail.com for more info!

    Update: Just uploaded photos of the workshop–read more to see them all!

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  • 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.

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    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!

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    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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  • LA Street Photography Workshop: Day 0 (Getting Prepared)

    Tomorrow is the day I am teaching my street photography workshop in LA and I wanted to let everyone know thanks so much for the help, support, and love you have given me. If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have been able to spread the news and made this workshop a success (at least in getting people to sign up!). I have been very fortunate that my entire family has been helping me, including my mom and sister who are making all the meals, and my girlfriend/manager Cindy who helped me with all the logistical details.

    Today on the car ride to the 4th Floor Gallery to do some last-minute things, I had a very insightful conversation with my mom about being humble. She told me that regardless of what I do I should remember to stay humble and be truly grateful for the help I have been getting from everyone. It really struck me to the heart, and I thought about all that has happened within the last year. Within a year I was able to teach a street photography workshop in Lebanon, the UK, Switzerland and meet passionate street photographers like Thomas Leuthard, Charlie Kirk, Damien Rayuela, and many others. Not only that, but Leica has also flown me to Paris where I met Bruce Gilden, Elliott Erwitt, and many other influencers.

    Therefore I wanted to re-iterate thank you again for everything you have given me. This quote that I got from my friend and street artist Jacob Patterson truly resonates with me:

    “You don’t owe your audience your art; you owe your audience your life.” -Howard Bloom

    Wish me luck for tomorrow and will keep you updated with how everything goes :)

  • Featured Computer Workstations from the Community

    Featured Computer Workstations from the Community

    Click to read more

    (My new home office above!)

    I would argue that the editing and post-processing aspect of street photography is almost as important as the shooting part. Therefore on my Facebook fan page I asked you to upload photos of your workstations and uploaded the best ones. Read more to see the computer workstations where the magic goes down!

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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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