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Street photography as courage. Photography philosophy as embodied life. A living archive by ERIC KIM.
In today’s modern world, procrastination is seen as a negative thing. It is seen as a “disease†that needs to be eliminated. Thousands of self-help books, blog posts, and podcasts encourage and teach us …
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on how to liberate yourself in photography— by photographing what interests you rather than what you think other people will be interested. It means to …
(A.g.’s Note: Today’s guest post on the blog is by Vincent Tam. He’s an inquisitive and persistent photographer. He’s sharing with us his insights and research on how to produce quality work and how …
Hey streettogs, for those of you who like videos– I just put together a new one sharing my personal experiences photographing my own wedding. You can read the original blog post here: What I …
We can not control the winds but we can always adjust our sails. Lets see who made the best out of our 19th Assignment!
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter about some thoughts I have on “doing nothing”; not feeling like we always need to be “productive”, that we don’t always need to be producing, …
6 months ago, right around the time of my birthday, I actually got a very interesting message from Eric: “You should write something about yourself so that our readers can know the real you.†…
Dear friends, family, and loved ones: on June 11, 2016 I just married the love of my life, Cindy. It was (one of) my favorite days with her, and also one of the most …
Editor’s Note:  Mehran Khalili is a British-Iranian photographer that works in political communications by day and shoots photos by night (and sometimes the other way around). He recently published a photo project on Greece, ‘Standstill’, which looks …
Hit the streets with my buddy Josh White (@jt_inseoul) in this film about the 24 Hour Project with photographers (Pierre Ricadat (@ghostdogpr), and Michael Fincham (@thelastfin). It is beautifully directed by Dong Kim of AFTER STORY FILM, shows what it …
One of the most toxic feelings that a photographer (or human being) is to feel envy. Apparently envy is a trait that is deeply embedded in us, even as babies. But why is it …
Dear streettogs, I know I already advertised some past workshops as my “last workshops” in the states before leaving to Vietnam, but this time is “for real.” If you’re looking to invest in an …
A nomad mindset means that you are mentally and physically light. You don’t hold onto past possessions. You live in the moment, and you are flexible.
A few weeks ago, I taught a SF Street Portrait workshop in the downtown financial district. It was an intensive 1-day workshop, where the students hustled hard to (quickly) conquer their fears of shooting …
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on patience– how to be patient in our photography, our personal lives, and how we approach growth and self-compassion.
Dear friend, One thought that struck me recently: we all have an impulse to document and photograph things in our world. But what is this impulse exactly? Can we explain it psychologically? Is it …
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter about the benefit of randomness, unpredictability, and chaos in our life.
The other day I did something really stupid. I accidentally deleted a ton of photos on my camera before uploading them to my laptop.
In this video I give some of my thoughts about life, travel, minimalism, blogging, and hopefully some tips that can empower you! You can also read more about my future plans in-depth.
In Silicon Valley, one of the main obsessions a lot of entrepreneurs are having is to eliminate “friction†in user-experiences; whether that be apps, websites, or businesses.
If you want to learn from the top thinkers and influencers in the field of street photography, don’t miss out on The London Street Photography Symposium (August 20-21, 2016). Tickets are now available to …
I feel in today’s world in order to be successful, you need to be a “generalist†— someone who isn’t uber-specialized in one thing, but you can do many things very well.
Dear friend, I just read a book on Japanese Aesthetics titled: “In Praise of Shadows.†It was a beautiful book that helped me reflect on the beauty of darkness and shadows (Japanese aesthetics) while …
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on gratitude— and thanking you for everything, and some life updates (moving out of Berkeley, moving to Vietnam for 2 years, and some other random …
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter (to hopefully empower you). My suggestion: realize that everything in your life is up to you; nobody else.
Is your photography your lifestyle? Or is your lifestyle photography?
If you don’t desire or “want†anything superfluous in life, you are truly wealthy. When you have all your needs (food, water, shelter, love); what else do you need in life?
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter regarding your calling— the reason you were put on the earth.
Sergio Larrain is a figure in photographic history who isn’t well-known, and is a bit of a mystery. He barely shot for more than a decade, and then decided to pursue a more “mystical†…
We are all born into different situations in life. Some of us are born rich, some of us are born poor. Some of us are born with parents who taught us photography; others of …
I first met Kaushal Parikh around 6 years ago— when he first invited me to Mumbai, to teach some street photography workshops there. He was one of the first street photographers I got to …
One of the things that plagues me as a photographer is that I think too much and don’t shoot enough. I think about what camera I should use, whether I should shoot film or …
A.g.: In the spirit of Open Source here on Eric’s Blog, this is a German translation of 10 Things Garry Winogrand Can Teach You About Street Photography. There’s also a German translation of 10 Things Henri …
Dear friend, I only got two weeks left in Berkeley. Here are some reflections I have in life and my time here, before I head off to Vietnam for around 2 years.
If you haven’t heard about the SF StreetFoto International Street Photography Festival 2016, don’t miss out. June 6-12 will be jam-packed with exciting workshops, exhibitions, and pub-crawls. If you’ve wanted to meet other passionate …
I teach a lot of street photography workshops for a living. I’m always wondering, “How can I best empower my students, help them build their confidence, and ultimately make better images?”
As photographers, we make photos to share them with others. I don’t trust any photographer who says that they only shoot for themselves.
I just finished reading Karl Marx’s “Capital” and “The Communist Manifesto” — and I was so amazed to see how modern a lot of his ideas are.
Learning is growth. The more you learn, the more inspired you become. The more ideas you culminate in your mind, and the more your view of the world expands.
Carpe diem. Seize the day. Today is the only day that exists, tomorrow might not come.
The other night I met one of my good friends Geoffrey for dinner, and he’s been having a tough time with his photography. He’s busy with work, traveling, and barely has any time to …
To me, creativity is all about cross-pollination of ideas in novel ways.
Just finished an action-packed weekend with my great students from my SF “Discover Your Unique Voice” workshop. I’m proud of how hard they worked to push themselves out of their comfort zones, as well …
Dear friend, After 10 years of shooting street photography, one thing I’m starting to realize is that I’m becoming a bit complacent with my work. I have a few projects behind me which I …
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on the amazing power of photography– how it can be used to empower ourselves. I want to make the point that the camera is a …
Dear friend, Let me share some thoughts on the importance of self-discovery in photography with you.
Dear friend, I wanted to share a thought with you: that rather than focusing on photography, we should focus on having a fulfilling, passionate, and fully-engaging life.
I met Peter Zhang at one of my SF street photography workshops, and was blown away by his up-close street photos (shot at 28mm with a Ricoh GR) of the changing neighborhood of SoMa …
The last day for submission to the contests is on April 20 (Today) at 23:59pm US Pacific Time. Streetfoto San Francisco 2016 Â extended their due date to all of their competitions to accommodate more …
In Silicon Valley we have a saying: “Fail forward.” I think it is a beautiful saying– because it isn’t telling us that failure is okay for failure’s sake, but that we should learn from …
I just finished a fantastic “Conquer Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography” workshop in SF this past weekend. Super-proud of all the student photos, check them out all below:
Dear friend, I just did an interview with my buddy Michael and one of the things he asked me was, “How has your approach in photography changed the last 2 years?” Fantastic question– this …
Many of us started photography quite innocently— with small compact point-and-shoots, a smartphone, or a disposable film camera. The main advantage was that we didn’t need to think about all the technical settings when …
Dear friend, I’ve been on a bit of a “minimalist†binge. Part of me is that I’m frustrated with all this crap I have in my life— material crap, emotional crap, and negativity I …
Dear friend, I want to write you this letter about how being generous is one of the best “investment strategies†and how the more you give, the more you will receive in return.
Youngjae wants us to photograph the invisible. For this month’s assignment, it’s going to be wind! (Details of joining and more info after the jump!)
Dear friend, I’ve been really fascinated in this Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi” for quite a while. Simply put: “wabi-sabi” is the Japanese/Zen aesthetic of beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and the natural. If you have …
Dear streettogs, Due to popular demand, I’m excited to announce a new special 1-day Street Portrait Crash Course workshop in San Francisco (Saturday, April 30). If you have a busy schedule, and want to conquer …
We’ve all experienced it. It is around 9pm, and you’re about to go out. You check your smartphone and you have a mini heart attack. Your battery is only at 10%. You get “charge …
Kausal Parikh is one of the names the pops up when talking about contemporary street photography in India. Being the founder of the Indian Street Photography collective That’s life  and balancing that with the responsibilities of …
Dear friend, If you’ve ever wanted to find more meaning, purpose, and direction in your photography— I recommend you to pursue “personal photography.†What exactly is “personal photographyâ€? To me, it is a genre …
I’m sure you’ve had this experience: you are sitting on the couch with your loved one, and you think to yourself, “This is a wonderful moment.” You then jump off the couch (ask your …
Often we feel like we need reasons why we take photos. We need a purpose; a sense of direction. But my tip for today is this: photograph for photography’s sake.
Dear friends, My new edition of “Street Photography 101” (Version II, 91MB Direct Download) is available for download as a PDF. I wrote the book last year, but finally updated it with better design, …
Dear friend, I think in today’s world, we are always trying to make things more complicated than they need to be. We get more gadgets to “optimize†our lives, but it only adds more …
Dear friends, I just recorded a new YouTube video titled: “How to Master Monochrome” — which is a 45-minute presentation based on my recent book: “Monochrome Manual.” If you are more of an audio-visual …
“Technology is the best when it is invisible.†– Nassim Taleb I have these utopic dreams of a “perfect†camera. I want a camera that makes photos that are ultra-sharp, yet soft, affordable, yet …
One interesting distinction I find in speaking “American English†and with “European English†is how we differentiate the difference between “taking†and “making†photos.
Dear friend, I want to write you a letter about motivation, “inspirationâ€, and the drive that compels you to make photos.
Dear friends, If you’ve wanted to take your street photography to the next level, I am excited to introduce my new e-book: “Street Photography 102” (102.MB Direct Download) This book will introduce new intermediate/advanced …