Photo essay / Oct 1, 2015
The Simple Things
A post taken from Josh’s blog. He doesn’t always say much, but like this post talks about, simple things are sometimes good ones. Enjoy. The end of a long weekend. I used to travel …
Flagship blog / human artist archive
Shoot
Think
Publish
Street photography as courage. Photography philosophy as embodied life. A living archive by ERIC KIM.
Human first
Camera ready
Walk more
Publish raw
Read essay →
Photo essay / Sep 29, 2015
The Street Project by Steve Simon
(Editor’s Note: Words and Photographs by Steve Simon. Steve is a very passionate photographer, author, and an educator that has traveled the world shooting for various brands, companies, and organizations. His work focuses on …
Photo essay / Sep 22, 2015
How Much is Enough?
How much is enough? How much is superfluous in life? What is excess baggage that holds you back? What are some demons from your past and mental baggage that holds you back? What are …
Photo essay / Sep 22, 2015
Streettogs Academy Assignment No. 15
Let’s keep things going and get to more shooting with the latest assignment for Streettogs Academy! For avid readers of Eric’s blog, you’d notice he’s on a relentless pursuit towards zen, stoicism, and minimalism. …
Photo essay / Sep 20, 2015
Wu-Wei in Street Photography
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter about “Wu-Weiâ€, a Taoist philosophy and concept that I learned from the “Tao Te Ching†(recommend the version by Stephen Mitchell). So let me pose …
Photo essay / Sep 19, 2015
Ignore the Barking of Dogs
Dear friend, I wanted to give you some advice on bouncing back from negative and debilitating experiences when you’re shooting street photography.
Photo essay / Sep 18, 2015
Kill Your Master in Photography
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on the concept of “killing the masters of photographyâ€. It is kind of a Buddhist philosophy, as well as a philosophy I gained from Seneca, …
Photo essay / Sep 17, 2015
Reboot
Dear Eric, I want to write this letter for you, as a reminder of sorts to meditate upon some of the thoughts running around in your head. Remember when you used to work in …
Photo essay / Sep 16, 2015
What is Your Dream?
About a month ago I gave a talk on street photography at EyeEm headquarters in Berlin. During the question and answer session, there was a member in the crowd who asked me the question: …
Photo essay / Sep 15, 2015
Why We Should Embrace Beginner’s Mind in Photography
“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few. †― …
Photo essay / Sep 15, 2015
Streettogs Academy 14: “Rhythm” Results and Analysis
(Cover photo by Assignment 14 Community’s Choice, Michele Berlingeri) This has got to be one of the assignments that got the most number of beautiful pictures so far! The number of interpretations given to …
Photo essay / Sep 14, 2015
How to Innovate in Your Photography
You can download this essay for free as a PDF or Microsoft .DOCX file. Dear friend, I wanted to write you a personal letter on innovation. Not to say that I am the most …
Photo essay / Sep 14, 2015
24 (More) Lessons Mary Ellen Mark Has Taught Me About Street Photography
Read as a Google Doc (where you can suggest edits, and also download as a PDF). I recently came across the excellent book: “Mary Ellen Mark on the Portrait and the Momentâ€, an educational workshop book …
Photo essay / Sep 11, 2015
Disregard Differences, Notice Similarities
I’m still afflicted with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I want new shit all the time. I’m always dissatisfied with the technology I have (smartphone, tablet, laptop, camera, espresso machine) as well as my car, …
Photo essay / Sep 10, 2015
You Live in a Paved Paradise
Dear friend, I’m currently sitting at my desk, facing outside. There are beautiful trees, a soft breeze, the sound of birds chirping. I have a “HappyLight” on my left (which helps me wake up …
Photo essay / Sep 9, 2015
2 Lessons Tennis Has Taught Me About Photography and Life
Dear friend, I want to share a story with you. It is an important life lesson that I learned from Greg Lowe, my tennis coach from high school. Okay let’s start from the very …
Photo essay / Sep 9, 2015
Review of the Harry Benz “B” Strap
So I met Harry Benz when I was in Toronto. My buddy Adam Marelli (probably the most knowledgeable guy about composition and photography) introduced me to him. I shot Harry an email, and we …
Photo essay / Sep 8, 2015
The benefits of printing your work by Maarten Rots
(Words and photos unless otherwise stated is by Maarten Rots.  Maarten is an artist working with photography based out of Amsterdam. In his photographs you can see a sense of abstraction and surrealism found in …
Photo essay / Sep 8, 2015
8 Life Lessons I Learned After Spending 3 Months on the Road
Dear friend, I am excited to share that after nearly 3 months on the road, I am finally back at my beautiful home in Berkeley. I just wanted to use this opportunity to share …
Photo essay / Sep 8, 2015
You Only Live Once
Dear friend, You might have heard the term “YOLOâ€, which stands for “you only live onceâ€. However I think most people misconstrue the word. They think that it means to live a life of …
Photo essay / Sep 7, 2015
There is No Wrong Way to Shoot Street Photography
Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter, sharing with you some of my personal thoughts that here is no one “right” or “wrong” way to shoot “street photography.” I think when most …
Photo essay / Sep 7, 2015
You Can’t Control the Results, Only the Effort
“You can’t control the results, only the effort.” – Ryan Holiday Ryan Holiday is a guy I admire very much he’s about my age, and has accomplished a lot. He’s a best selling author, …
Photo essay / Sep 6, 2015
On Killing the Ego
Dear friend, I have a problem I need to share with you: I have a huge ego. I love compliments, I love external validation, and I absolutely hate being criticized, judged, or ignored. Recently …
Photo essay / Sep 5, 2015
Cultivate Your Own Garden
Dear friend, I want to share some meditations and thoughts that are currently on my mind– and perhaps tell some stories. Thank you for being a good friend and listening :) Okay, so I …
Photo essay / Sep 4, 2015
Street Photography Quick Links: August 2015
Street Photography Quick Links is a compilation of Links, Projects, News, Videos, Events, or anything that is related to street photography or photography in particular that I have personally consumed. Perhaps these might interest …
Photo essay / Sep 4, 2015
Having No Choices is the Ultimate Freedom
Dear friend, I want to tell you the exciting start of my day today. I want to share with you as vividly how it felt, and what is on my mind. I woke up, …
Photo essay / Sep 3, 2015
On Capturing Beauty in the Mundane
Dear friend, I want to share you with excitement a new idea that I got, from William Eggleston. The concept is quite simple (and I know I have shared this with you in the …
Photo essay / Sep 2, 2015
Before/After: Stockholm Conquer Your Fear Street Photography Workshop 2015
Just finished an incredible “Conquer Your Fear of Shooting Street Photography” here in Stockholm, and wow– this is one of the most awesome before/afters. I was so impressed to see how much all of …
Photo essay / Sep 1, 2015
Italian Street Photography at the Forefront: An Interview with SPontanea collective (Italian Translation Available)
SPonatanea is a very active and organized street photography collective based out of Italy. In the interview, I talked to them about their formation, activities, and upcoming projects. This interview also has a …
Photo essay / Sep 1, 2015
Don’t Be a Slave
Read as a Google Doc (feel free to suggest edits), or download and print out the PDF. — I am a slave. I am a slave to others’ opinions of me. I am a slave …
Photo essay / Aug 31, 2015
On Positivity and Street Photography
Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — There is so much negativity and bullshit out there in modern life. I always hear people bitching and moaning about the difficulties of their …
Photo essay / Aug 30, 2015
On Searching for the Maximum
Read as a Google Doc. — “Over the last 10 years, what has interested me in taking photographs is the maximum — the maximum that exists in a situation and the maximum I can …
Photo essay / Aug 29, 2015
First Draft: “Learn From the Masters of Street Photography” Book
Eric Kim Draft v1 (8/28/2015) Special thanks to Paul King and Alan Morris who have contributed lots of edits! Introduction Dear streettogs, I am excited to share you the first draft of my upcoming …
Photo essay / Aug 28, 2015
On the Shortness of Life
Read this article as a Google Doc (would love your comments/edits), download and print as a PDF, as an .epub (e-reader), or .mobi (for Kindle). I also recommend reading the original: “On the Shortness of …
Photo essay / Aug 27, 2015
On Feeling Inadequate as a Photographer (and the Worst Sony A7R II Review Ever)
This article is written by Neil Ta, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by Eric or any other contributors to the website. …
Photo essay / Aug 26, 2015
Small is Beautiful
Read as a Google Doc or PDF. — Dear Friend, I wanted to share with you some thoughts that are on my mind: The first thing that came to mind: “small is beautiful.†So …
Photo essay / Aug 25, 2015
Conquer Your Fears (and Meet New Peers) in SF, New Orleans, and LA!
Dear streettogs, I am excited to share my new upcoming street photography workshops for the rest of the year! If you want to conquer your fears in street photography and meet new peers, don’t …
Photo essay / Aug 24, 2015
A Real and Unique Pleasure by Pierre Belhassen
(Words and Photos by Pierre Belhassen) I’m Pierre Belhassen. I started photography 10 years ago. After studying cinema, I was given a camera. I wanted to discover New York City. It became a revelation in …
Photo essay / Aug 24, 2015
How to Love Your Haters
Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — Dear Ming, I wanted to write you this letter regarding all the trolls and “haters†you have been getting over on your blog. I …
Photo essay / Aug 21, 2015
7 Lessons Josh White Has Taught Me About Street Photography (and Life)
Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — Hey Josh, I just wanted to write you this letter wishing you a happy (belated) birthday, and the lessons in life you’ve taught me, …
Photo essay / Aug 20, 2015
Streettogs Academy Assignment No. 14
Cheers to another assignment wrapped and here’s a new one to keep everyone in Streettogs Academy moving, shooting, and perhaps for this assignment, following the beat!
Photo essay / Aug 20, 2015
On the Emptiness of Social Media Fame
Read as a Google Doc or download the PDF. — Dear friend and fellow streettog, I went to sleep last night, and woke up this morning in beautiful Leeds, England, and suddenly this story …
Photo essay / Aug 18, 2015
Kill Your Babies
Read this as a Google Doc or download a PDF. — I have a problem. I often get too attached to my photos, especially my bad photos. I look at all of my photos …
Photo essay / Aug 17, 2015
Streettogs Academy 13: “Darkness” Results and Analysis
(Cover Photo by Community’s Choice, Jomel Bartolome) In order for a photograph to exist, it has to have light but for this assignment, we are going to focus on the other side of the …
Photo essay / Aug 17, 2015
Photography (and Life) is About Subtraction, Not Addition
Read this article on Google Docs or download as a PDF. — I believe photography (and life) is more about subtraction (instead of addition). I’m re-reading “Antifragile†by Nassim Taleb, and his chapter on “Via …
Photo essay / Aug 14, 2015
How to Be Happy in All Circumstances in Photography
(You can also read this as a Google Doc, or PDF) Dear friend, I just finished reading a book by Roman philosopher Epictetus, titled “Of Human Freedom.†It got me thinking a lot about …
Photo essay / Aug 13, 2015
Free Sample Chapters: “Learn From the Masters of Street Photography”
I am currently working on a new book: “Learn From the Masters of Street Photography”, which is a distillation of all of the lessons that I’ve learned from the masters of street photography. You …
Photo essay / Aug 12, 2015
Jack Simon Explains What Makes Great Street Photography
Jack Simon, a good friend and a street photographer I greatly admire shares what he thinks makes great street photography in the 2 minute video above. Check out my video where I shoot with …
Photo essay / Aug 12, 2015
Desire the Life You Already Have
“One should not spoil what is present by desiring what is absent. Rather, realize that what we have were among the things we might have prayed for.” – Epicurus (via the “Epicurus reader“) I’m …
Photo essay / Aug 11, 2015
Should You Shoot if You Don’t Want To?
Dear friend, I want to share with you something that has been on my mind for a while: whether a photographer should take a photograph everyday, or only when he/she feels like it. I …
Photo essay / Aug 7, 2015
Presentation: 7 Lessons from the Masters of Street Photography
Hey streettogs, just gave a free talk at EyeEm in Berlin last night titled: “7 Lessons from the Masters of Street Photography.” You can see and download the slides for free here.
Photo essay / Aug 6, 2015
The Beauty of “Creative Constraints” in Photography
My friend Josh White made a great point to me about cameras in photography: why is it that we as photographers always talk about the camera we want (that will apparently make us more “creative”) …
Photo essay / Aug 5, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #7 Don’t Be a Slave to Your Camera
“You are not supposed to be a slave of mechanical tools, they are supposed to help you and be as small and unimportant as possible not to disturb the communication.†– Anders Petersen There …
Photo essay / Aug 4, 2015
“Letters from a Recovering Camera Addict†Step 2: The Pact
This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;) Disclaimer: …
Photo essay / Aug 4, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #6 Provoke Your Subjects
“Rather than catching people unaware, they show the face they want to show. Unposed, caught unaware, they might reveal ambiguous expressions, brows creased in vague internal contemplation, illegible, perhaps meaningless. Why not allow the …
Photo essay / Aug 3, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #5 Emotionally Detach Yourself From Your Photos
“Sometimes photographers mistake emotion for what makes a great street photograph.†– Garry Winogrand Imagine this situation: it is a cold and rainy day. You are out shooting on the streets, and you are …
Photo essay / Aug 2, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #4 Don’t Crop
“If you start cutting or cropping a good photograph, it means death to the geometrically correct interplay of proportions. Besides, it very rarely happens that a photograph which was feebly composed can be saved …
Photo essay / Jul 31, 2015
Street Photography Quick Links: July 2015
Street Photography Quick Links is a compilation of Links, Projects, News, Videos, Events, or anything that is related to street photography or photography in particular that I have personally consumed. Perhaps these might interest …
Photo essay / Jul 29, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #3 Don’t Shoot From the Hip
“I never shoot without using the viewfinder.†– Garry Winogrand Another common mistake that aspiring street photographers make is that they try to overcome their fear of shooting street photography by shooting from the …
Photo essay / Jul 27, 2015
Join Me at PopUp GPP Seattle for a Special “Conquer Your Fear of Shooting in the Streets†Workshop (September 16-18th, 2015)
Hey streettogs, I am excited to announce I will be teaching my popular “Introduction to Street Photography Workshop” in Seattle (September 16-18, 2015) hosted by Gulf Photo Plus as part of their PopUp GPP Seattle event! …
Photo essay / Jul 24, 2015
“Letters from a Recovering Camera Addict” Step 1: Admission
This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;) Hi. …
Photo essay / Jul 23, 2015
Streettogs Academy Assignment No. 13
Let’s just jump to the next assignment. I think this one is going to be fun because there are two ways to approach this one:
Photo essay / Jul 22, 2015
Streettogs Academy No. 12 “Love” Results and Analysis
(Cover photo by Assignment No. 12 Community’s choice Forrest Walker) All the things we do are best done when you love what you are doing. This is an emotion natural to all of us …
Photo essay / Jul 19, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #2 Shoot From the Gut
“My photography is not ‘brain photography’. I put my brain under the pillow when I shoot. I shoot with my heart and with my stomach.†– Anders Petersen Anders Petersen is one of the …
Photo essay / Jul 17, 2015
The Street Photography 2015 Contest: Get Your Work Published In A Book Curated by Colin Westerbeck (UPDATE: Deadline Extended to Aug. 25)
UPDATE: Deadline extended until AUGUST 25, 2015! You’ve read that right! Colin Westerbeck, acclaimed curator and author of the book, Bystander: A brief history of Street Photography together with Acuity press and PDN are looking for …
Photo essay / Jul 16, 2015
Learn From the Masters: Lesson #1 Get Closer
Hey streettogs, I’m starting a new book on a distillation of all the “Learn from the Masters” articles I’ve written. I hope these daily lessons can inspire you, I know they inspired me! — …
Photo essay / Jul 14, 2015
Of Raising Dogs And Pursuing Reflections: An Interview With Siri Thompson
(Interview by A.g. De Mesa. All photos by Siri Thompson) Siri Thompson is a photographer based in Toronto, Canada. She constantly photographs her city in a manner inspired by her photographic heroes while putting her …
Photo essay / Jul 13, 2015
How to Overcome Excuses in Street Photography
Bercy Park / Paris, 2015 A photo posted by Eric Kim (@erickimphoto) on Jun 25, 2015 at 3:16pm PDT Getting my laptop stolen recently has been the best thing that happened to me recently. …
Photo essay / Jul 13, 2015
Creative Constraints are Freedom: Abstract Street Photography by Maarten Rots
Restricting to open up. How less can be more when going out to shoot. I am strongly convinced that creating restrictions leads to more freedom and development when it comes to creativity. This may …
Photo essay / Jul 8, 2015
7 Benefits of Shooting Street Photography With a Smartphone
I’ve been shooting a lot of photos on my smartphone lately (Samsung Galaxy s6). It has been so much fun and I’ve enjoyed it so much, that I wanted to write an article about …