The folks at PhotoWhoa has recently put together their first issue of “The Street Collective: Volume 1“. Â Below is a description of the magazine from the editors there:
We collected the insights of these photographers to help you. Photographers like World Press Photo award winning Laura Pannack, LPV magazine founder and street photographer advocate Bryan Formhals, critically adored Kazuo Sumida, and PDN noted up-and-comer Delphine Diaw Diallo.
In all, we’ve collected 10 different photographers that will teach their own perspective about documenting real life. You’ll learn to how to work with natural light with Odd Future’s own Julian Berman. Find out how to communicate through cityscapes and ordinary moments with Satoki Nagata. And discover how to turn your street portraits into works of art with Lee Jefferies.
The magazine looks superb, with some great and talented street photographers on it. Make sure to download your copy for free here.
About two months ago (before I was going to embark on my Michigan to LA road trip), Chris Moore and Shirley DeSilva from the marketing division of Leica lent me a Leica D-Lux 6 to test out on the streets (thanks guys!).
I have always been a huge fan of compact cameras– for their weight, size, and easily portability. I think at the end of the day, I prefer having smaller cameras for street photography– as I generally end up carrying them with me everywhere I go (whereas my bigger cameras of the past tended to stay home and collect dust).
So how is the Leica D-Lux 6 for street photography? Read on to see my thoughts.
Eric’s Note: ​OBSERVE is a new international photography collective focused primarily on the practice of candid street photography. I have sent questionnaires to all 14 of the members, and will feature their responses and images on the blog for the next upcoming weeks. Â
Chris Farling: To me, street photography has more in common with other improvisational arts than it does with other types of photography. As such, it is as much about enjoying the process and working at it as it is about the final results, with near-misses sometimes being more interesting than their more polished counterparts. Ultimately, I see street photography—despite its occasional rude manners—as an honest way of actively living in the world.
Have you ever walked on the streets and saw a moment that you wanted to capture, but you were too scared to take the photograph? Do you want to become more confident shooting in the streets and learn how to better interact with your subjects? Do you want to meet other street photographers that are as equally passionate about street photography or interested in learning like you?
I am excited to announce I will be teaching my popular “Introduction to Street Photography Workshop” in Downtown Los Angeles (11/1-11/3) with talented LA street photographers Rinzi Ruiz and Dana Barsuhn.
In this action packed 3-day weekend workshop, you will learn the fundamentals of street photography, how to create visually compelling images, how to conquer your fear of shooting street photography, as well as tips & tricks how to capture “the decisive moment.”
If you are a beginner or intermediate street photographer and you want to take your work to new heights and meet other passionate street photographers, check out more info about the workshop below!
All photos copyrighted by the estate of Andre Kertesz. Also many thanks to Michael Meinhardt for helping me edit this text.Â
Andre Kertesz is one of the greatest photographers who ever lived. He photographed extensively for over 70 years, which also makes him one of the most prolific photographers. Not only did he help pioneer the genre of street photography, he also had a strong impact on an entire generation of photographers – even including the great Henri Cartier-Bresson.
When asked about Kertesz, Henri Cartier-Bresson showed his reverence by saying: “We all owe something to Kertesz.” and even “Whatever we have done, Kertesz did first.”
Another famous photographer, Brassai, beautifully captured what made Kertesz so great as a photographer:
Every street photographer with a desire to learn more about the masters needs to know about Kertesz. I have personally gained a great deal of inspiration from him and will share some insights I have gained from him:
Christine from ONA was generous enough to give me the Bowery Bag to test out and review during some of my travels the last few months. I put it through the rounds, and find it to be an ideal situation for street photographers who want a smaller bag to hold their Fuji, Leica, Micro 4/3rds, Compact, or small DSLR. Check out my review above!
I just gave some members in the Streettogs Critique Group some feedback and made this screencast – thanks to Michael Meinhardt for organizing the images together! I hope to do more of these in the future!
If you want to get some more critique and feedback, join the group and the rule is: for every photo you post to the group, you must leave at least 3 critiques to the photos before yours (at least 4 sentences long). Looking forward to having you!
Sauvetage dun enfant par un enfant (Le Petit Journal)
Eric’s Note: This guest article is by Dan K, a British Camera collector and photography enthusiast based in Hong Kong.
Many of the great photographers whose wisdom we like to quote are successful because they have an innate artistic sensibility. For the rest of us, it is harder to grasp what makes a compelling photo.
I recently attended the gallery of one of Hong Kong’s most famous photographers. Michael Wolf made a name for himself creating images of high visual impact with a subtly dark twist of voyeurism. His own work is compelling, yet his longest wall is filled with countless rows of historical illustrations of Le Petit Journal. These lithographs portrayed the events of the day, in a highly dramatised style.
Screenshot of the free “Develop!” iPhone Application
Eric’s Note: I am excited to share this interview with Todd Breslow, a street photographer and the developer of the free “Develop!” iPhone App — which helps you process your own black and white film. He loves street photography with his Leica M3 and working in analog, and lives in Philadelphia with his spouse, two sons, and two cats. When not developing film he can be found tending to his beehives or taking a bike ride. Todd works in the Automotive industry.
Check out my interview with him on how/why he made the application for the community!
STUCK IN A CREATIVE RUT AND LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION TO TAKE YOUR STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO?
Do you feel that when you look at your street photographs, you have a hard time defining your style? Do you dream of creating unique and eye-popping images that stand out from the crowd? Do you want to find that signature style that you can put your stamp on and be proud to share with the world?
If so, I am excited to invite you to my upcoming 3-day Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop in San Francisco October 25-27th.
This unique workshop will give you the opportunity to hone your street photography voice, vision, and style while giving you the skills, knowledge, and confidence to take your street photography to the next level.
Eric’s note: Earlier this year in NYC I bumped into Jerry Pena, a street photographer living in upstate NY. Funny story, he took a street photograph of me, and then I ran after him (not to beat him up) but to just chat. We shot a bit together, chatted about street photography, and I saw some of his color film work – and loved his refreshing style and aesthetic. See more of his color street photos below.
Jerry: My name is Jerry Pena and I’m a 27 year old construction worker living in upstate NY. I have a lot of time off in between jobs and street photography is what keeps me sane. I have always noticed the strange characters and interesting moments that happen on the streets of NYC and always wondered how I could captured them.
Eric: This is a guest article by Neil Ta, my homie and babysitter. In this article he shares his new project, “Harmonious China” and his thoughts about the editing process.
Neil: My good friend and International Street Photographer, Eric Kim, first introduced me to the idea of letting photos marinate. The concept is really simple. When we take photos, there is an emotional attachment or bond that reminds us how amazing we felt when we took the image. Photographers who select and post their photos immediately are often times at a disadvantage because they let their emotions at the time of taking the photograph get in the way of their better judgement. To combat this, Eric has recommended to photographers to let their images marinate. As time passes and we revisit our images, we lose that emotional bond that had initially formed and we’re better able to objectively look at our images without biases.
So why the long-winded introduction to my new project, Harmonious China? Taking Eric’s advice, I recently decided to look at my archive of images that I shot in China back in April 2011. I hadn’t looked at these images in a very long time and secretly I was hoping that (by some act of god) I was able to pull something out of there that I had previously missed.
When I began to review the images, so much time had passed that they were fresh to my eyes, Surprisingly, I was able to pull out a number of images that fit into a centralized idea. Because I let the images marinate for so long, there were a number of shots that I forgot I took or had no immediate recollection of where it was taken.
I want to write about a photographer that most art and photography students know, but not that many street photographers know (or appreciate) online.
That photographer is Walker Evans, one of the most pivotal American photographer from the 20th century. He inspired a league of influential street photographers such as Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Diane Arbus, and even Bruce Gilden. He is most famous for photographing the Great Depression with the FSA, his candid work of Subway riders in NYC, and his street photos and urban landscapes all around America (his most famous book being “American Photographs” which was the first photography exhibition to be held at the New York MOMA. He was also a non-dogmatic photographer who often proclaimed that the camera didn’t matter and experimented with the 35mm format of the Leica, the 2 1/4 format of the Rolleiflex, the cumbersome 8×10 large-format, and even using a Polaroid SX-90 more or less exclusively towards the end of his life.
There is a lot that I don’t know about Walker Evans, so I made it a point to learn more about him through doing research for this article. I hope that you find his work to be as inspirational as it was to me.
Before I start this article, I want to share this excerpt that Robert Frank said about Evans and his influence on his famous project, “The Americans“:
“When I first looked at Walker Evans’ photographs, I thought of something Malraux wrote: ‘To transform destiny into awareness.’ One is embarrassed to want so much for oneself. But, how else are you going to justify your failure and your effort?” – Robert Frank
I just uploaded the last Istanbul GoPro POV video in my series above. If you want to watch the full series, you can see all the videos on YouTube here.
I am excited to share that the information for my upcoming street photography workshops in San Francisco and Los Angeles are live!
The Introductory Street Photography Workshop is focused on building your courage, learning the fundamentals of composition, and techniques when shooting on the street.
The Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop is focused  on honing onto your style, voice, and learning on how to work on projects.
Also as a treat, I will have Rinzi Ruiz and Dana Barsuhn as co-teachers in my upcoming workshops in LA! Make sure to sign up before all the spots fill up in these popular locations!
October 18-20th
San Francisco – Intro to Street Photography Workshop – SOLD OUT!
October 25-27th
San Francisco – Intermediate/Advanced Street Photography Workshop – Info & Register – NEW!
The last two weeks I have spent in Istanbul with my good friend Charlie Kirk. I first met Charlie around two years ago in Paris– and since then we have shot together, had good food and drinks together, critiqued each others’ photos, taught together, and met others together.
During many of my other travels I also had the pleasure of meeting so many incredible people during my life’s journey.
I interviewed Josh White about a month or two ago– and one of the questions I asked him is why he shoots street photography. He told me that it was the friendships that he made through street photography is what mattered to him the most.
Josh White is a street photographer from Newfoundland in Canada, and has done the majority of his work in Seoul, Korea. I conducted a video interview with him when I taught my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop with him in Toronto. We caught up, chatted about his beginnings, his inspirations, working in film versus digital, why he prefers black and white, and some memories from Seoul.
When I first started this blog, I wrote about the idea of “open source photography.†To sum up the idea, I wanted to make a personal vow to always keep the information on this blog open and free for anyone to use, remix, or share.
I remember when I was an undergraduate student at school, and I was so broke I could barely afford textbooks. It always infuriated me how these textbook companies would charge ridiculous sums of money for knowledge that I believed should be open and free to promote knowledge, wisdom, and learning for the rest of humanity. Sure I do agree that these companies have to make a profit somehow, but I think that charging $200 a textbook (required reading) was excessive for a student surviving on pizza and ramen.
I have always been into computers growing up, and my student job was IT. I remember first reading about “open source” software and was amazed how generous these developers were in creating software that changed the world. It gave access to people who could not afford expensive copies of Windows, Office, or Photoshop. The open source versions were free to download, and were nearly as good (sometimes even better) than their expensive for-profit-driven counterparts.
I grew up in the lower socio-economic class in America, with my mom holding down three part time jobs working as a waitress, cashier, and even cleaning houses to put me and my sister through school. The biggest resources that helped us were public services (thank God for libraries) and other free organizations that helped me build character and leadership skills (Boy Scouts, local community centers, etc).
I was also fortunate enough that I was able to pay my way through school at UCLA with a combination of grants from the American government and also through my work study job (also subsidized from the government). I also have had countless mentors throughout my life who dedicated thousands of hours to help shape me into the person I am today, and I have a moral and societal obligation to give back to the community.
Therefore I want to re-clarify my purpose of running this blog. My purpose is to spread and promote the love of photography— via educational posts (what I have learned from the master photographers), inspirational (interviews and feature for contemporary photographers), or community-based (exhibitions, books, etc.) I initially started this blog as a hobby and to help others in their journey in street photography (as there were few community-driven blogs online dedicated to street photography about three years ago). I have been lucky enough to make it a living primarily by teaching workshops.
I am certainly not the authority when it comes to street photography. There is still a lot I am ignorant of and many things I need to learn. I am not the best street photographer either, I don’t have a body of work I am proud of yet. However I have the passion, drive, and fervent love of street photography I want to promote– and I wish to contribute to the community by sharing things I have been learning along the way.
Therefore I want to reiterate the fact that I will never charge anything on the blog in terms of information. I will make sure that anything information-based (articles, videos, features, etc) will always be available openly and for free on the blog. I do envision myself writing more paper-bound books in the future, but if I self publish these– I want to always have an ebook available for free online.
I also plan on offering more free street photography workshops to students as well as those who cannot traditionally afford to attend my workshops. I have recently offered some student scholarships when I taught workshops in Manila, and also hosted a charity-based workshop in Detroit with Brian Day which was pay-what-you-can (the profits went to the Detroit firefighters fund).
I have no intentions to becoming rich through my blog, and certainly don’t want to be a blood-thirsty capitalist. I studied sociology in school and I view my socio-political-economic views as quite liberal, and I hope not to stray away from my core ideals and beliefs. If I do by chance become a blood-thirsty capitalist/vampire trying to suck profits out of the street photography community, please stab a wooden stake through my heart and bust out the garlic.
I also wanted to announce that I have recently made all of my photos on Flickr available for free as full-resolution downloads. So if you have ever liked any of my photos and wanted a print, feel free to download any photo and print any sized photo you want. Use it as wallpapers, prints to hang on your wall, or whatever you want to use them for (non commercial). And no, you don’t need my permission.
I already make a living through my workshops and am currently earning enough to live comfortably. I am starting to think more about my future financially (in terms of starting a family, buying a house, all of that “grown up†stuff) but I want to always keep the information on my blog available for free.
Currently what I think is charging for workshops to earn my living (and also I love teaching as well) while keeping everything else available for free.
I also just moved into my new place in Berkeley and finally am starting to get settled in. I ordered an uber-fast 50megabit Internet connection for my home (will be installed this weekend) so I plan on publishing video lectures, and I also hope to write more free ebooks on street photography. I am also currently a bit burnt out from international travel, and I want to focus my energies more locally while spending more time with my girlfriend, family, and close friends.
I think this year (and hopefully many years to come) will be a well spring of educational learning and community-involvement (I am collaborating more with guest writers for this blog). I also hope to become more involved in the local Bay Area photography scene, as this is where I grew up (I grew up in Alameda).
Thanks again so much for reading, participating, and helping this beautiful art of street photography flourish. None of this would be possible without you.
​OBSERVE is a new international photography collective focused primarily on the practice of candid street photography. I have sent questionnaires to all 14 of the members, and will feature their responses and images on the blog for the next upcoming weeks.Â
Antonis Damolis: I was born in Crete, Greece, in 1980. I’m an orthodontist and I discovered photography in 2010 when I bought my first DSLR. I started shooting in the street because it was an accessible place. I’m amazed by the way my camera sees the world.
Justin Sainsbury is a street photographer based in Brighton, on the south coast of England. He is also a member of Burn My Eye. What I love about his images is that his photos ask more questions than provide answers. Take a look at his images and interview, and participate by making up your own fictional stories in the everyday lives of the subjects he captures.Â
Bruce Gilden is one of the best street photographers currently alive. He is a photographer who has had a deep influence on me and my approach in street photography– especially when I first saw the video of him shooting in the streets of New York City.
Bruce Gilden is also one of the most controversial street photographers– and I also feel one of the most misunderstood.
In this article I will write what I personally learned from his street photography and how I see him as more of a humanistic street photographer (rather than just being an asshole as others might misinterpret him to be).
Photo by Oguz Ozkan from his “Dog walk” series in Istanbul.
Oguz Ozkan is a street photographer based in Istanbul. I was introduced to him by Charlie Kirk– and I was amazed how much progress he has made in only about a year and a half of photographing on the streets. We sat down for a beer over dinner at a bar, and this is a typed transcription of my interview with him.Â
This article is written by Josh White, a street photographer that has traveled throughout Korea, Japan, and Canada. You can follow his blog here.
Josh: Photographic purists, especially ones of the docu/street genre will often argue that photography is a process. They will argue that photography should all be taken seriously and photographs should be left to permeate. They will argue that film photography is good for the up and coming photographer as it teaches patience and discipline. We are more likely to like the photographs taken more recently.
While I believe all this to be somewhat true, photographer’s itch. We itch to take photographs and to look at them. We itch to share them and get feedback. In this world of instant gratification and constant boredom patience doesn’t always come easily.
Charlie: A week or so ago, Brian Sokolowski posted on Facebook: “Is it me, or is there a whole lot of street-photography out there that’s set up and posed? No, it’s not me… there is. What’s the point of that? I mean if it’s set-up, that’s fine. But don’t try to pass it off as street-photography, because it’s not.â€Â I agreed with him and cited a few photos from the HCSP group that looked staged. I’d like to expand upon my thoughts here.
Let me start by saying that, like Brian, I am not against staged photographs per se. Jeff Wall is one of my favourite photographers, and I love the portraits of Gilden – who, I would argue, is the best “street photographer†alive today. What I take objection to is deception which may or may not be a result of a loosening of the commonly held perception that street photography is candid.
Here is the second volume of my Istanbul Street Photography GoPro POV series. I put the new GoPro Hero 3 (and shot at 720p at 60fps) on top of my Leica MP. The framelines are roughly 35mm. I have a few more I’m working on, will upload them in the upcoming week.
If you haven’t seen it already, you can see my first Istanbul Street Photography GoPro POV here.
This is my second time in Istanbul, and it has absolutely been one of my favorite places in the world to shoot street photography. It is a combination of the friendly people, the diverse history, the historic architecture, the multicultural heritage, and the golden light.
The other day I put my GoPro Hero 3 on top of my Leica MP and with Portra 400 loaded, made a POV of me shooting the streets of Istanbul — around the Eminonu area in Istanbul which is right by the water and the New Mosque.
I am excited to share that submissions for the street photography exhibition for the Miami Street Photography Festival 2013 is live! For more information regarding the exhibition, read more or you can click here for all the details.
My talented photographer friend Satoki Nagata is putting together a film project titled: “.07 The Magnificent Miles” – a documentation on the city of Chicago. They are completing the film by the summer of 2014, and are current seeking funding for the film. A detailed proposal can be sent per request to anyone interested in supporting the project by emailing info@themagnificentmiles.com. Music in the film is by Laurent Levesque.
If you want to learn more about Satoki, check out my in-depth interview with him here.
I want to write regarding a subject which is highly debated online: “What is street photography?”
There are countless forum threads, Facebook discussions, blogs, and Flickr boards which argue what street photography is and what street photography isn’t.
I have thought about the question: “What is street photography?” for a long time– and my thoughts and views have changed and evolved over the years.
I don’t have all the answers to defining what street photography is (or isn’t) but I will attempt to come to some sort of logical conclusion on what street photography means to me. Consider this article as part of a self-reflective essay for me to better understand my own personal views. And I also hope that you can take some of my thoughts and incorporate it into your own personal views– and reach your own conclusions for yourself.
My buddy Adam Marelli just presented a talk at the B&H Photo Space talking about feeling more comfortable approaching strangers and photographing them while incorporating compositions and more. Definitely recommend the in-depth 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Also to learn more from Adam, check out his other talk on how to incorporate design & composition into your work (one of the finest out there). If you want to learn more from Adam, check out his upcoming workshops here.
I recently had the chance to interview the talented Shin Noguchi on the Leica blog. He is one of my favorite contemporary Japanese street photographers and what I love most about his work is his strong visual images, uncanny moments, as well as his look into Japanese society.
A quick tidbit from one of the questions I asked him:
Eric: What is some advice you would give to street photographers starting out?
Shin: Currently, activity at SNS is the main stream for all kinds of artists, and as for photography, it is in vogue to get a good reputation at reviewing sites such as 1x.com. Under such circumstances, it is important for street photographers, regardless of a review of one photograph or artistic review, to shoot streets coolly as persistent storytellers or spokesmen from the standpoint of shooting documentaries which exist on the bottom of people’s life.
I do not deny the importance of seeking artistic photographs as expression. On the other hand, I would like photographers to express, without relying on the characters of the subjects, their existence in the themes selected, and the composing ability of elements such as light and shadow, with the final aim of being evaluated by the totality of their activity as a photographer.
In today’s uber-pedophile-paranoid society taking photos of kids can be a challenge. It wasn’t a problem even a few decades ago (think of all the great photos of kids that Helen Levitt, Robert Doisneau, and Henri Catier-Bresson shot). But now even if you point a camera remotely close to a kid you can be called a pedophile.
Personally I haven’t ever had any problems taking photos of kids (whether it be candidly or with permission).
In this article I will try to share some of my personal tips when I photograph kids– and I hope this will help you!
“You need a change of soul rather than a change of climate” – Seneca
Over the last year or so I have been incredibly lucky to travel to over 15 cities internationally, and have met some of the most incredible people in my life.
However as much I have been traveling, I have been longing to spend more time at home (or in one place).
In front of the Michigan Central Station in Detroit
The last week or so I have been on the road– moving from Michigan to California.
Instead of just taking the easy route (flying) we decided to partake in an adventure– to travel the US by car.
I wanted to write this article to share some of my personal experiences through this road trip– and hopefully it can give you some insight to plan your own road trip across America (while taking some photos too).
Just uploaded a new GoPro POV video at Gallo Boxing. This time with Ty, a boxing promoter with great swag and bling.
The story behind what happened is that initially I was photographing another boxer, and I was going to take some photos of him working the punching bag. Then I saw Ty on my way over, and was blown away with his outfit (his sunglasses, his patent-leather shoes, and the plethora of rings on his fingers).
Eric’s Note: This is a guest article by Kristian Leven, a wedding and street photographer based in London.
Kristian: When I started photography six years ago, I didn’t have a problem going out and finding inspiration. Everything was so new and subsequently there seemed to be no end to the ideas I felt I could produce. Looking back, I can see that my work wasn’t particularly indistinguishable from many others – there was no depth, no originality.
But I needed to get through certain stages to get to where I am today. At first I had no particular style, nor did I have any photographic ‘heroes’ to aspire to, but over time and with an accumulation of experience, I connected with capturing natural street scenes in an artistic way, and I translated that approach to my wedding photography, which I had begun three years ago.
Eric’s Note: Ola Billmont is a street photographer based in Stockholm, Sweden. He is also one of the co-founders of CUP (Contemporary Urban Photography). Learn more about the founding of CUP (Contemporary Urban Photography in Stockholm), his work in film and digital, and how he approaches strangers on the street.Â
Here is Volume 2 of my GoPro POV series at Gallo Boxing.
I first saw Christian Bleha chilling after a long workout, dripping in sweat and puffing from exhaustion. I saw him from afar–and loved his tattoos. But I was a bit nervous to first approach him. However I knew I would regret not asking to take photos of him if I chickened out– so I swallowed a big gulp of air, and introduced myself to him and asked if I could take some photos.
If you feel uninspired in your photography, want to conquer your fears, and meet other passionate street photographers— join me at one of my upcoming workshops below!
This would be a great opportunity for you to step outside of your comfort zone, and even take a break from the day job to travel to an exotic location you have always wanted to visit! I am also so certain you will love the workshop that I offer a 100% money-back guarantee!Â
I have always been fascinated with boxing culture– both the sport and the culture behind it. I remember watching tons of Rocky movies growing up, and loved the skill, determination, and physical/mental endurance that boxers had to endure to become great fighters.
After learning a few moves in boxing myself, I had about two weeks before heading back to California. So I took those two weeks to do a mini-documentary project on the boxers in the gym, with my GoPro Hero 3 strapped on top of my Ricoh GRD V.
I wanted to make these GoPro videos to illustrate how I was able to build rapport with the fighters in the gym (including the very young in this video above) and how I photographed them (how I got them to move around, the angles I used, the use of flash/without flash, as well as how many photos I took).
Shooting documentary-type work has always fascinated me– but I never had a project or location I felt passionate enough to photograph. Luckily enough, this project at Gallo Boxing was something that kept calling me back.
I am excited to share our itinerary for our American Road Trip! Â My girlfriend Cindy has spent the last 2 years in East Lansing, Michigan studying her Ph.D. in Vietnamese Colonial History– and has recently got accepted into UC Berkeley’s Ph.D. program in the same field. So we are packing our bags, and loading them into our Ford Fiesta and heading West!
We plan on taking around 2 weeks for the entire trip (making stops along the way in the places below):
Start: East Lansing, Michigan
Indianapolis, Indiana
Louisville, Kentucky
Nashville, Tennessee
Birmingham, Alabama
New Orleans, Louisiana
Houston, Texas
Austin, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Grand Canyon (Hiking)
End: Southern California (before we head up to Berkeley)
Eric’s Note: Aik Beng Chia (ABC) is a street photographer based in Singapore. I first met him a few years back, and he is one of the hardest working and humble street photographers I know. He has recently published, “Tonight The Streets Are Ours” with Invisible Photographer Asia. To check out what he has been up to, read the interview below!
“You don’t eat to be “the best” taster the world, don’t take a stroll to be “the best” stroller in the world, don’t push buttons in an elevator to be the best button pusher in the world.” – Nassim Taleb
One question which has always bothered me is the following: “Why are photographers so competitive?”
Okay I get it– if you work as a commercial photographer you are competing against other photographers to obtain clients and make a living. However in the world of amateur photography (photography in which we do it for pure love, not profit) why does competition matter at all?
I recently had the chance to interview Todd Gross, currently one of my favorite color street photographers when I was in New York about a month ago. We sat down at Jackson diner, had some great Indian food, and chatted about street photography for about 45 minutes. Watch the interview above or you can read the transcript below.
One of the articles I read a while ago (and recently re-read) was the “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.” To sum up, a nurse who took care of the elderly and dying kept a record of her patients’ top regrets in life.
The top regrets of the elderly were:
I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I wish that I had let myself be happier.
I think we can apply this same mentality to street photography to prevent regrets in our life.
Josef Koudelka, one of the greatest living photographers in history, gave a rare interview at Look 3 in Charlottesville recently. You can see a full transcript of the interview here, but I wanted to share some specific insights which I got from the interview below.
When I was in Philly to pick up my Ford Fiesta for the Fiestamovement campaign, I met up with Chris Urie, a street photographer and journalist based in Philly. We took a stroll around one of the major parks there (forget what it was called) and we started to chat with some of the people we met in the park.
One character I was fascinated with was named Eric Rivera. When I first spotted him, he was chilling on a park bench, enjoying the beautiful weather, while puffing on a nice cuban cigar — donning his Knicks hat with crocodile leather on the bill, and some pretty fly looking sunglasses.
I approached him and commented that I liked his outfit–and we just started to chat. As part of my “America” street photography project, I had my GoPro with me and asked to interview him–so I could learn more about his personal story. What he shared surprised me.
We are always tempted by what’s new. We want the newest cameras, the newest cars, the newest computers, the newest smartphones, the newest tablets, and more.
When does all this madness end? In this article I share some of my experiences succumbing to “G.A.S.” (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and some techniques I have learned from the philosophy of Stoicism to overcome it.
I think one of the most difficult aspects of photography is the editing process (choosing your best images). Garry Winogrand famously said, “Sometimes photographers mistake emotion for what makes a great street photograph.â€
Winogrand famously shot like a madman (shooting several rolls a day for his lifetime), but had the discipline to not even process his photos for a year after he shot them. Why did he do this? In order to forget the memory of having taken those shots– so he could be more critical and objective when it came to choosing his best images.
It is always easier to judge and critique other people’s photographs. Therefore one of the benefits of forgetting some of the shots you took is that you can look at your own photos not like that of your own– but that of a stranger.
The story: When in New York, I stayed with my good friend Spencer (childhood friend) in Queens. Another of my good childhood friends (Aditiya) mentioned that before I left New York, I had to check out Kane’s diner— a 24-hour diner which they frequently visited.
I didn’t expect to go there– but one of the days when I was walking to the subway, I spotted it. I stepped in, checked the Yelp reviews, and saw that their Steak and Eggs were quite popular. I ordered some.
I also started talking with the waiter–who was extremely friendly. We connected well, and he gave me the best steak & eggs I have ever had (at a reasonable price).
I then remembered my new Ricoh GRD V in my bag, and my GoPro that I brought to do some POV videos during my travels. I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to ask him to take some photos.
Disclaimer: I have been provided a Ricoh GRD V (no strings attached) from Pentax-Ricoh. However I will try to keep this review as un-biased as possible.
Update: The new Ricoh GRD V (Version Number 2) is out, which is essentially the same camera with Wifi and some other minor changes. If you’re interested in the Ricoh GR, I’d just pick up the older one (unless you need the wifi setting).
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Disclaimer aside, I think this is currently hands-down the best bang-for-the-buck digital camera for street photography currently out there right now. I love the compact size, the superb image quality and high-ISO performance, as well as the ergonomics and handling. It has been traveling with me alongside my Leica MP as a second shooter — and the camera seriously kicks ass.
While I still prefer shooting with film at the end of the day, it is an amazing camera and I highly recommend it to all street photographers who want a smaller alternative. Keep reading for more of my thoughts on the camera.
Also note I don’t really care for spec sheets and technical aspects, so I will keep this review as practical as possible for actual usage on the streets.
Photo by Dimitris Makrygiannakis. Click to read more.
Eric’s Note: I first came across Dimitris Makrygiannakis on Hardcore Street Photography, and was blown away with his unique vision. I love the way how he captures life through his lens, with a surrealistic flair. To see more of his images and his thoughts on street photography, check out his feature below.
Eric’s Note: Julien Legrand is a street photographer based from the north of France, with a keen eye for the chance moments of everyday life. I was initially drawn to his color work– but have also been impressed by his monochromatic work. Check out his work and thoughts on street photography in this interview below.
Eric’s Note: This guest blog post is by Robert Larson, a talented documentary photographer based out of Los Angeles. He recently got married (congrats man!) and also documented his own wedding– groomside. If you have ever been curious how it would be like to document your own wedding, check out the article that Robert put together.
Eric’s Note: I recently taught a street photography workshop with Satoki Nagata in Chicago, and had a chance to sit down for him for an hour and interview him. This is a transcription based on recording we made. If you want to learn more about his philosophies in his street photography, and how he combines it with documentary work — make sure to give it a read. It is a very in-depth interview, which I personally think you will gain a lot from.
Also make sure to attend “Lights in the City: a multimedia presentation†by Satoki at the Harold Washington Library Center, Pritzker Auditorium at Monday, August 5, 2013, 6:00pm.
A fun and uplifting book I recently read was “The Tao of Pooh.” To sum up the book, the author explains the philosophy of Taosim through (believe it not) Winnie the Pooh. Yeah, I know it sounds ridiculous, but the author does a superb job sewing the two concepts together– in a language relatable and easy-to-understand for the viewer. Having grown up on Winnie the Pooh, I can certainly say that it brought the concepts of Taosim to life for me.
Similarly to Zen Buddhism, Taoism is a philosophy which was first introduced by Lao Tse in a book called: “Tao Tse Ching.” The philosophy of Taoism advocates staying calm and happy in all circumstances, no matter how difficult or arduous the outside world can be.
So what is the difference between Buddhism and Taosim?
Buddhism sees the outside world in a much more negative light– describing “the bitter wind of everyday existence.”
Taoism sees the world as “…not full of traps, but valuable lessons.” Therefore through Taoism we should appreciate, learn from, and work with whatever happens in everyday life.
A great analogy explained is the analogy of tasting vinegar. Many different people often taste vinegar, and complain of how sour it is and groan. However the Taoist would taste the vinegar and regardless of the taste, still smile. The takeaway idea is that we should turn negatives into positives, regardless of the situation.
There are lots of insights I’ve gained through Taosim and especially “The Tao of Pooh” that I can relate back to street photography. Also note I am not an expert on Taosim, so please correct any mistakes I make in the comments below.
Eric’s Note: This article is written by Neil Ta, my manager and good friend who recently attended a Magnum Photos workshop in Toronto. The project he worked on for the week was “Meat Locker.” Below is his write-up of the experience and the lessons he’s personally learned. You can see upcoming Magnum workshops and events here.
Neil: I recently had the opportunity to attend a Magnum Photos workshop in Toronto as part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, which is one of the largest of its kind in the world. For the last six years, Contact has invited members of Magnum to run workshops focusing on photojournalism, documentary storytelling, and street photography.
This year’s line-up of instructors included Magnum Associate Moises Saman and Magnum Nominee Zoe Strauss. Moises is most well-known for the work he’s done in Afghanistan and Iraq and his focus more recently has been in documenting the Arab Spring. Zoe’s extensive work is more regionally focused in the community where she was born and raised – Philadelphia.
I ultimately chose to go with Moises over Zoe because I felt his work was a lot different than my own and I hoped he’d be there to guide me through a more photojournalistic project over the week.
Weegee is certainly one of the most infamous street photographers in history. Although he never called himself a street photographer (he worked as a press/news photographer) his obsession with capturing people was unparalleled. With no formal photographic training, he covered some of the most gruesome murders (and shots of everyday life) around New York City from the 1930’s to the 1940’s. Armed with a portable police-band shortwave radio, he was always on the beat for new stories to cover– and he even had a complete darkroom in the trunk of his car. This allowed him to get his photos to the newspapers as quickly as possible.
Weegee is also famous for the use of his 4×5 Speed Graphic large-format press camera and flash– which added even more drama to his gritty black and white photos. He was certainly one of the forefathers of shooting street photography with a flash (back when they used flashbulbs). He generally shot his camera preset at f/16 at 1/200 of a second, with flashbulbs and a set focus distance of ten feet (and didn’t always know what kind of photos he got until he processed them).
Many street photographers are under the false impression that shooting with artificial light in street photography is just a recent phenomenon. It started as early as 1887, in which the journalist Jacob Riis started using flash power to document destitute people on the streets. Certainly Weegee has had a strong influence on shooting flash in the streets to photographers such as Diane Arbus, William Klein, and Bruce Gilden.
If you want to learn more about the philosophy behind Weegee’s work read on.
Note: some of these photos are gruesome and NSFW.Â
Oculi is presenting a unique book making opportunity during the Reportage Festival in Sydney. Â
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As a part of the 2013 Reportage Documentary Photography Festival and in partnership with BLURB books, Australia’s photographic collective OCULI presents HOME, an interactive exhibition where viewers are able to curate and sequence their own custom book from the Oculi Collective’s imagery.
The exhibition opening is May 22nd at 6pm and will run until June 10th at the Cleland Bond in The Rocks (Ground Level, 33 Playfair St.) in Sydney, Australia.
(All photographs in this article provided by Rinzi Ruiz)
My good friend Nicholas Susatyo recently recommended a book to me: “Zen in the Art of Archery.” In-fact, it was the book that Henri Cartier-Bresson said had the deepest influence in his photography. I have been meaning to read it for a while, so on my flight to Philly I decided to give it a go.
The book is written by Eugen Herrigel, a German philosophy teacher who went to Japan for several years and learned the art of archery (while teaching philosophy at a Japanese university). He heard about the art of archery, and was fascinated with the zen philosophy which was embedded in the art.
I am very excited to share that Issue 4 of Radiate Magazine is available! If you love street photography I highly recommend getting a printed copy (nothing beats reading it on a Sunday morning with a warm cup of coffee). I just ordered my hard copy, and the printing and binding is superb.
Eric’s Note: Federico Chiesa was born in a small town in Tuscany, Italy, in 1979. He studied commercial photography at “I.E.D” in 2005 and now works as a professional advertising photographer and retoucher. Street photography is one of his favorite vocations. See his “New York Diary” project and his thoughts on street photography below.
W. Eugene Smith is one of the legends of photography. Although he was notorious for being maniacal, emotionally distant, and unreasonable– he channeled those energies into being one of the best photographers history has ever seen. I consider his approach to be very similar to that of Steve Jobs.
I hope that this article can help you get a better understanding of W. Eugene Smith, his work, and his philosophies of photography– to take your own work to new heights.
One of my favorite photography projects of all-time is “The Americans” by Robert Frank. I have always had a dream of working on a similar project–to take my car and travel across America–documenting the people and places that I encounter.
I am excited to share that this dream has come true (or at least the means). Ford contacted me about a few months ago letting me know about their new “Fiesta Movement” campaign in which 100 “agents” are given a new pre-production 2014 Ford Fiesta with 8 months of gas and insurance covered. The catch? We are given fun video assignments once a month to complete (that somehow have to incorporate the Fiesta).
Eric’s Note: I am excited to share this interview with Harvey Stein, a prolific street photographer from NYC. He has been shooting the streets for nearly half a century, and has recently published his book: “Coney Island 40 Years” which is one of my new favorite street photography books. Check out some of his work and thoughts on photography in the interview below.
In today’s age, we are always obsessed with the concept of “more“. We falsely believe that we need more stuff, more money, more more cameras, more lenses, more megapixels—more, more, more.
In one of my favorite books “Antifragile†(I mention this book in a prior post on the “barbell theoryâ€), the author Nassim Taleb advocates that the secret of health, wisdom, and happiness can be obtained through less, not more. Taleb calls this approach “via negativa” that we should focus on subtraction, not addition in life.
For example, nobody really knows what makes us happy. However, we know what makes us unhappy and miserable. Therefore the key to happiness may not so much be the “pursuit of happiness”– but the “avoidance of unhappiness.” I think the same applies to happiness in street photography — focusing on less, not more.
