The cool folks over at Street Reverb Magazine are teaming up with Xperia Studio in a joint “Reality Remade” street photography competition. There are lots of great prizes including a £2200 grand prize, including free Xperia phones.
In order to enter, you will need to put together a project proposal interpreting the theme “Reality Remade” and submit a short biography about yourself, accompanying your portfolio. The 5 best proposals will move onto the next round of the competition, where they will be given an project budget of £300 and a Sony Ericsson Xperia Phone to capture 5 images for the theme.
This competition is free and a great opportunity for you to get your name out there– so make sure to enter!
Whenever I am feeling in a street photography slump, looking for inspiration or knowledge, I have found these online street photography videos to be incredibly helpful and useful. These are just a few of my favorites. If you have the time, later tonight– kick back, relax, and watch some of these videos!
In-Public: In-Sight Street Photography Documentary
Read more to see the rest of the great street photography videos in this collection.
After a fun-packed two days in Downtown LA, I am pretty pooped. However I had such a wonderful time teaching the workshop and helping my fellow street photographers build more courage when shooting in the streets and also helping them capture more compelling images. On the second day, we focused on editing and post-processing our images, with an emphasis on using Lightroom 3 for post-processing and Silver Efex Pro 2 for black and white conversions.
I spent especially a good portion of time discussing editing– the act of choosing your best images. Editing is something really overlooked when it comes to photography, but is almost as important as shooting. As a piece of advice to all the streettogs out there– don’t upload your images immediately. Wait before you decide to upload them. As Garry Winogrand once said, “Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the picture as judgment that the photograph is good.” Therefore apply this same mentality when it comes to selecting your best work. Don’t simply upload images as a knee-jerk reaction. Let your images marinate for long periods of time before deciding to upload them.
Anyways just wanted to give a shout-out to all the LA street photographers at my workshop. It was a guge pleasure having you Michael, Bill, Chris, Greg, Brian, Jennifer, Dennis, Cameron, Eunice, Jim, Jason, Julie, Adam, at the workshop– your enthusiasm and energy was boundless. Huge thanks especially to Rinzi, Norman, Genesis, Jacob, and the Think Tank Gallery. I love you guys with my heart and soul, and I hope to see you guys all soon!
Heading out tomorrow to Michigan tomorrow and meeting up with my beautiful girlfriend/manager Cindy, and then heading over to Toronto for my upcoming street photography workshop. Wish me safe trip, and will keep you all updated! Keep reading more to check out the rest of the photos from the workshop.
(Some of the LA street photography workshop participants catching some dinner in Downtown LA after the Day 1 of the Workshop!)
Today I had a blast teaching the first day of my Downtown Los Angeles Introduction to Street Photography Workshop at the Think Tank Gallery. Considering that the photographs from the YOU ARE HERE street photography exhibition are still up, it definitely made for a great backdrop. Photographers from all over LA, and even Bill Nash from Arizona, came and were super pumped about the workshop, and ready to learn more about street photography– and build their courage shooting in the streets.
On the first day of the workshop, we started the day by introducing ourselves to one another and discussed why we loved street photography and what we wanted to get out of it. We then focused a great deal of time on overcoming the fear of shooting street photography, and discussing in-depth techniques to build courage. Not only that, but we reviewed many famous street photographs and learned what made a great photo.
Shooting the streets of Downtown LA was a huge blast, and I was amazed to see how much courage all the street photographers were able to build up. Not only did everyone feel a lot more comfortable shooting in the streets with one another, it was great to have the sense of community and fellowship when out with one another. Of course after a long day of shooting, we went out and enjoyed some nice food together as well.
Really excited for Day 2. Wish me luck, and if you are interested in any of my upcoming workshops in Toronto, India, Tokyo, or Malaysia– check out my workshops page for more info! You can also keep reading to check out the rest of the photos from the workshop!
Liam McHenry, a street photographer from Australia (and one of my private online street photography students), put together this insightful video about an encounter he had with a teenage boy shooting in a suburb. To sum up the video, Liam shot a boy who got really upset about Liam taking the shot. The boy started cursing at Liam, and wouldn’t calm down. After chatting with the boy, the boy realized how special he was in being the subject of Liam’s viewfinder.
Words can’t explain how inspirational this video is– watch it now!
What are your experiences shooting kids in public? Share your thoughts below and any thoughts about this video by Liam as well!
I am pleased to announce the opening of the YOU ARE HERE Street Photography Exhibition tonight at the Think Tank Gallery in Downtown LA sponsored by Leica. The concept was that 30 photographers weregiven 10 days to shoot one square block in the Fashion district in Downtown LA. Despite the restriction, all the photographers were able to capture the soul and essence of the place in a beautiful way.
The exhibition is FREE will feature over a hundred photographs, and complimentary drinks and food will be provided. Free parking is located all around the gallery at 939 Maple Ave, and the exhibition will run from 7:00PM-1AM. If you are in the LA area, stop by!
Italian photographer Ruben Salvadori recently put together a documentary recording the behind-the-scenes of conflict photography. Although not all conflict journalism is like this, it is still a very eye-opening documentary about the pressures that many conflict photographers face, and the influence they have on the people they photograph.
Your thoughts? Share them below and please keep the conversation civil.
Hey streettogs, just got interviewed by the folks over at 500px. They asked me some questions about my approach in street photography, how my work has evolved, as well as my thoughts on some controversial topics. If you got a minute, make sure to check out my feature here!
Thanks to Jen Tse for the interview, and Neil Ta for hooking us up! Â
Recently I have had the huge pleasure of being invited to the PEN Ready Project, in which Olympus gave away 1000 Olympus EPM-1 cameras for people to shoot and review. I have always been a big fan of the Micro 4/3rds cameras, as they are small, compact, and take great photos. I tested an Olympus EP-2 a while back, and was quite impressed by the performance. I recently shot with the Olympus EP-3 and was quite pleased with the (even faster) autofocus performance as well as the image quality. If you have a micro 4/3rds camera and pick up a Olympus 17mm f/2.8 lens (~35mm equivalent), the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 Lens (40mm equivalent), or the  new Olympus 12mm f/2 lens (24mm equivalent) it makes a great combination.
Adam Marelli is an artist, photographer, and builder based in New York City who travels the world with his trusty Leicas and captures breathtaking images of people and places that he visits. His travels include India, Central American, Europe, and Egypt and recently to the remote island of Tanna, where he documented the life of the locals. Read more to ï¬nd out about his adventurous journey to Tanna and the insights and people that he learned about. (more…)
(With the gang at the San Diego Street Photography Workshop)
The past Intermediate Street Photography Workshop in Downtown San Diego was a blast. We studied the work of the master street photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Helen Levitt, Vivian Maier, Bruce Gilden, Elliott Erwitt and many others. Not only that, but the atmosphere of the Gas Lamp District was fantastic, especially during the nights when it started lighting up. Shooting was a blast, as protestors for the Occupy Wall Street showed up on Saturday and  a ton of people from the Little Italy festival on Sunday.
Huge thanks to all the participants for getting out of their comfort zones and really getting close and intimate with your subjects. It was a wonderful pleasure having you Doug, Michael, Victor, Animesh, Joel, and Derriel. Huge thanks to Todd for helping with all the logistics and getting the hotel room! You are an incredible group of street photographers, and seeing your progress and images truly impressed me.
If you are interested in any of my upcoming workshops in Toronto, Mumbai, Tokyo, or Malaysia, please check out my workshops page!
Eric’s Note: This article is written by Norman Estrologo, a Los Angeles based street photographer who has recently attended my introductory and intermediate street photography workshops. In a relatively short time, he has found his passion in street photography and has been experimenting with his style and shooting constantly.Â
There are many different approaches to street photography and I believe that body language plays a role in most of these. My approach to street photography started out with photos of multiple characters but then as I progressed, I moved a little closer, held up a flash and focused on one distinct subject (a style highly influenced by Bruce Gilden, Charlie Kirk and Eric Kim to name a few).  I just found this approach a bit more challenging and rewarding at the same time. Not to mention, a very niche following. Personally, it’s because of the fact that not many venture into it that I decided to indulge myself in doing street photography with a flash.
When talking about composition, there are many things to consider but I am particularly interested in capturing body language (facial expression, posture, hand gesture and etc). The fact that I usually have only one main subject means that I have to make up for story telling through the actions of an individual.
Here are some of the common forms of body language that I tend to look for in my subjects:
Blake Andrews, a member of the In-Public street photography collective and prolific blogger over at “B” has a list of 10 great street photography assignments. Check them out at the link below and try them out!
Eric’s note: The following guest article is by Simon Garnier, part scientist and part street photographer who lives and works in New Jersey. Read his previous article about getting close in street photography and this new article where he discusses what it takes to take a great street photograph.
What does it take to make a good street photograph? Many, many, many things. Some weeks ago on this blog, for instance, I discussed the importance of taking a picture at the right scale, that is, at the scale of the event you are photographing. As you can imagine, however, the scaling problem is not the only challenge one faces when doing street photography. I might be at the right scale, but not at the right position or angle; the natural light might create shadows masking important elements; the composition of the picture (that is, the organization of the different components of the image relative to each other and to the dimensions of the picture) might diminish the meaning and clarity of the photograph; the colors (if you shoot in color like me) might simply not get along very well (try flashy green on purple for instance :-) ); the contrasts might be too low to easily distinguish the foreground from the background; etc, etc. Street photography is an easy genre to start with (the easiest maybe?), but for sure it is one of the hardest to master as all these problems must be tackled under strong time constraints.
The street photography assignment for this week was “Smile”. Thanks for everyone who submitted their best images! I chose the 8 images I liked the most. Stay tuned for the next week’s assignment, and make sure to stay updated via my Facebook fan page!
Chicago is definitely one of my new favorite places to shoot street photography. Not only is downtown Chicago ripe for street photography, but Chicago has some of the friendliest and down-to-earth people out there. I had the time of my life teaching my street photography workshop with Jason Martini, and you can see a recap of my workshop here.
Below are the best images from the Introduction to Street Photography Workshop. If you are interested, I also have upcoming workshops in Toronto, India, Tokyo, and Malaysia on my workshops page!
When I first started shooting street photography, I was always frustrated that my autofocus would always be too slow to capture the decisive moment. After trudging around the internet, I was first introduced to the idea of “zone focusing” by Markus Hartel on his blog.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with zone focusing you essentially use a high f-stop number with a deep depth of field (f/16 or f/11) and have your camera pre-focused to a certain distance to get your photos in-focus. This is beneficial because although modern autofocusing systems are quite good, they are not 100% reliable. Using zone focusing when shooting street photography allows you to get far more keepers.
Aperture at f/16 and focused to around .9 meters. You can see everything from .7 meters to 1.5 meters will be in-focus
Regarding the settings, I typically use the following when shooting:
Aperture: f/16
ISO: 800-3200
Shutter speed: Above 320ths/second
Prefocus: 1 meter
AV-mode
Why do I use the above settings? Shooting at f/16 allows me to get the deepest depth-of-field with my lens. I keep my ISO high so my shutter speed will be above 320ths/second (this allows you to capture people walking and not blurry). I don’t mind having extra grain or noise in my images. I actually find it to make my images more gritty and raw. Also I keep my lens pre-focused to around 1 meter– because that is how close I generally am to my subjects when shooting.
People ask me all the time whether street photography needs to include people or not. I don’t believe it has to, as you can study the work of Lee Friedlander who did a fantastic series on letters and signs in America, as well of the work of Blake Andrews who has embarked on similar projects. However to take an effective street photograph without people is incredibly difficult, as the image should remind you of humanity. This can be done through precision in lighting, symbolism, colors, objects, and framing.
When I look at the work of Simon Johnson, I feel that his still street photographs employ this extremely well. His images truly capture the beauty of the mundane and everyday life. I know many of you live in the suburbs or outside of dense urban populations, which may not have a lot of people. There are always street photography opportunities everywhere you go– in which people aren’t always necessary.
You can also see Simon’s additional traditional street photography work with people here.
Keep reading, and I hope you find inspiration through his images!
Thanks to everybody who submitted to last week’s street photography assignment which was: “Wide-Angle“. Many of you submitted great entries, and I have chosen the best 3 here to display!
Aaron OffordÂ
Gary TysonÂ
The theme this week will be “Smile“. Please take a new photo this week and upload it to my Facebook fan page by Thursday night. Looking forward in seeing your entries! Also congrats to Eric, Aaron, and Gary!
Alfred Eisenstaedt once said, “It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter“. Upon reading this quote, it made me start thinking differently how I approach my street photography. When I started off, I would avoid eye contact at all costs, often shooting from the hip or being a little more sneaky. However nowadays, I actually prefer making eye contact with my subjects the majority of the time and even interacting with them after taking the shot. Often times when things are a bit too hectic on the streets, I don’t talk much with people but whenever I have the opportunity I try. Keep reading to learn how to interact with your subjects more when shooting on the streets.
Who would have thought that 146 years after the photographic negatives were added to protected works under copyright – people would still use the technique even though there’s an almost futuristic alternative?
In the late 90s photographic film made, what would seem, a last push to stay on top of the photography market with a row of new cameras such as the Olympus Mju-II that quickly sold around 3.8 million examples. Or the Canon EOS 1-N that served the purpose of showcasing just how advanced Canon’s technology really was at the time.
But with the millennium came a new king of the market: the digital camera. With the new Canon 1D and Nikon D1 film truly appeared to be losing the battle. And today when technology has reached a level that was a mere fantasy of science fiction fans a couple of years ago, it would seem like film is dead.
Interview conducted by Jacob Patterson, co-founder of the ThinkTank Gallery in Los Angeles.
YOU ARE HERE is a street photography show at the ThinkTank Gallery at 939 Maple Ave in Downtown LA on October 13th which is sponsored by Leica Camera. Over 30 photographers were given 10 days to shoot the same one square block, and their three images which best capture the spirit of the area shot will be displayed together alongside a few installation pieces. Come out at 7pm or after you visit the Downtown Artwalk and see this unique show! You can RSVP via Facebook, and keep reading to hear about Eric’s involvement in the exhibition and see some of his best images.
Justin Vogel (aka justinsdisgustin) was born and raised in Hells Kitchen in New York City and describes himself as a 42-year old unemployed stay-at-home father of a two year old baby boy. Although he refers to himself as a “dirt bag†his insight and ability to create captivating images is incredible. He captures a unique vision of his neighborhood that is often raw and gritty primarily in film. Opionated and full of vigor, he is definitely a seminal figure in the street photography and his work with the Hardcore Street Photography Group on Flickr. We caught up with Justin and found more about the man behind the camera.
I recently received my copy of Tenderloin USA, which is a 50-page black and white introspection of the Tenderloin, one of San Francisco’s most vibrant yet often overlooked neighborhoods. Street photographers Brad Evans and Travis Jensen go into the heart of the Tenderloin, and capture soulful images of the people who work, hustle, hang out, and live in the colorful and culturally diverse neigborhood.
The most inspirational part of Tenderloin USA is that 100% of the profits will go to the Larkin Street Youth Services, a San Francisco charitable organization that helps at-risk youth in the area. I am a huge advocate for helping out the community through photography, so do your part and pick up a copy! The journal is only $20 through HP’s Magcloud, and you can buy a copy here.
I know this is a bit late, but finally got the best images from my workshop participants from my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop in San Francisco. You can see a recap of how the workshop went, and make sure to stay posted for my upcoming workshops in San Diego, Los Angeles, Toronto, India, Tokyo, and Malaysia on my workshops page!
Nick Turpin recently put up the full 38 min version of in-public’s ‘in-sight’ documentary film which shows them shooting on the streets of New York, London, Melbourne and Rotterdam. Each street photographer had an HD camera mounted on their camera hotshoe to show them in action. Each photographer also discusses their motivation and approach to street photography.
You can pay a small fee to support the film through Paypal. I highly recommend everyone watch it. Save the money you would spend on having a Starbucks coffee and watch it!
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.Â
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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!
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.Â
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.
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!
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!
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 download at the link below.
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.
Eric’s Note:Â This 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.Â
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.
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.
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.Â
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!Â
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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 bestâ€. 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.
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!
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 (Mattei, Norman, Nannette, Justin,Rinzi, Elizabeth, Ibarionex, Bo, Todd, Jordan, 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
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.
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!
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! ;)
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 Streetâ€, 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.
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!
“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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
*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.
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