• Paris Day 4: Leica Magnum Paris Convention and New Leica M9-P and 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M lens Announcement

    Leica Magnum Paris Leica M9-P 21mm f/3.5 Announcement
    Myself and Bruce Gilden at the Leica Magnum Paris Event. My hero!

    Today was one hell of a day. It was the official Leica Magnum Paris event, and I was able to attend as a VIP attendee. I was able to meet Naseem (Political blogger), Magnus Froderberg (Photography magazine chief editor on Sweden), Cristina Garcia Rodero (Magnum Photographer), William Yan (Street Style Photographer), Thorsten (Overgaard.dk), Brett (Leica Workshop Photographer), Peter McCollough (SF Street Photographer), Jean-Jacques Viau (Leica Internet Head), Oliver Bachmann (Leica Camera Switzerland Head), and my beloved Bruce Gilden (Magnum Photographer). Did I also mention I met and took a photo with Elliott Erwitt? Watch the video below to read more about my day, and also make sure to check out the photos I took during the event as well!

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  • Paris Day 3: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and Tough Parisians

    Paris Day 3: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and Tough Parisians

    Paris Street Photography Leica M9 35mm f/1.4 Summilux by Eric Kim
    "Wraparound" – Luxemborg, Paris

    For day 3 in Paris, I had another grand day shooting street photography with the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux. Unfortunately I woke up super late (at 2:00PM in the afternoon) but still had a great day for shooting. The weather was a bit overcast and gloomy, but it was perfect in terms of lighting for street photography. Read more to see my video recap of the day (and hear the story of the old angry Parisian man who grabbed my arm) as well as see some of my best images.

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  • Paris Day 2: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux with Yaniel

    Paris Day 2: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux with Yaniel

    Paris Street Photography Leica M9 35mm f/1.4 Summilux by Eric Kim
    "Left Out" – Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux

    I just had my first full day of shooting street photography with the Leica M9 and the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux in Paris. The streets here are truly amazing, and the Leica M9 was definitely a great partner to help me capture memorable moments. I am proud to say that I had a very great crop of photos today and had the chance to meet the famous Yanidel— make sure to read more and watch my video below and look at my images!

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  • Paris Day 1: Street Photography with a Leica M9 and Flash with Charlie Kirk and Damien Rayuela

    Paris Day 1: Street Photography with a Leica M9 and Flash with Charlie Kirk and Damien Rayuela

    Paris Street Photography Eric Kim
    "Headlock" – Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux and Off-shoe Flash

    I just arrived safely in Paris and spent an entire doing street photography with my Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux with Charlie Kirk and my host Damien Rayuela. We had a ton of fun, and Charlie even taught me how to shoot street photography with his off-shoe flash, and I got some pretty interesting results. Read more to watch all the videos I recorded and see all the images I shot!

    Paris Day 1 Overview:

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  • Heading to Paris for the Leica + Magnum “Past.Present.Future” Event

    Heading to Paris for the Leica + Magnum “Past.Present.Future” Event

    I am excited to announce that I am heading to Paris tonight to attend Leica + Magnum’s “Past.Present.Future” event. I am busy packing up my things as we speak, and I made a quick video to describe what I’m bringing and my thoughts about the trip.

    Packing List:

    Please wish me a safe trip! I will try my best to blog when I am overseas, but not sure how my internet access will be. Stay tuned on my Facebook and Twitter as well! :)

  • Why Inspiration is for Amateurs

    Why Inspiration is for Amateurs

    When it comes to street photography, it can often be very difficult to stay motivated and keep shooting on the streets. I told my problem to my younger sister, who recently got me a wonderful book titled “Spark: How Creativity Works” which illustrates the creative lives of influential artists ranging from novelists to musicians. One of the quotes that the author decided to include of Chuck Close inspired me in which he says that inspiration is for amateurs, and true greatness comes from the ability to stay consistent and be tenacious.

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  • Micro 4/3rd Street Photographers Rejoice: New LEICA DG Summilux 25mm / F1.4 ASPH Announced

    Micro 4/3rd Street Photographers Rejoice: New LEICA DG Summilux 25mm / F1.4 ASPH Announced

    I am a huge fan of micro 4/3rds cameras, as I think they are a wonderful compromise between DSLR’s and point and shoots for street photography. Therefore it is great news to see that Leica has just announced a new 25mm f/1.4 lens (which equates to 50mm on a 2x crop factor). This can be a great lens for anybody shooting with any of the Olympus EP-series or the Panasonic GF-series. Also if you didn’t know, Henri Cartier-Bresson shot mostly with a 50mm focal length ;)

    You can see some shots from it here (in Chinese).

    Press release:

    The New LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. Lens Compatible With Panasonic LUMIX G Series of Compact System Cameras, Including LUMIX GF3

    SECAUCUS, N.J., June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Panasonic today announced a new interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lens, the LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. (H-X025), compatible with the company’s LUMIX G Series of compact system cameras (CSC), including the LUMIX GF3, which was also announced today. The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. lens features outstanding brightness of F1.4, and despite the high-performance, it also remains incredibly compact and lightweight. The lens’ brightness allows for a beautiful soft focus when shooting both photos and videos – without having to rely on a flash.

    The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. lens adopts Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating technology on the surface of the lens, which helps dramatically minimize reflection at the entire visual light range (380nm-780nm). The technology encompasses an extra-low refractive index coating with nano-sized structure and results in the super-clear photo with dramatic reduction of ghost and flare.

    The new lens system comprises of nine elements in seven groups using two aspherical lenses and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive) index lens. The newly developed UHR index lens and glass mold aspherical lenses achieve uniformed description from the center to the edges.

    The lens’ versatile 25mm focal distance (Equivalent to 50mm on a 35mm camera) is suitable for wide variety of occasions, giving users the flexibility in composition, perspective and aperture control.  The lens is capable to take daily snapshots including scenic sunsets to dimly-lit indoor shots to the deliberately-creative shots using soft focus.

    When mounted on the Panasonic LUMIX G Series digital cameras, the LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. lens can take maximum advantage of Contrast AF system, which boasts both high accuracy and high speed for optimal photos. Furthermore, seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. The lens also features a metal mount, making it extremely durable – even when repeatedly changed.

    The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. lens will be available in August 2011 and pricing will be announced approximately 30 days prior to shipping. For more information about Panasonic LUMIX G Series digital cameras and Micro Four Third lenses, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

    -Via Leicarumors

    Micro 4/3rds users–is this a lens you would want to add to your camera bag?

  • First Test Shots of the Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux Shot Wide Open

    First Test Shots of the Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux Shot Wide Open

    Hey guys, I have been able to do a few test shots of the Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux wide-open at f/1.4 and the shots truly blow me away. The images are tack-sharp, and the bokeh is so deliciously creamy. All of the shots are taken in RAW, and unedited straight out of the camera. Check out some of the shots below and make sure to click the images for the full-resolution images!

    Test Shot #1:
    Leica M9, 35mm f/1.4 Summilux @ 1.4

    Test Shot #2:

    Test Shot #3:

  • Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux Unboxing and First Impressions

    You guys may have heard that Leica has generously sent me a Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux to test out and review. Here is a quick and dirty video I put together unboxing the work of art, and giving my first impressions. I have already taken a ton of great images, and have many exciting things to say about the camera. Stay tuned for more images and a full-review of the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux.

    Got any questions about the M9 or the 35mm? Leave a comment below and I’ll try my best to hit all the questions you may have!

  • 15 Inspirational Images of Shoe Street Photography by the Community

    15 Inspirational Images of Shoe Street Photography by the Community

    Shoes Street Photography
    Thomas Leuthard

    On Monday, I wrote an article about how to shoot street photography of shoes which got tons of great feedback. To play off of the theme, I suggested that this week’s street photography assignment was to be of shoes. I announced the weekly assignment on Facebook, and many of you submitted some amazing images. Here are the best 15 that you uploaded–congrats to everyone who made the final cut! :)

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  • The Ricoh GRIII: The Ultimate Compact Camera for Street Photography Review

    The Ricoh GRIII: The Ultimate Compact Camera for Street Photography Review

    The Ricoh GRIII Digital Compact
    The Ricoh GRIII Digital Compact

    Hey guys, you might have heard me doing all my raves for the Ricoh GRIII for street photography. I put together my thoughts and review over on The Phoblographer, and have put in some of my best images as well. Long story short, I highly recommend everyone to purchase one, as it can be a great primary street photography camera or back-up. Make sure to check out the review, and leave me any questions you may have below in the comments!

  • “Trapped” – Street Photography Exhibition by Josh White in Seoul, Korea

    “Trapped” – Street Photography Exhibition by Josh White in Seoul, Korea

    Hello everybody, I am excited to announce that Josh White (who I interviewed on my site and the Leica blog) will be having a street photography exhibition of his finest work on June 12 – July 3, 2011 in Guillaume in Seoul, Korea. Read up more information on Josh White’s Blog. If you are in the area, definitely check it out!

  • The Street Portraiture Project of Fulton Street, Brooklyn by Chris Sorensen

    The Street Portraiture Project of Fulton Street, Brooklyn by Chris Sorensen

    Street Portraiture of Fulton Street by Chris Sorensen

    Eric: While surfing the web, I came upon the work of Chris Sorensen, who had an amazing portfolio of black and white street portraits. I was captivated by the depth and humanity of his images, and I feel that every face he captured had a unique story to tell. If you look at each of these images, they show the true character and soul of the person that Chris captures. I extend a warm introduction to Chris, and I hope you enjoy this feature.

    Chris: The studio where I live and work is on the edge of Bed-Stuy, a historically African-American neighborhood in Brooklyn probably best known outside of New York as the setting for Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing. It is to Brooklyn what Harlem is to Manhattan. Over the years it’s also become home to large numbers of immigrants; originally from the American South, Latin America and the West Indies, and more recently from Africa and Haiti. It’s a very culturally diverse neighborhood where, unlike my previous apartment in Manhattan, I am the minority.

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  • Black and White or Color in Street Photography: How Do You Make the Decision?

    Black and White or Color in Street Photography: How Do You Make the Decision?

    "Green Umbrella" - James Maher
    "Green Umbrella" – James Maher

    Eric: Quite often I am asked by the community when it is appropriate to have a street photograph in black and white or color. It is a question I grapple with myself daily as well, and I enlisted the help of James Maher, a talented New York street photographer to help write an article on it. I hope you enjoy it!

    James: Street Photography has been around for a long, long time. And for all but the last 10 years, the photographer has had to make a choice before walking out the door: should I use color or black and white film today?

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  • 6 Tips How to Shoot Street Photographs of People’s Shoes (that don’t stink)

    6 Tips How to Shoot Street Photographs of People’s Shoes (that don’t stink)

    Street Photography Shoes by Eric Kim
    Eric Kim

    Thomas Leuthard, who is one of my close friends and fellow street photography workshop teachers, suggested a theme to me a while back that revolved around shooting street photography of people’s feet. At first I was a bit skeptical, but after looking at his images I was quite impressed. As street photographers, we can often get too preoccupied by looking forward that we don’t take the time to look up or down. Although shooting street photographs of people’s feet may sound weird (and a bit stinky), it can make for some fascinating results. Keep reading to find out how you can shoot street photography of people’s feet.

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  • The 9 Best Street Photographs of Bags by the Community

    The 9 Best Street Photographs of Bags by the Community

    Chun Tong Chung
    Chun Tong Chung

    This week I announced on my Facebook fan page that the street photography assignment for the week would be “bags.” The theme was inspired by Thomas Leuthard, who has a great ability in creating strong themes. Below are some of the best images that you submitted–please stay tuned for the next week’s assignment! Congrats to everyone who made the final cut :)

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  • Name that Street Photograph, No. 1

    Name that Street Photograph, No. 1

    It is always important to know photographs by great street photographers to improve your eye and your technique. So let’s see if you know the image above. Leave your guess by leaving a comment below and tell us who the photographer is, and the story behind the image. Let’s see what you guys got!

  • Fujifilm FinePix X100 Available at B&H Right Now, Act Quick! [Edit: SOLD OUT!]

    Fujifilm FinePix X100 at B&H

    Hey guys just wanted to let you know that the Fujifilm FinePix X100 is available RIGHT NOW at B&H Photo! Act quick before it’s sold out!

    Check out some of our great Fujifilm FinePix X100 reviews below:

  • Featured Street Photographer: Paolo Patrizi, on the Streets of Ginza with a Toy Camera and Cosmopolitan Japanese Women

    Featured Street Photographer: Paolo Patrizi, on the Streets of Ginza with a Toy Camera and Cosmopolitan Japanese Women

    Paolo Patrizi Street Photography
    Allure- Paolo Patrizi

    Eric: For this week, I am honored to announce this street photography feature by Wayne Ford, an internationally renowned media neutral and art designer. His work has received international acclaim and has been featured in books, exhibitions, and magazines including D&AD, Type Directors Club, Art Directors Club, Society of Publications Designers, Print, Graphis and Creative Review. You can read more of his thoughts on the photography he is looking at on his website or follow him on Twitter.

    Wayne: A self-taught photographer, Paolo Patrizi was born and raised in Italy, before moving to London in the mid-1980s where he began his professional career working as a
    photographic assistant, and undertaking freelance commissions for various design groups, and numerous magazines. From the very earliest stages of his career, Patrizi has pursued and develop his own personal projects alongside these various commercial assignments, and it is these personally assigned projects that have become a signature of his oeuvre.

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  • What Makes a Great Composition? Adam Marelli Analyzes Famous Street Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    What Makes a Great Composition? Adam Marelli Analyzes Famous Street Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Great Compositions by Alfred EisenstaedtGreat Compositions by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Adam Marelli, who recently did a wonderful guest blog post on his experiences on shooting with a Leica M9, has recently written a great article on dissecting and analyzing famous street photographs by WWII photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. In the article, he is able to skillfully dissect images from a geometric standpoint, something that great artists and painters have been using for centuries. The post is a bit technical, but definitely worth the read if you want to understand more about composition and street photography.

    Check out the article here.

    So what do you think? Do you think that understanding a good composition is artistic talent, or something that can be taught and analyzed? Leave your two cents by writing a comment below!

  • “Beauty in the Mundane” Street Photography Exhibition by Eric Kim this Saturday at 5:00PM in Tustin, CA

    “Beauty in the Mundane” Street Photography Exhibition by Eric Kim this Saturday at 5:00PM in Tustin, CA

    RSVP on Facebook
    Click here to RSVP on Facebook

    I am pleased to announce that I will be hosting a street photography exhibition this Saturday, June 4th, 2011 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Long Hai Restaurant in Tustin, CA. Join me as I share some of my finest black and white street photography from all around the world including Paris, Seoul, London, as well as Los Angeles  Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

    Admission is free, and complimentary drinks and appetizers from Long Hai Restaurant will be served.

    Also, I will be raffling off all of of my images to help fund-raise for the Sukhee Chung Photography foundation. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Phoenix High photography class I am teaching to underprivileged high school students in Los Angeles. Tickets are $5 a piece, and there is no limit how many you can buy. You can watch a video I did about the class here.

    I would love it if you could make it (if you are in the Los Angeles region!)

  • How to Shoot Street Photography With a Flash

    How to Shoot Street Photography With a Flash

    "Lace" - Santa Monica
    "Lace" – Santa Monica. Shot with my Ricoh GRIII and flash.

    When it comes to street photography, I am always open to new ideas and styles. One technique I have been particularly interested in is shooting street photography with a flash. I have been very inspired by the work of Bruce Gilden and Charlie Kirk. Although this style is quite controversial, I think that shooting with a flash does add an extra dimension to an image, and isn’t quite as unethical as most people claim it to be. After all, it was Bruce Gilden who said, “…the people I shoot in the streets are my friends” and Charlie Kirk who says he shoots “…openly and honestly.” Therefore the last three or so weeks I have been shooting street photography with a flash, and with great success. I will discuss my technique of shooting street photography in the streets with a flash, with special emphasis on mindset as well as technical settings. Read more if you are curious.

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  • How Would You Change the Fujifilm FinePix X100?

    The Fujifilm FinePix X100 has definitely got to be one of the most hyped-up cameras for street photography? What could we complain on? It has an optical viewfinder, has the looks of a retro rangefinder, and is pretty solid on price. From recent reviews there has been disappointments in terms of the auto-focusing speed, the manual focusing, as well as some small quirks here and there.

    If you guys were able to design the second version, how would you change the Fujifilm FinePix X100? Leave a comment below and tell us what you would do!

    Also below are some of our Fujifilm FinePix X100 Reviews:

  • 1923 Leica 0-series Sells For a Mind-Boggling $1.89 Million at Auction

    1923 Leica 0-series Sells For a Mind-Boggling $1.89 Million at Auction

    If you thought a Leica M9 was expensive, wait until you put your eyes on this baby. It is an 1923 Leica 0-series which just sold for €1,320,000, or about $1.89 million in US dollars at an auction in Vienna. This old-school gem was sold to a private collector from Asia who wishes to be anonymous to the public. The camera was one of 25 prototypes manufactured in 1923, before Leica started producing these cameras commercially. You can see the winning bid and auction at this video below.

    So do you think the guy who purchased this Leica is crazy or just has too much money to spend? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

    via Engadget and Leica Rumors.

  • Need Some Inspiration? Try Early Morning Street Photography

    Kai and the guys over at DigitalRevTV put together a great video about shooting street photography when the streets aren’t so hectic– at 4:00AM in the morning. In the video Kai wakes him (and his camera crew up) at a ungodly time and hits the streets of  Hong Kong. Although I do not advise on doing street photography with a tripod, I love the message behind the video: getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. There is truly a beauty about shooting at different times of the day, as you see different characters, scenes, as well as light.

    So what time do you typically like to shoot street photography? Leave a comment below and tell us about your experiences about shooting at different times during the day.

    -Thanks to Reacher Rau for emailing me this over!

  • Eric Kim Talks about Street Photography Tips with Jacob Patterson

    Recently I had the great pleasure of meeting up with Samsung and Jacob Patterson, an internationally renowned street artist living in Downtown Los Angeles. He has done some amazing We hit the streets with their new Samsung SH100 point and shoot, and got some pretty cool street shots. Jacob sat me down in their studio, and spent a few minutes interviewing me about street photography. Check out all the footage above!

    Also check out some more footage on this video Samsung put together (I’m about 30 seconds in) here. Also make sure to follow Jacob on Twitter.

    Do you guys like videos like this? Tell me what other types of videos you would like to see me host on my site!

  • Henri Cartier-Bresson Talks About “The Decisive Moment”

    Recently I was cruising around Petapixel and found this wonderful gem of a video– Henri Cartier-Bresson himself talking about street photography and “The Decisive Moment”. It is a bit of a long video (20 minutes) but worth every minute hearing the grandfather of street photography discuss his thoughts and share some of his most iconic images.

    Who else has been inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson? Let us know what you think of the video and his work by leaving a comment below!

  • 5 Things I Learned After Teaching My UK and Switzerland Street Photography Workshop

    5 Things I Learned After Teaching My UK and Switzerland Street Photography Workshop

    "Purple" - Shot in Brighton, UK with my Olympus EP-2
    "Purple" – Shot in Brighton, UK with my Olympus EP-2

    I am pleased to say after 4 jam-packed days of traveling and teaching a street photography workshop in Brighton, UK and Zurich, Switzerland I am back in Los Angeles. I had the trip of a lifetime and met some amazing people, ate some delicious food, and got some great street photographs as well. I also learned a great deal after doing this workshop and about Brighton and Zurich. Read more to see what I learned after teaching my UK and Switzerland street photography workshop!

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  • Frank Oscar Larson from NYC – Another Street Photography Master Discovered

    Frank Oscar Larson from NYC – Another Street Photography Master Discovered

    Frank Oscar Larson Street Photography NYC
    Frank Oscar Larson

    I was recently on PetaPixel and they did a great story featuring another undiscovered master street photographer named Frank Oscar Larson. In the 1950’s he worked as an auditor in Queens and had a great knack of capturing beautiful moments in everyday life with his Rolleiflex camera. In 1964 he died of a stroke at the age of 68 and his images laid dormant for 45 years before being discovered by his son’s widow in 2009.

    His images are incredibly inspiring, and show a candid look into life in NYC nearly half a century ago. It seems recently there has been a handful of unknown master street photographers popping up recently, especially the likes of Vivian Maier. Read more to see his inspirational images.

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  • Leica Rangefinder for Street Photography – Good Things Come In Small Packages

    Leica Rangefinder for Street Photography – Good Things Come In Small Packages

    "Morning Ashram" – Adam Mareli (Leica M9, 75mm Summicron)

    Eric’s Note: For this guest blog post, I am honored to have Adam Marelli talk about his experiences shooting with a Leica M9/M6 for street photography. This blog post will be especially helpful for those of you who currently shoot with a DSLR or are currently thinking about making the jump to a rangefinder. Make sure to read more to see his inspirational images and great thoughts on the pros of using a Leica rangefinder for street photography.

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  • How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

    How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

    "Contemplation" – show with my Ricoh GRIII

    A while back on my Facebook page and Twitter I asked you guys “if you had any street photography superpower, what would it be?” The vast majority of you answered: invisibility.

    As a street photographer, being invisible and blending in with your environment is key in getting an amazing street photograph. However, easier said than done right? In this post I will try to outline my thoughts on how to best be invisible when shooting on the streets, and what has helped me stay low-key when I am out shooting.

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  • 11 Inspirational Examples of Shadow Street Photography

    11 Inspirational Examples of Shadow Street Photography

    Street Photography Shadows
    Vincent Tandijo Saputro

    Last week on my Facebook fan page I announced the street photography assignment of the week which was “shadows“. I got all of your wonderful submissions on my Facebook fan page, and chose the best here to feature. I hope you enjoy all the images below and stay tuned to Facebook page where I will announce this week’s street photography assignment.

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  • The Camera of the Future: The WVIL (Wireless Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) Concept

    I was surfing the web, and I came across this gorgeous camera-concept which was made by the design team over at Artefact. I am always curious what the future will hold for cameras, and this concept just may be pretty similar to what we will start seeing.

    Imagine having a street photography camera which allows you to remove your lens from your camera itself (which will allow you to even be more stealthy). Although I don’t know how useful it would be, it definitely makes you wonder about how technology is changing photography as we know it.

    So what do you think? Do you love or hate it? Share your opinions about this camera-concept by leaving a comment below!

  • How to Shoot Street Portraits With Permission by Danny Santos

    How to Shoot Street Portraits With Permission by Danny Santos

    Danny Santos shooting Stranger #85 & Stranger #86 , taken by Paulo Legaspi

    Eric’s Note: I am truly excited to have this guest post by Danny Santos, who is truly passionate about shooting portraits in the streets. I was fascinated and captivated by his work, and I asked him to write a guest post about how he shoots street portraits. Enjoy!


    Danny: Shooting street portraits of strangers is a very daunting task. Often when you see a stranger you want to photograph, you find yourself between a rock and a hard place:  you can’t seem to ask them for their photo, yet you know you just have to.  Here are a few tips that may help you get over that hill. It won’t make it easy, but it may give you the push to start creating your own set of portraits of strangers.

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  • Breathtaking Street Photography by Stanley Kubrick in 1949

    Breathtaking Street Photography by Stanley Kubrick in 1949

    Stanley Kubrick Street Photography

    Long before Stanley Kubrick started filming amazing movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, he was a passionate street photographer. Check out some of these images he took in 1949 in Chicago title: “Chicago City of Contrasts.” All of the images tell incredible stories, and you can see where he got his inspiration for story-telling. Read more to see the rest of his inspirational images.

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  • The Sexiest Bag for Street Photography: The Think Tank Retrospective 30 Review

    The Sexiest Bag for Street Photography: The Think Tank Retrospective 30 Review

    Think Tank Retrospective 30 Camera Bag Modeling Photos
    The Think Tank Retrospective 30 for Street Photography (like my shoes?)

    As a street photographer who is always trying to capture fleeting moments, its important to always have your camera by your side. With the craziness of everyday life this can often be extremely difficult. That’s why I highly recommend everybody to get a messenger bag for their street photography, as it is a casual way to always have your camera by your side (without sticking out like a sore thumb). The kind folks over at Think Tank photo were generous enough to send me over the Think Tank Retrospective 30, their specialized camera bag for street photographers. Having used it for about two weeks now, I can say flat-out that I am in love. Read more on this review to get the gritty on this essential piece of equipment. Warning–there is a ton of photos below (and also a video!). (more…)

  • How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer

    How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer

    Photo by Charlie Kirk
    Photo by Charlie Kirk

    I believe that getting a good street photograph is 80% balls and 20% skill. If you look at the work of such street photographers as Bruce Gilden and Charlie Kirk, you will see that they have incredibly memorable images. Why is that? It is because they get close to their subjects—uncomfortably close by most people’s standards.

    One of the most popular questions I am asked by the community is how to build courage when it comes to street photography. I have learned a ton over the last several years about building the guts to get extremely close to people and take their photograph without their permission. In this blog post I will go in-depth about how you can become a fearless street photographer.

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  • A Great Present for a Street Photographer: USB Film Roll

    Too damn sweet.

    There is nobody harder to shop for than a street photographer. The only things they would probably want is a Leica M9 or an old-school Rolleiflex. If you ever want to please the street photographer in your life, lighten up your wallet and check out these unique USB Film rolls from Photojojo at $20 a pop. They even got some cool ideas what you can do with your old film canisters here. Anybody thinking about picking up some of these or trying to hack their own version at home? More photos included below. Oh yeah if anybody has some extra cash, I could definitely use one ;).

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  • Announcing New Street Photography Shirts in our Store!

    Announcing New Street Photography Shirts in our Store!

    Recently on my Facebook fan page I asked you guys what kinds of shirts you wanted to see. I heard a lot of input that you wanted shirts that had less focus on the cameras and gear, and more of the love of street photography itself. Therefore I designed these shirts for you to to show your street photography pride–wherever you go. You can see all of the designs in the store.

    I am also excited to announce that 10% of all proceeds will go to the Sukhee Chung Photography Foundationwhich strives to spread the love of photography to under-privileged youth in Los Angeles. This way by purchasing a shirt, you will help support other aspiring photographers as well. Everybody is a winner.

    Tell us what other designs you would like to see by leaving a comment below!

  • 8 Inspirational Street Photographs of Feet

    8 Inspirational Street Photographs of Feet

    Feet Street Photograhy
    Benoit Rousseau

    On my Facebook fan page I announced that the street photography assignment for the week was “feet.” There were tons of great entries, and I cherry-picked the best ones to be featured here. Stay tuned for next week’s assignment!

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  • Interview with Chris Porsz: Soulful Black and White Images of Peterborough from the 80’s

    Interview with Chris Porsz: Soulful Black and White Images of Peterborough from the 80’s

    "Gladstone St Early 80s" - Chris Porsz
    "Gladstone St Early 80s" – Chris Porsz

    For this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing street photographer Chris Porsz from Petersborough, England. His work has spanned over several decades, and his images are iconic and classic. When I first saw his soulful black and white images, I knew that I had to feature him on my blog. I hope you enjoy his images and words as much as I did.

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  • Ask the Community: What is Your Street Photography Story?

    Ask the Community: What is Your Street Photography Story?

    escape
    "Escape" by Eric Kim (one of my earlier works)

    We all found out about street photography in different ways. Some of us may have been inspired after looking at the images of Henri Cartier-Bresson photo book while some of us may have learned about it by chance.

    How did you learn about street photography? Leave a comment below and share your story! I will select the best stories out there in one of my next blog posts!

  • 5 Tips How to Shoot Street Photography With a Full-Time Job

    5 Tips How to Shoot Street Photography With a Full-Time Job

    "Lost in Thought"
    "Lost in Thought" – Shot near my workplace.

    Recently Neal Bingham, one of the moderators and admins for the Aspiring Street Photographers Flickr group I started asked me to write an article about how I shoot street photography  with a full-time job. I thought it would be a great topic to discuss, as many of us street photographers have full-time jobs while pursuing our passion and hobby on the side. Although life can often be incredibly busy, I will discuss some tips how you can always find time so how I make time to shoot street photography (even with a full-time job).

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  • New #streettogs T-Shirt Design! (Red Dot)

    New #streettogs T-Shirt Design! (Red Dot)

    When asking you guys what kind of shirts you wanted, reader Mark Parry suggested a classic look, with a big red dot. After fiddling around in Photoshop, this is the design that I came with below. If you are interested in purchasing this shirt, check it out in our store! (Shirts are also available for ladies!)

    Click to enter the store.

    Popular Designs:

    Are there any other designs you would like to see? Leave a comment below and tell us what kinds of designs (or additional colors) you want!

  • 12 Inspirational Examples of Street Photography Shot with Film

    12 Inspirational Examples of Street Photography Shot with Film

    "Philadelphia 155" - Michael Penn
    "Philadelphia 155" – Michael Penn

    Recently on my Facebook page and Twitter I asked for you to submit your best street photographs shot in film. Here are the best submissions I got–congrats to everybody who got their images included! Stay tuned for more weekly assignments, and read more to see the other inspirational images.

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  • 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Sneaky When Shooting Street Photography

    5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Be Sneaky When Shooting Street Photography

    "Deep Thoughts" - Hollywood Street Photography by Eric Kim
    "Deep Thoughts" – Hollywood

    Recently one of my readers, Tim Agee, asked me if I could do an article on whether or not you should be “sneaky” when shooting street photography.

    This is a very tricky subject, as you need a certain degree of stealthiness to get candid images. However, some of the best street photographers aren’t taken when you are being “sneaky.” Being sneaky infers that you are timid and you have some sort of malicious intent. I advocate for being brave and bold when shooting street photography, and the invisibility will follow.

    What do I mean? As Markus Hartel wonderfully said, “Walk around at ease, be on the move and observe, shoot, nod confidently -or smile- .. and eventually it will become second nature, people care less than you think.” Read more to figure out why you shouldn’t be sneaky when shooting street photography.

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  • What Would Happen if the iPhone 4 and Leica M9 Had a Baby?

    What Would Happen if the iPhone 4 and Leica M9 Had a Baby?

    The i90 - Leica M9 and iPhone 4 Hybrid
    The i90 – Leica M9 and iPhone 4 Hybrid

    A design company based out of Los Angeles called Black Design Associates, LLC, just posted some sexy photos of a Leica M9/iPhone 4 Hybrid concept. They imagined the i90 to take any regular iPhone 4 and make it something more powerful and did I say sexy? The imaginary specs and images are below.

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  • Photo Essay: The Imaginative Street Photography of Siegfried Becker

    Photo Essay: The Imaginative Street Photography of Siegfried Becker

    Young man in a carnival costume fooling around with a toy pistol, 03/14/11 Forbach, France
    Young man in a carnival costume fooling around with a toy pistol, 03/14/11 Forbach, France

    For many years I used a studio for the majority of my photography. The attraction of this kind of photography lay in creating artificial imagery, but today I find my subjects in the streets.

    Life writes the best stories and practically no other area of photography proves this better than Street Photography. When you look more closely, the everyday reveals unique moments which are often comical, sometimes surreal and not seldom sorrowful and yet always show the variety of human behaviour.

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  • Submit Your Best UK Street Photograph Contest

    Submit Your Best UK Street Photograph Contest

    To help spread the word about the street photography workshop I am teaching in Brighton on May 21st, MarkB over at X100Photo suggested that I host a street photography contest. I thought it is a fantastic idea for people to showcase their street photography while also having a chance to win a FREE street photography workshop for themself and a friend.

    How to Enter

    1. Choose your favorite street photograph that you shot in the UK and upload it to my Facebook fan page.
      • Include a caption with the following information:
        1. Title:
        2. Image caption:
        3. Location:
        4. Why you would like to attend my street photography workshop in Brighton:
    2. Get your friends to “Like” my Facebook fan page, and “Like” your image.
    3. Encourage your friends to vote for you by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter, Email, blog, website, etc.

    Prize

    • On May 7th, I will announce the winner based on who has the most “Like’s”.
    • The winner will win a FREE street photography workshop for themself and a friend for my street photography workshop in Brighton on May 21st.

    Rules & FAQ

    • Voting ends on May 6th at midnight.
    • Each participant is only allowed to enter 1 image.
    • The image must have been taken in the UK.
    • Prize doesn’t include accommodation or airfare.
    • Entries can be either film or digital.
    • We deserve the right to disqualify any inappropriate images.

    Contest Dates

    • April 4-May 6

    Got any questions, comments, or concerns? If so, leave a comment below!

  • I Shoot Street Photography Women’s T-Shirt Photoshoot

    I Shoot Street Photography Women’s T-Shirt Photoshoot

    Everyone knows that street photography is not only for men, but for women as well! To showcase that, I recently did a photo-shoot with Cindy, my wonderful manager and beautiful girlfriend. We had a ton of fun doing this impromptu photo-shoot with her posing with my Contax IIIa film rangefinder. Hope you dig the images!

    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)

    Ladies, let us know what you think about this design by leaving a comment below and tell us what other types of designs you would like to see!

    Also, make sure you check out all of our designs in our #streettogs store!

  • The Ideal Street Photography Camera – Nikon S1 Concept

    The Ideal Street Photography Camera – Nikon S1 Concept

    Recently one of my readers, David Cohen de Lara, showed me some awesome mocks of what would be his “ideal street photography camera.” I love the clean and minimalistic design, and the nice viewfinder in the middle as well. Make sure to click below to see a bigger version, and check out his website as well.

    Nikon S1

    What do you think of David’s mockup? Leave a comment below and tell us what your ideal street photography camera would have.

  • 13 Inspirational Examples of Travel Street Photography

    13 Inspirational Examples of Travel Street Photography

    "Hitchcock" - Hamburg, Germany - Thomas Leuthard
    "Hitchcock" – Hamburg, Germany – Thomas Leuthard

    Recently on my Facebook fan page and Twitter, I asked you to send in your favorite street photographs taken while traveling. Check all the images below to see inspirational images from all over the world! Make sure to follow me to stay updated with the new weekly assignments. Read more to see all the other amazing images.

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  • Street Photography Messenger Bag Review: The Timbuk 2 Commute 2.0

    As a street photographer, having a good messenger bag is essential to ensure you will always have your camera and equipment by your side. Often people ask me what bag I use, which is the Timbuk 2 Commute 2.0 Messenger Bag. It is not a camera bag per-se, but I have found out it works incredibly well, especially when you put in a Padded Camera Insert. Check out this quick review I did of my bag below!

    What camera bag do you swear by when it comes to street photography? Leave a comment below!

  • Can the Fujifilm FinePix X100 be a Primary Street Photographer’s Camera?

    Can the Fujifilm FinePix X100 be a Primary Street Photographer’s Camera?

    Eric’s note: Below is a guest post from MarkB over at X100photo.co.uk. He is not only a talented street photographer, but he is passionate about the new Fujifilm FinePix X100. Check out his awesome review and thoughts below.

    Question, can the X100 replace a DSLR or point & shoot and be a primary street photography camera?

    Fujifilm FinePix X100
    With the release of ever more capable cameras that have the maturity of DSLRs but in more compact packages, this seems to have created a renaissance in the somewhat related genres of street, documentary and photojournalism. So as I thought about how to answer the above question I realized that with more and more photographers considering rightsizing their camera choice for street photography, this really is the question of the moment. The X100 then, really has set the cat amongst the pigeons.

    This is not another in-depth review of the Fuji X100. What I aim to do is outline the factors we might take into account when trying to answer the above question. Perhaps a little more controversially, I then present my own conclusions! If nothing else, I hope my approach in breaking down the considerations might provide a useful means of making what is for many photographers a very individual decision.

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  • Street Photography 101 Workshop with Eric Kim- Brighton, UK

    INTERESTED IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY BUT SCARED OR DON’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN?

    Street Photography 101 is a unique interactive workshop for anyone interested in street photography or looking to improve their current skills. Los Angeles based street photographer Eric Kim will be leading a dynamic one-day workshop in Brighton where you will get to learn:

    • How to get started in Street Photography (with a brief history)
    • Different techniques, equipment and guidelines for shooting in the streets (including the popular “shooting from the hip” technique)
    • Comparison and pros/cons of DSLR, Point and shoot, Rangefinder, Micro 4/3rds, and film cameras for street photography
    • How to get over “The Fear” of shooting in the streets
    • Story-telling techniques and street photography aesthetics
    • The secret of processing beautiful black and whites
    • How to improve your technique and have your work reviewed by Eric and guest London street photographer David Gibson (http://www.gibsonstreet.com/)
    • The analysis and thought process behind choosing the “keepers” from your batch

    The workshop will consist of presentations by Eric Kim with insightful tips for shooting captivating street photographs and plenty of group discussions for improving your own work. Guest street photographer David Gibson be available to give his own insights and provide additional tips for aspiring street photographers.

    Following the presentations, you’ll get a chance to test out your skills through an accompanied on-the-street photography assignment.

    Street photography is not as easy as it looks, but equipped with the right skills and approach, you can come out with captivating photographs!

    Plenty of engaging hands-on activities and more planned!! Read more to see the intro video.

    Intro video by Eric Kim

    Read more to see more details about the workshop!

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  • Street Photography Documentary Film with Eric Kim

    Street Photography from Daniel Seo on Vimeo.

    I am excited to present a mini-documentary that my talented friend and film producer Daniel Seo put together. It was a quite intense project that took us an entire day to shoot (from 6AM to 11PM at night). I am very proud of how Daniel was able to put together my vision of street photography through his production and editing.

    If you want to find more of how Daniel works, please check out his blog and check out his Facebook fan page.

    Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below! I would love to hear your feedback.

  • The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photographs in the Rain

    The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photographs in the Rain

    Compare and Contrast - Tom
    "Compare and Contrast" – Tom

    On my Facebook Page and Twitter I asked the community to send in their best street photography photographs in the rain. I chose the best, and also dug up other inspirational images on Flickr as well. Congratulations to everybody who got their images featured. Read more to see the other inspirational images.

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  • Interview with Rui Palha, Black and White Street Photographer Extraordinaire from Lisbon

    Interview with Rui Palha, Black and White Street Photographer Extraordinaire from Lisbon

    Rui Palha Street Photography Black and White
    Rui Palha

    On Facebook when I asked for a recommendation for my next interview, many of you directed me to the work of Rui Palha. His images are full of soul and transport his viewers into a new world. Not only that, but I have never seen black and white street photography nearly as inspirational as his. Continue reading and see his inspirational images and words. (more…)

  • 5 Tips How to Take Raw Street Portraits

    5 Tips How to Take Raw Street Portraits

    Raw Street Photography Portrait - Mehdi Bouqua
    Mehdi Bouqua

    Recently I came upon the work of Los Angeles street photographer Medhi Bouqua. He takes incredible portraits of the people of Los Angeles, and I asked him to give me some of his insights about shooting these raw street portraits.

    Medhi: It all began with the street and its surroundings: The Architecture, The street Lights,The cold Concrete, The bright sun, The people walking up and down, The poor, The rich, the young and the old. Street photography has taught me to never hold back from any subject that captures my eyes. I shoot my Raw Portraits as close up shots to capture the emotion, strength, struggle and beauty of people, with both my 35mm Nikon to print and my Rebel Xs Canon to share on the web, I use Natural lighting, no Flash and no reflectors.

    I thought it would also be a great opportunity for me to give you some great tips about shooting raw street portraits, while using Medhi’s photos as examples. Read on and learn more.

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  • Is This Photo Ethical?

    Is This Photo Ethical?

    Fifteen year-old Fabienne Cherisma was shot dead by police at approximately 4pm, January 19th, 2010. Photo: Paul Hansen

    Back in March there was a heated debate about this photo taken of 15-year-old Fabienne Cherisma, who was shot and killed by police after stealing two two plastic chairs and three framed pictures. It reminded me much about my recent blog post about Ethics and Street Photography.

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  • Show Your Pride with these Street Photography T-Shirts

    Show Your Pride with these Street Photography T-Shirts

    Hey guys,

    I want to thank everybody for all the love and support they have given to myself, this blog, and the street photography community. This site has grown far larger than I have ever anticipated, and I owe it all to you.

    Unfortunately, server costs for myself have been going up so I thought it would be a great idea to start selling some t-shirts to help off-set the cost.

    If you have ever read something helpful or inspirational in my blog and want to support my love of street photography, please purchase a shirt and tell your friends as well! Not only will you be able to show off your street photographer pride to everybody else, but you will be helping me as well continue to help grow the site.

    *** You can customize the shirts in any colors you want in the store ***

    *** You can customize the shirts in any colors you want in the store ***
    I would also love your feedback on the designs of these shirts. If you also would like another type of shirt designed, please leave a comment below! I plan on designing many more shirts in the near future, so stay posted.

    Thanks so much for the support,

    Eric

  • Interview with Street Photographer Stephen Leslie, color film specialist and storyteller

    Interview with Street Photographer Stephen Leslie, color film specialist and storyteller

    Stephen Leslie

    For this week, I am pleased to cover street photographer Stephen Leslie. He is a close friend of Charlie Kirk, and has gorgeous color film street photography from the streets of London. As a film maker and script writer, he is able to translate his images into soulful stories that look into the lives of those who he captures. Not only that, but he is currently selling his book “Snaps” which showcases 10 years of his best street photography and is using the profits to benefit Japan. Keep reading to see his inspirational images and understand how he shoots street photography.

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  • Which is Better? Black and White vs Color for Street Photography

    Which is Better? Black and White vs Color for Street Photography

    Black and White vs Color for Street Photography.Â

    I recently got an email from one of my readers, Kit Taylor, asking me the following question:

    Color or B&W? What goes into the decision to finish a street/candid
    photo as color or black and white? Some photographers have a strong
    specialization. Some of us use both almost equally. Some photos are
    obvious; often I have some that are difficult to decide on.

    I’m really glad that Kit asked this question, as this is an issue that I grapple everyday as a street photographer. There are many pros and cons to both color and black and white street photography– which I will outline below.

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  • The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photography Portraits

    The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photography Portraits

    Big glasses
    "Big glasses" – Simon Garnier

    Recently on my Facebook fan page and my Twitter, I asked the community to send me their best inspirational street portraits. I cherry-picked these as the best from all the submissions I got. Congrats to everybody who made the final cut! Read more to see the rest of the great images.

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  • 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ask For Permission When Shooting Street Photography

    5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Ask For Permission When Shooting Street Photography

    "God Bless America" - Gena
    "God Bless America" – Gena. Click to read more.

    Photo Credit

    When it comes to street photography, it is essential to capture candid moments of everyday life. This is what sets the genre of “street photography” differently from all the other types of photography out there. Although there are many talented photographers out there who specialize in capturing posed street portraits, I would classify those images as more of a subsect of “posed street portraiture” than “street photography” proper. In this post I will outline my thoughts why you shouldn’t ask for permission when shooting street photography.

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  • Street Photography Fundraiser for Japan

    Street Photography Fundraiser for Japan

    Momoko Onodera prays at an evacuation center as she talks about her husband who died in the tsunami on March 18 in Kesennuma, Japan. A potential humanitarian crisis looms as nearly half a million people who have been displaced by the disaster continue to suffer a shortage of food and fuel as freezing weather conditions set in. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

    Words cannot express the pain and suffering that the Japanese people are currently experiencing. With recent numbers stating that the number of dead and missing is above 25,000— it is one of the worst calamities in Japanese history. There are already many street photographers on the web who are taking their part such as the Flickr group “Charity Print Auction Japan“. Considering that they are already doing their part in donating images to fund raise, I say that we take a different approach: let’s donate hard-cold cash.

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  • Featured Street Photographer: Jason Martini from Chicago, Illinois

    Featured Street Photographer: Jason Martini from Chicago, Illinois

    "High Brows" – Jason Martini

    Chicago is an amazing city with tons of hustle and bustle in the streets. When it comes to showing the soul of the city, Jason Martini is definitely one of the most talented street photographers out there. He is able to capture the people of Chicago in their natural and gritty environment doing what they do best–live. Check out more of his soulful images below and get inside his mind as well.

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  • Is Manual Focus or Autofocus Better for Street Photography?

    Is Manual Focus or Autofocus Better for Street Photography?

    “Walking Along” – Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

    Recently I asked the community on my Facebook fan page what blog post they wanted me to write about. Douglas Bain asked me a question about the advantages/disadvantages of using manual or autofocus for street photography which is a fantastic question. I have debated about this with myself when it comes to street photography. Using primarily a DSLR for street photography, I often switch between the both as they both have advantages/disadvantages. However there is often heated debate between both camps (one saying that autofocus is more convenient while the purists say manual focusing is the only way to go). I will do my best of outlining the pros of both manual and autofocus in street photography in this blog post (and will let you tell me the disadvantages in the comments).

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  • Photo Essay: The Beautiful Decay of Detroit, Michigan

    Photo Essay: The Beautiful Decay of Detroit, Michigan

    Eric Kim Street Photography Detroit Michigan
    Welcome to Detroit.Â

    The past weekend I visited Detroit, Michigan. After recently watching the Chrysler Eminem Superbowl Commercial – Imported from Detroit, I have built a fascination for the city. On one hand, it is a gorgeous and urban city with tons of history. On the other hand, the economy of Detroit is in terrible shape and it shows with the desolate feeling of Downtown. However after talking to some residents of the city, they feel proud of Detroit and feel that it is on its way back up again. I definitely think that Detroit will rise once again to greatness, considering that GM is hitting record numbers of sales (and there are talks that they’re opening a Corvette plant down there).

    All in all, the city of Detroit as the city was gorgeous in my eyes–raw, urban, and cold. I hope you enjoy my images and my personal narrative of the city.

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  • Fujifilm FinePix X100 Release Delayed Until Late March/Early April

    Fujifilm FinePix X100 Release Delayed Until Late March/Early April

    Want to snag a hot Fujifilm FinePix X100 as soon as you can? Well unfortunately according to Engadget,  these bad boys won’t be shipping until late March/early April in the US due to production shortages (they sold too many pre-orders). Looks like we have to wait and twiddle our thumbs until it comes out.

    In the meanwhile, are you as stoked as I am?