ERIC KIM ₿ - ₿LOG

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

"Man Reading" - Los Angeles

"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.

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

The i90 - Leica M9 and iPhone 4 Hybrid

A design company based out of Los Angeles calledÂ 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.

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

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.Â 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.

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

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:
Get your friends to “Like” my Facebook fan page, and “Like” your image.
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 forÂ themselfÂ and a friend for my street photography workshop in BrightonÂ 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 includeÂ accommodationÂ 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

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!

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

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 andÂ minimalisticÂ 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.

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

"Hail", NYC - Khai Pin

"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.

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?

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?

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.

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 â€œshooting from the hipâ€ technique)
Comparison and pros/cons of DSLR, Point and shoot, Rangefinder, Micro 4/3rds, and film cameras for street photography
How to get over â€œThe Fearâ€ 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 â€œkeepersâ€ 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, youâ€™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!

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

It was a rainy day in Murano by Fabrice Drevon

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.

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

Rui Palha

On Facebook when I asked for a recommendation for my next interview, many of youÂ directedÂ 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.

5 Tips How to Take Raw Street Portraits

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.Â 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.

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.

Show Your Pride with these Street Photography T-Shirts

I Love Street Photography - Black

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.

***Â 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

Stephen Leslie Street Photography — 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.

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

Black and White vs Color for Street Photography

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.

The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photography Portraits

Stephen_Salmieri

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.

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

"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.

Street Photography Fundraiser for Japan

Japan Earthquake — 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 worstÂ calamitiesÂ 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 toÂ fund raise, I say that we take a different approach: let’s donate hard-cold cash.

Continue reading Street Photography Fundraiser for Japan

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.

Is Manual Focus or Autofocus Better for Street Photography?

"Owl Eyes" - London, UK

"Walking Along" - Eric Kim Street Photography — “Walking Along” – Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

RecentlyÂ 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/disadvantagesÂ 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).

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.

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, Â 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?

5 Reasons Why You Should Use a Point and Shoot for Street Photography

(All photographs copyrighted by Alex Majoli / Magnum Photos)

Recently on the web I came upon a quite article about Alex Majoli, a Magnum photographer who shot award-winning images in the the Congo for two weeks and Iraq for two months using a point and shoot camera. Typically point and shoot cameras get a bad reputation for only being for “amateurs” and people who don’t know how to use a “real camera.”

Currently on the market, there are many wonderful point and shoot cameras for street photography. A few notable ones are the Ricoh GRIII, the Canon S95, and the Lumix LX-5. Many street photographers I know actually prefer using point and shoot cameras for their work, rather than using clunky DSLR’s or expensive digital rangefinders. Although I primarily shoot my street photography with a DSLR, I have done a considerable amount of street photography with my point and shoot as well. Therefore in this article, I will try to outline some of the strengths of using a point and shoot camera for street photography.

The 30 Most Inspirational Street Photographs on Flickr

Recently I asked on Facebook and Twitter for your best street photographs on Flickr. I reviewed the entries carefully, and chose the 30 most inspirational street photographs that showed either exhibited the decisive moment, the beauty of everyday life, or powerful imagery. Congratulations to everybody that made the final cut! Read more to see the other winning images.

Chained from hand to toe by rhohit

The Poor Man’s Leica: Fujifilm FinePix X100 Sample Photos, Unboxing, and Review

Over at Steve Huff’s blog, street photographer Pieter Franken gave his first impressions about the Fujifilm FinePix X100. He is originally from Holland and currently lives in Tokyo (where he was able to get the camera). Although he already has the Leica M8 and the Leica M9, he comments that it is a great companion camera (not nearly a replacement for either). All-in-all, Pieter gives the X100 a glowing review and mentions it is great for High ISO, the silent shutter, Â as well as the compact size. Read the review for more in-depth details.

Pieter Franken also has a plethora of sample street photographs on his Flickr as well (which look great in my opinion). Click more to view the sample street photographs, as well as the unboxing and review.

Featured Street photographer: Michael Martin from Manhattan, New York

"Discretions" by Michael Mann

Eric’s Note: Michael Martin is an incredible street photographer from Manhattan, New York who captures touching images from the people around him. The strength of his images not only are shown through his consistency, but also through the colorful portraits he captures as well. You can truly feel the energy of the city that he lives and breathes. Read more to check out this exclusive interview with him below.

Hot or Not? Leica Mirrorless ASPC-C Compact Concept Camera

Recently I was browsing the Leica Rumor blog and saw these renders for a Leica concept camera (not affiliated with Leica). So what do you think about the images and the concept–are they hot or not? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What’s the Difference?

Beirut, Lebanon. Click to read more.

Eric Kim Street Photography Lebanon — Beirut, Lebanon. Click to read more.

Recently my friend and fellow artist Jacob Patterson asked me on Twitter what I thought the difference was between street portraits and street photography. It was a fascinating question, as there are many debates and inconsistencies on the web about the differences between the two. In this article I will outline my thoughts on the differences between street portraits and street photography. Not only that, but I encourage you to read on and chime in this debate as well.

“Something beautiful” – Black and White Street Photography in London by Ore Huiying

Recently I came upon this Vimeo video on Invisible Photographer Asia. The storytelling in this black and white street photography slideshow is incredible, and the music really makes it memorable. Check out the video and make sure to check out Invisible Photographer Asia for more great street photographers from Asia!

Who is the most inspirational Asian street photographer that you know? Leave a comment below and tell us who, and leave a link to their site!

The 8 Most Inspirational Night Street Photographs from Twitter

Having recently written an article on how to shoot street photography at night, I asked #streettogs on Twitter to share with me their best street photographs. I received many inspirational images that show the rawness and beauty which is nighttime street photography. Congratulations to all who made the final cut!

Featured Street Photographer: Josh White from Seoul, Korea

Josh White

Eric’s Note: I first stumbled upon Josh’s images per-chance on Flickr. Having shot tons of street photography in Korea myself, I was especially drawn to his images. Through his images, Josh is able to show a candid and insightful look into life in Seoul. He has a wonderful skill of freezing certain moments in time, allowing the viewer to tell the story as they see fit. Keep reading to see more of his images and get an inside look on how he shoots street photography.

7 Bright Ways How to Shoot Street Photography at Night

"Midnight Texting" - Westwood, Los Angeles.

"Together in the Rain" - Seoul, Korea. Click to read more.Â

On my Facebook fan page, I asked my readers what they wanted to have a blog post on. There were several of you who mentioned an article about how to shoot street photography at night. Van Gogh once famously said, “I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” I definitely feel that the same applies in street photography. I love shooting at night, because I feel that is when you can capture the true soul of the urban jungle–when street lights illuminate and people are on the prowl. Keep reading to see more tips on how to shoot street photography at night:

Exclusive Interview with Joe Wigfall, New York Street Photographer

"PALEASE" - Joe Wigfall

Eric’s note: I got a special treat for all of you guys out there. I was fortunate enough to get an interview with renowned New York Street Photographer, Joe Wigfall. Joe is best known for his black and white imagery of New York City and a WNYC Street Shots feature of him “shooting from the hip” which has already racked over 60,000+ view on YouTube. Out of all of the street photographers out there, Joe is definitely one of the most humble and soulful. Check out this exclusive interview with him and become inspired by his images as well.

PALEASE - Street Photography by Joe Wigfall — "PALEASE" - Joe Wigfall

The 10 Most Inspirational Street Photographs on Facebook

Recently on my Facebook fan page I asked my viewers to share their best street photographs for a chance to be featured on my blog. I looked at every entry, and chose these 10 as the best. Keep reading to see all of the inspirational images!

“Pipe it in” byÂ Jason Martini

5 Ways How to Deal with Pissed Off People (after taking their photo)

"Turn that Frown Upside Down!" - Los Angeles. Click to read more.

A question that I often get from my readers regarding street photography is how I deal with people who are either disgruntled or pissed off after I take their photo. Fortunately enough, I rarely get approached by people after I take their photo. This is due to the fact that I often avoid eye contact with my subjects, and carry myself if I was taking a photo of someone else.

However I still haveÂ encounteredÂ people who get pissed off after I take their photo. Therefore I came up with some things that I have done which helped me deal with these people. Read more to see tips that you can do when encountering upset orÂ belligerentÂ people.

Join the Urban Photo Collective!

Note: The following blog post is by Fokko Muller, a street photographer inThe Netherlands. Check out the awesome Urban Photo Collective he is a part of, and join in on the fun!

Urban Photo Collective for Street Photography — Urban Photo Collective

The Urban Photo Collective (UPC) started almost 5 years ago in the city of Rotterdam (The Netherlands). The founder Thamar Kiemel (@thamar) was taking urban shots in Rotterdam with a friend. The idea arose to do that more often with a group of people. Just because itâ€™s fun to go on the streets and photograph together.

At this moment the Urban Photo Collective has more than 250 members spread over 8 Dutch cities:

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Arnhem, Tilburg, Groningen and Emmen.

Each month a group of passionate photographers join to take photos in their city according to a collective theme.

Leica M9 Titanium Unboxed In All Its Sexiness

The Leica M9 Titanium (only $26,500 in the US)

If you thought that the Leica M9 was expensive, check out the limited edition Leica M9 Titanium. The difference? There has only been a limited quantity of 500 Leica M9’s produced, and each are individually numbered and packaged with a Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 titanium lens. Oh yeah, and it costs $26,500 (compared to the $6900 Leica M9). Only the seriously wealthy and eccentric photographers can probably get their paws on this, but for the rest of us commoners, we can still dream. Check out this unboxing video below.

Gizmodo Shooting Challenge: B&W Street Photography

Hey guys,

Looks like the fellas over at Gizmodo are hosting a b/w street photography challenge. Rules are simple: take a candid photo of a person in black and white (and don’t use old photos). Seems like a lot of fun–read more for the rules.

Why You Should Always Use and Abuse Your Gear

The stupidest looking thing for your camera, ever. I doubt you will see any photo-journalists using this in the jungle.

I have always been a firm believer that photographers should use and abuse their gear. This means that you shouldn’t be scared to get little scratches and minor nicks in your camera when you are out exploring for photos. This means that you shouldn’t handle your camera like a newborn child. This means that you shouldn’t worry more about the warranty than actually taking photos. This means that you shouldn’t leave your camera at home in fear of getting in stolen.

The Most Famous Street Photographs Recreated with Legos

Recently I came upon these amazing Lego recreations of famous street photography/journalist photographs. Can you identify who took the photos below? Read more and find out how good your photographic knowledge is!

5 Reasons Why Digital Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

My good friend Yanidel (an accomplished street photographer from Paris, now on an around-the-world trip in Argentina) wrote a great complementary opinion to my original article “6 Reasons Why Shooting Film Will Make You a Better Street Photographer“, titled: “5 Reasons Why Digital Will Make You a Better Street Photographer“. He brings up many fantastic points in his article, and I highly recommend everyone to read it.

So now you have read both sides of the picture, which do you prefer–film or digital? Leave a comment below telling us how you feel!

Fujifilm FinePix x100 Sample Photos Live!

Fujifilm FinePix x100 Camera. Truly Gorgeous.

My good friend and fellow street photographerÂ Tom Kaszuba just informed me that Fujifilm has their FinePix x100 Sample Photos live on their site. I have taken the liberty of showing you some photo samples which show how awesome a camera it can be for street photography with its pancake 35mm f/2 lens. Keep reading to see more pictures of the camera, as well as the hot and new sample photos!

Street Photography Interview on ShutterSalt

Hey guys,

Jaymi Heimbuch,Â a wonderful photographer/blogger, featured me in an interview in her new photography site called ShutterSalt. Take a minute to check out my interview!

6 Reasons Why Shooting Film Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

The Sunny 16 Reference Chart

Recently I have been shooting more street photography with my Contax IIIa Film Rangefinder. Although I still prefer digital for street photography in terms of convenience, security, as well as flexibility– I have started to learn the merits of shooting street photography with film.

I am not Â film purist by any means, as I am still relatively new to shooting street photography with film. Furthermore, I have not yet processed my own film before. However if you have not tried to shoot street photography with film before, I hope this article will help inspire you to do so in order to break out of your comfort zone and continue to develop.

Featured Street Photographer: Laurent Roch’s Decisive Moments from France

"Checkmate" - Laurent Roch

Note: Every week, I feature street photographers with great skill and soul. For this week, I decided to feature street photographer Laurent Roch from France. When I first stumbled upon Laurent’s work on Flickr, I was thoroughly impressed by his gritty black and white portrayals of the city. In his images, you see a great deal of symmetry and balance, which cradle solid compositions. Not only that, but the man knows how to really work The Decisive Moment. Â Want to hear where he finds inspiration and how he shoots on the street? Read his exclusive interview below and be blown away.

3D Street Photography: The Future?

The Panasonic Lumix 12.5mm f/12 3D G Lens. Looks pretty damn go ofy

Recently my friend Jimmy Hahn sent me a link of the new Panasonic Lumix 12.5mm f/12 3D lens for the Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras: the GF2, G2 and GH2. When he first posted the link on my Facebook, I was taken back by how odd and funny it looked. Upon closer inspection, I was fascinated to see that not only is it a prime lens, but it is incredibly thin as well.

How did you get started with Street Photography?

"The Conductor" - LA Opera House. One of my first street photographs

Everyone out there has a story to tell about how he/she got with street photography. Why not give us some inspiration and write a comment below and share your story! Looking forward in reading all of them! :)

Are There Any Ethics in Street Photography?

JAPAN. Asakasa. 1998. Two members of the Yakuza, Japan's mafia - via Magnumphotos.com

Recently I made a post on my Facebook fan page, asking the community what they wanted me to write about. One of the topics at hand which was popular was the ethics of street photography. I intend this post to showcase some of my thoughts, and also open up for discussion to the rest of the street photography community.

“I have no ethics”

I’d love to start off this article with a quote from Bruce Gilden from this video in which he says, “I have no ethics.” If you see his in-your-face style of shooting in the streets, this quote may not come to any surprise to you. He is famous for getting extremely close to people and taking photos with his wide-angle lens and flash. If you look at his images, he takes an array of photos of people in society from Japanese Yakuza Gangsters to people in Haiti.

The Journey from a DSLR to a Rangefinder

Note: Recently I did a blog post on the pros and the cons of rangefinders for street photography. I then came upon an insightful comment from Steve Foon about his experience from switching from using a DSLR to a rangefinder for street photography. Therefore I asked him to do this guest blog post and he graciously accepted! The post you are about to read is incredibly thorough and well-thought out. It is a must-read for anybody considering making the switch from a DSLR to a rangefinder for street photography.

As we roam the Streets to capture images, the tendency to look at the works from people who help create the genre like Bresson, Erwitt, Franks, Weeks, Maier, etcâ€¦ just seem like the natural thing to do.

One thing kept coming up in terms of camera gearâ€¦.. Rangefinder cameras.

Allow me to share with you my thoughts on this.Â Thanks to Eric for letting me share.

Disclaimer â€“ I want to set the record straight that although I am using a rangefinder more and more, I still love what a DSLR can do.Â Please donâ€™t think that my comments towards rangefinders is a put down on DSLRâ€™s or any other camera format.

This disclaimer comes from a recent posting I made about rangefinders that had some people in the DSLR camp in a rage.

Continue reading The Journey from a DSLR to a Rangefinder

Featured Street Photographer: Derk Zijlker from Amsterdam

"Snowy Umbrella", Amsterdam - Dirk Zijkler

Note: Every week, I feature street photographers with great skill and soul. For this week, I decided to feature street photographer Derk Zijlker from Amsterdam. Derk has an uncanny ability to create images which juxtapose characters and their stages. If you look at his images, you can almost feel that you are there. Want to hear where he finds inspiration and how he shoots on the street? Read his exclusive interview below and be blown away.

Bruce Gilden’s In-Your-Face Street Photography

Bruce Gilden is a street photographer that I incredibly admire. Although there is definitely a lot of controversy over his style of street photography (aggressive and in-your-face), there is no doubt that he is one of the best contemporary street photographers alive. He isÂ a part of the street photography agency called Magnum Photos and has been shooting Japan’s Yakuza gangsters, the homeless, prostitutes, as well as ordinary people on the street for decades. His images show the true characters of people–unposed, raw, and gritty. The fact that he also uses a flash when he shoots gives his images a third dimension and is his patented technique.

Recently New York Photographer and Filmmaker Cheryl Dunn has announced her new documentary on New York street photography titled “Everyone Street.” I stumbled upon a short video clip of Bruce Gilden and knew that I had to share it with the rest of you guys. You can see the guy gets a lot of crap on the street for his style of street photography but still treats it like a walk in the park. I think we can all learn a lesson from the guy and have more balls on the streets.

via The New Yorker

“Walking with a Camera”

Note: Nacho Cordova who recently wrote this blog post about the differences between candid and street photography wrote this nice street photography poem for us all to enjoy. Let him know what you think by leaving him a comment below!

Walking with a Camera

Street photography is
ambulatory and peripatetic,
which is not to say pretty pathetic
though it is that too
when it evokes the
emotion of the dingy streets
it loves to walk,
temporarily and momentarily
a witness
chased by shadows
into that alley where
flirting freely with the instantly impermanent
–I wonder if those two will…?
fleetingness of the moment,
which, though recorded,
as all subjects are,
with inimitable singularity, both
always and never
ahead of time,
–Who needs a Leica?
remains bewitched,
bothered, bewildered and
ironically bemused all at once-
ready to find the urban hope
picturesquely revealed
In the least likely places
–Leap the puddle already!
What better way to allude to
the illusive nature of the
hope that slinks surreptitiously
down the street
with a finger on the shutter?

— Nacho Cordova

http://www.exposure-latitudes.com/

Featured iPhone Street Photographer: Dominique Jost from Switzerland

"Block You" - Dominique Jost

Note: Every week, I feature street photographers with great skill and soul. For this week, I decided to feature street photographer Dominique Jost from Switzerland. I found Dom’s work on Flickr and I was blown away by his vivid andÂ provocativeÂ B/W images. His work is very unique as he specializes in street photography with his iPhone. Intrigued enough? Read his exclusive interview below and see his amazing images as well.

Are Rangefinders Just Hype or the Real Deal?

Recently one of my readers named Reacher Rau suggested that I write a blog post on the pros and cons of using rangefinders. He told me how he always heard how awesome rangefinders such as Leicas were good for street photography, but never heard a discussion about the pros and the cons. Although I have to disclaim that I am not a rangefinder master, I still have enough experience using them so I feel that I can give a pretty unbiased opinion on both sides of the issue.

Why Passion Isn’t Enough for Street Photography

Jack Laxer - Legendary 3D Photographer

I have to say that I am a pretty passionate guy when it comes to street photography. However as I have recently noticed, passion simply isn’t enough when it comes to street photography. There are days that we aren’t going to feel inspired, which makes it really difficult for us to get in the streets and shoot.

The 11 Most Inspirational Street Photographs from Twitter

Recently on Twitter I asked you guys to share your best street photos with me. Here are all of the best entries that I got which I find quite inspirational. Congratulations to everybody who made the list!

Curiosity byÂ Juwan Dickerson

Street Fashion Photography with The Sartorialist’s Scott Schuman

If you haven’t heard of Scott Schuman or his street fashion blog, “The Satorialist,” I highly recommend you to check it out. Essentially what Scott does is roam the streets of New York City and take photos of interesting people that he meets, with an emphasis on their fashion. If anything, Scott Schuman is less a fashion photographer and more of a street photographer with an eye for fashion.

In this beautiful and 7-minute mini-documentary, Scott gives an overview of what goes through his mind when shooting on his streets as well as why he does it. As you can see he (like many of us) hasn’t had any formal training in photography, but truly has a strong passion to go out and capture what fascinates him. He is quite methodical with his work and commited as well (he has run his blog for over five years, taking photos and updating them nearly everyday).

I think we can all draw inspiration from Scott and strive to capture the beauty of everyday life. If you look through his photos, heÂ doesn’tÂ necessarily take photos of people who only wear high-end clothes such as Prada or Gucci–rather the ordinary everyday people on the streets who are able to put together bits and pieces to create their own unique style. In this image you can see that he has even taken an image of a construction worker’s boots. How much raw and urban can you get?

Boots - The Satorialist — "On the Street....East 13th St., New York" - The Satorialist

What is your take on Scott Schuman and his blog? How can you take inspiration of his his style of photography? Share your thoughts with us and leave us a comment below!

Why You Should Only Show Your Best Photos

"The Peephole" - Santa Monica

Legandary fashion photographer Helmut Newton once said, “The first 10,000 shots are the worst.” When it comes to street photography in the digital age, I would say your first 100,000 shots are your worst.

Vivian Maier – The Unknown Master Street Photographer

Self-portrait of Vivian Maier

vivian_maier_self_portrait — Self-portrait of Vivian Maier

Recently word of theÂ phenomenalÂ discovery of street photographer Vivian Maier has been hitting the web like wildfire. Â A fellow Chicago street photographer by the name of John Maloof found Vivian’s negatives in 2007 while at a furniture and antique auction house. After scanning and looking through her collection of 30-40,000 negatives, he soon realized that she had a tremendous gift for street photography. Not only that, but he realized that he also had a huge responsibility to share her work with the rest of the world.

The Differences Between Candid and Street Photography

Note: This is a guest post fromÂ Nathaniel I. CÃ³rdova, a rhetoric and media studiesÂ professor from Willamette University. I hope you enjoy this great article that he generously offered to share with you guys!

—

This is a handout originally developed for my students at Willamette University. As such it was designed to be generic and introductory, more an opportunity to clarify and simplify than to provide depth about a subject. Some caveats: I’m a firm believer that rigidly held category schemes can get in the way of creativity and the photographic imagination. The following is written in order to encourage you to think more about these issues. Updated: December 2010.

A quick glance through various photography forums often reveals a category of â€œcandidâ€ images of people walking, pretty women, people in festivals, etc. The overall impetus for such â€œcandidâ€ photography seems to be the casual snap of something the photographer found intriguing at the moment, or the adventure of shooting in public. There is nothing necessarily wrong with that (although some images tend toward the voyeuristic), and many of those images can be quite compelling. Unfortunately, some posters in those forums tend to conflate such â€œcandidâ€ photography with Street photography, eliding any difference between the two practices.

10 Tips How to Master Street Photography with the iPhone

Hi everyone, my name is Michael, I am a street photographer, I shoot with an iPhone.

The iPhone offers me three things that a big camera doesnâ€™t – it is discreet, it is always with me and it is easy to use.

I have been using the iPhone since I moved to Melbourne, Australia in February this year. Â The iPhone lets me concentrate on scene and structure instead of dials and lenses.Â I feel more connected to the process because there is no glass in the way.

Eric has asked me to share some hints to help make the most of the iPhone when shooting the street.Â So here we go.

5 Soulful Reasons Why to Shoot Street Photography

Note: This post was originally written by Ahg, who is a young and talented street photographer from the Philippines. He originally wrote this post on his Tumblr, and he was generous enough to let me host it on my blog. I made a few edits here and there, but mostly it is untouched. I hope you guys enjoy it and please leave a comment below and let us know what you think :)

—

*Authorâ€™s note: The following are my reflections and realizations as to why I enjoy street photography. These are from the 2 years of experience I had with film photography and my undying passion for the street because there is perhaps no other genre of photography that captivated me and made me grow as a photographer. I am writing this as a reminder of why I do street and to urge others to give street photography a try.

Featured Street Photographer: Zeno from Glasgow

"East-side" - Gavin Zeno Watson

Note: Every Wednesday, I feature street photographers with great skill and soul. For this week, I decided to feature street photographer Gavin Zeno Watson from Glasgow.Â I first stumbled upon Zeno’s work randomly on Flickr, when he commented on some of my images. I was taken aback by his provocative b/w imagery, and the strong eye he has for geometric shapes and lines. Check out his interview and leave a comment to show him some love below!

1. How did you get started in street photography?

I always see people, situations and scenes as a photo in my minds eye, so it was only logical that should capture what I saw. The photoâ€™s captured in Street Photography tend to be more unique and almost impossible for someone else to re-create, making street photos that little bit special.

5 Things that Piss Me Off as a Street Photographer

"Black Girl with Baby" - Damon Pablo

damon_pablo_Black-Girl-with-Baby-e1283110387112 — "Black Girl with Baby" - Damon Pablo

I would say that I’m a pretty mellow and easy-going guy. However as a street photographer, there are some things that really bug me or really annoy me. Hope you have a good laugh and can relate to these 5 things that piss me off as a street photographer.

How to Rediscover Your Love of Street Photography

"Cubes" - Shot with my Contax IIIa Film Rangefinder

If you guys have been noticing, I have been experimenting with many different types of cameras including disposable cameras, my Contax IIIa Film Rangefinder, as well as my camera-phone. After doing this for the last month or so, I have re-kindled my love for shooting in the streets.

I just finished a book by Paul Arden titled “It’s Not How Good You Are, it’s How Good You Want to Be” and got blown away by one of his chapters on finding inspiration. Paul Arden worked as an advertiser for several decades, and he wrote that one way that he got re-inspired in making advertising campaigns was by using “new tools.” He clamored that how everybody in the advertising world only used felt-tipped pens to make advertising campaign layouts, which often lead to the same boring ideas. To go against the grain, he often used different tools such as brushes, pencils, charcoal, chalk, and even crayons to get new ideas.

I see this easily being relateable to street photography as well. Although I love my Canon 5D to death, it started to bore me. Everything was just too easy with it. The autofocus was quite responsive, and the images always came out great. I wanted a little more challenge– I wanted more excitement. I wanted to re-stimulate myself and my street photography experience.

Now I’ll tell you straight up that using a different camera won’t necessarily give you better images. However what it will do for you is re-inspire you by realizing certain camera’s strengths and limitations.

Featured Street Photographer: Jurgen Burgin from Berlin

"Berlin Lovers" - JÃ¼rgen BÃ¼rgin

Note: Every Wednesday, I feature street photographers with great skill and soul. For this week, I decided to feature amazing street photographer Jurgen Burgin.Â I first stumbled upon Jurgen’s work when he left aÂ commentÂ on my blog, which made me check out his Facebook page. I was mesmerized by his great eye, and wanted to share his phenomenal work with the rest of you and the community. Check out his interview and leave a comment to show him some love below!

1. How did you get started in street photography?

Berlin Lovers - JÃ¼rgen BÃ¼rgin — "Berlin Lovers" - JÃ¼rgen BÃ¼rgin

It’s not too long ago, less than two years that I bought my first SLR. I started taking photos of birds, landscapes and so on, but living in a big city like Berlin, I soon started to shoot architecture – and finally people. To get some inspiration I went to my public library and read literally hundreds of photo books, of all kinds of photographers. That’s when I discovered the classic street photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassai and so on. So those hundreds of photo books tought me everything I know about taking a good photo. And there was a lot of try and error, sure an advantage of digital photography: You can shoot hundreds of photos and try to find out how the aesthetics of photography works.

Photo Essay: Students of Phoenix High’s Photography Class

Written 2010, December 14th:

Currently I am teaching a photography class to under-privileged students in Los Angeles at a high school named Phoenix High. These are the students that I ran my campaign for camera donations for (which you guys helped donate to). Teaching photography to these students is the high point of my week, as I love to interact with them and also see their passion for photography. Not only that, but it seems that photography is a wonderful outlet for them to express themselves creatively and also use as an escape for the difficult situations that many of them live in. You can watch a video I made on YouTube.

Although I wasn’t able to take portraits of all the students, I wanted to write a short photo-essay about them. I hope you can enjoy their stories as well. Also if you were wondering, I shot these photos all with my old Contax IIIa rangefinder with my 50mm 1.4 Zeiss Sonar lens with some cheap Kodax 400 Max film. I love the look and feel.

Now don’t judge Eddie by hisÂ appearanceÂ by his rapper-inspired sideburns and punk-inspired gauge earrings. He is shy and quiet in demeanor, and doesn’t say much. However when given the opportunity to speak, he shows great insight into photography and life. He is always enthusiastic to be in my class, and although shy– is always wiling to contribute to class discussions.

You can see some of his work on Flickr.