a.g. de mesa - ERIC KIM ₿

Dear Photography, I love you by A.g. De Mesa

6 months ago, right around the time of my birthday, I actually got a very interesting message from Eric:

â€œYou should write something about yourself so that our readers can know the real you.â€

For those of you who donâ€™t know, Iâ€™m A.g.. Iâ€™m his content manager here at the blog and Iâ€™m also in charge of Streettogs AcademyÂ working out of Manila, Philippines. Aside from my task as admin of Streettogs Academy, I usuallyÂ get assignments from him to interview photographers, fix a blog post or two, and do a feature or other things. Â He hasnâ€™t really made a formal introduction of me for the past 2 years that I do things with him here on the blog but better late than never I guess!

I was stumped for weeks as to how I am going to make this write-up. I donâ€™t want to sound like a pretentious arrogant and I donâ€™t want to give a biography. So instead, I will answer with why I love photography. I believe that what you love shows you what you stand for and why you do the things you do. Without further ado, hereâ€™s my love letter to photography:

5 Photography Friendly Places Where You Can Practice Street Photography

(A.g.â€™s note: I asked some of the folks over at Streettogs Academy what part of their street photography they want to improve on. One of the many things that popped up was people are still shy going out to shoot or finding interesting places to shoot in. Hopefully this article gives you new ideas on where to shoot)

The best way to become good at something is if it becomes second nature. You have to constantly build habits and the right attitudes so you can turn something on and be in the zone when you need to. That principle applies to street photography.

If you are still uncomfortable venturing out in the streets, here are some places that can be a great venue to take street photographs without the fear of being hollered upon or confronted so you can concentrate on practicing and making images and not be wary of other things.

Continue reading 5 Photography Friendly Places Where You Can Practice Street Photography

4 Ways of Introducing Street Photography to People

I’m sure that at one point in our lives as photographers shooting the streets, there was a time that we get asked to explain what street photography is. When I was starting out, I had no concrete idea what street photography is, let alone explaining to my family and friends. So here’s a simple list that could hopefully help you Â in telling friends and family about our artform.

Street Photography Book Analysis: Modern Times by Patrick Tsai

One of the best things about photography is it gives us a view of places we otherwise won’t be able to visit. Street Photography ups the ante by actually heading to side streets, roads not taken, and places that won’t appear in your usual travel guide. In Patrick Tsai’s modern times, he shows us a China devoid of media’s prejudice and how this diaristic photographer tries to prove that he can document his surroundings as well.

Is he successful? Let’s analyze his book to find out.

Fashionable and Functional: Review of the Kawa Pro Strap for Street Photography

Eric’s Note: We were given a Kawa Pro Strap for free to review for the blog. A.G. DeMesa, a talented photographer and writer based in Manila writes his thoughts about the strap in the review below. Expect more stuff coming from him soon ;)

On Straps

A.G. DeMesa: A strap is what physically attaches a photographer to his camera when not using his hands. It lets the photographer carry the camera and take it to places where he needs to. Therefore it is important for a strap to strike the perfect balance of comfort, robustness, and durability. In addition, speed is also a factor in street photography wherein we clock long hours in the blistering sun anticipating that photo. There are many makes and models that are available in the market that fulfill the criteria but I’m pretty sure none of them is as beautiful as a Kawa pro gear strap.

Streettogs Gallery: An Analysis and a personal note of Jun Abe’s “Manila”

Ericâ€™s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographerÂ A.G. De Mesa. Check out more infoÂ here.

A.G.:Â Coming back from a small hiatus, I’m bringing you my analysis and some personal thoughts of Manila photographed by Jun Abe and published by Vaccum Press. I would like to apologize if the images of the book is bad, the actual book is absolutely brilliant. We’ll be back to regularly scheduled features next week!

Manila, Philippines. August, 1983. Then President Ferdinand Marcos just lifted Martial Law a few years prior but still hold absolute power over the Philippines. The country was in a state of constant flux due to Presidentâ€™sâ€™ aggressive development plans under his dictatorship. This dictatorship was met with heavy opposition from his political rivals. Most notable is Benigno â€œNinoyâ€ Â Aquino Jr. It is in this month that Ninoy was shot dead in the then called Manila International Airport. With political turmoil and social instability plaguing the country, it was in this period when Jun Abe, armed with his camera, photographed the city of Manila.

30 years later, Vaccum Press comes out with the photographs coming from that trip.

Continue reading Streettogs Gallery: An Analysis and a personal note of Jun Abe’s “Manila”

Streettogs Gallery Talk: The importance of producing a body of work

Ericâ€™s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographerÂ A.G. De Mesa. ClickÂ hereÂ for more info.

AG: This week, let me share to you some thoughts on why having a body of work is important while showing a great work from Kip Praslowicz.

After years of studying, looking, and analyzing photographs I have to realize one thing: The body of work is the most important thing a photographer should have. However, the journey of making a body of work is not that easy. It is so consuming that at times, photographers sacrifice their personal lives in pursuit of the great work. More often than not, it results with a lot of emotional and mental stresses. Â With those reasons and a lot more, why then do we need to pursue a body of work?

Streettogs Gallery Feature: “Lost Faces” by Mikhail Palinchak Jr.

Ericâ€™s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographerÂ A.G. De Mesa. Check out more infoÂ here.

A.G.:Â I always defined street photography as “Photographing people in a public place with or without permission”. Â That is how I go about shooting but when I encountered the work of William Eggleston, my definition shattered.

It seemed that his work doesn’t fit how I understood and read about photography. His photos are so simple, mundane, and very uninteresting. So much so that I think Eggleston’s War with the obvious is the anti-thesis of Bresson’s philosophyÂ The Decisive Moment.