downtown los angeles - ERIC KIM ₿

Downtown Los Angeles Introduction to Street Photography Workshop Day 2 Recap

After a fun-packed two days in Downtown LA, I am pretty pooped. However I had such a wonderful time teaching the workshop and helping my fellow street photographers build more courage when shooting in the streets and also helping them capture more compelling images. On the second day, we focused on editing and post-processing our images, with an emphasis on using Lightroom 3 for post-processing and Silver Efex Pro 2 for black and white conversions.

I spent especially a good portion of time discussing editing– the act of choosing your best images. Editing is something really overlooked when it comes to photography, but is almost as important as shooting. As a piece of advice to all the streettogs out there– don’t upload your images immediately. Wait before you decide to upload them. AsÂ Garry Winogrand once said,Â “Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the picture as judgment that the photograph is good.” Therefore apply this same mentality when it comes to selecting your best work. Don’t simply upload images as a knee-jerk reaction. Let your images marinate for long periods of time before deciding to upload them.

Anyways just wanted to give a shout-out to all the LA street photographers at my workshop. It was a guge pleasure having you Michael, Bill, Chris, Greg, Brian, Jennifer, Dennis, Cameron, Eunice, Jim, Jason, Julie, Adam, at the workshop– yourÂ enthusiasmÂ and energy was boundless. Huge thanks especially to Rinzi, Norman, Genesis, Jacob, and the Think Tank Gallery. I love you guys with my heart and soul, and I hope to see you guys all soon!

Heading out tomorrow to Michigan tomorrow and meeting up with my beautiful girlfriend/manager Cindy, and then heading over to Toronto for my upcoming street photography workshop. Wish me safe trip, and will keep you all updated! Keep reading more to check out the rest of the photos from the workshop.

Downtown Los Angeles Introduction to Street Photography Workshop Day 1 Recap

(Some of the LA street photography workshop participants catching some dinner in Downtown LA after the Day 1 of the Workshop!)

Today I had a blast teaching the first day of my Downtown Los Angeles Introduction to Street Photography Workshop at the Think Tank Gallery. Considering that the photographs from the YOU ARE HERE street photography exhibition are still up, it definitely made for a great backdrop. Photographers from all over LA, and even Bill Nash from Arizona, came and were super pumped about the workshop, and ready to learn more about street photography– and build their courage shooting in the streets.

On the first day of the workshop, we started the day by introducing ourselves to one another and discussed why we loved street photography and what we wanted to get out of it. We then focused a great deal of time on overcoming the fear of shooting street photography, and discussing in-depth techniques to build courage. Not only that, but we reviewed many famous street photographs and learned what made a great photo.

Shooting the streets of Downtown LA was a huge blast, and I was amazed to see how much courage all the street photographers were able to build up. Not only did everyone feel a lot more comfortable shooting in the streets with one another, it was great to have the sense of community and fellowship when out with one another. Of course after a long day of shooting, we went out and enjoyed some nice food together as well.

Really excited for Day 2. Wish me luck, and if you are interested in any of my upcoming workshops in Toronto, India, Tokyo, or Malaysia– check out my workshops page for more info! You can also keep reading to check out the rest of the photos from the workshop!

The 50 Best Street Photographs from my Intermediate Downtown Los Angeles Workshop

Photo above by Dana Barsuhn

One of the most important parts about street photography is to only show your best work. Below are some of the best 5 street photographs taken by my Downtown Los Angeles Street Photography Intermediate Course participants. Add them on Flickr, Twitter, 500px, and take a look at their respective websites and let us know whose work you really dig by leaving a comment!

You can also check out a recap of Day 1 and Day 2 of the Downtown LA Intermediate Workshop. Keep reading more to check out all the inspirational images below!

Day 1: Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography Workshop Recap (Finding Your Own Street Photography Style)

Hey streettogs, I’m excited to say that the first day of my Downtown Los Angeles Intermediate Street Photography went extremely well! It was the first time I taught the Intermediate workshop, and quite frankly was worried how it would go. I made the Intermediate Workshop from scratch (completely new material from the Introductory Workshop) and wasn’t quite sure how it would be in terms of engagement, timing, and fun.

However things went very smoothly, and I really fed off all the positive energy from the participants of the workshop. We studied the work of some of the great street photographers, such as Cartier-Bresson, Doisneau, Winogrand, Erwitt, and Levitt and learned more about their methodology and philosophy when it came to shooting. By looking at a combination of videos of them shooting on the street, documentaries, as well as images and quotes– it helped us understand their style and how we could apply it to our own.

I want to personally thank all the participants of the workshop (Mattei, Norman, Nannette, Justin, Rinzi, Elizabeth, Ibarionex, Bo, Todd, Jordan, and Dana) for their enthusiasm to keep an open mind, learn new things, and apply them when shooting on the streets. Although I love doing workshops for the street photography, my favorite is meeting new and passionate people from all around the globe and different walks of life.

To you guys who attended today: rest up and let’s have some more fun tomorrow! Read more to check out all the photos from today!

Jacob Patterson Street Portraits

Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take three

My full-series of Jacob Patterson, a Los Angeles based artist who specializes in graffiti, shoes, and street art. A truly amazing and inspirational artist and person. I look forward in collaborating with him more in the future.

I got in contact with Jacob, and he gave me a tour of the “ThinkTank” in Downtown Los Angeles, an art warehouse he is currently building up with fellow artists. We talked, chilled, grabbed a burrito (thanks Jacob!) and I told him that I would snap him a few photos before he left. This is the product of literally 5-10 minutes of shooting.

Check out his sites:

YouTube -Â Tumblr –Twitter

Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take four — Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take one.

Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take five — Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take two.

Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take two — Jacob Patterson, Artist. Take four.

Serendipity – Street Photography 101

"Strength" - Skid Row, Downtown Los Angeles

Serendipity. One of the most beautiful things about street photography. Stumbling upon something totally unexpected, but so intrinsically unique and beautiful it cannot be put into words. All of your sensations tingling, giving all of your sensory features a feast from a thing or a place that you have never known existed.

Serendipity. A reward for being adventurous and daring. Taking the road off the beaten path. Not being a dumb tourist and following everyone else like sheep. Being a nomad; thirsting for new sights and adventures.

Serendipity. Being in the present and on the prowl, like a jaguar in the streets. Disregarding your â€œcommon sense.â€ Taking the â€œscenicâ€ rather the quickest route.

Serendipity. Your own little jewel. Taking it and forever keeping it in your box of memories. Taking a photo of it for a keepsake and making it immortal. Wanting to share it with the world, and wanting others to experience a small slice for themselves as well.

Serendipity. Living life without a map. Spinning around in a circle while closing your eyes, then throwing a dart on the mapâ€”determined to go wherever the hell it lands.

It is not the destination, stupid. It is about the adventure.

Serendipity. Taking your time and being patient. Not rushing to the nearest attractions but appreciating the beauty in the mundane. Looking for ordinary things, rather than the large and glamorous.

As a street photographer, you must jump into experiencing serendipity. Grab nothing but your camera and storm out into the streets, and letting your curiosity lead you.

Now itâ€™s your turn.