interview - ERIC KIM ₿

How Ola Billmont Spends His Day at the Races: Interview by Eric Kim

A Day at The Races_-0001

(Editor’s Note: Eric interviews Ola Billmont about his process, experiences, and lessons learned in making his new bookÂ A Day At The Races.Â All photos by Ola Billmont)

Eric: Hey Ola, long time no chat. Tell us what is going on for you in terms of your photography, and congratulations on your new book!

Ola: Thanks, Eric. Itâ€™s been an interesting ride putting this book together.

Honestly, I’m not sure as I am not shooting with anything particular in mind. Although, I have never been shooting this much before. Over the last year I have slid away from street photography and shoot many other things.

Staying True: Interview with Jonathan Higbee

Interview by A.g. De Mesa, Photos by Jonathan Higbee

A.G.: Any creative pursuit, especially photography comes with anxiety and a whole lot of uncertainty. We all have our ways of dealing with them but for Jonathan Higbee, it is the impetus that is driving his work forward. Together with his keen eye on color and creative juxtapositions, he positions his work to counteract this anxiety by putting it front and center in his work. Check out our conversation and his visually arresting photos in this interview.

Italian Street Photography at the Forefront: An Interview with SPontanea collective (Italian Translation Available)

Photo by Carmelo Eramo

SPonatanea is a very active and organized street photography collective based out of Italy. In the interview, I talked to them about their formation, activities, and upcoming projects. This interview also has a full italian translation at the bottom! Check it out. (All photos are the respective ownership of the SPOontanea collective members.)

A.g.: What is the motivation behind SPontanea?Â How was it formed?

SPontanea: SPontanea was born in 2013. The idea was to found an Italian collective dedicated to Street Photography, capable of facing on equal terms the other existing international realities, hoping to become over time a quality reference point in Italy. The founding members were chosen on the basis of a reciprocal respect and appreciation – we already knew each other from the web – in order to bring together a wide range of styles and approaches, representing a solidly structured and well defined Italian photographic vision on Street Photography.

Of Raising Dogs And Pursuing Reflections: An Interview With Siri Thompson

(Interview by A.g. De Mesa. All photos by Siri Thompson)

Siri Thompson is a photographer based in Toronto, Canada. She constantly photographs her city in a manner inspired by her photographic heroes while puttingÂ her own unique twist. Siri also has a soft place in her heart for animals. Her photos feature a lot of imagination as seen by the layers of content in her frame but they can be easily understood. It is a mixture of mundane daily life and deceptively complex scenes.

Find out more about how she photographs and what keeps her fascinated with our interview below:

Fun Chat and Interview with bigheadtaco in Vancouver

Had a fun little interview and chat with bigheadtaco while I was in Vancouver. Hope you enjoy the video above, and make sure to also follow his YouTube channel!

Interview with bigheadtaco on Instagram, Street Photography, and Life

Inspired by Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in CarsÂ Getting Coffee,” I interviewed bigheadtaco, a local Vancouver-based street photographer driving around. Take (his real name)Â gives great practical advice on Instagram, branding, street photography, life, and following your own voice and vision.

Enjoy this interview, and make sure to follow him on his channels below:

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“Be True to Yourself; Great Things Will Come”: Interview with Daniel Arnold

I’m very excited to share this recent interview I did with Daniel Arnold. You might have heard about Daniel and his work through the controversy of him getting kicked off Instagram for showing nudityÂ on Gawker, his Forbes feature on how he made $15,000 in one day selling 4×6 prints for $150, or his profile on Wired (titled: “On the Prowl with Instagram’s UltimateÂ Street Photographer”).

Upon reading all these headlines, I knew that there was more to Daniel, both as a photographer and as a human being. I checked out more of his work on his websiteÂ (where he now posts mostly film shots), and was blown away by the humanity, humor, but also the complex emotional images he captures in NYC.

In this hour and a half interview we delve deep. We talk about the process of shooting film (versus shooting digitally on an iPhone), his favorite photography books, how he overcame his fear of shooting street photography, thinking about life and death, and what ultimately brings him happiness in life (clue: it isn’t about the followers).

You can watch the video interview above, or listen to the podcast below (you can see all the episodes on my iTunes podcast channel):

Podcast links

Read more to see all the show notes, links, book recommendations, and quotes from the interview.

“Photography is Photography, a Photo is a Photo”: Interview with Neil Ta

I just had a recent chat with my manager and good friend Neil Ta. Neil is a professional photographer based in Toronto (shoots wedding and commercial work), and his passion is photography. He has dabbled in many different genres of photography, including “urbex” (urban exploration), “rooftopping” (getting to really high places), documentary photography (he is working on a long-term project on “Alexandra Park“, a public-housing complex for low-income families which is being gentrified for expensive condos), and street photography.

In this video interview, we delve deep into lots of different topics. Neil shares how he first got into photography, why he decided to quit his job and travel the world for 6 months+, how we met, not being pigeon-holed in photography, his love (and hate) relationship with film, and why he is currently shooting on a Hasselblad Xpan.

Podcast:

You can listen to the audio podcast below:

Read more to see the topics we covered in the interview,Â and lots of inspirational links:

Video Interview with Narrative in SF

I recently met up with Ryan Lum, one of the awesome guys at Narrative, a wearable camera startup. I joined them in their office last week, and talked about my beginnings in street photography and my blog, how it was getting fired (and running this blog full-time), how to shoot street photography (and not get punched in the face), and more. I hope you enjoy the video interview above (and pardon the immature masturbation jokes).

Lost in the Theatre of Life: Interview with Ximena EchagÃ¼e

Eric’s Note: I am excited to feature the work ofÂ Ximena EchagÃ¼e, a street photographer based in Brussels, Belgium. I’ve been doing online 1:1 lessons with her the last year, and have been amazed with her progress. Below is an interview I did with her, check it out and her projects!

Dissecting the Layers of Portland: An Interview with Nick Gervin

(Editor’s Note: Interview by Eric Kim. Photographs by Nick Gervin.)

Eric:Â Hey NickÂ great to have you. Can you start off by telling us a (brief) life story and how you first picked up a camera?

Nick:Â Thanks for having me, Eric. I first picked up a camera in 1992 at the age of twelve. I wanted to document the graffiti art I was discovering in and around Portland, Maine. At that time, the city was in poor shape and it had a lot of derelict buildings that I would skip school to explore.

I really had no clue what I was doing when it came to photography; I was more of a point-and-shooter then. Still, I felt that the documentation was important and, later on, it would prove to be. Like all things in life, the graffiti didnâ€™t last forever and the photographs I had made then helped document a subculture. I continued to point-and-shoot over the years, mostly with disposable cameras.

Video Podcast Interview about Street Photography on ISO 400 (The Phoblographer)

Julius MotalÂ (passionate street photographer) from The Phoblographer recently did a podcast interview with me on their new podcast series, ISO 400. We talked about how I joined my interests in sociology and photography (to grow my interest in street photography), the projects I am currently working on, as well as tips and advice for street photographers.

Enjoy the video interview above!

Video Interview with Blake Andrews from In-Public (#2)

In 2011 I did a video interview with Blake Andrews, and a lot has changed since then. I recently did an interview on Blake’s blog (Q&A with Eric Kim) and wanted to see what he has been up toÂ since the last time we chatted.

In this hour-long interview, we talk about his trip to LA, how it is to shoot in Eugene and Portland, the philosophy and psychology behind blogging, shooting in color vs black and white, as well as his advice for street photographers.

Also as a note, there are some parts of the video where the audio is scratchy, and the video isn’t the highest quality. But I hope you enjoy this feature as much as I did! You can follow Blake below:

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Photography:

Video Interview with Joe Aguirre in San Francisco (Volume #2)

Recently I had time to meet up with my good friend Joe Aguirre in SF. He was able to show me his new place, projects he is working on, and we talk about some of my personal “mid-life” street photography questions towards the end.

You can see my past video interview with Joe here.

Damien Vignol Street Photography Video Interview in Stockholm

In Stockholm I had the chance to catch up with Damien Vignol, a street photographer who has traveled through Europe, Asia, and now is in Stockholm. See my past interview with Damien here, and read more to see his new photos from Japan:

Video Interview with Kile Brewer, Photojournalist and Street Photographer from Missouri

I met Kile Brewer at the Magnum workshop here in Provincetown. He is a 24-year old working photo-journalist, who attended the University of Missouri’s Journalism program. He was one of the under-30 scholarship winners, attending a workshop with Costa Manos, and also my roommate for the week here in Provincetown (we go on romantic walks in the morning).Â Check out my casual interview him (shot on the iPad) with him above, and follow him below:

Video Interview with Karl Edwards on Leica M-E & Street Shootr

Today I went for a lovely 6am walk with Karl Edwards in Provincetown. Karl Edwards is a street photographer based in Toronto, and is also doing the Magnum workshop with Constantine Manos. We have a lively chat about street photography, shooting on the Leica M-E, and his new venture: “Street Shootr” — which is the Petapixel for street photography (breaking news on street photography).

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Video Interview with Eric Kim in Hong Kong by Gary Tyson

Huge thanks to Gary Tyson and Vishal S from Camera Film Photo for putting together this interview video and questions while I was in Hong Kong. We talk about my fears in street photography, books, film, and more.

The Loose Documentary of Andy Kochanowski

(A.g.’s note: Eric interviewed Andy Kochanowski. Check out his origin story, Life as a Burn My Eye Member, and his interesting advice to photographers. All photographs are the respected copyright of Andy Kochanowski.)

Eric: Great to have you Andy. Let’s start from your beginnings in photography. When did you first pick up a camera and “discover” street photography?

Andy: Letâ€™s get the terms right, Eric, I like to think of it as loose documentary. What I do is watch and wait until something interesting happens.

But the beginning, that must have been back in the â€˜90â€™s when I was traveling a lot to London after I got done with school. I had learned how to develop film and built a small darkroom in my basement, and began to travel with a Canon AE-1 that I had bought a couple years earlier and shooting Tri-X at night when I wasnâ€™t working. I had never picked up a photo book, though I did have a subscription to Photo & Darkroom magazine that (I think) was then edited by Mike Johnston, The Online Photographer. I shot quite a few rolls in SoHo, Leicester Square, which were close to where my firm had a flat. That was my first introduction into just being there and looking. The results were predictable and boring of course, but since Iâ€™d never seen anything else I thought my photos were pretty good.

The Quick Straight Right of Sye Williams: Interview by Chris Stoltz

A.g.’s Note: Chris Stoltz shares to us one of his favorite photographers he got the privilege of shooting with, the L.A. based Sye Williams. Sye shares some of his inspirations, personal work, Photography Origins, and nuggets of wisdom. All of the photos are the respected copyright of Sye Williams. Here’s Chris with the interview:

Chris: SyeÂ might be my new favorite photographer. I met him recently on a video shoot while working as a grip. He showed up because he was friends with the rest of the crew, arriving via skateboard. I hit it off with him immediately because he had a Leica M8 dangling over his shoulder. I asked him about his recent purchase and, in-between grabbing lights and helping with the video, he told me how his career in photography started.

Video Interview with Brian Soko in Chicago

This is a video interview I did with Brian Soko in Chicago about a year ago. Enjoy his images and a transcript of the interview below!

Interview with Ibarionex Perello from “The Candid Frame”

Ibarionex Perello is a photographer, writer, educator as well as the host and producer of The Candid Frame photography podcast. He is the author of 5 books including “Chasing the Light Improving Your Photography Using Available Light“. His latest book is “Portraits of Strangers.”

Street Photography Interview with John Goldsmith in Vancouver

Funny story– Take Kayo was interviewing me in the streets of Vancouver when John Goldsmith (in my opinion the best street photographer in Vancouver) pops out of some bushes and starts photographing us. We then turned the lens onto John, and I do a brief interview with him on the streets– asking him about his techniques, his “keeper” rates, and his passion for street photography.

You can check a longer interview I’ve done with John on the blog here.

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Video Interview with Take Kayo in the Streets of Vancouver

I recently had the pleasure bumping into Take Kayo (aka Bigheadtaco), a prolific street photographer and blogger based in Vancouver. Funny story: I was having an espresso and blogging at Revolver, and out of nowhere– Take and the owner Tarry recognized me and started photographing me (really close, at 1 meter). We started laughing, chatting– and got to know each other a bit more.

Take was born in Okinawa, and used to work at Kodak for around 10 years. Since then he has made the leap to digital, and has been passionate about shooting in the streets of Vancouver and testing & reviewing cameras. Seriously one of the most passionate guys I’ve met! To find out more about his infectious enthusiasmÂ for photography, watch the interview above!

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Rare Interview with Garry Winogrand at Rice University, 1977

If you are a Garry Winogrand fan, don’t miss out on this rare video interview with him. He talks about everything, including the “ultimate justification” for shooting with a rangefinder (along other things). Gotta love LeeÂ Friedlander’s introduction: “Welcome to the Garry Winogrand Circus– he’ll explain all his pictures!”

Thanks to Tom Kaszuba and Gary Gumanow for sending this to me!

Video Interview with Joe Aguirre in San Francisco

Warning: Some of the photos in this video are NSFW

Today I had the chance to interview a good friend of mine, Joe Aguirre — a street photographer based in San Francisco. I just found out that he is moving to LA soon, so we had a “farewell” interview at his apartment. He is one of the most down-to-earth and prolific photographers I know. He has a huge heart, and a lot of passion for his photographic art.

In the video apartment, we talk about his passion for shooting film, his self-publication, and passion for street and other forms of photography.

Photos by Joe

Below are some of my favorite photos by Joe:

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“Shooting Street”: The Street Photography Talkshow

Michael Meinhardt has been running a great series of street photography interview podcasts on “The Shooting Street Show.” He recently interviewed Rinzi Ruiz, make sure to check them out below:

Episode #5: Rinzi Ruiz

Rinzi and I talk about overcoming subject fatigue, the famous Rinzi style and how it came about, preparing a photo trip, the perfect street shooting camera, appearing benevolent and adjusting your energy, the importance of facial expression and, of course, the ultimate zen experience.

Find Rinzi atÂ rinziruizphotography.comÂ orÂ streetzen.tumblr.com

Podcast:Â Play in new windowÂ |Â Download

Past Episodes

You can see all of the past episodes from “The Shooting Street Show” below:

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Self-Expression Comes From Within: Interview with Street Photographer, Artist, Musician, and Skater Tim Kerr

Click to read more — Painting by Tim Kerr of Garry Winogrand, Vivian Maier, and Lee Friedlander

Tim Kerr is a street photographer, artist, musician, and skater from Austin, Texas. He is a prolific artist, and doesn’t put on restrictions on his creativity and forms of self-expression. Read about how he combines all his artistic forms in the interview below (and his fun stories taking a photography course with Garry Winogrand!

Video Interview with Hector Isaac from the Strata Collective

Earlier this year I met up with Hector Isaac, a street photographer originally from Cuba who moved and started shooting street photography in Miami, and now is based in LA. He is a part of the Strata collective.

In the video Interview I talk with him about his start in street photography, about the Miami Street Photography Festival, and his thoughts about working in color!

Hector recommends street photographers to check out the Observe Collective, and especially the work ofÂ Ilya Shtutsa (krysolove).

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Capturing the Emotional Connection to People, Places, and Objects: Interview with Christophe Agou from In-Public

Christophe Agou is a street photographer from France, currently based in New York. He is a part of In-Public, and his published works include “Life Below: The New York Subway” and his newest book: “LES FAITS SECONDAIRESâ€Â ( SECONDARY FACTS).

Interview with Jesse Marlow from In-Public on His New Street Photography Book: “Don’t Just Tell Them, Show Them”

Jesse Marlow is a street photographer based in Melbourne, and a member of In-Public. He recently published his book: “Don’t Just Tell Them, Show Them.” The images wereÂ shot over a 9 year period on the streets of Australia and Europe and features 50 color photographs. I interview him on his start in street photography, the book-making process, and his interest in color film.

Moving Quietly Along the Flock, Invisibly: Interview with Igor Rudenko from Kiev, Ukraine

Igor Rudenko is a street photographer who captures poetic and timeless monochromatic images from Kiev, Ukraine. This interview is by Mehdi Bouqua, a street photographer from Downtown LA.

“Shooting Street” Podcast Interview

Lansing, Michigan 2013. Part of my on-going "Suits" project.

Thanks a ton to Michael Meinhardt for interviewing me for the â€œShooting Streetâ€ podcast. We talked about shooting street photography with flash, finding your own style, overcoming boredom, shooting film, photo books, and ideas for the future! Check out the hour-long interview below:

Podcast:Â Play in new windowÂ |Â Download

Past episodes to check out:

Street Interview with Mike Gesgregen in Berkeley

I interview Mike Gesgregen, a homeless man in Berkeley– who shares the secret of happiness in this video above.

Observe Collective Interview #4: David Horton

Ericâ€™s Note: â€‹OBSERVEÂ is an international photography collective focused primarily on the practice of candid street photography. This weekâ€™s feature is David HortonÂ from Boston,Â Massachusetts.Â

David Horton: I’m a graphic designer by day, street photographer by accident. After art directing and observing some of the finest commercial photographers in the business for over a decade, I made the conscious decision to get behind the camera instead of the photographer. I discovered street photography. I am primarily interested in making emotional connections. I’m interested in telling stories and creating a narrative. I’m interested in capturing the mysteryâ€”the mystery of life and the beauty of people moving through the world.

22 Interview Questions with the “Street-Photographers” Collective

Eric’s Note: I am excited to share this interview with the “Street-photographers” collective. I sent them 22 interview questions, and the members shared their personal answers opinions below. See their superb images and insights on street photography below!

Continue reading 22 Interview Questions with the “Street-Photographers” Collective

Video Interview with Ola Billmont in Stockholm

When I was in Stockholm end of last year, I interviewed Ola Billmont— a very likable and talented street photographer. He is one of the co-founders of CUP (Contemporary Urban Photography) in Stockholm, and also shared some of his work at my workshop there. He frequents LA quite often for shooting– and he specializes in shooting with a flash in multiple formats (35mm, medium-format, large-format) in both black and white and color. I put together this video interview at a bar, apologies if it is a bit loud in here!

Read more to see the full transcript and his images from the interview.

In Conversation: William Klein Talks About His Multifaceted Body of Work

If you are a fan of William Klein, check out this nearly 2-hour interview with MADMuseum. Klein talks about working on the streets, in the studio, and on making his feature films. A great watch to check out over this weekend!

Thanks toÂ Jonas Petermann for sending over the link!

Elevating Moments of Everyday Life: Interview with Stella Johnson

The work of Boston photographer Stella Johnson is grounded in her photography training at The San Francisco Art Institute and her advanced degree from Boston University.Â Stella was a Fulbright Scholar to Mexico in 2003-2004 and a Fulbright Senior Specialist to Mexico, in 2006, for photographing and teaching, respectively and a Visiting Scholar to the School of Art, Northeastern University, in 2007.

She teaches at the Lesley University College of Art and Design, at Boston University and at the Maine Media Workshops in Crete, Greece and Rockport, Maine.Â Her work is showcased in her monograph AL SOL: Photographs from Mexico, Cameroon and Nicaragua, published in 2008 by the University of Maine Press.

Embracing Surrealism and Symbolism: Video Interview with Dimitris Makrygiannakis in Stockholm

Dimitris Makrygiannakis is one of the up-and-coming rising stars when it comes to street photography. He has only been shooting seriously the last two years, and has made a huge leap in his work. I love the sense of surrealism, symbolism, and emotion in his work. He also breaks the “street photography” boundaries by embracing multiple types of work: posed portraiture and “still life” work.

See more of Dimitris’ work on Flickr. You can also see my past feature with his work here. Read more to see the entire transcript.

“My First Love is Street Photography”: Interview with Book Publisher HÃ¼seyin YÄ±lmaz from Istanbul

Eric’s Note: This is a transcript of an interview I did withÂ Huseyin Yilmaz, an avid photographer and photo book publisher from Istanbul. Huseyin runs Espas, the premier bookstore in Istanbul. In this interview he shares his passion for street photography, his garbage collector project, his experiences in Gezi park, and the importance of photo books.Â

What You Feel is What You See: Interview with Josh White from Seoul

Josh White is a street photographer from Newfoundland in Canada, and has done the majority of his work in Seoul, Korea. I conducted a video interview with him when I taught my Introduction to Street Photography Workshop with him in Toronto. We caught up, chatted about his beginnings, his inspirations, working in film versus digital, why he prefers black and white, and some memories from Seoul.

The Psychology of Everyday Situations: Interview with Justin Sainsbury from Burn My Eye

Justin Sainsbury is a street photographer based in Brighton, on the south coast of England. He is also a member of Burn My Eye. What I love about his images is that his photos ask more questions than provide answers. Take a look at his images and interview, and participate by making up your own fictional stories in the everyday lives of the subjects he captures.Â

The Art of Being Aware in the Streets: Interview with Oguz Ozkan from Istanbul

Oguz Ozkan is a street photographer based in Istanbul. I was introduced to him by Charlie Kirk– and I was amazed how much progress he has made in only about a year and a half of photographing on the streets. We sat down for a beer over dinner at a bar, and this is a typed transcription of my interview with him.Â

Interview with Shin Noguchi on the Leica Blog

Hase Kamakura, 2012. Photo by Shin Noguchi

I recently had the chance to interview the talented Shin Noguchi on the Leica blog. He is one of my favorite contemporary Japanese street photographers and what I love most about his work is his strong visual images, uncanny moments, as well as his look into Japanese society.

A quick tidbit from one of the questions I asked him:

Eric: What is some advice you would give to street photographers starting out?

Shin: Currently, activity at SNS is the main stream for all kinds of artists, and as for photography, it is in vogue to get a good reputation at reviewing sites such as 1x.com. Under such circumstances, it is important for street photographers, regardless of a review of one photograph or artistic review, to shoot streets coolly as persistent storytellers or spokesmen from the standpoint of shooting documentaries which exist on the bottom of peopleâ€™s life.

I do not deny the importance of seeking artistic photographs as expression. On the other hand, I would like photographers to express, without relying on the characters of the subjects, their existence in the themes selected, and the composing ability of elements such as light and shadow, with the final aim of being evaluated by the totality of their activity as a photographer.

>> Shin Noguchi: Open for Interpretation [Leica Blog]

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American Street Portrait Interview #1: Eric Rivera, Ex-Wall Street Trader Turned Philosopher in Philadelphia

When I was in Philly to pick up my Ford Fiesta for the Fiestamovement campaign, I met up with Chris Urie, a street photographer and journalist based in Philly. We took a stroll around one of the major parks there (forget what it was called) and we started to chat with some of the people we met in the park.

One character I was fascinated with was named Eric Rivera. When I first spotted him, he was chilling on a park bench, enjoying the beautiful weather, while puffing on a nice cuban cigar — donning his Knicks hat withÂ crocodileÂ leather on the bill, and some pretty fly looking sunglasses.

I approached him and commented that I liked his outfit–and we just started to chat. As part of my “America” street photography project, I had my GoPro with me and asked to interview him–so I could learn more about his personal story. What he shared surprised me.

Documenting Coney Island for Over 40 Years: Interview with Harvey Stein

Eric’s Note: I am excited to share this interview with Harvey Stein, a prolific street photographer from NYC. He has been shooting the streets for nearly half a century, and has recently published his book: “Coney Island 40 Years” which is one of my new favorite street photography books. Check out some of his work and thoughts on photography in the interview below.

Revealing the Beauty, Wonder, and Struggle Within Everyday Life: Interview with “Oculi”, Australian Photography Collective

Eric’s Note: I am very excited to share this interview that I did with the members of Oculi, one of the most established photography collectives in Australia. Their members are diverse and practice many different styles of photography including documentary, fine art, reportage, street photography, and more.

TheirÂ current members are: Donna Bailey, James Brickwood, Lee Grant, Claire Martin, Nick Moir, Jeremy Piper, Andrew Quilty, Raphaela Rosella, Dean Sewell, David Maurice Smith and Tamara Voninski, with former members including: Narelle Autio, Warren Clarke, Nick Cubbin, Tamara Dean, Glenn Hunt, Jesse Marlow, Trent Parke and Steven Siewert.

To find out more about Oculi and their philosophies, read on!

The Nostalgic Black & White Photos of Japan: Interview with Street Photographer Junku Nishimura

1965, Kyoichi Sawada, World Press Photo of the Year

Eric’s Note: Junku Nishimura is one of the most talented street photographers that I know in Japan. Not only is he incredibly passionate about his photography (he shoots exclusively film and develops and prints all of his work) but he is also one of the most down-to-earth. I taught a film street photography workshop in Kyoto with him alongside Bellamy Hunt and Sean Lotman- which was an incredible experience. On the last night of the workshop, we were sitting in a bar in Kyoto and I conducted an interview with him. Here is a transcription (along with some edits) of the interview.

Also I am excited to share that Junku has joined international street photography collective Burn My Eye.Â You can see his portfolio on BME here.

A Tour Off the Beaten Track of Zakynthos: Interview with Zisis Kardianos on his new book, “A Sense of Place”

Eric’s Note: I am honored to share this interview with Burn My Eye member Zisis Kardianos on his new book, “A Sense of Place” – an exploration of the Greek island ofÂ Zakynthos. As Zisis describes in the book:

“They suggest a tour, off the beaten track, where the personal exploration of my native island is shared in the hope you are left with an emotional awareness of the place rather than a literal understanding of a location. A sense of the place.”

If you want to read more about Zisis’ start in photography, what inspired him to make the book, and how he put it together – read on.

Capturing the Constantly Vanishing Tokyo: Interview with Photographer Mike Nguyen

One of the guys I have been spending the most time with here in Tokyo is Mike Nguyen, a street photographer based in Tokyo. What I love about his work is that he is a very versatile photographer – combining landscapes, portraits, and street shots into his distinctive style. His photos are a visual diary of Tokyo and his life’s experiences – allowing him to “…hang onto what continually vanishes” and to “capture the minute splinter of reality that is a fleeting moment” (from his bio).

Watch the interview I did with him above, and see more of his images below.

Video Interview with Bellamy Hunt (Japan Camera Hunter) in Tokyo

In this interview I had the chance to chat with Bellamy Hunt, aka Japan Camera Hunter. We chatted about how he started photography, his inspirations, and why he does what he does.

Keep reading to see more of Bellamy’s street photography below!

Capturing The Spirit of Detroit: Video Interview with Brian Day, Street Photographer

The past weekend I had the great pleasure of catching up with Brian Day, a street photographer based in Detroit. I first met Brian Day through a reference by my manager, Neil Ta – and ever since I met Brian (like Neil) I have had a serious bro crush on him.

Not only is he a very talented photographer that explores many genres, but he is also incredibly humble.

Check out the interview I did with him above in which we talk about his early influences in photography, how it is to shoot street photography in detroit, and advice that he gives other street photographers starting off or trying to find their own unique voice in street photography.

I have done several features including Brian, including his “Walkers With the Dawn” series you can see here.

To see my past video interview with him (as well as his images) read on!

Capturing The Disappearing Faces of Chicago: Interview with Brian Soko, Street Photographer

Eric’s Note: Brian Soko is a street photographer based in Chicago, Illinois. I was first introduced to Brian’s work by Jason Martini, another street photographer based in Chicago. Brian is a native of Chicago, and has been shooting there for many years- and has experienced the changes and evolution of the city. Armed with his camera, his work is straight and honest — showing a great deal of diversity of subjects in his photos, most of which are quite dark and grim. However he shows a great deal of compassion and humanity for his subjects– and remains very humble about his work. I am pleased to share this interview with him.

Interview with Jason Eskenazi on “Wonderland: A Fairytale of the Soviet Monolith” – A 10-Year Odyssey Around the Former Soviet Union

(All photographs in this article copyrighted by Jason Eskenazi)

Eric’s Note: I am pleased to share this interview that two cute dogsÂ did with Jason EskenaziÂ on his stunning book, “Wonderland: A Fairytale of the Soviet Monolith“. The book is a journey through the former Soviet Union that took EskenaziÂ 10 years to complete. The original interview was conducted by two cute dogsÂ with Jason EskenaziÂ in a bar in Istanbul, and I transcribed the audio to make this text-based interview.

In the interview two cute dogsÂ talks with Jason about his background, what got him interested in starting the project, as well as practical advice about how he put the book together, sequenced it, and how to see more of the frame. Curious? Read on.

Interview with Kai Man Wong from Digital Rev TV on the Leica Blog

In-case you missed it, check out my interview with Kai Man Wong from Digital Rev TV on the Leica blog. We chat about his interest in street photography, his hectic life as a caster, and his fake british accent.

Check out the entire interview here.

Interview with MatteÃ¯ Batruch, Street Photographer from Geneva

I just came back to Marseilles from Istanbul after staying a week with my good friend two cute dogs. I had the time of my life, being able to meet other passionate local Turkish photographers, eating the delicious food there, and also shooting a ton (I shot 35 rolls of Portra 400 film there – avg of 5-6 rolls a day). Special thanks once again to Charlie for the hospitality he showed me and the great places he showed me to shoot!

I was also glad to have my buddy MatteÃ¯ Batruch, a young street photographer currently studying medicine in Geneva, Switzerland. Last year he attended one of my street photography workshops in Downtown LA, and it was great being able to re-unite with him in Istanbul.

Check out my interview with Mattei above, where we talk about how he got started in street photography, some of the people he gains inspiration from, as well as projects he is currently working on.

I am inspired to see how much experimentation he has done the last year in street photography, and his photographic development as well. Some of my favorite shots from him are below!

Interview With Me (by two cute dogs) in Istanbul

A night or two ago, my good friend two cute dogs interviewed me via my GoPro camera on a roof-top terrace bar in Istanbul. He asked me some great interview questions about some of the following:

The term “streettogs”
About my personal background/history
How I deal with people who criticize me
The issue of being an “internet celebrity” and developing as a photographer
Teaching street photography workshops

The interview is quite long (around 30 minutes) and a bit noisy (because it was windy) but if you have the time, give it a watch! Also if anyone has any other comments/questions they would like to ask me, leave a comment below!

Travel Update in Istanbul and Interview with twocutedogs

Shooting street photography in Istanbul has been absolutely incredible. The light and colors are gorgeous, and I can’t stop eating the food here either! Not only that, but people are incredibly friendly and generous.

On my first two days here, I have been shooting quite a bit (5-6 rolls of Portra 400 everyday) because I have been so enamored with the city. Hope to get a few decent shots of the city from my trip.

Also currently staying with two cute dogs in Istanbul at a nice apartment. Had a minute to interview him on his travels and future in street photography. Â Check out the video above and watch it until the end, where I give a quick tour of the place too!

You can see some of his work on Burn My Eye and please check out the work of the other members here.

#AskMagnum: Video Interview with Bruce Gilden

Click to see the video via the Magnum Blog

bruce_gilden_magnum — Click to see the video via the Magnum Blog (will not play here)

Recently Magnum Photos has been doing a great initiative via their Facebook fan page and Twitter titled: #AskMagnum. They have been soliciting questions for Magnum Photographers and asking the best questions.

They recently did a great interview/video slideshow with Bruce Gilden on their blog. The questions posed related to advice for street photographers, how he stays motivated to shoot new projects, as well as other interesting questions!

Check it out the interviewÂ here. Also read more to see Bruce Gilden’s portfolio.

Last year at the Leica Magnum event in Paris, I had the great pleasure of meeting Fabrice CatÃ©rini, an avid photojournalist based in Lyon who also enjoys to shoot street photography on the side.

Fabrice was born in 1982 and has been working professionally with Claire Jeantet, another French photojournalist 2008. They founded their own agency, Inediz, dedicated to documentary photography and multimedia reports, often linked to conflict or crisis situations. From housing problems in France to the story of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, from the fate of migrants stuck in Greece to the struggle of a circus family, Inediz bears witness to the daily life of those who are facing injustice. Always looking for innovative ways of telling stories, they have been developing online multimedia documentaries since 2011.

If you want more info on Fabrice’s personal path, check here. Read more to see his images!

Interview with Benedicte Guillon, Parisian Street Photographer from the Mobile Photo Group

I had the great pleasure of being introduced to Benedicte Guillon from my mate Misho Baranovic, one of the founding members of the Mobile Photo Group.

Benedicte is currently based in Paris, and I was able to interview her about starting off in street photography with an iPhone, her travels all around the world, as well as her inspirations. Check out the video interview above, and see some of her images from her different projects below!

Layers, Light, and Color in Seoul: Interview with Street Photographer Arthur Quejadas II

I have always been a fan of Arthur Quejadas II, seeing several of his images in the Hardcore Street Photography Group on Flickr. After interviewing Trevor Marczylo I had a chance to interview Arthur as well. Check out the interview and see how Arthur creates layers and depth in his images – and chases the light like Alex Webb.

Color Street Photographs in Seoul by Arthur

Follow Arthur

If you enjoy Arthur’s work, make sure to add him as a contact on Flickr!

Interview on Expert Photography

I recently got interviewed for Expert Photography which is run by Josh Dunlop. In the interview we discuss how I got started in street photography, how I would describe my style, as well as advice for aspiring street photographers. Check out the interview below if you have the chance!

Interview with Street Photographer Eric Kim on Expert Photography >>

Video Interview with Richard Bram, NYC-Based Street Photographer from In-Public

When I started street photography, one of the first website I stumbled upon was In-Public. I was blown away by the work of all the street photographers there and curious to see how they captured the beauty and irony of everyday life.

One of the photographers whose work I admired was Richard Bram. I loved his classic black and white work, and was fascinated to read a feature he wrote for Street Reverb Magazine about his transition into color (something I have recently experienced as well). It was also great to see his insights and stories behind his work in “In-Sight” – a documentary on street photography and In-Public members by Nick Turpin.

The interview is very long (1 hour 30 minutes) and Richard apologies in advance for his squeaky microphone. However for anyone who wants to get incredibly insightful information about street photography I highly recommend you watch it. We talk about Richard’s background in politics and photography, his transition from b&w to color, as well as street photographers who influenced him.

Also one of the favorite parts I appreciate is when he gives advice to aspiring street photographers.

Richard Bram’s Advice for Aspiring Street Photographers

Don’t be easily satisfied
Pay less attention to people who like your work, and more attention to people who offer you harder critiques
Become visually literate. Go to the library, take a course on art history (not just photography history). Learn about what makes a composition.Â Figure out why you don’t like the work of others, and why you think that others like it. Go to the 779 section at the library for photo books and devour them.
Look at pictures all the time, and internalize them.
Read a lot photo books, art books, literature, politics, science.
Get to know sculptors, actors, writers – because they will give you great advice on your photography. Don’t just live in the photography ghetto.
Great photographers know a lot more than photography.

Richard Bram Black & White Portfolio:

Richard Bram Color Portfolio

Watch “In-Sight” (Richard is featured photographing the streets of NYC)

Follow Richard Bram

Which of Richard’s photos touch or inspire you the most? Leave your comments, critique, and feedback in the comments below and show him some love!Â

Interview with Emilio Banuelos on Creating a Photo Sketchbook for Street/Documentary Photography

When I was in SF the past weekend, had the great pleasure of meeting Emilio Banuelos after an introduction from my friend Ibarionex Perello, podcaster and photographer for The Candid Frame. Emilio is a street/documentary photographer currently based in the Bay Area, and has a strong body of work from all around the US as well as Mexico.Â His documentary work earned him fellowships from the Poynter Institute, the Marty Forscher Fellowship for Humanistic Photography and an award from EnFoco Inc. He also currently teaches documentary photography for the Academy of Art University, and has conducted workshops for the University of California Santa Cruz-Extension and the University of Coahuila and Black Boots Ink.

Make sure to watch the video above of him showing his photo sketchbook, in which he prints out contact sheets and carries images with him all the time. He looks at them constantly, thinking of editing and paring ideas, while also jotting down notes and stories. A fantastic idea for anyone of us to do, especially in the digital age we live in.

Also below are some images from one of his projects, “Greyhound America” which I enjoyed very much!

“Greyhound America”

You can see the full project here.

Do you carry a scrapbook, visual diary, or anything of the sort for your photography? If so, share what you do in the comments below! Â

“The Mexicans”: A Colorful 4-Month Odyssey Across 22 Mexican States and 15,000 Kilometers by Andrew Quilty (Interview)

Eric’s Note: I visited Australia about two months ago, and had the great pleasure of meeting Tamara Voninski, one of the founding members of Oculi, an award-winning Australian collective. On one of my last nights there, I met up and had a beer with some of the other members of Oculi, and met Andrew Quilty whose color work blew me away. His vision for photography was like a mashup between Robert Frank, Alex Webb, and Constantine Manos – documentary-based, elegant, and colorful.

Quilty recently self-published a book titled: “The Mexicans” – an odyssey across Mexico where he captured searing insights into the life of the locals through their life & light.Â Interested in seeing the images and interview? Read on.

Reality Through Abstract Visual Puzzles: An Interview With John Goldsmith, Vancouver-Based Street Photographer

(Sydney, Australia. Copyright: John Goldsmith)

(Above image by John Goldsmith)

Eric’s Note: I recently had the pleasure of interviewing John Goldsmith, a street photographer based out of Vancouver. He is part of the strange.rs collective, and has also recently released a book, “Drop Out of Art School“. Goldsmith is one of the most prolific and valuable members in the street photography community and is always on the breaking edge of innovation.

I had the chance to ask him a few questions about his history in street photography, his work, and some of his future aspirations. If you want to gain lots of insight from his way of working, read on.

Interview with Chun Tong Chung from the Mobile Photo Group in Amsterdam

Eric’s Note: Chun Tong Chung is a street photographer, part of the Mobile Photo Group, currently living and working in Berlin, but from Amsterdam. When I visited Amsterdam, the stars aligned and we were able to meet up (and I even crashed for a night at his pad!) He is able to capture beautiful fleeting moments of the everyday with his mobile device (iPhone 3GS) and focuses less on the technology, and more on the shooting. Check out the interview I was able to do with him above, and check out his images below.

Mike Peters and The American Dream by Ollie Gapper

Mike Peters from his collection "Pursuit of Happiness"

In this article I was fortunate enough to be able to conduct an interview through email with NY-based photographer Mike Peters. His style of street portraiture is one that has been attempted many times by many names, but never quite to the extent or success of Mike’s work. He is consistent and his work flows well together, but he is not held down by his style and does not limit himself in what he creates. I hope you guys enjoy his work and words as much as I have, and that you may find some inspiration in this article that will help guide and refine your work, I know I certainly have.