street photography tips

Alex Webb & Rebecca Norris Webb. On Street Photography and the Poetic Image (Part 1)

Aperture have released a book collection called ‘The Photography Workshop Series‘ and currently have four in that set. I recently bought the co-authored one from Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, ‘On Street Photography and the Poetic Image‘. As Alex is one of my favourite photographers, I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to gain…

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…

How to Overcome Obstacles in Street Photography

I just finished a new book: “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday. The book is a huge source of inspiration for overcoming challenges– and using them to your advantage. In-fact, Ryan uses the quote from Marcus Aurelius for the title of his book: “The obstacle is the way” meaning that if it weren’t…

How to Master the Creative Process in Street Photography

We would all love to be more creative in our street photography. We want to create work that stands out from the crowd. We want to create images that connect emotionally to our viewers. We want our images to inspire our viewers. We want our images to speak from our heart, and communicate messages to…

5 Essentialist Tips in Street Photography

Photos in this article are part of my on-going “Somewhere in America” Urban Landscape series. I recently finished a book titled: “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”, which made me think a lot about my life, the blog, and street photography. To sum up the book, the author praises the “less is more” ethos, and…

103 Things I’ve Learned About Street Photography

This article was originally posted on Digital Photography School. Over the years, I have learned a lot of lessons about street photography. Below is a compilation of some quotes, thoughts, and philosophies which have influenced me and my street photography. None of my ideas are original – some are based on personal experiences and others…

How to Take Photos of Kids (Without Being Called a Pedophile)

In today’s uber-pedophile-paranoid society taking photos of kids can be a challenge. It wasn’t a problem even a few decades ago (think of all the great photos of kids that Helen Levitt, Robert Doisneau, and Henri Catier-Bresson shot). But now even if you point a camera remotely close to a kid you can be called a…

5 Ways to Improve Your Creativity in Street Photography

Eric’s Note: This is a guest article by Kristian Leven, a wedding and street photographer based in London. Kristian: When I started photography six years ago, I didn’t have a problem going out and finding inspiration. Everything was so new and subsequently there seemed to be no end to the ideas I felt I could produce.…

How to Gain Mastery in Street Photography

I recently finished a book titled: “Mastery” by Robert Greene. The book is one of those inspirational books which outlines the stories of many famous masters and how they gained mastery. Although the book was a bit cheesy at times, I still found it to be an uplifting read, filled with interesting anecdotes that definitely…

Why Do You Shoot Street Photography?

(Above: Photograph from my on-going “Suits” Project. The Netherlands, 2012) When I was in Korea earlier this year, my friend and fellow street photographer David Kim shared a TED talk with me titled: “How great leaders inspire action.” David holds a leadership position at his job, and he told me that this talk changed the…

10 Tips How to Unleash Your Creativity in Street Photography

(Above photograph: Hong Kong, 2011. Eric Kim) One of the most influential books I have recently is titled: “Imagine: How Creativity Works”. It was a book I was recommended by my good friend and fellow street photographer Brian Sparks. It outlines studies done on creativity, creative people, and the actual science done on the subject.…

Why Talent is Overrated in Street Photography

(Above photo from my “Downtown LA in Color” series, 2012) I believe firmly in the idea that talent is overrated, not only in street photography but other facets of life. We look at those who are successful in their fields, and we clamor how talented they are– and how they must have some innate skill…

The “3 A” Theory: The Secret to Memorable Street Photographs

(Above image from my “Korea: The Presentation of Self” series, 2011) I am very interested in ideas and how they spread. Especially “viral” ideas. A while ago I came upon this study on virality that studied the most shared articles on The New York Times and the researchers had a hypothesis on what causes something…

10 Things Garry Winogrand Can Teach You About Street Photography

(Above image: Garry Winogrand, World’s Fair, New York City, 1964. All photographs in this article copyrighted by the estate of Garry Winogrand) Garry Winogrand is one of my favorite street photographers that I have gained much photographic insight and wisdom from. He was in-arguably one of the most prolific street photographers of his time (he…

7 Things I Have Learned About Shooting Street Photography in Color

(Above photo: From my newly published “Downtown LA in Color” series) I have always shot street photography in black and white. After all, it is what all the classic street photographers did. Whenever looking at famous photographs shot by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Andre Kertesz, Garry Winogrand, and so forth they were always black and white. The…

10 Tips For Traveling and Shooting Street Photography

(Above photo from my “Dark Skies Over Tokyo” series) “The grass is greener on your side” When I started street photography, I resented the fact that I lived in Los Angeles. To me it was a boring, tired city that I lived in- and I wanted to go somewhere more exotic. I wanted to go…

How to Find Zen in Street Photography

(“Whisper”. Mumbai, 2011) When it comes to street photography, it is easy to get caught-up in the hype of new cameras, spending too much time on blogs, and not enough time out shooting. I think one of the most difficult things in street photography is to find enough time to shoot and being able to…

How To Give a Constructive Critique in Street Photography

(Above image copyrighted by Fred Herzog) To become better in street photography (or anything in life), it is essential to get honest and constructive criticism. However the problem with the internet nowadays is that our attention spans are short, and the majority of the comments/feedback we get on our Facebook/Flickr streams include phrases such as,…

What Kind of Street Photographer Are You? (Part 1)

(Above image © Garry Winogrand, from his book: “The Animals“) I just read a book titled: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, which was a book about introversion and the conflict they often encounter with extroverts in society. Reading the book as an extrovert, it gave me great insight on…

Why Validation is For Parking, Not Street Photography

(Above image reads, “Somebody is watching you”. (From my Korea: The Presentation of Self series) I recently read a book titled, “Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity” – which was written by an author named Hugh MacLeod. The story goes that MacLeod was struggling and frustrated as a young copyrighter in NYC, and while…

Bad Street Photographers Copy, Good Street Photographers Steal

(Pablo Picasso’s original quote: “Bad artists copy, good artists steal”) When I first started street photography, I remember doing a ton of google searching on street photography. Of course, the first street photographs I saw were street photography from Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Andre Kertesz, and the work of the greats. I also remember seeing…

3 Quick And Easy Tips To Keep You Motivated Shooting Street Photography

(Above image by Charlie Atkinson) Eric’s Note: I am excited to announce that moving forward, every Tuesday will be “Charlie Atkinson Tuesdays”. Charlie will help the community by write inspirational articles every Tuesday. Please give him a round of applause as this is his first post! Charlie: On Eric’s last night staying with me in…

10 Tips How to Stay Motivated After Missing “The Decisive Moment”

(Above image by Roger Boon) Recently on my Facebook Fan page, I the community the question: “How do you stay motivated after missing ‘The Decisive Moment’”?. I am sharing some of my favorite responses below! Deb Young How do you know it was a ‘decisive moment’ if you didn’t get it? It’s the journey, not the…

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Street Photographers

(All photographs are used with permission from Junku Nishimura). I just finished reading the book: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business which was a fascinating look into how we build our behaviors and lifestyles through habits. The book argues that the majority of the lives we lead are nothing…

10 Things Martin Parr Can Teach You About Street Photography

Note: Photos used with permission from Martin Parr As of late, Martin Parr is one of my idols in street photography. I love his never-ending passion for street/documentary photography (Alec Soth recently called him the “Jay-Z” of documentary photography)- and the thought-provoking images that his photos tell. For this article I will share 10 things…

102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography

It now has been around 5 years that I have been shooting street photography- and I have learned an incredible amount through trial and failure. I made this recent list of things I have learned while shooting street photography– and some of my personal opinions. Remember, take everything in this list with a grain of…

How to Start Your Own Street Photography Project

(Above image by Alex Webb from his Istanbul Book) Something I have becoming more focused on is working on street photography projects. Street photography projects are important because they help you stay focused when shooting, and help you make more of a statement with a collection of images (rather than just individual images). If you…

Why Street Photographers Need To Take Themselves More Seriously

(Above image by Magnum Photographer Elliott Erwitt) I consider myself first a sociologist, then a photographer. If anything, being a street photographer allows me to synthesize these two loves. On top of that, I am a lover of knowledge, theory, experimentation, as well as teaching. Fortunately being able to teach street photography for a living makes…

10 Things Not To Do As a Street Photographer

(Above image “Untitled” by Christos Kapatos) I just finished reading “The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, where he discusses many misconceptions and fallacies that we face as humans. He talks from a scientific-philosophical viewpoint, and has many fascinating insights. One of them was about knowledge—and that it isn’t necessarily additive—rather something subtractive. For example, a…

Have An Escape, Not An Exit From Street Photography

(Above image copyrighted by Joel Meyerowitz) Eric’s Note: This article is by Ollie Gapper, a street photographer based in the UK- and now a weekly contributor to the blog. Stay tuned for more of his “Ollie Gapper Thursday” posts! With any genre of photography its easy to become saturated in your work and the work…

10 Things Sociology Has Taught Me About Street Photography

(Chicago, Eric Kim) I studied Sociology during my undergrad at UCLA. I loved learning all of the ways that people interacted, communicated, and collected in groups. It really opened up my eyes to the world around me. However little did I know that all these things I have learned in Sociology (and trained myself to…

How Body Language Affects Story-Telling in Street Photography

(Above image by Norman Estrologo) Eric’s Note: This article is written by Norman Estrologo, a Los Angeles based street photographer who has recently attended my introductory and intermediate street photography workshops. In a relatively short time, he has found his passion in street photography and has been experimenting with his style and shooting constantly. There…

10 Lessons KANYE WEST Has Taught Me About PHOTOGRAPHY

Kanye West is one of my inspirations in life.

10 Things Street Photographers Can Learn from Pickup Artists

Neil Strauss, author of “The Game” I was talking to one of my buddies today about street photography and how much mental training it required for someone to feel comfortable shooting in the streets. He then saw me shooting on the streets and noticed the way I interacted with my subjects was often similar to…

How to Rediscover Your Love of Street Photography

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…

Tag: street photography tips