ERIC KIM ₿

Tag: street photography

  • Paris Day 5: Interview with Alex Majoli from Magnum and Love For My Friends (last day in Paris)

    Paris Day 5: Interview with Alex Majoli from Magnum and Love For My Friends (last day in Paris)

    "Grimace" - Metro, Paris
    “Grimace” – Metro, Paris

    Today is the last day that I am in Paris, and I wanted to give you a few last updates. I was able to interview Alex Majoli from Magnum, an incredibly passionate and down-to earth photographer. Once I get back home, I will post the interview for you to read. Also I had the chance to walk around with JJ from Leica and take photographs, and also have a great meal of crepes with him and William Yan. Lastly in the night, I met up with Damien Rayuela, Charlie Kirk, and Alexandra Uhart with William. We had a ton of fun (and drinks) — make sure to read more to see the video and the images from today ;)

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  • Paris Day 4: Leica Magnum Paris Convention and New Leica M9-P and 21mm f/3.4 Super-Elmar-M lens Announcement

    Leica Magnum Paris Leica M9-P 21mm f/3.5 Announcement
    Myself and Bruce Gilden at the Leica Magnum Paris Event. My hero!

    Today was one hell of a day. It was the official Leica Magnum Paris event, and I was able to attend as a VIP attendee. I was able to meet Naseem (Political blogger), Magnus Froderberg (Photography magazine chief editor on Sweden), Cristina Garcia Rodero (Magnum Photographer), William Yan (Street Style Photographer), Thorsten (Overgaard.dk), Brett (Leica Workshop Photographer), Peter McCollough (SF Street Photographer), Jean-Jacques Viau (Leica Internet Head), Oliver Bachmann (Leica Camera Switzerland Head), and my beloved Bruce Gilden (Magnum Photographer). Did I also mention I met and took a photo with Elliott Erwitt? Watch the video below to read more about my day, and also make sure to check out the photos I took during the event as well!

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  • Paris Day 3: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and Tough Parisians

    Paris Day 3: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and Tough Parisians

    Paris Street Photography Leica M9 35mm f/1.4 Summilux by Eric Kim
    "Wraparound" – Luxemborg, Paris

    For day 3 in Paris, I had another grand day shooting street photography with the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux. Unfortunately I woke up super late (at 2:00PM in the afternoon) but still had a great day for shooting. The weather was a bit overcast and gloomy, but it was perfect in terms of lighting for street photography. Read more to see my video recap of the day (and hear the story of the old angry Parisian man who grabbed my arm) as well as see some of my best images.

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  • Paris Day 2: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux with Yaniel

    Paris Day 2: Street Photography with the Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux with Yaniel

    Paris Street Photography Leica M9 35mm f/1.4 Summilux by Eric Kim
    "Left Out" – Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux

    I just had my first full day of shooting street photography with the Leica M9 and the 35mm f/1.4 Summilux in Paris. The streets here are truly amazing, and the Leica M9 was definitely a great partner to help me capture memorable moments. I am proud to say that I had a very great crop of photos today and had the chance to meet the famous Yanidel— make sure to read more and watch my video below and look at my images!

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  • Paris Day 1: Street Photography with a Leica M9 and Flash with Charlie Kirk and Damien Rayuela

    Paris Day 1: Street Photography with a Leica M9 and Flash with Charlie Kirk and Damien Rayuela

    Paris Street Photography Eric Kim
    "Headlock" – Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux and Off-shoe Flash

    I just arrived safely in Paris and spent an entire doing street photography with my Leica M9 and 35mm f/1.4 Summilux with Charlie Kirk and my host Damien Rayuela. We had a ton of fun, and Charlie even taught me how to shoot street photography with his off-shoe flash, and I got some pretty interesting results. Read more to watch all the videos I recorded and see all the images I shot!

    Paris Day 1 Overview:

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  • Why Inspiration is for Amateurs

    Why Inspiration is for Amateurs

    When it comes to street photography, it can often be very difficult to stay motivated and keep shooting on the streets. I told my problem to my younger sister, who recently got me a wonderful book titled “Spark: How Creativity Works” which illustrates the creative lives of influential artists ranging from novelists to musicians. One of the quotes that the author decided to include of Chuck Close inspired me in which he says that inspiration is for amateurs, and true greatness comes from the ability to stay consistent and be tenacious.

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  • Micro 4/3rd Street Photographers Rejoice: New LEICA DG Summilux 25mm / F1.4 ASPH Announced

    Micro 4/3rd Street Photographers Rejoice: New LEICA DG Summilux 25mm / F1.4 ASPH Announced

    I am a huge fan of micro 4/3rds cameras, as I think they are a wonderful compromise between DSLR’s and point and shoots for street photography. Therefore it is great news to see that Leica has just announced a new 25mm f/1.4 lens (which equates to 50mm on a 2x crop factor). This can be a great lens for anybody shooting with any of the Olympus EP-series or the Panasonic GF-series. Also if you didn’t know, Henri Cartier-Bresson shot mostly with a 50mm focal length ;)

    You can see some shots from it here (in Chinese).

    Press release:

    The New LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. Lens Compatible With Panasonic LUMIX G Series of Compact System Cameras, Including LUMIX GF3

    SECAUCUS, N.J., June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Panasonic today announced a new interchangeable Micro Four Thirds lens, the LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. (H-X025), compatible with the company’s LUMIX G Series of compact system cameras (CSC), including the LUMIX GF3, which was also announced today. The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. lens features outstanding brightness of F1.4, and despite the high-performance, it also remains incredibly compact and lightweight. The lens’ brightness allows for a beautiful soft focus when shooting both photos and videos – without having to rely on a flash.

    The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. lens adopts Panasonic’s Nano Surface Coating technology on the surface of the lens, which helps dramatically minimize reflection at the entire visual light range (380nm-780nm). The technology encompasses an extra-low refractive index coating with nano-sized structure and results in the super-clear photo with dramatic reduction of ghost and flare.

    The new lens system comprises of nine elements in seven groups using two aspherical lenses and one UHR (Ultra High Refractive) index lens. The newly developed UHR index lens and glass mold aspherical lenses achieve uniformed description from the center to the edges.

    The lens’ versatile 25mm focal distance (Equivalent to 50mm on a 35mm camera) is suitable for wide variety of occasions, giving users the flexibility in composition, perspective and aperture control.  The lens is capable to take daily snapshots including scenic sunsets to dimly-lit indoor shots to the deliberately-creative shots using soft focus.

    When mounted on the Panasonic LUMIX G Series digital cameras, the LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm/F1.4 ASPH. lens can take maximum advantage of Contrast AF system, which boasts both high accuracy and high speed for optimal photos. Furthermore, seven blades give the aperture a rounded shape that produces an attractively smooth effect in out-of-focus areas when shooting at larger aperture settings. The lens also features a metal mount, making it extremely durable – even when repeatedly changed.

    The LEICA DG SUMMILUX 25mm / F1.4 ASPH. lens will be available in August 2011 and pricing will be announced approximately 30 days prior to shipping. For more information about Panasonic LUMIX G Series digital cameras and Micro Four Third lenses, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

    -Via Leicarumors

    Micro 4/3rds users–is this a lens you would want to add to your camera bag?

  • 15 Inspirational Images of Shoe Street Photography by the Community

    15 Inspirational Images of Shoe Street Photography by the Community

    Shoes Street Photography
    Thomas Leuthard

    On Monday, I wrote an article about how to shoot street photography of shoes which got tons of great feedback. To play off of the theme, I suggested that this week’s street photography assignment was to be of shoes. I announced the weekly assignment on Facebook, and many of you submitted some amazing images. Here are the best 15 that you uploaded–congrats to everyone who made the final cut! :)

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  • The Ricoh GRIII: The Ultimate Compact Camera for Street Photography Review

    The Ricoh GRIII: The Ultimate Compact Camera for Street Photography Review

    The Ricoh GRIII Digital Compact
    The Ricoh GRIII Digital Compact

    Hey guys, you might have heard me doing all my raves for the Ricoh GRIII for street photography. I put together my thoughts and review over on The Phoblographer, and have put in some of my best images as well. Long story short, I highly recommend everyone to purchase one, as it can be a great primary street photography camera or back-up. Make sure to check out the review, and leave me any questions you may have below in the comments!

  • “Trapped” – Street Photography Exhibition by Josh White in Seoul, Korea

    “Trapped” – Street Photography Exhibition by Josh White in Seoul, Korea

    Hello everybody, I am excited to announce that Josh White (who I interviewed on my site and the Leica blog) will be having a street photography exhibition of his finest work on June 12 – July 3, 2011 in Guillaume in Seoul, Korea. Read up more information on Josh White’s Blog. If you are in the area, definitely check it out!

  • The Street Portraiture Project of Fulton Street, Brooklyn by Chris Sorensen

    The Street Portraiture Project of Fulton Street, Brooklyn by Chris Sorensen

    Street Portraiture of Fulton Street by Chris Sorensen

    Eric: While surfing the web, I came upon the work of Chris Sorensen, who had an amazing portfolio of black and white street portraits. I was captivated by the depth and humanity of his images, and I feel that every face he captured had a unique story to tell. If you look at each of these images, they show the true character and soul of the person that Chris captures. I extend a warm introduction to Chris, and I hope you enjoy this feature.

    Chris: The studio where I live and work is on the edge of Bed-Stuy, a historically African-American neighborhood in Brooklyn probably best known outside of New York as the setting for Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing. It is to Brooklyn what Harlem is to Manhattan. Over the years it’s also become home to large numbers of immigrants; originally from the American South, Latin America and the West Indies, and more recently from Africa and Haiti. It’s a very culturally diverse neighborhood where, unlike my previous apartment in Manhattan, I am the minority.

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  • Black and White or Color in Street Photography: How Do You Make the Decision?

    Black and White or Color in Street Photography: How Do You Make the Decision?

    "Green Umbrella" - James Maher
    "Green Umbrella" – James Maher

    Eric: Quite often I am asked by the community when it is appropriate to have a street photograph in black and white or color. It is a question I grapple with myself daily as well, and I enlisted the help of James Maher, a talented New York street photographer to help write an article on it. I hope you enjoy it!

    James: Street Photography has been around for a long, long time. And for all but the last 10 years, the photographer has had to make a choice before walking out the door: should I use color or black and white film today?

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  • 6 Tips How to Shoot Street Photographs of People’s Shoes (that don’t stink)

    6 Tips How to Shoot Street Photographs of People’s Shoes (that don’t stink)

    Street Photography Shoes by Eric Kim
    Eric Kim

    Thomas Leuthard, who is one of my close friends and fellow street photography workshop teachers, suggested a theme to me a while back that revolved around shooting street photography of people’s feet. At first I was a bit skeptical, but after looking at his images I was quite impressed. As street photographers, we can often get too preoccupied by looking forward that we don’t take the time to look up or down. Although shooting street photographs of people’s feet may sound weird (and a bit stinky), it can make for some fascinating results. Keep reading to find out how you can shoot street photography of people’s feet.

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  • Name that Street Photograph, No. 1

    Name that Street Photograph, No. 1

    It is always important to know photographs by great street photographers to improve your eye and your technique. So let’s see if you know the image above. Leave your guess by leaving a comment below and tell us who the photographer is, and the story behind the image. Let’s see what you guys got!

  • Featured Street Photographer: Paolo Patrizi, on the Streets of Ginza with a Toy Camera and Cosmopolitan Japanese Women

    Featured Street Photographer: Paolo Patrizi, on the Streets of Ginza with a Toy Camera and Cosmopolitan Japanese Women

    Paolo Patrizi Street Photography
    Allure- Paolo Patrizi

    Eric: For this week, I am honored to announce this street photography feature by Wayne Ford, an internationally renowned media neutral and art designer. His work has received international acclaim and has been featured in books, exhibitions, and magazines including D&AD, Type Directors Club, Art Directors Club, Society of Publications Designers, Print, Graphis and Creative Review. You can read more of his thoughts on the photography he is looking at on his website or follow him on Twitter.

    Wayne: A self-taught photographer, Paolo Patrizi was born and raised in Italy, before moving to London in the mid-1980s where he began his professional career working as a
    photographic assistant, and undertaking freelance commissions for various design groups, and numerous magazines. From the very earliest stages of his career, Patrizi has pursued and develop his own personal projects alongside these various commercial assignments, and it is these personally assigned projects that have become a signature of his oeuvre.

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  • What Makes a Great Composition? Adam Marelli Analyzes Famous Street Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    What Makes a Great Composition? Adam Marelli Analyzes Famous Street Photographs by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Great Compositions by Alfred EisenstaedtGreat Compositions by Alfred Eisenstaedt

    Adam Marelli, who recently did a wonderful guest blog post on his experiences on shooting with a Leica M9, has recently written a great article on dissecting and analyzing famous street photographs by WWII photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt. In the article, he is able to skillfully dissect images from a geometric standpoint, something that great artists and painters have been using for centuries. The post is a bit technical, but definitely worth the read if you want to understand more about composition and street photography.

    Check out the article here.

    So what do you think? Do you think that understanding a good composition is artistic talent, or something that can be taught and analyzed? Leave your two cents by writing a comment below!

  • “Beauty in the Mundane” Street Photography Exhibition by Eric Kim this Saturday at 5:00PM in Tustin, CA

    “Beauty in the Mundane” Street Photography Exhibition by Eric Kim this Saturday at 5:00PM in Tustin, CA

    RSVP on Facebook
    Click here to RSVP on Facebook

    I am pleased to announce that I will be hosting a street photography exhibition this Saturday, June 4th, 2011 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Long Hai Restaurant in Tustin, CA. Join me as I share some of my finest black and white street photography from all around the world including Paris, Seoul, London, as well as Los Angeles  Click here to RSVP on Facebook.

    Admission is free, and complimentary drinks and appetizers from Long Hai Restaurant will be served.

    Also, I will be raffling off all of of my images to help fund-raise for the Sukhee Chung Photography foundation. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Phoenix High photography class I am teaching to underprivileged high school students in Los Angeles. Tickets are $5 a piece, and there is no limit how many you can buy. You can watch a video I did about the class here.

    I would love it if you could make it (if you are in the Los Angeles region!)

  • How to Shoot Street Photography With a Flash

    How to Shoot Street Photography With a Flash

    "Lace" - Santa Monica
    "Lace" – Santa Monica. Shot with my Ricoh GRIII and flash.

    When it comes to street photography, I am always open to new ideas and styles. One technique I have been particularly interested in is shooting street photography with a flash. I have been very inspired by the work of Bruce Gilden and Charlie Kirk. Although this style is quite controversial, I think that shooting with a flash does add an extra dimension to an image, and isn’t quite as unethical as most people claim it to be. After all, it was Bruce Gilden who said, “…the people I shoot in the streets are my friends” and Charlie Kirk who says he shoots “…openly and honestly.” Therefore the last three or so weeks I have been shooting street photography with a flash, and with great success. I will discuss my technique of shooting street photography in the streets with a flash, with special emphasis on mindset as well as technical settings. Read more if you are curious.

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  • Need Some Inspiration? Try Early Morning Street Photography

    Kai and the guys over at DigitalRevTV put together a great video about shooting street photography when the streets aren’t so hectic– at 4:00AM in the morning. In the video Kai wakes him (and his camera crew up) at a ungodly time and hits the streets of  Hong Kong. Although I do not advise on doing street photography with a tripod, I love the message behind the video: getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new. There is truly a beauty about shooting at different times of the day, as you see different characters, scenes, as well as light.

    So what time do you typically like to shoot street photography? Leave a comment below and tell us about your experiences about shooting at different times during the day.

    -Thanks to Reacher Rau for emailing me this over!

  • Eric Kim Talks about Street Photography Tips with Jacob Patterson

    Recently I had the great pleasure of meeting up with Samsung and Jacob Patterson, an internationally renowned street artist living in Downtown Los Angeles. He has done some amazing We hit the streets with their new Samsung SH100 point and shoot, and got some pretty cool street shots. Jacob sat me down in their studio, and spent a few minutes interviewing me about street photography. Check out all the footage above!

    Also check out some more footage on this video Samsung put together (I’m about 30 seconds in) here. Also make sure to follow Jacob on Twitter.

    Do you guys like videos like this? Tell me what other types of videos you would like to see me host on my site!

  • Henri Cartier-Bresson Talks About “The Decisive Moment”

    Recently I was cruising around Petapixel and found this wonderful gem of a video– Henri Cartier-Bresson himself talking about street photography and “The Decisive Moment”. It is a bit of a long video (20 minutes) but worth every minute hearing the grandfather of street photography discuss his thoughts and share some of his most iconic images.

    Who else has been inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson? Let us know what you think of the video and his work by leaving a comment below!

  • 5 Things I Learned After Teaching My UK and Switzerland Street Photography Workshop

    5 Things I Learned After Teaching My UK and Switzerland Street Photography Workshop

    "Purple" - Shot in Brighton, UK with my Olympus EP-2
    "Purple" – Shot in Brighton, UK with my Olympus EP-2

    I am pleased to say after 4 jam-packed days of traveling and teaching a street photography workshop in Brighton, UK and Zurich, Switzerland I am back in Los Angeles. I had the trip of a lifetime and met some amazing people, ate some delicious food, and got some great street photographs as well. I also learned a great deal after doing this workshop and about Brighton and Zurich. Read more to see what I learned after teaching my UK and Switzerland street photography workshop!

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  • Frank Oscar Larson from NYC – Another Street Photography Master Discovered

    Frank Oscar Larson from NYC – Another Street Photography Master Discovered

    Frank Oscar Larson Street Photography NYC
    Frank Oscar Larson

    I was recently on PetaPixel and they did a great story featuring another undiscovered master street photographer named Frank Oscar Larson. In the 1950’s he worked as an auditor in Queens and had a great knack of capturing beautiful moments in everyday life with his Rolleiflex camera. In 1964 he died of a stroke at the age of 68 and his images laid dormant for 45 years before being discovered by his son’s widow in 2009.

    His images are incredibly inspiring, and show a candid look into life in NYC nearly half a century ago. It seems recently there has been a handful of unknown master street photographers popping up recently, especially the likes of Vivian Maier. Read more to see his inspirational images.

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  • Leica Rangefinder for Street Photography – Good Things Come In Small Packages

    Leica Rangefinder for Street Photography – Good Things Come In Small Packages

    "Morning Ashram" – Adam Mareli (Leica M9, 75mm Summicron)

    Eric’s Note: For this guest blog post, I am honored to have Adam Marelli talk about his experiences shooting with a Leica M9/M6 for street photography. This blog post will be especially helpful for those of you who currently shoot with a DSLR or are currently thinking about making the jump to a rangefinder. Make sure to read more to see his inspirational images and great thoughts on the pros of using a Leica rangefinder for street photography.

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  • How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

    How to Become an Invisible Street Photographer

    "Contemplation" – show with my Ricoh GRIII

    A while back on my Facebook page and Twitter I asked you guys “if you had any street photography superpower, what would it be?” The vast majority of you answered: invisibility.

    As a street photographer, being invisible and blending in with your environment is key in getting an amazing street photograph. However, easier said than done right? In this post I will try to outline my thoughts on how to best be invisible when shooting on the streets, and what has helped me stay low-key when I am out shooting.

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  • 11 Inspirational Examples of Shadow Street Photography

    11 Inspirational Examples of Shadow Street Photography

    Street Photography Shadows
    Vincent Tandijo Saputro

    Last week on my Facebook fan page I announced the street photography assignment of the week which was “shadows“. I got all of your wonderful submissions on my Facebook fan page, and chose the best here to feature. I hope you enjoy all the images below and stay tuned to Facebook page where I will announce this week’s street photography assignment.

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  • How to Shoot Street Portraits With Permission by Danny Santos

    How to Shoot Street Portraits With Permission by Danny Santos

    Danny Santos shooting Stranger #85 & Stranger #86 , taken by Paulo Legaspi

    Eric’s Note: I am truly excited to have this guest post by Danny Santos, who is truly passionate about shooting portraits in the streets. I was fascinated and captivated by his work, and I asked him to write a guest post about how he shoots street portraits. Enjoy!


    Danny: Shooting street portraits of strangers is a very daunting task. Often when you see a stranger you want to photograph, you find yourself between a rock and a hard place:  you can’t seem to ask them for their photo, yet you know you just have to.  Here are a few tips that may help you get over that hill. It won’t make it easy, but it may give you the push to start creating your own set of portraits of strangers.

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  • Breathtaking Street Photography by Stanley Kubrick in 1949

    Breathtaking Street Photography by Stanley Kubrick in 1949

    Stanley Kubrick Street Photography

    Long before Stanley Kubrick started filming amazing movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange, he was a passionate street photographer. Check out some of these images he took in 1949 in Chicago title: “Chicago City of Contrasts.” All of the images tell incredible stories, and you can see where he got his inspiration for story-telling. Read more to see the rest of his inspirational images.

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  • The Sexiest Bag for Street Photography: The Think Tank Retrospective 30 Review

    The Sexiest Bag for Street Photography: The Think Tank Retrospective 30 Review

    Think Tank Retrospective 30 Camera Bag Modeling Photos
    The Think Tank Retrospective 30 for Street Photography (like my shoes?)

    As a street photographer who is always trying to capture fleeting moments, its important to always have your camera by your side. With the craziness of everyday life this can often be extremely difficult. That’s why I highly recommend everybody to get a messenger bag for their street photography, as it is a casual way to always have your camera by your side (without sticking out like a sore thumb). The kind folks over at Think Tank photo were generous enough to send me over the Think Tank Retrospective 30, their specialized camera bag for street photographers. Having used it for about two weeks now, I can say flat-out that I am in love. Read more on this review to get the gritty on this essential piece of equipment. Warning–there is a ton of photos below (and also a video!). (more…)

  • How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer

    How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer

    Photo by Charlie Kirk
    Photo by Charlie Kirk

    I believe that getting a good street photograph is 80% balls and 20% skill. If you look at the work of such street photographers as Bruce Gilden and Charlie Kirk, you will see that they have incredibly memorable images. Why is that? It is because they get close to their subjects—uncomfortably close by most people’s standards.

    One of the most popular questions I am asked by the community is how to build courage when it comes to street photography. I have learned a ton over the last several years about building the guts to get extremely close to people and take their photograph without their permission. In this blog post I will go in-depth about how you can become a fearless street photographer.

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  • A Great Present for a Street Photographer: USB Film Roll

    Too damn sweet.

    There is nobody harder to shop for than a street photographer. The only things they would probably want is a Leica M9 or an old-school Rolleiflex. If you ever want to please the street photographer in your life, lighten up your wallet and check out these unique USB Film rolls from Photojojo at $20 a pop. They even got some cool ideas what you can do with your old film canisters here. Anybody thinking about picking up some of these or trying to hack their own version at home? More photos included below. Oh yeah if anybody has some extra cash, I could definitely use one ;).

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  • Announcing New Street Photography Shirts in our Store!

    Announcing New Street Photography Shirts in our Store!

    Recently on my Facebook fan page I asked you guys what kinds of shirts you wanted to see. I heard a lot of input that you wanted shirts that had less focus on the cameras and gear, and more of the love of street photography itself. Therefore I designed these shirts for you to to show your street photography pride–wherever you go. You can see all of the designs in the store.

    I am also excited to announce that 10% of all proceeds will go to the Sukhee Chung Photography Foundationwhich strives to spread the love of photography to under-privileged youth in Los Angeles. This way by purchasing a shirt, you will help support other aspiring photographers as well. Everybody is a winner.

    Tell us what other designs you would like to see by leaving a comment below!

  • 8 Inspirational Street Photographs of Feet

    8 Inspirational Street Photographs of Feet

    Feet Street Photograhy
    Benoit Rousseau

    On my Facebook fan page I announced that the street photography assignment for the week was “feet.” There were tons of great entries, and I cherry-picked the best ones to be featured here. Stay tuned for next week’s assignment!

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  • Interview with Chris Porsz: Soulful Black and White Images of Peterborough from the 80’s

    Interview with Chris Porsz: Soulful Black and White Images of Peterborough from the 80’s

    "Gladstone St Early 80s" - Chris Porsz
    "Gladstone St Early 80s" – Chris Porsz

    For this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing street photographer Chris Porsz from Petersborough, England. His work has spanned over several decades, and his images are iconic and classic. When I first saw his soulful black and white images, I knew that I had to feature him on my blog. I hope you enjoy his images and words as much as I did.

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  • Ask the Community: What is Your Street Photography Story?

    Ask the Community: What is Your Street Photography Story?

    escape
    "Escape" by Eric Kim (one of my earlier works)

    We all found out about street photography in different ways. Some of us may have been inspired after looking at the images of Henri Cartier-Bresson photo book while some of us may have learned about it by chance.

    How did you learn about street photography? Leave a comment below and share your story! I will select the best stories out there in one of my next blog posts!

  • New #streettogs T-Shirt Design! (Red Dot)

    New #streettogs T-Shirt Design! (Red Dot)

    When asking you guys what kind of shirts you wanted, reader Mark Parry suggested a classic look, with a big red dot. After fiddling around in Photoshop, this is the design that I came with below. If you are interested in purchasing this shirt, check it out in our store! (Shirts are also available for ladies!)

    Click to enter the store.

    Popular Designs:

    Are there any other designs you would like to see? Leave a comment below and tell us what kinds of designs (or additional colors) you want!

  • Photo Essay: The Imaginative Street Photography of Siegfried Becker

    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
    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. 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.

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  • I Shoot Street Photography Women’s T-Shirt Photoshoot

    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!

    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)
    I Shoot Street Photography (Women's)

    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!

  • 13 Inspirational Examples of Travel Street Photography

    13 Inspirational Examples of Travel Street Photography

    "Hitchcock" - Hamburg, Germany - Thomas Leuthard
    "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.

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  • 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?

    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?

    Fujifilm FinePix X100
    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.

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  • 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

    The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photographs in the Rain

    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.

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

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

    Rui Palha Street Photography Black and White
    Rui Palha

    On Facebook when I asked for a recommendation for my next interview, many of you directed 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. (more…)

  • Is This Photo Ethical?

    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.

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  • Interview with Street Photographer Stephen Leslie, color film specialist and storyteller

    Interview with Street Photographer Stephen Leslie, color film specialist and storyteller

    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.

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

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

    Black and White vs Color for Street Photography.Â

    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.

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  • The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photography Portraits

    The 13 Most Inspirational Street Photography Portraits

    Big glasses
    "Big glasses" – Simon Garnier

    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.

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

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

    "God Bless America" - Gena
    "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.

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  • Featured Street Photographer: Jason Martini from Chicago, Illinois

    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.

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  • Is Manual Focus or Autofocus Better for Street Photography?

    Is Manual Focus or Autofocus Better for Street Photography?

    “Walking Along” – Santa Monica 3rd Street Promenade

    Recently 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/disadvantages 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).

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  • Photo Essay: The Beautiful Decay of Detroit, Michigan

    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.

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

    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.

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  • The 30 Most Inspirational Street Photographs on Flickr

    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.

    Knee Boarding : Chained from hand to toe

    Chained from hand to toe by rhohit

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  • Featured Street photographer: Michael Martin from Manhattan, New York

    Featured Street photographer: Michael Martin from Manhattan, New York

    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.

    "Discretions" by Michael Mann

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

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

    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.

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  • “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 10 Most Inspirational Street Photographs on Facebook

    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
    Click to see more

    “Pipe it in” by Jason Martini

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

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

    Turn that Frown Upside Down!
    "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 have encountered 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 or belligerent people.

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  • Gizmodo Shooting Challenge: B&W Street Photography

    Click to read more
    Click to read more

    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.

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  • Why You Should Always Use and Abuse Your Gear

    Why You Should Always Use and Abuse Your Gear

    Click to read more
    A true photographer's camera.

    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.

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  • 5 Reasons Why Digital Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

    5 Reasons Why Digital Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

    Click to read article
    Click to read article on Yanidel's Site

    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 Sample Photos Live!

    Fujifilm FinePix x100 Camera. Truly Gorgeous.
    Fujifilm FinePix x100 Camera. My next camera for street photography.

    My good friend and fellow street photographer 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!

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  • Street Photography Interview on ShutterSalt

    Street Photography Interview on ShutterSalt

    Click to read the interview
    Click to read the interview

    Hey guys,

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

  • How did you get started with Street Photography?

    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! :)

  • The Journey from a DSLR to a Rangefinder

    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.

    Click to read more

    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, etc… just seem like the natural thing to do.

    One thing kept coming up in terms of camera gear….. Rangefinder cameras.

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

    Disclaimer – 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.  Please don’t think that my comments towards rangefinders is a put down on DSLR’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.

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  • Featured Street Photographer: Derk Zijlker from Amsterdam

    Featured Street Photographer: Derk Zijlker from Amsterdam

    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.

    Click to read more
    "Snowy Umbrella" – Amsterdam – Derk Zijlker

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  • “Walking with a Camera”

    “Walking with a Camera”

    Two lovers

    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/

  • The 11 Most Inspirational Street Photographs from Twitter

    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 by Juwan Dickerson

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  • Disposable Camera Street Photography by Eric Kim

    Disposable Camera Street Photography by Eric Kim

    $5 Disposable Camera from Walgreens. My new street photography camera.

    When it comes to street photography, I am a huge advocate that it doesn’t matter what camera you have for street photography. You don’t need a $6900 Leica M9 to do street photography–whatever camera you have on you will work. In-fact, there is no “best” camera for street photography, as every camera out there has its own pros/cons.

    To help bring some light to the issue that what camera you use for street photography doesn’t matter, I decided to do a new project involving disposable cameras. First inspired by the Mosaic photography contest, where contestants in Beirut, Lebanon had to take photos with disposable cameras– I was quite amazed by the results. And at $5, disposable cameras are certainly cheap. Sure buying a ton of them and developing the film isn’t, but I thought it might be a fun exercise regardless.

    All the images taken below were with a disposable $5 Walgreens camera. I am quite pleased how they came out (no post-processing applied):

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