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In Praise of Shadows by Michael Dees
Guest post today is by California based photographer and lover of Philosophy, Micahel Dees.
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Tag: tips
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Video Lecture: How to Shoot Street Portraits
Dear streettogs, if you want to learn more of how to shoot street portraits, I just put together a 47-minute video lecture for you! In this lecture I cover what “street portraits” are (and…
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Presentation: Tips, Techniques, and Assignments to Conquer Your Fear of Street Photography
Hey streettogs, I just uploaded some slides for a free talk I did for Chase Toronto the other day on tips, techniques, and tricks to conquer your fear of shooting street photography. You can…
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The Art of Learning Street Photography
I just re-read an excellent book titled: “The Art of Learning†by Josh Waitzkin. If you’ve ever watched the film “Searching for Bobby Fischer†(the movie about the kid chess prodigy)— that movie was…
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The Golden Rule in Street Photography: Photograph Others How You Would Like to Be Photographed
One thing I notice when I’m teaching street photography workshops is that a lot of photographers don’t like having their own photograph taken. This is a huge problem. If you want to build up…
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The 5 Elements of Effective Street Photography
My friend Todd Hatakeyama recently gave me a superbly refreshing book titled: “The 5 Elements of Effective Thinkingâ€. It is a basic primer on how to think more effectively when solving problems– and can…
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How to Overcome Your Fear in Street Photography with “Rejection Exposure Therapy”
This morning on the way to the gym, I was listening to the newest podcast episode of “Invisibilia†(a new NPR podcast on cognitive and behavioral science) and they had an episode titled “Fearlessâ€.…
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How to Harness Your Fear to Become a More Confident Street Photographer
Street photography is one of the most difficult forms of photography out there. Not only do you have to rapidly compose, frame, and approach strangers— but you have to do so with the risk…
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5 Photography Friendly Places Where You Can Practice Street Photography
(A.g.’s note: I asked some of the folks over at Streettogs Academy what part of their street photography they want to improve on. One of the many things that popped up was people are…
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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…
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How to be Confident and Courageous in Street Photography
Street photography is the most difficult type of photography out there. There is so little we can control, and it takes a lot of courage and confidence to shoot in the streets.
/ Philosophy
Please Tell Me My Photos Suck (And How I Can Improve)
We are insecure. We don’t want people to be brutally honest with us. We like feeling liked. We don’t want to hear the truth, or at least what people really think about us and…
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The Benefits of Constraints in Street Photography
I always thought to myself: the day I had unlimited money, unlimited time, and unlimited cameras was the day I could truly be creative. Funny enough, I found out that wasn’t the case. Out…
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How to Avoid Boredom in Street Photography
One of the most exciting ways to live life is to avoid boredom. By following what makes us curious, passionate, and have fun create meaning in our life. I think one of the great…
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Advice for Young Street Photographers
A few days ago I wrote a letter to my 18-year old self, and gave myself some advice on if I started street photography all over again. I told myself things I learned in…
/ Learn From the Masters
Alec Soth Advice on Approaching Strangers, Working on Projects, Photographing Abroad, and More
While in NYC, I visited the ICP bookstore and picked up “Ping Pong Conversations: Alec Soth with Francesco Zanot” a lovely photobook/series of interview questions. I found it to have lots of great wisdom…
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The “One Street Photograph a Day” Challenge
I think one of the most difficult things as a photographer is to stay inspired. How do we stay inspired to shoot everyday– when the boredom and monotony of everyday life sets in?
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It is Impossible to Take 100,000 Bad Street Photographs in a Row
I recently read some advice by author Ray Bradbury for aspiring writers: “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.†I think the same…
/ Philosophy
How to Embrace “Stream-of-Consciousness” in Street Photography
One of the best pieces of advice I got on writing is the importance of writing without editing. Which means, turn off the inner-censor in your mind and write freely. What or who is…
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10 Ways How to Have a Good Day in Street Photography
Smile at and compliment a stranger. Surprise a friend with one of your favorite prints (for no reason). Give a constructive criticism to a street photographer with 0 comments online. Promote the work of…
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10 Things Not to Do While Traveling
Don’t speak English (speak the local language) Don’t eat McDonalds or drink Starbucks (explore local food) Don’t travel with check-in luggage (keep everything to a small carry-on) Don’t keep to yourself (make new friends…
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5 Tips For Really Busy Street Photographers
Nowadays. we are all really busy. We have countless commitments at work, at home, with our friends, and with our families. It is really hard to find time to shoot street photography. Not all…
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10 Things Not to Do in Street Photography
Don’t chimp (let your shots marinate) Don’t look at bad photos (study the masters) Don’t spend time on gear review sites when you’re bored (buy books, not gear) Don’t worry about your camera (the…
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Listening to the Bass in Street Photography
I recently read something quite interesting about music. The concept was when you’re listening to music, you tend to listen to the treble (high notes) and tend to ignore the bass (low notes). Therefore…
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You Miss 100% of the Shots You Don’t Take
Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t takeâ€. I find this such a beautiful quote not only in life but also street photography. Many of us are afraid of…
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Systems vs Goals in Street Photography
One of the most interesting concepts I’ve learned recently is the concept of “Systems” vs “Goals” from a book written by Scott Adams titled: “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.”…
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5 Tips When Entering a Street Photography Contest
The photos in this article are from my new “Detroit” series. I’ve had the pleasure of being a judge for a handful of street photography competitions: including the International Street Photography Awards 2012, the…
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10 of My Street Photography Resolutions for 2015
It is that time of the year again— to make resolutions for the new year. In 2014, I wrote a post, “40 Street Photography Resolutions Ideas for 2014†and I also wrote a post…
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Streettogs gallery Work in Progress: Minh Nghia’s Photobook “In Transit”
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info. A.G.: Today’s feature is a bit different than the usual. As I said…
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Streettogs Gallery Feature: Ms. Helen Hill’s Mise-en-scène
Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Click here for more info. A.G.:There is a fine line between cinema and photography. Good cinematography and good photography shows…
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An Introduction to Zone Focusing for your Leica, Rangefinder, or DSLR
When I first started shooting street photography, I was always frustrated that my autofocus would always be too slow to capture the decisive moment. After trudging around the internet, I was first introduced to…
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35 Magnum Photographers Give Their Advice to Aspiring Photographers
Hi (Above image copyrighted by Alex Majoli) Bill Reeves, a passionate photographer who is fortunate enough to have Magnum photographers Eli Reed and Paolo Pellegrin as his mentors, told me about a blog post…
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10 Street Photography Tips from an Anonymous Street Photographer
I recently got these 10 street photography tips from an anonymous street photographer who wanted to share this information with you. I found these tips to be very insightful, and I hope you will…
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10 Famous Street Photography Quotes You Must Know
(Above image by Garry Winogrand) If you want to get a deeper insight into street photography and take better photos, I feel it is very important to study the work of the street photographers…
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Getting Close: Does It Really Make You a Better Street Photographer?
Eric’s note: The following guest blog post is by Simon Garnier, part scientist and part street photographer who lives and works in New Jersey. Read about his experiences in getting close in street photography–and…
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10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography
Don’t forget to order the new re-print of “The Decisive Moment” by Henri Cartier-Bresson! I have been doing quite a bit of research into Henri Cartier-Bresson, the godfather of street photography. Although my current…
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6 Photographers Assert Their Right to Take Photos in London (and how you can too)
This morning Fabrice Drevon told me about this video that has been getting quite a bit of buzz online about 6 photographers who stand their ground and take photos in London of private buildings…
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6 Tips How to Master Shooting Street Photography with a DSLR
When it comes to street photography, I am a huge proponent that it doesn’t matter what camera you use. Each camera has its own strengths and weaknesses, and as long as it takes photos…
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How to Become a Fearless Street Photographer
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…
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9 Tips for Aspiring Street Photographers
Recently I asked on my Facebook fan page I asked the members of the community what tips they had for aspiring street photographers. They gave some quite insightful/fun answers that I would love to…
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Street Photography 101 Guest Post on 7×5
Hey guys, Hope you guys had a great weekend and are ready for the rest of the week! Anyways recently, I had the great pleasure to write a guest blog post for a photography…
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Only Show Your Best Photos
This is a general tip which is quintessential to photography. Like they say, you are strongest as your weakest link. The same applies to photography; your photography is only good as your worst…
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25 Things I Have Learned Traveling While Backpacking in Europe
Hey guys, In lieu of my popular post on the “100 Things I Have Learned about Photography,†I originally planned on writing a “100 things I have learned about traveling in Europe†post as…