{"id":47216,"date":"2017-04-16T03:18:35","date_gmt":"2017-04-16T10:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=47216"},"modified":"2017-04-16T03:20:12","modified_gmt":"2017-04-16T10:20:12","slug":"how-to-take-more-risks-in-street-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/04\/16\/how-to-take-more-risks-in-street-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take More Risks in Street Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eric<\/p>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I think the reason why street photography is fun is because it is risky.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Shoot what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re afraid of<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I know whenever I see a good potential street photograph, I get scared. I feel the heart bumping out of my chest. I feel the cold sweats on my back.<\/p>\n

Fear is what directs me in street photography.<\/p>\n

I have a personal rule:<\/p>\n

\n If I see something that scares me, I must photograph it.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For me, fear is our guide. Fear tells us what might be an interesting scene.<\/p>\n

For me, my fear is a guide and mentor. My fear tells me:<\/p>\n

\n Eric, the reason you are afraid is because you want to make the photo. You are just afraid that the person might reject you, might get angry at you, might punch you, or you might just get a bad photo.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Channel your fear<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I often think that we confuse fear and enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

I think if we did more things in life that we were afraid of \u00e2\u20ac\u201d we would live more epic, noble, and fulfilling lives.<\/p>\n

For example, whenever I photograph something that scares me \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I usually have a higher chance of making a better photograph. This is because scary street photos are hard to shoot. Which means, fewer people have probably photographed similar scenes.<\/p>\n

My mentor Charlie Kirk<\/a> is the street photographer who had the strongest influence on me when I started off. He took hard photos. He has been pulled into the police station. He has gotten into fights. He had massive skin in the game \u00e2\u20ac\u201d he had guts, bravado, and his courage impressed me.<\/p>\n

Charlie once told me, that you need to make difficult photos. Because difficult photos are what drive the genre of photography forward.<\/p>\n

In street photography, we have lots of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dceasy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 street photos we can shoot. We can use the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcfishing\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 technique (look for an interesting background, wait for someone to walk into the photo). If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a beginner, this is a good technique. But if you want to evolve in your street photography, and take your work to the next level \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you need to take more gutsy shots. Photos where you are like Garry Winogrand \u00e2\u20ac\u201d shooting head-on. Photos where you are using a wide-angle lens (28mm-35mm), and getting close\u00e2\u20ac\u201d both physically, emotionally, and spiritually with your subjects.<\/p>\n

3. Bruce Gilden is my hero<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Another photographer who I greatly admire is Bruce Gilden<\/a>. He puts his heart and soul into his photos, and gets a lot of flack for it. But he is honest. He is real. He is raw. He has no bullshit. This is why I love him. He is who he is \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fake to be anybody else.<\/p>\n

Not only that, but he is aggressive in street photography (the same as his personality in real life). Yet in real life, he is actually a very honest and genuine person (I have met him in 2011 at a Leica Monochrom event in Paris). And he is a genuinely loving human being \u00e2\u20ac\u201d with some rough edges.<\/p>\n

4. No guts, no glory<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to go out and shoot street photography, just to show off your bravado or how courageous you are.<\/p>\n

But the truth is, without guts in street photography \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you will never get any glory<\/strong>. Not glory like getting lots of likes on social media. Glory in personal glory \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to be proud of your photos, your personal growth, and your confidence.<\/p>\n

5. Street photography and real life<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

I honestly feel that street photography is the best genre of photography. It is the genre of photography that makes us more human. We interact with strangers. We build our confidence. We put our hearts on our sensors. We take photos that scare the shit out of us.<\/p>\n

But it is because street photography is risky which makes it so rewarding.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anything easy in photography is boring. This is why landscape photography bores me. No tree is going to yell at me for making his photo. But real human beings might.<\/p>\n

6. How to be a better street photographer<\/h2>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

Honestly, the best way to become a better street photograph is to become more courageous. To have more guts. To be more courageous. To conquer your personal fears\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or by turning fear into your slave.<\/strong> Which means, fear is your personal guide\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and he will tell you when to hit the shutter and when not to hit the shutter.<\/p>\n

I know the more courage I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gained in street photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the more courage I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gained in real life.<\/p>\n