{"id":53338,"date":"2017-06-20T04:02:40","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T11:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=53338"},"modified":"2017-06-22T01:57:23","modified_gmt":"2017-06-22T08:57:23","slug":"street-photography-zen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/20\/street-photography-zen\/","title":{"rendered":"Street Photography Zen"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Kyoto, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Street photography Zen,
\nWhere can I begin, my friend?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Look up and down.<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Tokyo, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First tip, treat street photography like walking meditation, and shoot everything, with a 360 degree panoramic view.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Don’t just shoot ahead. Rather, look down and up.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kyoto, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I was shooting in Kyoto, some of my best photos happened when I looked up. I reveled at the architecture, and the sights of the historical city.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Kyoto, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Often when I look down, I find inspiring remnants of everyday life. Often it is just a small glove, a leaf on the floor, or a shadow or puddle that inspires me.<\/p>\n

2. Walk 50% slower than you normally do.<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I’m caffeinated pretty much 24\/7. When I shoot street photography, I walk too fast.<\/p>\n

Tip: try to walk 50% slower when you’re shooting.<\/strong> I try to feel the pavement beneath my feet, every step of the way.<\/p>\n

Also, I try to walk without headphones on, and with my phone off. If you shoot street photography on a phone, switch it to airplane mode.<\/p>\n

I think there are benefits to shooting street photography to music, to inspire you and pump you up. But the downside: risk of getting hit by a car, or by missing out on overhearing conversations on the streets, which might lead to interesting street portraits or encounters.<\/p>\n

3. Don’t photograph only people<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Melbourne, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I don’t think street photography needs to include people. However, the best street photos often include people.<\/p>\n

As a fun challenge, try to make a meaningful street photograph that doesn’t have a person.<\/p>\n

Photograph urban landscapes, which uplift your mood. Or shoot urban landscapes where it makes you feel sad and depressed.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Prague, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Zen street photography– street photography to cure your mind of anxiety, stress, and the bullshit of everyday living.<\/p>\n

Treat street photography as a tool to relax, appreciate the beauty in the ordinary and mundane, and to stimulate your creative brain.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Berkeley, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For more inspiration, check out my upcoming photography experiences<\/a> in Kyoto and NYC. I also recommend you to pick up a copy of STREET NOTES<\/a> from HAPTIC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Above all, make photos for yourself. And do it slowly, appreciatively, and with your soul.<\/p>\n

BE STRONG,
\nERIC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Street photography Zen, Where can I begin, my friend?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53341,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ek_photo_artist_note":"","_ek_photo_thesis":"","_ek_photo_camera":"","_ek_photo_place":"","_ek_photo_human_moment":"","_ek_photo_sequence":"","_ek_photo_question":"","_ek_photo_canonical_claim":"","_ek_photo_ai_summary":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_0692.jpg?fit=1545%2C1024&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53338\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}