{"id":63883,"date":"2017-08-26T20:07:10","date_gmt":"2017-08-27T03:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=63883"},"modified":"2017-08-26T20:25:25","modified_gmt":"2017-08-27T03:25:25","slug":"street-photography-secrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/26\/street-photography-secrets\/","title":{"rendered":"Street Photography Secrets"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Whisper.
Mumbai, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Secrets which I wish someone told me about street photography, if I started all over again:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Use an external flash to make surreal images<\/h2>\n
\"Glasses.
Mumbai, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One technique I learned from Bruce Gilden<\/a> and my friends Charlie Kirk<\/a> and Dirty Harrry<\/a> is to shoot with an off-camera flash, attached with a cord or wireless trigger.<\/p>\n

You can make dynamic street photographs by putting the flash below<\/em> the face of your subject, to make them look \u00e2\u20ac\u0153spooky\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

\"Leica
My old setup from 2011. Leica M9, Canon 430ex Flash, GoPro HD 960. My street photography flash setup (for recording).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Direct your subjects and ask them, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Can you do that again?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n

Another practical tip, you can \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cheat\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in Street Photography by asking your subject to replay their hand gestures or things they did.<\/p>\n

For example, I saw this man blowing his nose, then he stopped. I asked him to blow his nose again, then I made this picture:<\/p>\n

\"Sneeze
Man blowing nose. Los Angeles, 2011<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Get low<\/h2>\n
\"Downtown
Downtown LA, 2011. Lowrider. Leica M9. Lowrider<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To make more dynamic, edgy pictures, crouch down… very low.<\/p>\n

\"Shooting
Shooting street photography in Downtown LA with the Leica M9, 35mm lens, and off-camera flash. Photo by Rinzi Ruiz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This way, you make your subjects look \u00e2\u20ac\u0153larger than life\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and also, your subjects are LESS INTIMIDATED by you when you crouch down<\/strong>. Why? You seem smaller, and less intimidating.<\/p>\n

Anything you can do to make yourself less intimidating is good in Street Photography.<\/p>\n

4. Compliment people, and call them \u00e2\u20ac\u0153badass\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
\"Downtown
Downtown LA, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whenever I see tough looking folks, I always compliment why<\/em> I think they look cool or tough.<\/p>\n

\"contact
Note how I worked the scene, to get the man to have the dramatic light on his face.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Usually I will say,<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u009dExcuse me sir, you look pretty fucking badass. Do you mind if I make a portrait of you?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never been rejected.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Downtown LA, 2011 (shot with the Leica M9 and a 35mm lens and flash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Head
Head tattoo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Photographing a man with tattoos in Downtown La<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
I was teaching a street photography workshop in Venice with Adam Marelli– and a couple of us were having drinks and dinner at a bar there. I saw this tough looking guy sitting at the end of the bar, and I thought he would make a great subject. I approached him (a bit tipsy) and asked if I could take a few portraits of him as he looked great. At first he started laughing and he refused, but I persisted. I then started to snap a few photos, and saw he had an interesting tattoo under his shirt. I asked him to show me the tattoo, and to my surprise– he started to take off his watch and started to unbotton his shirt. I then took a few photos, and this one being the most interesting to me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Turn lemons into lemonade<\/h2>\n

If you want to photograph someone, and they get angry at you, or reject you… turn that negative opportunity into a positive one.<\/p>\n

For example, I was shooting a woman and she got upset. I then suggested, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Can I photograph your nails instead?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d She was flattered and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\"Fingernails.
Downtown LA, 2012. Leica M9 and flash.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Be aggressive<\/h2>\n

If you want to make more interesting street pictures, you gotta be aggressive<\/a>. Why? If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re meek and shoot from too far away, use telephoto lenses, or try to zoom… your pictures will never have energy, danger, and intimacy.<\/p>\n

\"dark-skies-over-tokyo-dodge-leica-m9-2012eric
Tokyo, 2012. Leica M9, flash, f16<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. Shoot with a flash through transparent materials<\/h2>\n

Experiment with a flash through different materials.<\/p>\n

For example, use a flash through a see-through umbrella, like this picture in Tokyo:<\/p>\n

\"Tokyo
Tokyo. 2015. Shot with RICOH GR II in P MODE, with flash, through a translucent umbrella.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This will add more texture, surrealism, and interest to your pictures.<\/p>\n

8. Pretend like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting the background behind<\/em> your subject.<\/h2>\n
\"Man
SF, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make eye contact if you want to get close and shoot layers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Layers
London, 2015. Layers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. Cut in front of people when shooting them<\/h2>\n

If you shoot with a wide-angle lens, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say a 28mm lens<\/a>, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t shoot from the side. Get close, and shoot head-on.<\/p>\n

To do this, when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re walking on a sidewalk, cut in front of the person, and click… close to them, almost bumping into them:<\/p>\n

\"eric
Shooting head-on \/ NYC, 2015 \/ Ricoh GR II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10. Provoke a reaction<\/h2>\n

Another tip, provoke a reaction by keep on photographing a scene, until your subject notices you, and looks at you:<\/p>\n

\"\"
Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Contact
Contact sheet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11. The best photographers are the best liars<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As Calvin says, what you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/em> include in a frame gives you a false view of reality.<\/p>\n

Calvin says that people think that the camera is a dispassionate, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153objective\u00e2\u20ac\u009d viewer of reality.<\/p>\n

\"Tucson,
Tucson, 2014. Lady with red hair and yellow shirt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Truth: all pictures are subjective views of reality, through the opinion, perspective, and lens of the photographer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tucson-contact-jpeg
People think this picture is a candid photo. It is not.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

12. Conclusion: There is no \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Shot at Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We all somehow follow this unwritten rule by Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/a> in Street Photography, that we cannot interact with our subjects, pose our subjects, etc.<\/p>\n

Yet, HCB never called himself a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. And several of his pictures were posed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Not only that, but other giants of street photography (Garry Winogrand<\/a> for example), HATED the term \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Long story short, never let anyone define street photography for you, or superimpose their definition on you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Also, never let anybody else tell you how to shoot street photography, and how NOT<\/em> to shoot street photography, including ERIC KIM. Because all photographers are egotistical and think that their<\/em> way of shooting is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153best\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153right\u00e2\u20ac\u009d way.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Define street photography for yourself. Or better yet, just have fun, shoot, and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t define your photography.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So friend, SHOOT STRONG, live long, and prosper visually as an artist, THRIVE<\/a> as a human being, and never stop shooting!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sapa, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LEARN MORE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY SECRETS at ERIC KIM EXPERIENCE<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 101<\/a><\/h1>\n

\"Tokyo,<\/p>\n

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re new to street photography, start here:<\/p>\n