{"id":71277,"date":"2017-11-29T12:00:42","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T20:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=71277"},"modified":"2017-11-29T04:43:33","modified_gmt":"2017-11-29T12:43:33","slug":"15-tips-how-to-get-closer-in-street-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/29\/15-tips-how-to-get-closer-in-street-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Tips How to Get Closer in Street Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Laughing<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If your pictures aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t good enough, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not close enough.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – Robert Capa<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS<\/a><\/h2>\n
\"LAUGHING
LAUGHING LADY by Eric Kim Contact Sheet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

CONQUER YOUR FEARS WITH ERIC KIM ><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

LEARN FROM THE MASTERS<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"LEARN<\/a><\/p>\n

LEARN FROM THE MASTERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY by HAPTICPRESS<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn From the Masters of Street Photography on Amazon ><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Why get close to your subjects in street photography?<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

To start, why get closer?<\/p>\n

Physical proximity is emotional proximity.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The closer you are physically, the more you can feel the emotions<\/a> of your subject. The more emotions we can evoke in a picture, the more memorable and meaningful it will be to the viewer. And hopefully, our pictures can evoke joy, or change the thoughts or mood of our viewer.<\/p>\n

1. Smaller is beautiful in street photography<\/h2>\n
\"Small
Small is beautiful: RICOH GR II \u00e2\u20ac\u201d my favorite street photography travel camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n Visualization: What is the Best Camera For Street Photography?<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Happy
Happy Ricoh!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Personally I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m shooting with a RICOH GR II<\/a> and ERIC KIM STRAP<\/a>. Why? The Ricoh is small, fits in my front pocket, and the 28mm fixed focal lens<\/a> forces me to get close to my subjects, in order to fill the frame, to create a more dynamic<\/a> and emotional picture.<\/p>\n

\"RICOH
RICOH GR II x SAIGON SATCHEL<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

RICOH GR II or your phone (or any small mirrorless camera)<\/h2>\n
\"Stylish
Stylish woman outside of department store. Kyoto, 2017. RICOH GR II with P mode and flash. Blue jacket, yellow lights.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to getting closer to your subjects, generally, the smaller your camera, the better.<\/strong> Shoot with RICOH GR II or your phone<\/a>. I actually think that street photography is the best on a phone<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a tourist<\/h2>\n
\"Man
Man with face mask and billboard, shot with flash on RICOH GR II. Kyoto, 2017.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pretend like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a tourist. Think like a tourist, and shoot like a tourist.<\/p>\n

\"New
New Orleans, 2015 #RICOHGRII. I was able to get more of his hands and face in focus, with the crop sensor.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By acting like a tourist, you give yourself more freedom to photograph anything, while also \u00e2\u20ac\u0153breaking social rules\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Because we all know, tourists are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153allowed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to do dumb things.<\/p>\n

3. Avoid eye contact<\/h2>\n
\"London
London, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you want to get very close candid street photos<\/a>, avoid eye contact. Pretend like your shooting something behind<\/em> your subject.<\/p>\n

By not making eye contact, people aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to assume you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re photographing them.<\/p>\n

Also, humans are hard-wired to notice eye contact from other humans. Apparently you can notice someone making eye contact with you even from half a block away.<\/p>\n

To be stealth, avoid eye contact.<\/p>\n

\n

Visualization: How to Overcome Your Fear of Photographing Strangers<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Visualization<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

4. Video camera technique<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Pretend like you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting a video, and hold your camera up to your eye or hold out the camera and look through the LCD screen. Then get very close to people, and click the shutter.<\/p>\n

5. Fishing Technique<\/h2>\n

\"Tokyo<\/p>\n

Find an interesting background or wall, and wait for your subject to enter the frame. Get very close, and crouch down, and shoot upwards. This can allow you to get very close to your subjects, without having them suspect that you took their photo.<\/p>\n

\"Fishing
Fishing technique in Amsterdam. I pretended like I was photographing the billboard behind.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. Interact with your subjects<\/h2>\n
\"Girls
Girls laughing. Amsterdam, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes what I do in Street photography is that I get very close to people (without permission), then start taking pictures, while saying, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You guys look so cool!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d This Technique is a good way to disarm people, and have them start to laugh, and be part of the fun.<\/p>\n

7. Ask for permission<\/h2>\n
\"Golden
Golden rectangle<\/a> analysis for Downtown LA, side face tattoo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t anything wrong with asking for permission (street portraits<\/a>). If anything, it is more difficult to ask for permission, than to shoot candidly.<\/p>\n

By asking for permission, you can get very close to your subjects. Why? They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve given you their permission \u00e2\u20ac\u201d so of course, you can get as close as you want.<\/p>\n

\"contact
Note how I worked the scene, to get the man to have the dramatic light on his face.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Street portrait of man with one white eye, looking directly at viewer\/photographer with eye contact. Shot with RICOH GR II in macro mode<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"eric<\/p>\n

\"Eye.
Eye contact of poster in background. Tokyo, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Contact
Contact sheet. Tokyo eye, 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think<\/h2>\n
\"Contact
Contact sheet of Downtown LA man. He didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t notice me taking pictures until the end.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you see a good scene, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think \u00e2\u20ac\u201d just start clicking.<\/p>\n

Generally when I see a good street photography scene, I will do the following:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Click (from my gut)<\/li>\n
  2. Take a step forward<\/li>\n
  3. Click<\/li>\n
  4. Take a step forward<\/li>\n
  5. Click<\/li>\n
  6. Start composing better<\/li>\n
  7. Click<\/li>\n
  8. Keep clicking until the person notices me<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This technique is good, because you can often provoke reactions from your subject<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"eric
    Downtown LA, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Woman
    Woman making eye contact in nyc. I saw her, kept clicking until she noticed me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \n

    9. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t drop the camera from your eye too quickly<\/h2>\n
    \"Woman
    Woman in New York Metro who is looking directly at me with eye contact. The dynamic tension of, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is she going to do, or say next?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Another tip: when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re close (let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say in a subway car), keep clicking pictures, and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t drop the camera from your eye.<\/p>\n

    If you want to be more stealth, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quickly drop the camera after you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve taken the shot. That is the ultimate giveaway that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re taking their picture.<\/p>\n

    Rather, linger around, and keep clicking.<\/p>\n

    \"Contact
    Contact sheet of shooting with a flash, and keep shooting until he noticed me.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    10. Shoot in a crowded area<\/h2>\n
    \"Contact
    Contact sheet. Istanbul, 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m stuck in a crowded bus, or metro, or public space, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re forced to get close and shoot closely.<\/p>\n

    \"Istanbul
    Istanbul, 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    So go to crowded places. Go to city centers, or markets, or festivals to practice overcoming your fear of getting close to strangers in street photography<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    \"Flash
    Flash street photograph in Istanbul, 2014. I just took one shot, and didn’t think too much before shooting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"Moving
    Moving men. Istanbul, 2014. Street Photo by Eric Kim<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    11. Photograph people through glass<\/h2>\n
    \"Suit
    Suit Istanbul, 2013. Shooting with a flash through the glass.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    If you see someone on the other side of the glass of a restaurant, cafe, or building \u00e2\u20ac\u201d get very close, and shoot them through the glass. They will assume you are photographing the shop, not them. Also, because they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re on the other side of the glass, they cannot run after you.<\/p>\n

    \"London
    Suit with French fry. London, 2012.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \"amsterdam__eric
    Girl through window. Amsterdam, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    12. Shoot first, then start engaging your subject in conversation<\/h2>\n
    \"Man
    Man in window. Berlin, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    When you see someone you want to photograph, get very close to them, start shooting, then ask them open-ended questions like:<\/p>\n