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Dear friend,<\/p>\n
If you want to work on your own (meaningful) photography project, this is the advice I would give to you:<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/eric-kim-street-photography-the-city-of-angels-black-and-white-4-street-portrait-hearts-tattoo-downtown-la-800x532.jpg?resize=800%2C532\")
<\/p>\n
Everything you need to master street photography for yourself:<\/p>\n
Street Photography 101 ><\/a><\/p>\n The first question is,<\/p>\n \n Why work on a street photography project?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n For myself, it is a fun challenge to constrain yourself in the limits of a project. To have a certain theme, concept or idea and to carry it out from beginning to end is interesting, challenging, and fun!<\/p>\n So the problem is this: All the knowledge we have on photography projects comes from the antiquated concepts of working on a photography book. In the past, that was the only way to publish your own work, in a way which you were able to control the sequencing and edit of your photos (which photos you wanted to include). In the past, in the times of LIFE magazine, magazine editors would often crop the photos of the photographers, and had all editorial control over how the photos were presented. With the photography book, photographers were (finally) able to have more control over how their photos were presented and consumed.<\/p>\n But nowadays, times have changed. There are so many new ways to share your photos! You can publish your photos on your website in galleries, you can print “zines” (magazines of your work), you can make prints, you can make PDF ebooks of your work, you can make slideshows of your photos to music and upload it to YouTube, or you can share photos on Facebook and Instagram.<\/p>\n So nowadays realize that there are many options for you to present your photos and projects, and there are probably new ways of presenting your work that hasn’t yet been discovered yet either!<\/p>\n To start off, I wouldn’t recommend starting a photography project to build your own legitimacy. I’ve done this in the past to try to be considered a “serious” photographer by my peers, and this has only led me down paths of frustration, self-doubt, and losing my passion and enthusiasm for photography.<\/p>\n My suggestion for working on a project:<\/p>\n \n Only work on photography projects you’re passionate about, and only work on them in a way which suits your personal style. Stop the project once you’re bored.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I actually think boredom is a good sign that we have exhausted the possibilities of a project. Boredom is our naturalistic instinct; we should channel it in a positive way. When we are bored working on something, it means that it is no longer challenging or interesting us.<\/p>\n To break it down, there are many different types of photography projects. Some concepts that I’ve found work well include:<\/p>\n A simple type of project is the “typology” project. You just determine the subject-matter you want to photograph (like dogs, urban landscapes, portraits, old people) and you stick to it. For example, note all the photos in my SUITS<\/a> project (men in suits).<\/p>\n That can mean you’re out in the streets, only photographing the subject-matter which pertains to your project. But my practical tip is this: Focus on your subject matter, but when you see other stuff you want to photograph, shoot that as well<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For example, let’s say your project is shooting street portraits (closeup portraits of strangers). But if you see an interesting candid street photography moment, JUST SHOOT IT!<\/p>\n The typology project is simple and fun. You can just photograph a single color for an entire day (like the color red), and only shoot red things for a day. This will help train your eyes.<\/p>\n The duration of your project can be however long or short as you desire. A day, a week, a month, a year, a decade, or maybe even your lifetime!<\/p>\n Stick to a certain place (whether a city, neighborhood, area, or social institution) and document it.<\/p>\n This type of photography project would be good for you if you’re the type of photographer who likes to document history, and if you’re particularly drawn to a certain neighborhood, or if you’re “stuck” in a certain area.<\/p>\n This space you document can be “liminal” (exists anywhere), such as the subway (“Subway” by Bruce Davidson<\/a>), the mall, the airport, or fast food restaurants. Even Garry Winogrand<\/a> did a photography book on the Zoo (called ‘The Animals’).<\/p>\n Or you can document a specific neighborhood, like the Mission district in In San Francisco, or the Suburbs of LA.<\/p>\n Or you can document a certain city, like Alex Webb<\/a>‘s “Istanbul” book.<\/p>\n Martin Parr<\/a> documented this small beachside resort in his book, “The Last Resort<\/a>” with zusto for around three months.<\/p>\n Another idea: document a certain social group of people. Josef Koudelka<\/a> did this in his “Gypsies<\/a>” project (for 10 years).<\/p>\n For myself, I’ve documented photos inside a boxing gym (GALLO BOXING<\/a> in Lansing, Michigan), powerlifting gym (TUFUNGA in Emeryville, Oakland):<\/p>\n
\nWhy work on a street photography project?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SUITS-BY-ERIC-KIM6-1000x663.jpg?resize=1000%2C663\")
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\nInnovative processes for photography projects<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SUITS-BY-ERIC-KIM11-1000x663.jpg?resize=1000%2C663\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SUITS-BY-ERIC-KIM9-1000x663.jpg?resize=1000%2C663\")
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\nWhat is a “project” anyways?<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/san-diego-suit-1000x664.jpg?resize=1000%2C664\")
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\n1. Typology (what TYPE of photos are you shooting? What is your subject-matter?)<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/SUITS-BY-ERIC-KIM10-1000x663.jpg?resize=1000%2C663\")
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<\/p>\n![\"NYC](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/774C9DDA-73A5-4729-9FA1-323E35D3AC21-1000x750.jpeg?resize=1000%2C750\")
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\n2. A place (location)<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n![\"Suit](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/F7883DB2-8384-4EF7-94DC-92926BFD22DE-800x531.jpeg?resize=800%2C531\")
<\/p>\n![\"Suit](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/CEA54A56-F170-4185-814D-C61C9777A995-800x531.jpeg?resize=800%2C531\")
<\/p>\n3. A certain subculture or community<\/h2>\n
![\"Suits](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/D06F9FD4-BC36-4946-8EDC-7322558D6A2E-800x531.jpeg?resize=800%2C531\")
<\/p>\nGALLO BOXING<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Gallo-2-660x437.jpg?resize=660%2C437\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gallo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Gallo-13-437x660.jpg?resize=437%2C660\")
![\"Gallo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Gallo-4-660x437.jpg?resize=660%2C437\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Gallo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Gallo-11-660x437.jpg?resize=660%2C437\")
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<\/p>\n![\"Gallo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Gallo-9-660x437.jpg?resize=660%2C437\")
![\"Gallo](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Gallo-6-2000x1325.jpg?resize=1180%2C782\")
![\"eric](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/R0061733-1-800x530.jpg?resize=800%2C530\")
<\/p>\n![\"eric](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/R0061850-1-800x1208.jpg?resize=800%2C1208\")
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Provincetown-The-Old-Colony-2-533x800.jpg?resize=533%2C800\")
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/Provincetown-The-Old-Colony-7.jpg?resize=800%2C533\")
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