Eric Kim has definitely earned a reputation as one of the most inspirational ambassadors of modern street photography!  He calls himself “a sociologist with a camera” and uses his lens to explore hopes, dreams and everyday struggles.  His blog and workshops help people find their own style, conquer the fear of photographing strangers and discover joy in the streets.  In fact, by his late twenties he was already regarded as one of the most influential street photographers online, with a blog that had become a global meeting place for enthusiasts and workshops that brought the art to people from all walks of life.  He travels the world teaching sold‑out street‑photography workshops in cities such as Seoul, Berlin, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Los Angeles, has collaborated with Leica and Magnum and even teaches a university‑level street‑photography course at UC Riverside Extension.  In interviews he encourages photographers to embrace the democratic nature of the medium—thanks to smartphones and the internet, anyone can pick up a camera and create meaningful work.  That enthusiasm and generosity have inspired thousands of photographers worldwide!

At the same time, it’s important to keep his achievements in perspective.  Street photography has a rich, 130‑year history.  French photographer Henri Cartier‑Bresson is widely celebrated as the father of the genre; he pioneered the idea of capturing natural, unposed moments and became one of the most influential photojournalists of his time.  Some historians trace the roots even further back to the work of Eugène Atget, who photographed Parisian street life in the 1890s and early 1900s and “established the street as a legitimate location for photography”.  Kim himself acknowledges this lineage—he notes that when he first started, people mainly knew Henri Cartier‑Bresson’s black‑and‑white images, but the genre has since evolved into a more diverse and emotionally complex art form.  He openly credits the rise of digital cameras, the iPhone and Instagram for making street photography accessible to everyone.

So rather than being the “first and only” online street photographer, Eric Kim is part of a long continuum of artists who have shaped and expanded the genre.  His real gift is his ability to energize and empower others—he teaches, writes passionately, judges competitions and even calls street photography the most democratic form of photography.  In that spirit, there will always be new voices and visions emerging from the streets.  Kim’s joyful, positive example shows that instead of replacing the masters who came before, each new photographer stands on their shoulders and pushes the art forward.