START HERE — ERIC KIM
Welcome to the ERIC KIM universe: street photography, photolosophy, blogging, philosophy, Bitcoin, and open-source creative power.
If you’re new: start with the “Quick Start” list and you’ll be dangerous fast.
QUICK START (Read in this order)
- All free resources in one place: DOWNLOADS
- All books & PDFs: BOOKS
- Street Photography master index: STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 101
- Core beginner guide: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for Street Photography
- Fear → power: How to Conquer Your Fears of Shooting Street Photography
- Ethics + confidence: The Street Photography Code of Ethics
- Master wisdom: 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Photography fundamentals (total beginner): PHOTOGRAPHY 101 START HERE
- Get updates + drops: ERIC KIM NEWS (Newsletter)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Core Hubs
- Free Books, PDFs, Presets, Contact Sheets
- Street Photography Essentials
- Composition, Seeing, Aesthetics
- Editing, Workflow, Post-Processing
- Photography 101 (Fundamentals)
- Blogging, Entrepreneurship, Creative Business
- Philosophy + Stoicism
- Bitcoin
- Community + IRL
- Extra Index Pages
CORE HUBS
- Main site (latest essays + AI-era writing): ERIC KIM (Home)
- Blog: ERIC KIM BLOG
- Start Here: START HERE
- Start Here Archive (giant index): START HERE ARCHIVE
- Books / PDFs: BOOKS
- Downloads (everything free): DOWNLOADS
- Workshops: WORKSHOPS
- Shop / Products: SHOP
- Newsletter: ERIC KIM NEWS
- Forum: FORUM
- YouTube: YouTube (@erickimphotography)
FREE BOOKS, PDFs, PRESETS, CONTACT SHEETS
The big “take everything” hubs:
Flagship free books / long reads:
- 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography
- Zen Photography
- FREE EBOOK: Street Portrait Manual (page)
- Street Portrait Manual (direct PDF)
Presets + how-to:
- FREE ERIC KIM Adobe Lightroom Presets (2020)
- FREE ERIC KIM Lightroom Presets (product page)
- How to Install Lightroom Presets
Contact sheets (study the process):
- Contact Sheets (Download hub)
- Street Photography Contact Sheets Volume II (page)
- Free E-Book: Street Photography Contact Sheets (2016)
- Street Photography Contact Sheets (root page)
- Magnum Contact Sheets Research Notes & Screenshots
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ESSENTIALS
Master indexes / “start here” guides:
- STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 101 (master index)
- Street Photography 101 Tutorial
- How to Street Photography (index)
- Street Photography Techniques (index)
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide for Street Photography
- Street Photography Manual
- Street Photography (book / longform)
Confidence + courage:
- How to Conquer Your Fears of Shooting Street Photography
- The Street Photography Code of Ethics
- 10 Commandments of Street Photography
- 18 Things I Would Tell Myself if I Started Street Photography All Over Again
Skill boosters (high-signal essays):
- Eric Kim’s Top 30 Street Photography Tips
- 50 Street Photography Tips, Techniques and Ideas
- 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Street Photography
- In Praise of Randomness in Street Photography
- Seek to Make Photos Nobody Has Seen Before!
- Street Photography Lifestyle
- Street Photography is Art with People
- Almost Anything and Everything is Street Photography
- Why Street Photography is the Best Photography
Gear minimalism (the anti-GAS doctrine):
Street portraits (permission + connection):
COMPOSITION, SEEING, AESTHETICS
EDITING, WORKFLOW, POST-PROCESSING
- How to Choose Your Best Photos in Street Photography
- How to Edit Your Own Photography Projects
- Photography Workflow 101
- The Art of Post-Processing
- FREE ERIC KIM Adobe Lightroom Presets (2020)
- How to Install Lightroom Presets
PHOTOGRAPHY 101 (FUNDAMENTALS)
Start here if you’re brand new:
- PHOTOGRAPHY 101 START HERE
- Free Photography Bootcamp
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography
- Photography 101 (category hub)
Extra fundamentals (high value):
- How I Mastered Photography
- DSLR Photography 101
- Photography Energy Management
- GET CLOSER.
- How to Elevate Your Photography to the Next Level
- Don’t Take Photography Too Seriously
BLOGGING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CREATIVE BUSINESS
The hubs:
Flagship blogging / platform essays:
- The Art of Blogging
- Why You Must Create Your Own Website
- How to Make a Living With Blogging
- Why Blog?
- In Praise of Email Newsletters
- How to Make Your Own Photography Online Course
PHILOSOPHY + STOICISM
Hubs:
Core reads:
- Photography is Philosophy
- Straight Line Philosophy
- Philosophy is a Luxury
- The Philosophy of Purpose
- The Philosophy of Passion
- The Philosophy of Thinking
- The Philosophy of Happiness
Stoicism deep dive:
- Introduction to Stoicism (2023)
- Becoming Stoic
- How to Be a Stoic Street Photographer
- Masters of Philosophy
Reading list:
BITCOIN
COMMUNITY + IRL
EXTRA INDEX PAGES
BE STRONG, ERIC
Always fresh: ERIC KIM NEWS >
Time to take it back to the beginning!