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Dear friend,
If you’re new to street photography and want a definitive guide and primer to master the fundamentals of street photography, Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography is for you.
Distilled Wisdom in Street Photography
Why did I write Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography when I’ve already written over 3,000 blog posts on street photography and over 20 eBooks on street photography?
For me, it was a chance for me to respire my “beginner’s mind” in street photography– asking myself: “If I started street photography all over again, what advice would I give myself?”
Like all of us, I deal with difficulty staying inspired and motivated in street photography. In writing this book, I was able to “take it back to basics”, and ask myself the fundamental questions:
- Why is street photography so enjoyable?
- What is the best equipment for street photography?
- How do I get closer and more intimate with my subjects, and hesitate less?
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography is all killer, no filler. In these 165 pages of practical and philosophical knowledge, you will learn how to master the fundamentals of street photography: all the way from the ideal camera equipment and technical settings for street photography, to conquering your fears and creating more beautiful and dynamic pictures of everyday life.
This book is also unique because it isn’t just a manual on how to shoot street photography — it is also part photobook which includes the best photos from my “Suits” and “Only in America” series.
Empower Yourself by Mastering the Fundamentals of Street Photography
In Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography you will learn:
- What is best camera for street photography?
- Practical tips and guidance how to start shooting street photography
- Overcoming hesitation and fear to capture “the decisive moment”
- Confidently interacting and engaging with your subjects
- Capture authentic moments in the streets, either with or without permission
- Boldly get closer in street photography to capture the soul of your subject
- Starting your own street photography project that is personally-meaningful to you
- Discover your own personal aesthetic and style in street photography
- Harnessing the power of the flash to make street photographs that pop
- Never running out of inspiration in street photography
If I’m not a beginner street photographer, is this book for me?
If you’re an intermediate-advanced street photographer, and have already mastered the fundamentals of street photography, I think you can still profit from Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography.
In Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography, we also cover more intermediate-advanced street photography concepts such as:
- Discovering your own unique style and voice in street photography
- Staying true and authentic to your own photographic vision
- Shooting with a flash in street photography
- Is street photography subjective or objective? Making social commentary through your photos.
- Building the boldness to engage with your subjects, and to hesitate less
- Crafting dynamic multi-layered and multi-subject street photographs
- Misconceptions about “The Decisive Moment”
- Staying inspired, and staying fresh in street photography
- Unorthodox techniques and places you can shoot street photography
- The Cherry on Top: What differentiates a mediocre and great street photograph?
Inspirational Assignments to Push You Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography will help push you outside of your comfort zone with 37 empowering chapters, and 12 of the best street photography assignments to hone your skills.
This book is like your own personal street photography workshop, that is always with you — in your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Freedom and Flexibility of Open Source: This Book Belongs to You
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography is non-DRM (Digital Rights Management).
You have the freedom to copy the book and transfer it to as many devices as you desire, with no limit.
Also, you are more than free to share the book with friends, family, or loved ones. Once you purchase the book, you own it, and you can remix it, share it, or distribute/store it however you desire.
Buy Books, Not Gear
Even if you are an intermediate-advanced street photographer, Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography will help re-spark your passion for street photography, and help you reflect again on the fundamentals of street photography. This book will refresh your perspective on street photography, and help return you to your “beginner’s mind”, when you were fresh, excited, and infinitely curious about street photography.
Become the Best Street Photographer You Can Be
Ultimately street photography is up to you. You decide how to shoot street photography for yourself, what style suits you, and what your own artistic vision is in street photography.
Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Street Photography will be a guide, and give you practical tips and suggestions to point you in the right direction.
Don’t miss your opportunity to gain all of the practical wisdom, knowledge, and information to take your street photography to the next level.
BE BOLD,
ERIC & CINDY
Lisbon, 2018
Table of Contents
The Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Start Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Authenticity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Fear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Assignment 1: 10 No Challenge . . . . . 10
Assignment 2: Shoot Yourself . . . . . . 12
Assignment 3: Admit Your Fears . . . . . 14
Engage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Assignment 4: Work the Scene . . . . . 18
Get Close . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Assignment 5: Diagonal . . . . . . . . 32
Always Be Prepared . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Assignment 6: Take your camera for a walk 36
Aesthetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Set it and Forget It! . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Surrealism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Assignment 7: Don’t make eye contact . . 58
Tell Lies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Work the Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Assignment 8: Shoot 25% More . . . . . 64
Assignment 9: Overlay . . . . . . . . 66
Forbidden Places . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Assignment 10: Elevator . . . . . . . . 70
Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Mystery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Juxtaposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Emotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Dynamic Composition . . . . . . . . . . 92
The Cherry on Top . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Assignment 11: Love . . . . . . . . . 96
Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Dramatic Light . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Social Commentary . . . . . . . . . . 108
Urban Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Decisive Moments . . . . . . . . . . .130
Eyes Are the Windows to the Soul . . . . .132
Assignment 12: Eye Contact. . . . . . .134
Lenses & Focal Length . . . . . . . . . .136
Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Don’t Chimp . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
LCD vs Viewfinder . . . . . . . . . . 142
Editing (Select) Your Best Photos. . . . . 144
Post-Processing . . . . . . . . . . . 146
How to Stay Inspired . . . . . . . . . 148
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150
Learn More . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152