STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Eric Kim
 INTRODUCTION

Dear friend,

I am writing you this book to encapsulate everything I have learned about street
photography in the last 10 years. Consider this as a distillation of my own personal
lessons in street photography. There are no “right” and “wrong’s” in this book. This
is all just my opinion. But I hope that you will cherry-pick what resonates with you,
and throw away the rest.

Ultimately, I want your street photography to be personal. For your street photos to
have your soul embedded in them. It means to photograph others who you can
empathize with; people who you can feel their suffering or their happiness.

Shoot with your heart, Eric

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Table of contents
• Chapter 1: What is street photography?
• Chapter 2: Why shoot street photography?
• Why do I shoot street photography?
• Why do you shoot street photography?
• Chapter 3: The tools of street photography
• Chapter 4: How to shoot street photography
• Chapter 5: Composition
• Simple is better
• Remove distractions
• Don’t crop
• Use a fixed-focal (prime) lens
• “The decisive moment”
• Don’t just take 1-2 photos
• Chapter 6: How to choose your best street photos
• Is this photograph personally meaningful?
• Does the photo have emotion?
• Does the photo have any social significance?
• Let your photo “marinate”
• Chapter 7: How to stay inspired in street photography
• Document your own life
• Embrace “creative constraints”
• Don’t force it
• Conclusion
 CHAPTER 1: WHAT IS STREET PHOTOGRAPHY?

To start off, street photography is whatever you make of it.

There are no “right” and “wrong” definitions in street photography.

Street photography is simply the art of wandering in public places, and taking
photos of whatever interests you.

You don’t need to adhere yourself to any “rules.” Street photography is the most
democratic form of photography— because all you need is a public place, and a
camera, to document whatever you find interesting, and personally-meaningful to
you.

If I could define street photography, it would simply be: “Documenting humanity.”

“Humanity” can be defined however you want.

I document humanity by photographing people, buildings, things I find on the

street, and any object that makes me feel the human condition.

I think above all, street photography is about documenting others, places, and the
streets with your heart. Street photography is about having an open mind, and
wandering the streets, and exploring— with no pre-conceived ideas, notions, or
concepts.

I generally tend to agree that the “best” street photographs generally include
people, and are candid (without permission). Because generally these photos feel
more authentic, real, and “un-posed.”

However on the other hand, some of the best street photos I’ve seen are with
permission and even sometimes without people.

What matters the most is whether I can relate to a photograph with my soul.
Whether I can empathize with a subject in a photograph. Whether the photograph
reminds me of my humanity.
So don’t worry whether you photograph people (or buildings), whether you
photograph with permission or without permission, and don’t worry whether you
photograph in a busy downtown area or inside a shopping mall.

Street photography is open to everyone, open to shoot anywhere, and open to your
own interpretation. Don’t let anyone define street photography to you. Define street
photography for yourself.
 CHAPTER 2: WHY SHOOT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY?

Moving on, a better question is to consider: “Why shoot street photography?”

Street photography is for you, if you love to explore, see the world, interact with
people, are curious of strangers, and want to find some more meaning in the world
as a human being.

Why do I shoot street photography?

I personally shoot street photography because it gives me an opportunity to meet

strangers, interact with them, and to find more beauty in everyday life.

To me, street photography isn’t pretentious. And street photography has helped me
become a more confident individual.

Before shooting street photography, I was deathly afraid of photographing

strangers. Now, I can do it without nervousness, fear, or anxiety. Not only that, but
the more comfortable I am shooting street photography, the more comfortable I am
with interacting with anybody.

Above all, the reason I am interested in street photography is that I want to

connect with people. I am less interested in making photos; I am more
interested in making connections.

I studied sociology in college, and I see street photography as “applied” sociology.

Instead of having a notepad and pen, I use the camera as my sociological research
tool. So in a sense, I consider myself as a “street sociologist”.

Why do you shoot street photography?

There are many different reasons why you might shoot street photography.
Perhaps street photography for you is documenting history. Perhaps shooting
street photography is about exploring the world, especially when you’re traveling.
Perhaps street photography helps you relieve some anxiety in life, and stress from
the 9-5 grind. Perhaps street photography is about visual gymnastics— you have
fun arranging things in the frame, in fun and novel ways.

I know that most people have started “street photography” without even knowing
what it was. Many of us have an urge to document strangers, for some strange
reason.

For me, all street photographers are universally compassionate, loving, and
empathetic human beings. I’ve never met a street photographer who is an asshole.
Because if you’re interested in shooting street photography, you must have a
genuine interest in humanity. And it takes a unique human being to be interested in
street photography.
 CHAPTER 3: THE TOOLS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

To shoot street photography, all you need is a camera. My suggestion: use the
smallest, most discrete, and easy-to-use camera possible for your street
photography.

That can be your smartphone, a compact camera, or a mirrorless camera. You can
even use bigger cameras— DSLR’s or any other bulky camera. It doesn’t really
matter, as long as your camera has a shutter-button.

I’ve personally found that the best street photography opportunities present
themselves when you’re paying attention. When I walk around, and have my
camera in my hand, I pay more attention.

To be a better street photographer, learn how to pay better attention. That means to
kill distractions.

When I am shooting street photography, I generally turn off my phone (or switch it
to mute, or airplane mode). I don’t listen to music. I try not to think about my
personal stresses, anxieties, regrets, concerns of finances, or my future.

The secret to shooting good street photography is to empty your mind. To not think
of anything. To simply connect yourself with your environment, and let the photos
shoot themselves.

I see street photography as a zen-meditation practice. To be a great street

photographer, you must appreciate the subtle beauty of everything around you.
You need to walk slowly, and enjoy every step of the way. You need to enjoy the
process of shooting street photography, and not be attached to the results.

Because in street photography, you cannot control whether you make a good photo
or not. Luck plays a huge role in street photography, as any good fisherman would
say. You can be the most skilled fisherman in the world, but if one day there are no
fish in the lake, you won’t catch any fish.
So when it comes to walking around and shooting street photography, don’t expect
to make any good photos. Just think to yourself, “I’m going to go on a nice walk,
and bring my camera along. If I see something interesting to me, I will take some
photos. If I don’t see anything interesting, and don’t take any photos, that is okay
too.”

I also have found that by putting no pressure on myself when shooting street
photography, I am less stressed, less anxious, and more creative.

Above all, street photography should be fun. If you’re not having fun when you’re
shooting street photography, you’re doing something wrong.

You should also try to embrace “child’s mind” or “beginner’s mind” when you’re
shooting in the streets. You don’t pay a kid money to play in a playground and “have
fun.” Similarly, your street photography should be motivated by a sense of
wonderment, excitement, and fun. You shouldn’t censor yourself when you’re
shooting on the streets. You should just wander with your camera, and put together
things in the frame which you find interesting.
 CHAPTER 4: HOW TO SHOOT STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Honestly, you don’t need any instruction for how to shoot street photography. All
you need is your camera, your curiosity, and an instinct when to hit the shutter.

I don’t think there are any “good” or “bad” street photos. Street photography is all
subjective. What you might find interesting in street photography (from the
perspective of a westerner) will be very different for what is “interesting” from the
perspective of someone from the east.

We all filter reality through our own eyes, through our own perceptions, and our
own tinted glasses. We will only find things “interesting” based on our own life
experiences.

If you’re from Tokyo, you will find yellow taxi cabs interesting in NYC. If you’re from
NYC, you will find the vending machines in Tokyo as interesting.

My suggestion when you’re shooting street photography: have an open mind. Try
to walk slowly, look around, and don’t forget to look up and down.

When I’m shooting street photography, I generally look for emotion. I find emotion
through the people in the streets. By their body language, hand-gestures, and
facial expressions.

I tend to be a bit of a social critic. I am very optimistic about the world, but also very
pessimistic about society. I have a great love of humanity, yet I see so many
individuals oppressed by society. I feel this the most when I see people in Tokyo,
squished into these subway cars, working 80 hour weeks, just in order to make a
living, and not “lose face” in society.

Therefore I use my pessimistic sociological lenses to color my street photography.

When I shoot street photography, my images tend to be dark, depressing, and
critical. I don’t do this to only show the negative side of society — I do this to shed
light on social issues, and to perhaps empathize with my subjects. My biggest hope
in my street photography is to show the viewer and tell them: “Don’t be like these
guys in my photos who are sad and miserable. Live a life true to yourself, full of
happiness, love, and passion.”

Of course, how and why you shoot street photography is unique to you.

I also suggest to shoot street photography in a way which is personal and authentic
to you.

If you consider yourself an extrovert, talk to your subjects and interact with them
when photographing them.

If you consider yourself an introvert, don’t feel obliged to interact with your
subjects. It might be better for you to simply observe, rather than interact.

I also feel street photography is a form of self-exploration; of figuring out who you
are as a human being. What makes your perspective of the world unique? What is
your opinion?

There is no “right” and “wrong” (in the objective sense). But there is a “right” and
“wrong” for you — in terms of what works for you, and what doesn’t work for you.

So don’t study other street photographers. Only study yourself, and work hard to
find out what works for you.
 CHAPTER 5: COMPOSITION

I am obsessed with composition in street photography. I have my own personal

theories, which I help can be useful to you.

Simple is better

First of all, composition is all about how you arrange a frame. What you decide to
include in a photograph, and more importantly — what you decide to exclude from
your frame.

I believe the best photos are the simplest photos. In street photography, the
biggest challenge is to reduce complication and complexity from the frame. To
make a simple street photograph is actually much more difficult than making a
complicated street photograph.

Remove distractions

I personally try to remove distractions from the frame, in order to make a better
composition. When I’m shooting, I am always conscious of the background of the
photo, and the edges of the frame. I try to make the background as simple as
possible, and the edges of the frame as clean as possible.

When we’re shooting street photography, it is easy to get tunnel-visioned. We

generally tend to look at the inner-30% of the frame. We never look at the edges of
the background of the frame. This is why a lot of us tend to crop our photos
afterwards; because we didn’t think about the edges of the frame.

Don’t crop
If you want to improve your composition and framing in street photography, my
biggest tip is to not crop. I think cropping in itself is fine, but if you really want to
make the best framing possible when you’re shooting on the street— not cropping
is the best “creative constraint” you can give yourself.

I personally used to be a crop-a-holic. I would take photos without much concern

for framing, knowing that I could just “crop it later.” Yet the problem of cropping
photos afterwards is that it makes you lazy when you’re framing, and also it
changes the perspective of your photos. If you shoot a scene with a 35mm lens,
and crop the inner 50% afterwards, it won’t look like it was shot with a wide-angle
lens. Photos shot with a wide-angle lens (28mm-35mm) tend to feel more intimate,
and less distant. The more you crop a photo, the more distant you feel from the
subjects in your photos.

Use a fixed-focal (prime) lens

Furthermore, to improve your composition, I recommend using a fixed-focal

(prime) lens. I think a 35mm lens is ideal for most street photographers (not too
wide, or not too close). By not having a zoom lens, you are less distracted. By
sticking with one fixed-focal prime lens for a long time, you learn how to see the
world in that focal length. Therefore you know how to frame a scene before even
bringing up a camera to your eye.

Personally, I’ve shot with a 35mm lens for almost 8 years. I know a 35mm frame like
the back of my hand. Recently, I’ve been shooting more with a 28mm lens (with a
point-and-shoot camera), as it is easier to extend your arm to frame with an LCD
screen (compared to using a camera with a viewfinder, and always bringing it up to
your eye).

“The decisive moment”

One of the key tips in composition is timing. When to hit the shutter.
The biggest misconception in street photography is that you only take 1-2 photos of
a scene. I recommend if you see something interesting, try to take as many photos
of that scene as humanly possible. There is no bravado for a “one shot, one kill”
mentality in street photography. The most important thing is to capture a
meaningful, interesting, or emotional moment— and to share that moment with
others.

Don’t just take 1-2 photos

Often when it comes to shooting street photography, I don’t know what the best
moment will be, until I start clicking.

For example, I might see an interesting person or a scene. I try to take as many
photos as possible, from different angles, perspectives, and with different timing.
Then when I go home, I look at all the photos I shot of the scene (sometimes up to
50 photos of the same scene), and then decide the best photo or moment
afterwards.

Also realize that when you see something interesting, there can be a lot of
potentially great “decisive moments.” Don’t just limit yourself to 1-2 photos. Keep
“working the scene”, and use your judgement and gut to choose the best photo of
the scene.
 CHAPTER 6: HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR BEST STREET
PHOTOS

One of the most challenging things in street photography is knowing which photos
to keep (and which to ditch).

Here are some practical suggestions in terms of knowing how to choose your
“best” street photographs:

Is this photograph personally meaningful?

First of all, think about the personal significance of your photo. Do you really care
about the photo? Does the photograph say something about you, and how you see
the world?

If you don’t love your own photograph, nobody else will.

Because the sad reality is nobody cares about your photos, but you.

As photographers, we make the wrong assumption that everyone else will be as

enthusiastic about our own photos (as much as we are). A good example: when
parents upload photos of their kids to Facebook, they assume everyone else will
think their children are beautiful (not true).

Our photos are our babies. We think all of our children and photos are beautiful, no
matter how ugly.

Ultimately you should shoot street photography for yourself. Don’t shoot street
photography to impress or please anybody else.

Does the photo have emotion?

I feel that the best street photographs are the ones which have emotion. The best
street photographs are the ones in which you can empathize with the subject in
your frame.

A photograph without emotion is dead. If your photograph doesn’t have any

emotion, it will be easily forgettable. And if you want to create an interesting and
memorable photo, you need to tug at the heart-strings of your viewer.

I generally can see whether a photograph has emotions or not based on the body
language, the hand gestures, or the facial expression of a subject in a photo. If you
have a street photograph where your subject isn’t expressive or doing anything — it
probably won’t evoke much emotions.

Does the photo have any social significance?

Another thing to consider— does this street photograph have any social
significance? Does it say anything about the human condition? Does the photo
have any social commentary or critique? Is it a historical document? Does the
photograph matter on a larger scale?

Let your photo “marinate”

The last tip in terms of choosing your best street photographs is to let time be the
ultimate counselor. For me, I never know which are my best street photographs
unless I have let them sit and “marinate” for weeks, months, and sometimes even
years.

I am often too emotionally attached to street photographs (where I know the

backstory).

I do believe a street photograph should be able to stand on its own two legs. It
shouldn’t need an elaborate backstory or description for it to be a good image.
So when in doubt, let your photos sit. Re-visit the photo every few days or few
weeks. Print them out, or keep them on your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. Ask
others for their honest opinion.

Another tip, when you want honest feedback, show your photos to other
photographers you trust and admire and ask them: “Please help me kill my babies.”

CHAPTER 7: HOW TO STAY INSPIRED IN STREET

PHOTOGRAPHY

This happens to everyone — we will eventually lose steam, enthusiasm, or passion

in our street photography.

A lot of us who live in the suburbs, or any other place where it is difficult to shoot
“street photography” will find this as a challenge.

Document your own life

The biggest tip I would give is to remind yourself, it doesn’t have to be “street
photography.” Just live your life, and document your own life.

Photograph your children, co-workers, friends, and family. Photograph trees,

things you find on the ground, and anything that piques your interest.

Often whenever you define yourself within a sub-genre of photography, you

become trapped. You become a prisoner.

I know that when I overly identified as a “street photographer”, it hurt me

creatively. When I wasn’t shooting “street photography”, I felt like a phony.

But remember— the point of life isn’t to be a great “street photographer” or even a
“photographer.” The point of life is to live a fulfilling, exciting, and personally-
meaningful life. Whether or not you make photos is irrelevant.
But in terms of practical tips to stay inspired in your street photography, here are
some suggestions:

Embrace “creative constraints”

The biggest mistake we think in street photography is that if we want to make

better street photos — we need to be in a more “exotic” or “interesting” city. We
think we could make better street photos in Tokyo, NYC, or LA. But in reality, every
street photographer I’ve met have a hard time being inspired in their own city (even
in Tokyo, NYC, and LA).

Therefore choose your geographic location as a “creative constraint.” Give yourself

an assignment that you’re only allowed to shoot street photography in your own
city, and you’re not allowed to leave.

Find a certain neighborhood, city block, or area you find interesting in your own
city. Then for a month, only shoot that area. This will force you to be creative within
your boundaries and limits.

Furthermore, another good way to re-inspire yourself in street photography is to

use the simplest camera possible — in most cases, a smartphone.

A lot of us think that if we only bought a new camera, lens, or piece of equipment —
we would be “re-inspired.” But rather, try to constrain yourself to a “worse”
camera. For an entire month, only shoot street photography on your smartphone. I
know for me, this helped liberate me, and helped me realize that it wasn’t my own
equipment limiting me in street photography — it was my own mindset.

Don’t force it

I also think that creative slumps are good for us. If you aren’t feeling “inspired” in
your street photography, take a break. Put down your camera. Pick up a different
hobby. Perhaps read more, write more, or reflect more. Listen to more music, watch
some theater, or pick up dancing, sculpture, painting, or drawing.
Once again, the point of life isn’t to be a great photographer. It is to be an
enthusiastic artist of life. Why limit yourself to just photography?

I also think that boredom is good for us — it forces us to try out new things, to
innovate, and to find more excitement in life. So if you’re bored in your street
photography— switch things up. Try only shooting black and white for a year, or
only color for a year. Try to only photograph one subject matter, or pursue a new
photography project. Often small day trips outside of your city are a good way to
refresh your enthusiasm for your own city. I know whenever my friends visit my city,
I feel re-inspired (because they see your city with new eyes, rather than your own
jaded eyes).
 CONCLUSION

Know that your skill as a photographer doesn’t matter. First aim to be a curious,
interested, and compassionate human being. Photography comes later. The
happier you are, the better your photos will be. The more curious you are, the more
enthusiastic you will be with your photography.

Have fun, be like a child in your photography, and never stop exploring.

Always, Eric