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8/2/2019 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
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102 Things I Have Learned About Street
Photography
by Eric Kim on February 27, 2012
It now has been around 5 years that I have been shooting street photography- and I have
learned an incredible amount through trial and failure. I made this recent list of things I
have learned while shooting street photography and some of my personal opinions.
Remember, take everything in this list with a grain of salt! I simply made this list as
both a way for me to self-reflect, and hopefully you can find some of these tips helpful.
You can also see my old posts, 101 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
and 100 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography. As you can see, many of
my opinions have changed over the course of 2 years. Keep reading- I hope you enjoy!
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2010/09/101-things-i-have-learned-about-street-photography/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2010/06/100-things-i-have-learned-about-photography/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/02/102-things-i-have-learned-about-street-photography/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2010/09/101-things-i-have-learned-about-street-photography/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2010/06/100-things-i-have-learned-about-photography/8/2/2019 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
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1. A photograph is like a sentence. Aim to write a book.
2. Always smile and say thank you when shooting on the streets
3. Shoot with your heart, not with your eyes
4. Shooting with friends will make you feel much more comfortable on the streets
5. The most versatile focal length is 35mm
6. Dont rely on autofocus use zone focusing
7. Have a drink to loosen yourself up before shooting on the streets
8. Have at least 3 backups of all your photographs (hard drives all eventually fail)
9. If you shoot film, keep your images organized
10. The best critique is never onlinealways in-person
11. Dont ask people what they like about your photographs, ask them what they dont
like
12. Having one camera and lens is bliss13.Buy books, not gear
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/10/an-introduction-to-zone-focusing-or-hyperfocal-focusing-for-your-leica-rangefinder-or-dslr/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/10/an-introduction-to-zone-focusing-or-hyperfocal-focusing-for-your-leica-rangefinder-or-dslr/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/8/2/2019 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
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14. Style isnt something aesthetic
15. Shoot who you are Bruce Gilden
16. Harness the power of groups/collectives to spread your photography
17. Dont focus on aesthetics in your photosbut rather the message
18. Shooting film is magical
19. Never upload your photographs immediatelylet them marinate for at least a week
before sharing them
20. Good projects often take at least a year to complete
21. Post-processing your images digitally should never take more than a minute
22. Printing your photographs out large is immensely satisfying
23. Share your knowledge & technique with others never hoard it yourself
24. It is better to shoot everyday for 10 minutes than to shoot once a week for 10 hours
25. Only show your best work
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/8/2/2019 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
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26. Photo-sets with over 25 images are exhausting to look through
27. It is great to constantly experiment with your technique and gearbut once you
find something that works reasonably well stop and stick with it
28. When in doubt, ask for permission
29. People love to be complimented while on the streets
30. Dont take photos of people who look pissed off or walk extremely quickly. These
are the people who often get upset when you take their photograph
31. If shooting digital, always shoot in RAW
32. Look at other forms of art for inspiration
33. Take photos of peoples faces, not their backs
34. Eyes are the windows to the soul. Get photos with eye-contact in your images.
35. Your photos are only as good as the photos you look at. Avoid the internet and look
at photo-books for inspiration36. Giving helpful critique to others will make you a better judge of your own work
37. If your photos arent good enough, youre not close enough Robert Capa
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/8/2/2019 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
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38. After a whole day of shooting, I am lucky if I get 1-2 good photographs
39. The more time you spend on online forums, the less you will shoot
40. Dont think too much while taking photographs. Avoid paralysis by analysis
41. Dont chimp while shooting on the streets (checking your LCD screen). You will
lose many decisive moments42. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity Seneca
43. You can get luckier in street photography by spending more time out shooting in the
streets
44. Dont crop. Get it right in-camera
45. Look for the light
46. You will take the best photographs in the least-likely places
47. Always carry your camera with you everywhere you go. Everywhere
48. The smaller your camera is the less intimidating you will look
49. Dont shoot from the hip if you have a camera with a viewfinder. Use the
viewfinderthats why its there
http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2011/12/buy-books-not-gear/8/2/2019 102 Things I Have Learned About Street Photography
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50. Good composition alone doesnt make a good photograph. A great photograph
needs soul.
51. Dont let inspiration be your main source of motivation for shooting. Go out and
shoot even when you dont feel like itand the streets will re-inspire you
52. Street photography doesnt have to have people in it
53. Creepiness is proportional to focal length. Dont shoot street photography with a
telephoto/zoom lens
54. The best place to shoot street photography is your own backyard
55. Crouch often when shooting to get at least eye-level (or lower) to get a natural (or
unusual perspective)
56. The lighter your camera bag, the more you will enjoy shooting
57. Dont forget to look down and up when shooting58. When in doubt, click
59. Dont try to just take photos of interesting people, but try to take photos of
interesting gestures
60. It is better to take an extraordinary photo of something ordinary, rather than taking
an ordinary photo of something extraordinary
61. The way people react to street photography (all around the world) is often more
similar than dissimilar
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