100 Things I Have Learned About Photography

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2010/06/21/100-things-i-have-learned-about-ph
otography/
BESTOF
- Just because someone has an expensive camera doesnt mean that theyre a good phot
ographer.
- Nowadays everybody is a photographer!
- Photography isnt a hobby- its a lifestyle.
- Capture the decisive moment
- Be respectful when taking photos of people or places.
- Photography is more than simply taking photos, it is a philosophy of life
- Shoot to please yourself, not others
- Have fun. Live life. Just do it.
CAMERA/Capture
- Always carry your camera with you everywhere you go. Everywhere.
- Capture the decisive moment / Always keep your eyes open for the Decisive Momen
t.
- Film isnt better than digital/Digital isnt better than film.
- Better lenses dont give you better photos, there is no magic camera or lens.
- Prime lenses help you learn to be a better photographer
- 35mm (on full frame) is the best walk-around focal length.
- A point-and-shoot is still a camera.
- The smaller your camera is the less intimidating you will look.
- Learn to memorize a focal length so you can frame your shots before even bring
ing up your camera to your eye
- Dont rely on autofocus use zone focusing
= Learn to judge distances well - so you can prefocus before you anticipate the
shot
(1.2 meters is roughly two arms-lengths, and 3 meters is roughly half the dist
ance of a room)
- Dont chimp while shooting on the streets (checking your LCD screen). You will l
ose many decisive moments
- Look for the light. Natural light is the best light. Use light in your favor (p
ainting with light).
-

Learn how to read a histogram.

Dont be afraid to push your ISO higher when necessary.
It is always better to underexpose than overexpose.
Always underexpose by 2/3rds of a stop when shooting in broad daylight.
Ideal exposure for a bright sunny day: f/16, ISO 400, 320th/second.
Always shoot in RAW & JPEG (Preview)
Hold your camera with your hand, not your neck.

- Learn how to shoot without using the viewfinder and make it a second-instinct.
- Dont shoot from the hip if you have a camera with a viewfinder. Use the viewfin
derthats why its there
(old: Practice shooting from the hip. When shooting from the hip, your first 1
000 shots will be terrible).
- Never delete any of your photos. Some of the technically-off images make the b
est street photos
(think blurry, grainy, or dark images).
- Dont crop. Get it right in-camera
- When in doubt, click.

- Dont forget to look down and up when shooting

- When taking candid photos of people in the street, it is easier to use a wideangle than a telephoto lens.
Creepiness is proportional to focal length. Dont shoot street photography with a
telephoto/zoom lens
- Travel and photography are the perfect pair.
- Good composition alone doesnt make a good photograph. A great photograph needs
soul.
- A great street photograph both has strong composition and story
GEAR/Equipment
- It is great to constantly experiment with your technique and gear
but once you find something that works reasonably well stop and stick with it
- The lighter your camera bag, the more you will enjoy shooting/photography.
- There is no perfect camera for street photography. Every camera has its own st
rengths/limitations.
- The best combo: one camera and one lens
- You dont need to always bring a tripod with you everywhere you go (hell, I dont
even own one).
- Carry your camera gear in a messenger bag (it makes your camera & lenses easi
er to access).
- The quieter your camera, the better.
- Always carry a spare battery and memory card on hand. This has saved my ass ha
lf a million times.
- UV filters work just as well as lens caps.
- Tape up any logos on your camera with black gaffers tape- it brings a lot less
attention to you.
- Shoot with an all-black camera with your logos taped up with black gaffers tap
e
(to make your camera look more discrete & brings a lot less attention to you).
= Any cameras but black ones draw too much attention.
- Ditch the neck strap and get a handstrap.
- Dont worry about the camera so much, just take the damn photo.
- Buy books, not gear
STREET
- There are no rules in street photography.
- Street photographs dont sell
- Dont be sneaky when shooting you will get in twice as much trouble if you get c
aught
- Street photography is best experienced alone.
-

A photograph is like a sentence. Aim to write a book.

Dont take photos, tell stories.
Everybody in the streets has a story to tell.
Street photography is not just about the photos, but the experiences.
A great street photograph both has strong composition and story
When it comes down to it, composition isnt as important as the story

See life through the eyes of your subjects.

Shoot who you are Bruce Gilden
Dont make eye contact with your subjects when trying to be discrete.
Dont worry about the fear of shooting in public. It will go away over time.

n
-

If you dont make time to go out and shoot, you will never go out and shoot.
You can get luckier in street photography by spending more time out shooting i
the streets
Street photographs are subjective.

- The best place to shoot street photography is your own backyard

- It is better to shoot everyday for 10 minutes than to shoot once a week for 10
hours
- Getting one or two keeps from an entire day of shooting is a good number.
- Public transportation is a gold mine for street photography. Learn how to use
it.
- Street photography doesnt have to have people in it
- Spend less time arguing over the definition of street photography, and go out
and shoot more

r
s

PEOPLE
Imagine that the world is your stage and people are your actors.
Dont be afraid of offending people. Most likely you wont.
Some of the meanest looking people can be the nicest.
When in doubt, ask for permission
Feel free to ask people to take their portraits. Most people like getting thei
photo taken.
Contrary to popular belief, most people dont get pissed off when you take photo
of them
(most people actually quite like it).
- If you ask to take a portrait of a stranger on the street, ask them for their
email so you can send
them their image. (they will love it).
- If you are going to ask someone for permission for a photograph, always prefac
e your question with,
I know this may sound weird, but. Works like a charm.
- If people notice you taking a photograph of you, tell them, Ignore mepretend lik
e you dont see me
and most people will laugh it off and continue doing what they were doing
- Always smile and say thank you when shooting on the streets
- If confronted by a person on why you took their photograph, take a step toward
them and be open and
honest about your intentions. Stand your ground and know your rights.
(old: If someone asks you to delete a photo of them, just do it. It isnt worth
the trouble.)
- Your subjects are people, not prey.
- People love to be complimented while on the streets
- 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
- The way people react to street photography (all around the world) is often mor
e similar than dissimilar
- It is better to take an extraordinary photo of something ordinary,
rather than taking an ordinary photo of something extraordinary
- Street photographs are well-balanced with an odd-number of subjects (1 person,
3 people, 5 people, etc)
- Dont try to just take photos of interesting people, but try to take photos of i
nteresting gestures
- Take photos of peoples faces, not their backs
- Eyes are the windows to the soul. Get photos with eye-contact in your images.
- Focus on hands they communicate strong messages to the viewer

STYLE/ATTITUDE
Shoot to please yourself,
Never let photography get
Think before you shoot.
Make photos, not excuses.
There is no such thing as

not others
in the way of enjoying life.
/ Dont make excuses. Make photos.
the perfect photo.

- See with your eyes, not your camera.

- You will find the best photo opportunities in the least likely situations. You
r backyard is equally as good.
- Find your style of photography and stick with it.
- Take straight photos. Simplicity is key. Less is more.
- Go off the beaten path. No subject is too ordinary to shoot. The more photos y
ou take, the better.
- Capture the beauty in the mundane and you have a winning photograph.
- Get close = when taking your photos, they often turn out better! Now take two
steps closer.
- Be a part of a scene while taking a photo; not a voyeur.
- Be respectful when taking photos of people or places.
- Photos are always more interesting with the human element included.
- Go out and take photos with (a) friend(s) / Taking photos of strangers is thri
lling.
-

Be original in your photography. Dont try to copy the style of others.

Dont think too much while taking photographs. Avoid paralysis by analysis
The best photographs tell stories that begs the viewer for more.
The more photos you take, the better you get.

- If you have the opportunity, dont just settle for one photograph. Take multiple
photographs if possible. Killers shoot twice Thomas Leuthard
- Take several photos of the same scene at different exposures, angles, or apert
ures.
- You dont need to take a photo of everything. Dont feel guilty for just enjoying
the moment.
- Go outside and shoot photos rather than spending hours a day on photography fo
rums.
- The rule of thirds works 99% of the time.
- Worry less about technical aspects and focus more on compositional aspects of
photography.
- Shoot with confidence. [ attention, comfort & kindness]
- Dont focus on aesthetics in your photosbut rather the message
- Never stop taking photos. Constantly experiment and innovate.
- Always bring your camera with you everywhere you go. EVERYWHERE.
- Be smart: ie dont go shooting in the hood by yourself at night with hundred dol
lars worth of camera gear.
EDIT/SOFTWARE @ Computer
- Having a second monitor is the best thing ever for photo processing.
- Post-processing your images digitally should never take more than a minute
- Making your photos b/w doesnt automatically make them artsy, Photo editing is an
art in itself
- You cant photoshop bad images into good ones.
- A noisy photo is better than a blurry one.
- Silver EFEX pro is the best b/w converter.
- A well-cropped image can often tell a better story.
- Have at least 3 backups of all your photographs (technology is unreliable) - t
wo is one, one is none.
LAB/GALLERY

- After a whole day of shooting, I am lucky if I get 1-2 good photographs

- If you think your photos are boring, they most likely are.
- Realize that most of your photographs are crap Charlie Kirk
- Photo-sets with over 25 images are exhausting to look through
- Print out your photos big. They will make you happy. Dont forget to frame them.
- Never hoard your photographic insight- share it with the world.
- Only show your best photos. This will strengthen your images.
- Spread the love of street photography with your friends and family. Give your
photos to friends & to strangers.
- People will always discredit your work if you tell them you photoshop your image
s. Rather,
tell them that you process them in the digital darkroom.
- Spend less time looking at other peoples work and more time shooting your own.
- A good photo shouldnt require explanation (although background information ofte
n adds to an image).
- Silver Efex Pro 2 is the best black and white conversion software for digital
- Grain is beautiful.
- Street photography doesnt always have to be in black and white (although someti
mes it does look better).
- Share your knowledge & technique with others never hoard it yourself
- Never upload your photographs immediately let them marinate for at least a wee
k before sharing them
- Get meaningful critique of your street photography from an online community. I
t will help you tremendously.
- You only remember 5-10 photographs from some of the most famous street photogr
aphers who have ever lived.
Aim to take 5-10 great photographs before you die.
- Write your own list -