After years of teaching photography workshops in Tokyo, many of them focusing on street photography, some of the most common questions I get are about the legality of conducting street photography in Japan. Of course, I’ve researched this many times over the years to make sure I am up to date rules in case the law has changed, and I want to share my findings with you.
Read MoreHow I Make a Living as a Street Photographer
I’ve been asked before how exactly I make a living as a photographer, especially since I apparently spend so much time doing urban or street photography. To answer that question, I made a vlog: How I Make a Living as a Street Photographer. The gist of it is that I don’t really make a living directly from street photography, but I have plenty of work that’s closely related. Although I like the casual conversational style of the vlog, I felt it wasn’t quite comprehensive enough, so here is a concise and precise summary of how I turned my love of street photography into a living.
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How I Get My Colors — Tips for Editing Color Photos
Maybe a better question is: “how should you get your colors?” But more on that later. First, I have to explain my thought process when it comes to color, as it underscores my entire approach. If you just want to jump into the specific things that I do, just watch this video: 7 Tips for Editing Color Photos.
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10 Photographic Fallacies
Over the years, I’ve encountered some ideas about photography—call them ‘beliefs’—that I find hold little truth. In some cases, it might be too strong to call them outright fallacies, as they come from a place of good intentions. However, they can lead to misunderstanding of the details because these fallacious beliefs lack nuance. They are traps for newbie and experienced photographers alike because they limit critical thinking and sound decision-making. And so, I would like to explore these fallacies one by one, and present alternative lines of reasoning to help you avoid the traps!
Read MoreStreet Photography YouTube Channel Update
For the past couple months I’ve been working along with the some friends to create a series of videos which are meant to be a sort of tutorial into my style of photography. Currently, they focus on street photography, but we will cover more topics soon!
The videos demonstrate the creative process and technical details of various photos that I’ve taken around Tokyo. Also, they should provide a glimpse into our teaching style at EYExplore, which should be useful for those of you who are interested in joining a workshop.
But the main purpose of this YouTube channel is to get photographers thinking outside the box, or at the very least, differently than they usually do, about their photography. My goal is to spur your creativity and provide you with ideas for ways to shoot that you may not have come across before. Think of these street photography tutorial videos as prompts for getting you out there and challenging your eye!
A Cyberpunk Street Photography Workshop in Tokyo
It is no secret that one of the major inspirations for photographers in Tokyo is cyberpunk media. Although, the relationship is better seen as a feedback loop, since most works in the cyberpunk genre were, at least in part, inspired by Tokyo, particularly back in the 70s and 80s. In fact, I had the pleasure of seeing the original Blade Runner (1982, Final Cut) in IMAX just last week. It was a magical experience for me as the film has long been a key inspiration for me (as it has for so many others), both in its themes and content, but also in its cinematography particularly the film’s use of lighting and color.
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How to Get Better at Street Photography
It goes without saying that if you want to get better at something you have to practice. Simple, right? The thing is, that unlike more structured pursuits such as sports or music, the idea of practicing street photography seems a bit hard to wrap one’s head around. But before we get into that, we should establish the best methodology for practice in in general.
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Optimizing Your Night Street Photography
Ah, the night, what a wonderful time to go out and do some street photography! As a photographer who got his start in the streets of Tokyo, it was inevitable that I would end up photographing mostly at night. To me, the city becomes its ‘true self’ when the sun sets, and the artificial lights come on and illuminate the metropolis. But let’s save my romanticism for another time. I hope to share with you my methodology, some tips and tricks, for night street photography. First off, please don’t expect any magic tips or secrets. I keep my photographic approach pretty simple, but fundamentals used well lead to great photography!
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