Introduction

I remember when I shot my first street photograph. It was a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles. I had just finished class and was waiting for the bus, camera in hand. Suddenly, I noticed a young man with round spectacles leaning against a pole, casually reading a book. In that split second I was overwhelmed by a thought: I had to take a photo of him! However, the mere thought of taking the man’s photograph without his permission scared me. My heart was pounding. I slowly brought the camera to my eye.

And that was when it happened: the magic! The man shot a glance at me, and I clicked the shutter. Adrenaline flowing, I looked at my LCD screen and knew I had got the shot. I had captured something remarkable. It was this great moment that introduced me to street photography. This moment—this simple photograph unearthed in me a passion for documenting the unstaged beauty, intricacies, and humor of everyday life.

People often ask me, “Eric, what exactly is street photography?” Simply put, it is capturing the beauty in the mundane, and ordinary people doing everyday things. It is capturing a slice of life, unedited and raw. It is an affirmation of the world around us and all the things we are often too busy to notice.

If you have ever been interested in street photography or wanted to learn how to shoot images of strangers in public, this book is for you.

Eric Kim