Photo Credit: Paul Resurreccion.

My first interest in street photography happened by chance. I was standing at a bus stop and I saw a man with horn-shaped glasses reading a book. There was something so genuine and unique about the moment. My heart was palpitating and the second I brought my camera to my eye, he looked directly at me and I instinctively clicked. My heart froze, but I made my first street photograph, without even realizing it.

Being interested in both street photography and the approach, I started to experiment shooting street photography using my background knowledge studying sociology at UCLA. I started experimenting getting very close when shooting, and surprisingly never got punched in the face for taking photos (yet).

Now through my blog and my workshops, I travel the world and teach others the beauty of street photography and how people can overcome their fear of shooting strangers. Teaching is my passion, and in the past I taught a photography class to under-privileged youth in Los Angeles, I taught a university-level online course at UC Riverside extension, and even a Sociology of Facebook and Online Social Networks while a student at UCLA.

I also love participating in collaborations as I am currently a contributor to the Leica blog, I was one of the judges for the London Street Photography Contest 2011, and have done two collaborations with Samsung (I starred in a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 commercial and a campaign for the Samsung NX 20 camera). I have also been interviewed by the BBC about the ethics of street photography.

I have had some of my work exhibited in in Los Angeles and at the Leica stores in Singapore, Seoul, and Melbourne. I have also taught street photography workshops in Beirut, Seoul, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Zurich, London, Toronto, Mumbai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Kota Kinabalu (and more to come).

My motto is always to shoot with a smile, and from the heart.

Exhibitions

2014
Mini-Exhibition - Leica Store Hausmann (Paris) - Pics

2012
"Proximity" - Michaels Camera in Melbourne - Video

2011
"YOU ARE HERE" Street Photo Exhibition - Thinktank Gallery (Downtown LA) - Video
"The City of Angels" - Leica Store Korea - Video
"Proximity" - Leica Store Singapore - Video
Angkor Photo Festival Group Exhibition for Street Photography (Siem Reap) - Invitation

Interviews

Interview on BBC
Interview on Leica Blog
Interview on the Candid Frame
Interview on Typical Shutterbug
Interview on NowLebanon
Interview on Korean Beacon

Social Networks

Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Google+

Workshops

See my upcoming street photography workshops here.

Contact

For any inquires regarding interviews or commercial work
please contact my manager Neil Ta at neil.ta@erickimphotography.com

Shooting in Downtown LA. Photo Credit: Rinzi Ruiz