Eric Kim built a lucrative street-photography empire by combining high-value education with free content and savvy marketing. Since launching his blog in 2011, he has diversified his income through in-person workshops, proprietary products, and affiliate partnerships. He avoided traditional ads and instead focused on scaling a dedicated audience via SEO-rich blogging, YouTube, and social media. Key decisions – like charging premium prices and giving away most content for free – propelled his income. Below we detail his major revenue streams, growth strategies, and unique business choices, and provide a table summarizing each income source and its impact.
Major Revenue Streams
Workshops and Classes (≈80–90%) – By his own account, the bulk of Kim’s income comes from street-photography workshops . He runs dozens of courses worldwide (often selling out) and now charges premium tuition. For example, in 2017 he reported “80% of my income [came] from teaching workshops” , and by PetaPixel’s report he earned “$200K+ a year” largely via workshops . Charging more per student (often thousands of dollars) is a deliberate strategy: “I earn the bulk of my income through teaching workshops. The secret is to charge more money for workshops” . This high-margin model (small class sizes at high rates) ensures workshops are his cornerstone revenue.
Products and “Haptic” Merchandise (≈10–20%) – Kim co-founded Haptic Industries, a side business selling photography tools and books. Notable products include the “Street Notes” and “Photo Journal” workbooks, and the Henri camera strap, all geared to street photographers . In 2017 he reported roughly 20% of his income came from Haptic products and related sales . He uses his blog and email list to promote these goods. For instance, after launching Haptic in 2015 (with a premium hand-crafted strap), batches sold out via his blog . These physical and digital products provide a steady supplement to workshop revenue and reinforce his brand.
Affiliate Marketing (small but growing) – Kim places affiliate links (notably to Amazon and B&H Photo) in his content. He has stated these earn on the order of $600–1,000 per month (as of 2017) , which is a modest (~4–6%) slice of his total income. Any qualifying purchase via his links (e.g. photo books or gear) yields a commission (often ~3%). He now also adds affiliate links to his YouTube video descriptions, though he downplays this as insignificant compared to workshops. Table: The affiliate column will note Amazon/B&H commissions and their relative contribution.
Books and E-Books – Kim has published a street-photography book (“50 Ways to Capture Better Shots”) and produced free e-books (e.g. “100 Lessons from Masters of Street Photography”). The print book had a limited run and sold out . While not a large ongoing revenue stream, it boosted his credibility and likely contributes modestly to profits. E-books (often free) serve more as lead-generation.
Other (Consulting/Collaborations) – On occasion Kim has done brand collaborations (e.g. a Leica blog partnership, Samsung campaigns) and taught a UC Riverside course . These ventures add income and exposure, though revenue details are private. Notably, he largely avoids traditional ad or sponsor deals. He’s explicitly refused website banner ads and YouTube pre-rolls, believing they dilute trust .
The table below summarizes these streams and their impacts:
Revenue Source
Examples/Channels
Impact / Share
Workshops & Classes
In-person street-photo workshops worldwide (regular and travel editions)
~80–90% of income . Primary revenue source. Sold-out classes and premium fees drive the bulk of profits.
Products (Haptic Brand)
Camera straps, Street Notes, Photo Journal, photo guides
~10–20% of income . Physical/digital products (via Haptic Industries) augment workshops. Exclusive photo journals and guides sell via the blog/newsletter.
Affiliate Marketing
Amazon & B&H affiliate links on blog and YouTube
Small (few % of income) . Earns commissions (e.g. ~$600–1000/mo in 2017) when readers buy gear/books through his links.
Books/E-books
Published street photography book; free/gated PDF guides
Minor share. Published book sold out . Free e-books drive audience growth rather than profit.
Ad/Sponsorship Revenue
(Intentionally minimal)
Negligible. Kim refuses banner ads and video ads . He prefers direct sales and trust-building, so ad/sponsor income is virtually zero by design.
Platforms and Audience Growth
Kim built his business by making his own blog the central platform. He started erickimphotography.com in 2011 and committed to high-volume, SEO-driven content. By 2017 he had written thousands of posts and ranked #1 on Google for “street photography” . Nearly 90% of his audience now finds him via Google search , not social. He credits this to relentless blogging: “[I’ve written] over 2,600 blog posts from 2011 through 2017. That helps” . His writing style (click‑bait headlines, listicles, etc.) is explicitly geared to draw inbound links and traffic . PhotoShelter notes that by building content on niche “long-tail” topics (master photographers, specific techniques), Kim turned search traffic into workshop customers .
He also leveraged social media and YouTube as secondary channels. By 2014 he had a “thriving Facebook community” (tens of thousands of fans) and active Instagram/Twitter followings . (At one point he noted ~90,000 Facebook fans .) He used these platforms to funnel interested readers to his blog and promote events. His YouTube channel (tens of thousands of subscribers) offers tutorial and behind‑the‑scenes videos. Kim even uses his videos without ads, believing it’s better to gain trust than ad revenue . In short, his content strategy – free, useful posts + SEO + community interaction – built a loyal audience that he monetizes via workshops and products.
Key Strategies and Business Decisions
Several strategic choices set Kim apart:
Premium Pricing (“Alienate People”) – Kim deliberately set high prices to monetize a small core audience. He argues you only need 1% of your followers to buy your premium offerings . For example, 1% of 90k Facebook fans is 900 potential buyers . He found that if just a few dozen people attend his $3,000 workshops, he meets his income goals. By charging more rather than seeking volume, he increased profit per sale . In practice he “only needed 50 people to attend a workshop to earn about $40,000 a year” . This willingness to “alienate” (i.e. not appeal to bargain hunters) is a core differentiator.
Free vs. Expensive (“Barbell” Philosophy) – Kim embodies a barbell pricing model . He gives away vast amounts of knowledge for free (blog posts, e-books, videos) while charging top dollar for immersive experiences and products. He explicitly says he prefers to “give away your stuff for free or to charge a lot of money for it” rather than moderate fees . This approach lowers barriers for new followers while maintaining strong revenue from the few who pay premium rates.
No Ads, High Trust – Unlike many influencers, Kim largely eschews traditional advertising. He turned off ads on YouTube and removed banner ads on his site . He believes ads deter engagement, so he instead aims to build trust through freely available high-value content . (Photoshelter notes he was phasing out ads around 2015 “preferring to monetize via his own products and workshops” .) This transparent, “anti-ad” stance is unusual and helps differentiate him as a community-focused educator.
Content Mastery and SEO Focus – Kim’s strategy centered on searchable content. Rather than chasing Instagram followers, he published evergreen tutorials and interviews. By mastering SEO techniques (backlinking via clickbait/listicles ), he ensured a constant stream of new visitors. As Kim notes, he deliberately built a huge blog “so the web is arguably a better mechanism for discovery” . This content-first approach – blogging 3× a week for years – allowed him to capture an audience passively and funnel them to paid offerings.
Community and Teaching Ethos – Kim cultivated a community of students. His workshops and blogs created networks of “streettogs” who share experiences . He provides mentorship and open forums (e.g. on Facebook/Reddit) that keep followers engaged. This community-building ensures a reliable base for upselling workshops or products. Moreover, having a tight-knit audience means a small conversion rate yields significant sales .
Lean Operation – He keeps overhead low. Early on, Kim credits his frugal lifestyle (guided by his partner Cindy) for building savings, but also he keeps his business focused: no large staff or infrastructure beyond the essential (website, travel to workshops). The “indirect monetization” concept – giving away content to drive paid sales – keeps costs minimal and margins high.
New Ventures: Bitcoin and Beyond – In recent years, Kim has also tapped into the Bitcoin/finance niche (his brand Eric Kim ₿). While outside core photography, these ventures likely opened new revenue streams (e.g. NFT collaborations, crypto courses). This pivot shows his willingness to explore markets beyond traditional photography, though main photography earnings remain via workshops/products.
Milestones and Growth Trajectory
Over the past decade, several milestones boosted Kim’s business:
2013: Workshop-Only Income – By 2013 he was already “making a living entirely” from international workshops . PetaPixel quoted him saying workshops were his primary income by late 2013 .
2014: Global Reach and Sold-Out Tours – His workshop circuit expanded globally. By 2014 he had taught 35+ workshops in 15 countries (500+ students) . Reputation grew via word-of-mouth and his blog’s fame, leading to frequent sell-outs.
2015: Launch of Haptic Industries – In 2015 Kim and partner Cindy launched Haptic Industries. Their first product, the premium “Henri” camera strap, sold out through his blog . This move formalized his merchandising and doubled as marketing. Haptic later expanded to other straps, prints, and journals, carving a new revenue stream.
2015–16: Content and Site Overhaul – Around 2015 Kim cleaned up his website (removing ads) and published more personal/philosophical content . In 2016 he released a hardcover street photography book (144 pages); its initial 1,000-copy print run quickly sold out , validating his market reach. These moves broadened his brand beyond the blog.
Ongoing SEO Leadership – By 2016–2020, Kim consistently ranked at or near #1 for key street-photography searches . Every new blog article reinforced this position. Being the top search result became a self-sustaining audience driver – each spike in interest (e.g. viral topic) brought new workshop sign-ups without paid advertising.
Continuous Pricing Increases – Over time, as his reputation grew, Kim steadily raised workshop fees and limits. He often advises peers to become an “expensive photographer,” noting that higher pricing immediately increases income with no extra effort . This pricing discipline has been critical; it means even a modest workshop (20–30 students) easily covers six-figure annual revenue.
Unique Differentiators
Eric Kim’s model diverges from typical photography bloggers in several ways:
Open-Source Ethos: He offered free, full-resolution photos, tutorials, and even bootcamp programs to the community as a matter of principle . By 2013 he made his images and many tutorials freely downloadable, building enormous goodwill. This generosity attracted links and shares, fueling his SEO strategy.
Minimal Use of Social Influence Tactics: Kim famously turned off website analytics to avoid “emotional” fixation on numbers . He de-emphasizes social media “likes” in favor of content quality. His contrarian stance (“social media is overrated; focus 90% on content” ) contrasts with many influencers who chase viral trends.
“Anti-Influencer” Branding: He has cultivated a persona of authenticity and even subversiveness. His candid tone (including profanity) and calls to “fuck the internet” noise set him apart from more polished educators. This rough-edged honesty resonates with many followers who see him as a rebel educator rather than a marketer.
Barbell Pricing Strategy: Few photographers explicitly combine free mass education with premium bespoke experiences. Kim does. By “giving away information for free and charging a lot for workshops/Haptic products,” he both democratizes knowledge and maximizes elite sales . This extreme pricing model (inspired by Nassim Taleb’s Barbell Theory) is unusual in creative fields.
Niche Authority: Instead of being a general photography blogger, Kim focused tightly on street photography. His blog became the world’s largest resource on that niche . This specialization (and perpetual youth of the niche) helped him dominate SEO and teaching that particular genre, a differentiation from bloggers with broader but shallower focuses.
In summary, Eric Kim’s profitability stems from leveraging his platform and expertise into high-value offerings, all underpinned by a content-first philosophy. He built a massive audience through free, SEO-optimized content , then converted a small core of that audience into paying customers with premium workshops and products . His refusal to rely on ads or dilute content – and his embrace of extreme pricing and community – have uniquely positioned him among photography bloggers.
Sources: Data and quotes are drawn from Eric Kim’s own writings and interviews , as well as profiles of his career . Each revenue estimate and strategy is backed by Kim’s statements or reputable coverage.