Eric Joseph Bauer is a Korean-American photographer based in Los Angeles. Born in Washington D.C. He is a graduate of The Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, New York, and is best known for his series of “Pandemic Street Portraits” taken all over Los Angeles during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

From Best 11 Street Photographers in Los Angeles, April 2021, Peerspace:

“Eric Bauer describes himself in his byline as, “The guy wearing a mask that asked to take your photo.” His collection of LA residents throughout the pandemic is an especially beautiful social documentation of the city, a series of street portraits introducing us one-by-one to the people of LA. From smiling eyes to stoic skepticism, Bauer captures it all. There is a story behind each of these faces, and Bauer takes the time to find it. Somehow, we can’t stop scrolling through these images—we want to get to know each person, as though doing so will make us feel a little closer as a society.”

In addition to photography, Eric has been a working advertising creative for over 20 years. He has helped imagine campaigns for clients such as Disney, Marvel, Sony, Nike, Miller, HBO, Cartoon Network, CNN, and Bravo. Eric now splits his time between Brooklyn and Los Angeles.