July 2016

  • Why Do You Need More Likes or Followers?

    Dear friend, One thought that I’ve been thinking about: why do we “need” more likes or followers? Do we desire more likes or followers because it boosts our self-esteem? Or because it helps validate our photography? Or because we want to gain more power, fame, money, and influence with our work? Or a little bit…

    Read More

  • Presentation Slides: Street Photography 101

    Dear streettogs, here are the slides that I used during my “Street Photography 101” presentation on Day 1 of the Adobe Live-Streaming Workshop. In this presentation I talk about how to conquer your fears in street photography, practical tips, and show some of the contact sheets behind my favorite photos. You can also download the…

    Read More

  • Videos: Live-Streaming Street Photography Workshop with Adobe

    Dear streettogs, if you didn’t have the chance to watch my free 2-day live streaming street photography workshop with Adobe, below are the videos. If you want to learn how to conquer your fears, find your style in street photography (and see me breakdance and do really bad freestyle rapping), watch the videos below: Part…

    Read More

  • Getting By With Less

    Apparently in the Marines they take great pride in having the “shittiest equipment” with the least amount of support. They pride themselves in being able to get by with less. They make up for their lack of equipment through their hustle, determination, creativity, and hard work. What if we could do the same in our…

    Read More

  • How to Come Up With a Personal Photography Project Idea

    I feel one of the best ways to stay inspired and motivated with your photography is to focus on a project. To take lots of random photos of anything and everything often leads to a body of work that is cluttered, un-focused, and uninteresting. In this article I will share some of my personal thoughts…

    Read More

  • Don’t Make Your Photography Feel Like a Chore

    We all know the feeling— having to do something without wanting to do it. The feeling of going to the gym and meeting a gym trainer against your own will. The feeling of having to do extra “busy” work while you’re in school. The feeling of having to stay late at your job, even though…

    Read More

  • Why You Shouldn’t Follow Your Passion in Photography

    I recently read an eye-opening book: “So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love” — in which the author argues against the “passion” hypothesis (the idea that you should follow your passion). The author argues that following your passion often leads to failure.

    Read More

  • New Batch of “Henri” Camera Straps In Stock!

    Thank you so much for your patience and support as Cindy and I worked to prepare the last batch of Henri neck straps. We received a lot of great feedback, and have made the newest batch a little bit longer in length and the leather of the neck pad softer. This run is limited to…

    Read More

  • Free Live-Streaming Street Photography Workshop with Adobe on July 19-20th

    Dear streettogs, I am super pumped to announce that I am hosting my first free live-streaming street photography workshop on July 19-20th (12-3pm Pacific time) on the Adobe Twitch Channel >> The workshop is a two-day affair, and streamed live (so you can ask me any questions or feel free to interrupt me during my presentations).…

    Read More

  • Embrace the Snapshot

    The “snapshot” is a word looked down with disdain and hatred. No photographer wants to hear that his/her photos look like “snapshots.” We want our photos to be respected, appreciated, and seen as “art.” But what if there is a benefit of making snapshots in our photography— and what are the joys of making “snapshots”…

    Read More

  • 8 Reasons Why You Should Shoot in JPEG

    I’ve pretty much shot RAW all my life. There are so many benefits of shooting RAW– in terms of how much flexibility you have with the files, as well as the raw data in the files. However, as time goes on, I’m starting to lean more towards shooting JPEG– and I’m starting to realize the…

    Read More

  • Don’t Go into Debt For Your Photography

    I remembered when I was sitting in my cubicle, dreaming and lusting after a digital Leica M9. I imagined after buying it, all of my life’s problems would be solved. I imagined the camera would inspire me to be more creative, brave, and inspired in my photography. I imagined how cool I would look in…

    Read More

  • What is a Photographer?

    What is a photographer? A photographer is an individual who sees beauty in the mundane. A photographer is an individual who walks at a slow pace, experiences life fully and vividly, and can capture fleeting moments with precision and poise. A photographer is an individual who is always grateful to be alive, to have a…

    Read More

  • Don’t Be a Tourist

    I don’t know about you— but there is nothing I hate more than being a tourist. When you’re a tourist; you feel trapped. You do what everyone else tells you what you should do— rather than doing what you personally want to do. There are a lot of ways we can “de-touristify” our lives, photography,…

    Read More

  • The Joy of Making Photo Albums

    Dear friend, I recently got back from my honeymoon with Cindy from Mexico city (amazing city, highly recommended) and finally we have some time to decompress, reflect on our wedding, and look through all our wedding photos (shot by Neil Ta, Brandon Phan, and video from my cousin Regina). And having all these photos— we…

    Read More

  • Why You Should Procrastinate in Your Photography

    In today’s modern world, procrastination is seen as a negative thing. It is seen as a “disease” that needs to be eliminated. Thousands of self-help books, blog posts, and podcasts encourage and teach us how to overcome procrastination — and get more things done. But what if there are certain things that shouldn’t be done…

    Read More

  • Photograph Anything You Want

    Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on how to liberate yourself in photography— by photographing what interests you rather than what you think other people will be interested. It means to make your photography more personal, and to make your photos a reflection of who you are as an individual. Remember; photos…

    Read More

  • The Most Predictable Path to Quality by Vincent Tam

    (A.g.’s Note: Today’s guest post on the blog is by Vincent Tam. He’s an inquisitive and persistent photographer. He’s sharing with us his insights and research on how to produce quality work and how he tested this research with the backstory of getting the photo above. All photos and text are by Vincent Tam.) Vincent:…

    Read More