Tag: happiness

  • The Point Isn’t to be a Good Photographer, But to Enjoy Life

    The Point Isn’t to be a Good Photographer, But to Enjoy Life

    Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on photography and life. I just finished an epic week-long street photography workshop here in New Orleans, and it was an absolutely incredible experience. I had such a great time with the students, in terms of teaching, bringing people together, and sharing new experiences together.

  • More Megapixels, More Problems

    More Megapixels, More Problems

    Dear friend, It is 7:20am in New Orleans, and I just downed a “Miss Tracy’s Addiction” (Double espresso, Cayenne pepper, Thai coconut milk) at Addiction Coffee and I’m feeling good. Had a nice chat with Dave, the barista here, and ready to do some writing to share with you some ideas. Just as a random…

  • What is Your Dream?

    What is Your Dream?

    About a month ago I gave a talk on street photography at EyeEm headquarters in Berlin. During the question and answer session, there was a member in the crowd who asked me the question: “What is your dream?”

  • You Live in a Paved Paradise

    You Live in a Paved Paradise

    Dear friend, I’m currently sitting at my desk, facing outside. There are beautiful trees, a soft breeze, the sound of birds chirping. I have a “HappyLight” on my left (which helps me wake up in the morning), I have some beloved books to my right, and I’m enjoying a lovely espresso, while doing a little…

  • You Can’t Control the Results, Only the Effort

    You Can’t Control the Results, Only the Effort

    “You can’t control the results, only the effort.” – Ryan Holiday Ryan Holiday is a guy I admire very much he’s about my age, and has accomplished a lot. He’s a best selling author, practicing stoic (highly recommend his book, “The Obstacle is the Way), passionate blogger, and overall down to earth guy. I read…

  • Cultivate Your Own Garden

    Cultivate Your Own Garden

    Dear friend, I want to share some meditations and thoughts that are currently on my mind– and perhaps tell some stories. Thank you for being a good friend and listening :) Okay, so I woke up today, lied in bed, and suddenly this thought came to my head: “Cultivate Your Own Garden” I woke up…

  • Having No Choices is the Ultimate Freedom

    Having No Choices is the Ultimate Freedom

    Dear friend, I want to tell you the exciting start of my day today. I want to share with you as vividly how it felt, and what is on my mind. I woke up, still feeling a bit drowsy, yet felt alert. I looked around my surroundings. I was in bed, lying next to the…

  • On Positivity and Street Photography

    On Positivity and Street Photography

    Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — There is so much negativity and bullshit out there in modern life. I always hear people bitching and moaning about the difficulties of their lives, how they want more money, how their camera isn’t good enough, how their significant others are horrible people, and how…

  • On the Shortness of Life

    On the Shortness of Life

    Read this article as a Google Doc (would love your comments/edits), download and print as a PDF, as an .epub (e-reader), or .mobi (for Kindle). I also recommend reading the original: “On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca (order the paperback on Amazon). — “What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day…

  • Small is Beautiful

    Small is Beautiful

    Read as a Google Doc or PDF. — Dear Friend, I wanted to share with you some thoughts that are on my mind: The first thing that came to mind: “small is beautiful.” So I have a problem; I am inflicted with this American obsession that “bigger is better.” We want bigger houses, we want…

  • Photography (and Life) is About Subtraction, Not Addition

    Photography (and Life) is About Subtraction, Not Addition

    Read this article on Google Docs or download as a PDF. — I believe photography (and life) is more about subtraction (instead of addition). I’m re-reading “Antifragile” by Nassim Taleb, and his chapter on “Via Negativa” is absolutely golden. The concept is that in modern life, we think the secret to happiness, success, and health is…

  • How to Be Happy in All Circumstances in Photography

    How to Be Happy in All Circumstances in Photography

    (You can also read this as a Google Doc, or PDF) Dear friend, I just finished reading a book by Roman philosopher Epictetus, titled “Of Human Freedom.” It got me thinking a lot about my own freedom in life, how to be happy in all situations, and how to treat some of the “diseases of…

  • My Top 10 Sources of Discontentment in Street Photography

    My Top 10 Sources of Discontentment in Street Photography

    I ultimately want to be happy. But unfortunately there are a lot of sources of dissatisfaction in my life. There are a lot of things I want to change about my life, and my outlook in the world. In this article I want to share some of the 10 deepest sources of dissatisfaction I’ve had…

  • The Benefit of Having No Expectations in Street Photography

    The Benefit of Having No Expectations in Street Photography

    “I am content with few, content with one, content with none at all.” – Seneca, Letters from a Stoic I have a problem. I have really high expectations for myself. I want to become the best photographer I possibly can, the best teacher I possibly can, and also the best blogger that I possibly can.…

  • “Letters from a Street Photographer” #5: How to Be Happy

    “Letters from a Street Photographer” #5: How to Be Happy

    For this chapter I want to focus on a section which I think is important for everyone in life: learning how to be happy, fulfilled, and content with your street photography (and your personal life). Happiness is one of the most elusive things in the world– which we have always chased for millennia. However the…

  • 12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography

    12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography

    Photos in this article are from my on-going “Only in America” series. I’m currently reading a lovely book titled: “A Philosopher’s Notes: On optimal living, creating an authentically awesome life and other such goodness.” It is a easy and insightful read– and I have been savoring the book so far. In one of the chapters,…

  • Street Interview with Mike Gesgregen in Berkeley

    Street Interview with Mike Gesgregen in Berkeley

    I interview Mike Gesgregen, a homeless man in Berkeley– who shares the secret of happiness in this video above.

  • On Happiness and Street Photography

    On Happiness and Street Photography

    I think I can speak on behalf of all of us that we all want to be happy. In some shape, way, or form. Over the years I have thought a lot about happiness. How to “optimize” my life to become “happier.” How to avoid unhappiness in my work, relationships, and my sense of purpose…

  • Why Street Photography Brings Me True Happiness

    Why Street Photography Brings Me True Happiness

    Street photography is one of the biggest passions in my life. I spend a large amount of time either shooting on the streets, blogging about street photography, tweeting about street photography, and talking/thinking about street photography. But why do I love it so much and why does it bring me a lot of happiness? The…

  • A Photographic Existential Question: Integrating Photography, Happiness, and Sociology

    A Photographic Existential Question: Integrating Photography, Happiness, and Sociology

    “What do I want out of photography” has been a question I have been grappling with for the last few weeks. When I was still in school, I had barely any time to even practice my photography, let alone contemplate what I wanted out of it. However now, after graduating college and having more free…