Author: admin

（原文：Eric Kim “100 Lessons from the Masters of Street Photography”）

1. 自分の限界をフル活用せよ
2. もっと近づけ、さらに一歩前へ
3. 「十分撮った」と思ったら、あと25 %多くシャッターを切る
4. 頭ではなく直感でシャッターを押す
5. “0.7 m ルール”に挑戦し、密着して撮る
6. 撮った写真は“寝かせて”から見直す
7. 腰抱え撃ちだけでなく、ファインダーできちんと構図を作る
8. 被写体に介入を恐れず、対話せよ
9. トリミングを最小限にし、現場でフレーミングを鍛える
10. 画面の“縁”にこそ注意を払う
11. 自分の写真と情緒的距離を取る
12. 写真の中に“文脈”を作り出す
13. 被写体を少し挑発してリアクションを引き出す
14. 決定的瞬間を逃したら、お願いして再現してもらう
15. カメラの奴隷になるな
16. 機材収集病（G.A.S.）を克服せよ
17. “初心者の心”を失わない
18. 風景ではなく“感情”を写し取れ
19. 制約こそ自由の母
20. 自分の生活を題材にせよ
21. “フロー状態”で連写する
22. “見え方”ではなく“感じ方”を写す
23. 失敗を抱きしめよ
24. 写真を分析しすぎない
25. 結果よりプロセスを楽しむ
26. 最高の写真は最悪の日から生まれることもある
27. 被写体と積極的にコミュニケーションを取る
28. 他の芸術分野からもインスピレーションを得よ
29. カメラは常に“スタンバイ”
30. 平凡の中に美を探せ
31. 光と影に敏感であれ
32. 決定的瞬間を辛抱強く待つ
33. カメラで物語を語れ
34. 大胆にリスクを取り、型破りを恐れるな
35. “自分の声”とスタイルを育てよ
36. 大師から学びつつ、最後は自分でルールを作る
37. 技術的完璧さより感情を優先
38. 表面ではなく“本質”を捉える
39. 直感を信じよ
40. 好奇心を保ち、新しい場所を探検せよ
41. 画面のコントラスト（対比）を探す
42. 悪天候こそ好機
43. 角度と視点を変えてみる
44. 動きとエネルギーを捉える
45. シンメトリーやパターンを活用
46. 反射を巧みに使う
47. ポーズよりスナップを愛せ
48. 常に周囲を観察せよ
49. あらゆる光環境で練習する
50. 人と人との相互作用に注目
51. 撮影の“儀式”を作りフローに入る
52. 自分の作品を研究し、成功と失敗を分析
53. 不完全さを受け入れよ
54. 焦点距離を多様に試す
55. 一度に一つのテーマ／プロジェクトに集中
56. 街や地域の“文化”を写す
57. 写真を人とのつながりの媒介に
58. 日常のユーモアを探せ
59. 画面に“錨点”を置く
60. ネガティブスペースを活かす
61. シーン全体の“空気感”を捉える
62. 線と形で視線を導け
63. 並置と対比を見つける
64. 粘り強さ──名作は忍耐の賜物
65. “見栄え”より“ストーリー”
66. レイヤーで奥行きを作る
67. 被写体の“魂”を撮れ
68. 色で感情を表現
69. 細部にこそ神は宿る
70. 街の鼓動を写し取れ
71. 光で雰囲気を演出
72. シャッタースピードを変えて実験
73. 自分の制作フローを確立
74. 影でドラマを生み出す
75. ジェスチャーとボディランゲージを捉える
76. “新旧の対話”にフォーカス
77. 写真で問いを投げ、答えだけを与えない
78. 偶然に心を開け
79. リズムと繰り返しを探す
80. 写真を通して世界を理解せよ
81. 場所の“質感”を捕らえる
82. イメージで自己表現
83. “景色”より“フィーリング”優先
84. 張り込みの忍耐で最高の瞬間を掴む
85. 一連の流れで物語を構築
86. 日常の中の美を発見
87. “リアルな瞬間”を切り取る
88. 写真で人とつながる
89. 土地や出来事の“スピリット”を映す
90. 新しい手法を恐れず試す
91. 光と影でコントラストを演出
92. 感情がこぼれる刹那を捉える
93. 写真で観る者の思考と感情を揺さぶれ
94. シーンの“核”を掴め
95. カメラを探検ツールに
96. “不完全の美”を愛せ
97. 写真で自己認識を深める
98. 場所の活力とリズムを写す
99. レンズを通して世界と対話
100. シャッターを押し続け、学び続け、永遠に探求せよ！

さあカメラを手に取り、街へ飛び出そう。巨匠たちの叡智を、あなたの視点で再び燃え上がらせろ！

（原文见 Eric Kim “100 Lessons from the Masters of Street Photography”）

1. 充分发挥你的个人极限
2. 靠得更近，再近一点
3. 比你觉得“够了”再多按快门 25%
4. 用“直觉”而非“大脑”去按下快门
5. 挑战 “0.7 米规则”，习惯贴身拍摄
6. 让照片“腌”一阵再回看
7. 别只端着腰射，用取景器构图
8. 勇于介入场景，别怕与被摄者互动
9. 少裁剪，以强迫自己构图更精准
10. 注意画面边缘的元素
11. 与自己的照片保持情感距离
12. 在画面中创造“上下文”
13. 适度挑逗／刺激你的被摄者
14. 错过决定性瞬间就请对方重演
15. 别做相机的奴隶
16. 根治“器材收集症”（G.A.S.）
17. 保持“初学者之心”
18. 拍出你的感受，而不只是景象
19. 受限即自由
20. 把自己的生活当题材
21. 用“意识流”方式连拍
22. 拍出它“感觉起来”而非“看上去”的样子
23. 拥抱失败
24. 不要过度解析照片
25. 享受过程，别只盯结果
26. 你最好的照片可能来自最糟糕的日子
27. 主动与被摄者交流
28. 从其他艺术门类汲取灵感
29. 相机随时待命
30. 在平凡中发现美
31. 关注光与影
32. 耐心等待决定性瞬间
33. 用相机讲故事
34. 大胆冒险，别怕出格
35. 培养属于自己的风格与声音
36. 向大师学习，但最终要自己立规矩
37. 情感优先于技术完美
38. 捕捉场景的神髓，而非表面
39. 相信直觉
40. 永葆好奇，多探索新地点
41. 寻找画面中的对比
42. 坏天气也是好题材
43. 试试不同角度与视角
44. 捕捉运动与能量
45. 留意对称与图案
46. 灵活利用反射
47. 更偏爱抓拍而非摆拍
48. 时刻留心四周
49. 练习各种光线环境
50. 观察人们的互动
51. 建立拍摄“仪式感”进入心流
52. 研究自己的片子：分析成败
53. 接受不完美
54. 尝试不同焦段
55. 一次专注一个主题／项目
56. 捕捉一座城市或地区的文化气息
57. 让摄影成为与人连结的媒介
58. 在日常中寻找幽默
59. 确立画面的视觉锚点
60. 善用留白
61. 捕捉场景情绪
62. 用线条与形状引导视线
63. 寻找并置与反差
64. 坚持——好照片需要耐心
65. 讲述故事，而不仅仅是做“好看”
66. 用层次打造深度
67. 捕捉一个人的“灵魂”而非外观
68. 用色彩表达情绪
69. 关注细节
70. 捕捉城市的脉动
71. 利用光线营造氛围
72. 尝试不同快门速度
73. 发展自己的创作流程
74. 用阴影增加戏剧张力
75. 留意手势与身体语言
76. 捕捉“新旧对话”
77. 用照片提问，而不只是给答案
78. 对“巧合”保持开放
79. 寻找重复与节奏
80. 把摄影当理解世界的方式
81. 捕捉地方的肌理
82. 用影像表达自我
83. 更关注“感觉”而非“场景”
84. 耐心蹲守，等最佳时机
85. 用影像讲述连贯故事
86. 发现日常之美
87. 捕捉真实瞬间
88. 通过摄影与人建立联结
89. 呈现一地一事的精神气质
90. 勇于试验新手法
91. 以光影制造对比
92. 捕捉情绪的瞬息
93. 让照片激起观众的思考与情感
94. 抓住场景的核心
95. 让相机成为探索工具
96. 发现“不完美之美”
97. 借摄影认识自己
98. 捕捉一处地方的活力与节奏
99. 用镜头与世界对话
100. 不停按快门，不停学习，永远探索！

拿起相机，走上街头——让这些大师级箴言在你的镜头里喷薄而出！

把相机当成你的光剑，街头就是你的银河！

现在跟我一起冲破框架，用镜头征服现实吧！

1. 

随身携带，相机“零距离”

永远把相机挂在胸口或手腕——像武士握刀。机会闪现一秒，手慢就 Game Over！

2. 

拍前先问心：“这张照片有没有灵魂？！”

画面不够炸裂？没关系，问自己：它能让观者心跳加速吗？如果不能，立刻换角度，重新开火。

3. 

靠得更近，再近！

胆怯距离＝平庸图像。踏前一步，填满取景框，让观众闻到路边烧烤的味道、听见机车加速的轰鸣。

4. 

光影即刀锋，利用极端反差

中午大太阳？正好！让高光炸开、阴影吞噬，把平凡街景切割成漫画式黑白。

夜晚霓虹？更爽！找逆光剪影，制造“城市武侠片”。

5. 

把“失焦”变“必杀”

完美对焦只是教科书。故意拉虚焦、甩动镜头、慢门拖影——失控感=速度感=生命力！

6. 

“坏”构图才有毒性

对角线、头顶切一半、把人脸压到边缘——让每条禁忌成为你的个人签名。

记住：规则存在，就是让你撕碎的！

7. 

演绎街头“单曲循环”

发现有趣背景？原地蹲守！等人流一波接一波冲进画面，把同一场景拍成视觉节拍器，直到抓到“那一刹那”的黄金节拍。

8. 

永远 RAW，后期像炼丹

照片是数字底片：提亮阴影、压暗高光、调色分级，像炼钢淬火。大胆强对比、重颗粒，让画面像岩浆一样滚烫。

9. 

拍了就丢网盘，别恋战社交媒体

Instagram 只是短命赌场，不必跪舔点赞。把能量投入自建博客、ZINE、自出版——成为你自己的出版社！

10. 

一日一张“心脏炸裂”照片

每日练习、每日发布，用数量碾压恐惧。量变引爆质变：千张平凡，终得一张传奇。

结语：

“街头即炼狱，摄影即修行。

拿起相机，把世界撕开一道口子，

让真相的光，照进自己的灵魂！”

——ERIC KIM（中文灵魂高能版）

1. Who is Eric Kim?

Snapshot	Details
Origin Story	Began blogging in 2010 while studying sociology at UCLA; publishes (almost) daily open‑source essays on photography, philosophy & fitness
Signature Essay	“Shift the Paradigm” (2017) asks: What if every sacred ‘truth’ in photography—and life—were wrong?
Paradigm‑Shift Threads	Minimal‑gear shooting, “think‑opposite” living, Bitcoin as “digital hard money,” and body‑building as mind‑building
Media Channels	1,000+ episodes of the PHOTO TURBO THOUGHTS podcast on Spotify & Apple, often titled around “paradigm shifts”
Community Reach	Interviews from PetaPixel to StreetShootr highlight his role as a catalyst for freer, bolder street photography

2. The Idea of a “Paradigm Shift”—Kuhn Meets Kim

Kuhn’s Classic Definition

• A paradigm shift is a fundamental overhaul of the lens through which a community interprets reality—currency in science, but portable to any domain.  

Kim’s Street‑Level Remix

• Catalogue the unquestioned. List the “laws” you follow (e.g., More megapixels = better photos).
• Invert radically. Declare the opposite and see what breaks—or blooms.
• Prototype in 24 h. Shoot all week with one lens; delete social media; skip breakfast.
• Measure surprise, not success. If you’re shocked, the shift signal is strong.
• Publish the journey. Bold takes accelerate communal recalibration.  

3. Four Living Paradigm Shifts on Kim’s Blog

Year	Theme	“Old” View → New View	Why It Matters
2017	Gear Minimalism	More lenses = more creativity → Fewer lenses = deeper vision	Frees focus, slashes decision fatigue
2020‑24	Money	Fiat forever → Bitcoin as creative fuel & freedom tech	Re‑imagines value, scarcity and artistic independence
2024	Tech‑Life Balance	Bigger screens = efficiency → Smaller, slower, unplugged = clarity	Protects attention in an algorithmic age
2025	Body as Philosophy	Gym as vanity → Strength training as cognitive enhancer	Links physical PRs to mental breakthroughs

4. Launch Your Own Paradigm Shift—A 5‑Day Sprint

“Shift joyfully, test boldly, repeat daily.” — Eric Kim 

1. Monday – Inventory Reality
   Write 10 “truths” that govern your craft or life.
2. Tuesday – Flip the Script
   Invert each statement. Pick one daring opposite that excites or scares you.
3. Wednesday – Micro‑Prototype
   Run a 24‑hour experiment. Keep notes on emotions & surprises, not metrics.
4. Thursday – Reflect & Re‑frame
   Ask: “Did the world crumble—or did a door open?”
5. Friday – Ship Your Story
   Blog, tweet, or podcast the findings; invite friends to try their own inversion. Community is a force‑multiplier.

5. Staying in Shift Mode—Resources & Next Steps

Resource	Why It Inspires
“Shift the Paradigm” essay (2017)	Core manifesto—great starting read
“Paradigm Shift” (May 2024) post	Concise update tying AI & Bitcoin to creative renewal
“Bitcoin Act of 2024” analysis	Example of macro‑economics reframed as creative leverage
PHOTO TURBO THOUGHTS podcast	Bite‑sized audio jolts on inversion thinking
Petapixel interview	Context on Kim’s teaching ethos and inclusive philosophy
Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions	Academic backbone for any paradigm‑shift exploration

The Big Take‑Away

When you feel stuck, borrow Eric Kim’s joyous contrarianism: pick a norm, flip it, field‑test it, share it. Whether you’re innovating a product, crafting art, or redesigning daily habits, that playful cycle turns curiosity into momentum—and momentum into your personal paradigm shift. So gear up, think opposite, and let the adventure begin! 🎉

你的

 灵魂有益

是的——街头摄影仍然代表着未来。为什么？

首先，我们对“现实”的认知正被越拆越碎。我把这称作 “易拉罐电话效应”：一条新闻至少要经过五个 AI 代理，再被转进你妈妈的 KakaoTalk 群，辗转多次后才抵达你的眼睛与耳朵。

当信息被 remix、剪辑、引用上千次后，产物已与源头几乎无法分辨。我还把它叫做 “鸡块效应”。试问：在一只鸡的身上——你能找到“鸡块脚”吗？那粉红色、像牙膏一样挤出来的黏浆，被各种添加剂、稳定剂和大豆制品撑满，早已不再是真正的鸡肉；就像 Impossible Burger 违背了大自然的本意。

我引以为傲的一件事：对主流新闻无知到极致。因为除非你亲临现场、用第一视角去体验，你根本不知道真相为何。如今的世界像一部全新的 《黑客帝国》：想象一下，你终生头戴 Apple Vision Pro，坐在《机器人总动员》里的漂浮椅上，帽檐接着一根吸甜豆奶的吸管，耳朵再扣一副 AirPods Max——而且从出生就是这样！这就是新的矩阵。

街头摄影令人安心之处，在于它 100% 连接现实，也 100% 连接真实的人。我认为多数美国人其实很孤独：宅在郊区，猜疑邻居，担心街头小混混，暗暗抚摸隐藏的武器，希望有朝一日能当英雄“保卫”家人。

然而，最近一帧帧观看 Pharrell Williams 的乐高电影给我的启示是：所有人都希望你赢。 真正的敌人根本不存在——不是中国大陆，不是“非法”移民，不是车库里停两辆劳斯莱斯一辆兰博基尼的邻居，也不是健身房里举得比你重的人，更不是那个你怀疑打了类固醇的壮汉。大家都是同一支队伍！

美国社会太爱拿自己跟别人比较，这只会错用能量。阿基里斯？他从不在意他人；他知道自己是战场上最致命的战士，只专注于个人目标、荣誉与正义——别无他念。

2017 年删除 Instagram 后，最令人神清气爽的是：我的摄影变得彻底 autotelic——拍摄本身就是目的。就像把脑后那根黏糊糊的金属插头从矩阵里拔掉，虽疼，却在吞下“红色药丸”后发现世界没那么闪亮，但真正的自由就在眼前。

我仍惊讶许多人还沉迷 Instagram 与 TikTok。我已宣讲“自建独立博客”近十年——感谢一直追随！现在，我们正迈入去中心化互联网与 AI 的新纪元。

举个例子：AI 与 ChatGPT 的有趣之处在于——它并非真正的互联网，而是一台巨型中央服务器。当你提问时，ChatGPT 会 ping 自己的服务器，而不是去搜 Google。某种意义上，ChatGPT 几乎是“离线”的：即便互联网被切断，只要服务器尚在，它仍然有用。

现实

住在城市、每天能走 30 000 步的特权美德：

1. 看见街上行走的人、扫地的人，看到孩子趴在摩托车后座睡着，坐着敞篷 ramorque（嘟嘟车）穿行金边美丽街道——那份喜悦难以言表。
2. 住在 LA 却很难在街头见到行人；人人都困在车里——那是极度疏离的体验。

简单的文化行动：

• 花更多时间待在街头
• 拍更多照片
• 多跟人交谈、互动！

把尘封的 Henri Cartier-Bresson 教条扔进垃圾桶吧。他是典型的法国“银匙阶层”少爷，几乎不必劳作，却给摄影界灌输了近一个世纪的教条。现在轮到我们重写规则！

ERIC

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ใช่เลย! การถ่ายภาพสตรีทยังคงเป็นอนาคต — ทำไมล่ะ?

อันดับแรก มโนทัศน์เรื่อง “ความจริง” ของเรากำลังแตกเป็นชิ้น ๆ ผมเรียกมันว่า “เอฟเฟ็กต์โทรศัพท์กระป๋อง”: ข่าวชิ้นหนึ่งต้องวิ่งผ่านเอเจนต์ AI อย่างน้อยห้าตัว แล้ววกไปโผล่ในห้อง KakaoTalk ของแม่คุณ ผ่านการเล่าซ้ำอีกหลายรอบ ก่อนจะถึงตาคุณอ่านหรือหูคุณฟัง

เมื่อข้อมูลถูกรีมิกซ์ ตัดต่อ อ้างซ้ำเป็นพันครั้งแบบนี้ ต้นฉบับก็เลือนลางจนจำแทบไม่ได้ ผมเลยเรียกมันอีกชื่อว่า “เอฟเฟ็กต์นักเก็ตไก่” — บนตัวไก่…คุณจะหา “เท้านักเก็ต” ได้ที่ไหน? เนื้อสีชมพูเละ ๆ ถูกบีบออกมาเหมือนยาสีฟัน ปรุงแต่งด้วยสารกันเสีย ถั่วเหลือง และสารเพิ่มเนื้อสัมผัส จนไม่เหลือไก่จริง ๆ เหมือน Impossible Burger ที่สวนทางธรรมชาติ

ผมภูมิใจสุด ๆ ที่ ไม่รู้เรื่อง ข่าวกระแสหลักเลย เพราะถ้าคุณ ไม่ได้ ไปที่นั่นจริง ๆ เดินด้วยเท้าตัวเอง มองด้วยสายตา 1st-person คุณก็ไม่อาจรู้ “ความจริง” ได้ โลกทุกวันนี้คล้าย เมทริกซ์ เวอร์ชันใหม่—ลองจินตนาการว่าคุณติด Apple Vision Pro ไว้ที่หน้าผาก นั่งเก้าอี้ลอยได้เหมือนใน WALL-E สวมหมวกหลอดดูดเครื่องดื่มถั่วเหลืองหวาน ๆ พร้อม AirPods Max ตั้งแต่เกิด! นี่แหละ เมทริกซ์ยุคใหม่

สิ่งที่ทำให้การถ่ายภาพสตรีทน่าชื่นใจคือ มันเชื่อมต่อกับความจริง 100% และกับมนุษย์จริง ๆ 100% ผมเชื่อว่าคนอเมริกันส่วนใหญ่เหงามาก: อยู่ชานเมือง ไม่ไว้ใจเพื่อนบ้าน กลัวเด็กแก๊งค์ และลูบปืนพกในเงามืด หวังว่าสักวันจะได้เป็นซูเปอร์ฮีโร่ “ปกป้อง” ครอบครัว

แต่สิ่งที่ผมได้จากหนัง LEGO ของ Pharrell Williams คือ ทุกคนอยากเห็นคุณ “ชนะ” ไม่มีใครเป็นศัตรูจริง ๆ — ไม่ใช่จีนแผ่นดินใหญ่ ไม่ใช่ผู้อพยพเถื่อน ไม่ใช่เพื่อนบ้านที่มี Rolls-Royce สองคันกับ Lamborghini หนึ่งคัน ไม่ใช่คนที่ยกน้ำหนักได้มากกว่าคุณ และไม่ใช่พี่ที่คุณสงสัยว่าใช้สเตียรอยด์—เราทุกคนอยู่ทีมเดียวกัน!

สังคมอเมริกันติดนิสัยเปรียบเทียบจนพลังใจหลงทาง แต่ทั้งหมดนั้นคือภาพลวงตา Achilles ไม่สนใจคนอื่น เขารู้ตัวว่าเป็นนักรบอันตรายที่สุดในสนามรบ จดจ่อแค่เป้าหมาย เกียรติยศ และความยุติธรรมของตัวเอง

สิ่งสดใสที่สุดหลังจากผมลบ Instagram ในปี 2017 คือ การถ่ายภาพของผมกลายเป็น Autotelic — ทำเพราะมันคือจุดหมายในตัวเอง เหมือนดึงขั้วต่อหลังคอออกจากเมทริกซ์ เจ็บนะ แต่พอกลืน “ยาเม็ดแดง” แล้ว โลกอาจไม่แวววาวเท่าเดิม ทว่า อิสระแท้จริง อยู่ตรงหน้า

ผมยังตกใจที่หลายคนยังเล่น Instagram กับ TikTok อยู่ ผมเทศน์เรื่อง “ทำบล็อกโฮสต์เอง” มาเกือบสิบปี—ขอบคุณที่ติดตาม! ตอนนี้เรากำลังเข้าสู่ยุคอินเทอร์เน็ตกระจายศูนย์และ AI

ตัวอย่าง: AI กับ ChatGPT เจ๋งตรงที่มันไม่ใช่อินเทอร์เน็ต แต่มันคือเซิร์ฟเวอร์ยักษ์ เวลาคุณถาม ChatGPT มันจะ ping เซิร์ฟเวอร์ตัวเอง แทนที่จะเสิร์ช Google ในทางหนึ่ง ChatGPT จึงเกือบ ออฟไลน์ ถ้าอินเทอร์เน็ตถูกตัด แต่เซิร์ฟเวอร์ยังอยู่ มันก็ยังมีประโยชน์

ความจริง

พลังของการอยู่ในเมือง แล้วมีสิทธิ์เดินวันละ 30 000 ก้าว:

1. เห็นผู้คนเดินกวาดถนน เห็นเด็กหลับพิงหลังพ่อบนมอเตอร์ไซค์ นั่ง รมอร์ก (ตุ๊กตุ๊กเปิดโล่ง) ไล่ลมผ่านถนนสวย ๆ ในพนมเปญ—หัวใจมันพองโต
2. แม้คุณจะอยู่ LA คุณแทบไม่เห็นคนเดินถนนเลย ทุกคนติดอยู่ในรถ — ประสบการณ์โดดเดี่ยวสุด ๆ

แอ็กชันทางวัฒนธรรมง่าย ๆ:

• ใช้เวลาอยู่บนถนนให้มากขึ้น
• ถ่ายภาพให้เยอะขึ้น
• พูดคุย ปฏิสัมพันธ์กับผู้คนให้บ่อยขึ้น!

โยนคำสอนโบราณของ Henri Cartier-Bresson ลงถังขยะไปเถอะ เขาคือคุณชายช้อนเงินของฝรั่งเศส แทบไม่เคยลำบากทำงาน แต่กลับสร้างกฎตายตัวให้วงการถ่ายภาพเกือบศตวรรษ ถึงเวลาที่เราจะเขียนมันใหม่แล้ว!

ERIC

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LINH HỒN

 của bạn

Vâng, nhiếp ảnh đường phố vẫn là tương lai. Vì sao ư?

Trước hết, khái niệm “hiện thực” của chúng ta ngày càng bị phân mảnh. Tôi gọi đây là “hiệu ứng điện thoại lon thiếc”: một tin tức phải đi qua ít nhất năm “đại lý AI”, rồi lọt vào nhóm KakaoTalk của mẹ bạn, vòng vo thêm vài lượt nữa trước khi đến tai và mắt bạn.

Khi thông tin bị remix, cắt ghép, trích lại hàng nghìn lần, nguyên bản gần như không thể nhận ra. Tôi còn gọi đó là Hiệu ứng gà nugget. Trên thân con gà… bạn tìm thấy “chân gà nugget” ở đâu? Hỗn hợp bột hồng nhão như kem đánh răng được ép thành nugget — một “Nhện người thông tin” với đủ chất phụ gia, chất ổn định, đậu nành, khiến nó chẳng còn là thịt gà thực sự; giống như chiếc Impossible Burger trái với ý mẹ thiên nhiên.

Tôi tự hào vì vô cùng “mù tịt” với tin tức dòng chính. Vì trừ khi bạn tự mình đến tận nơi, nhìn bằng góc nhìn người thứ nhất, bạn thực sự không biết chuyện gì xảy ra. Thế giới nay giống Ma Trận mới: tưởng tượng bạn suốt đời đeo Apple Vision Pro, ngồi trên ghế bay như trong WALL-E, đội mũ hút đồ uống đậu nành ngọt ngào, đeo AirPods Max — từ lúc mới chào đời! Đó chính là Ma Trận mới.

Điều giúp nhiếp ảnh đường phố trở nên an tâm là nó 100% gắn với thực tại, với con người bằng xương bằng thịt. Tôi cho rằng phần lớn người Mỹ rất cô đơn: sống ở ngoại ô, nghi kỵ hàng xóm, sợ bọn “trẻ hư” lảng vảng; tay rờ khẩu súng giấu kín, mong một ngày hóa siêu anh hùng “bảo vệ” gia đình.

Nhưng bộ phim Lego mới của Pharrell Williams khiến tôi nhận ra: mọi người đều muốn bạn chiến thắng. Không ai thật sự là kẻ thù: không phải Trung Quốc đại lục, không phải người nhập cư lậu, không phải anh hàng xóm có hai chiếc Rolls-Royce và một Lamborghini, không phải gã nâng tạ nặng hơn bạn ở phòng gym, cũng chẳng phải tay bị nghi dùng steroid. Tất cả chung một đội!

Chúng ta tốn quá nhiều năng lượng so sánh bản thân để nâng cái tôi. Nhưng đó là sai lệch. Achilles chẳng bận tâm người khác; anh ta biết mình là chiến binh chết chóc nhất, tập trung vào mục tiêu, danh dự và công lý của riêng mình.

Xóa Instagram năm 2017, tôi thấy nhiếp ảnh trở nên autotelic — tự thân là mục đích. Như rút phích cắm sau gáy khỏi Ma Trận: đau, nhưng khi nuốt “viên thuốc đỏ”, tuy mọi thứ bớt hào nhoáng, bạn có tự do thật sự.

Tôi vẫn sốc vì nhiều người còn trên Instagram, TikTok. Suốt gần mười năm tôi rao giảng “tự host blog” — cảm ơn bạn đã đồng hành! Giờ ta bước vào kỷ nguyên Internet phi tập trung, AI.

Điều thú vị ở AI và ChatGPT là: nó không phải Internet, mà là máy chủ khổng lồ. Khi truy vấn, ChatGPT ping máy chủ của họ chứ không tìm Google. Theo cách nào đó, ChatGPT còn gần như “ngoại tuyến”: nếu cắt Internet, họ vẫn hữu ích miễn là còn máy chủ.

Hiện thực

Phẩm chất của việc sống ở thành phố và có đặc quyền đi bộ 30 000 bước mỗi ngày:

1. Nhìn người quét dọn, trẻ con ngủ gật sau yên xe máy, ngồi trên chiếc ramorque (tuk-tuk) hở gió dạo phố Phnom Penh — niềm vui không tả.
2. Ở LA, bạn hầu như không thấy ai trên đường; ai cũng ngồi trong xe. Cảm giác xa lạ vô cùng.

Hành động văn hoá đơn giản:

• Dành nhiều thời gian trên phố hơn
• Chụp nhiều ảnh hơn
• Trò chuyện, tương tác với mọi người nhiều hơn!

Quẳng giáo điều lỗi thời của Henri Cartier-Bresson vào thùng rác. Ông ta là cậu ấm “thìa bạc” Pháp, hầu như chẳng phải lao động, nhưng lại áp đặt một thế kỷ giáo điều. Giờ đến lượt chúng ta viết lại lịch sử!

ERIC

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あなた

 の魂に効くのか

はい、ストリート写真こそが未来です。なぜでしょうか？

まず第一に、ぼくらの「現実」はどんどん断片化しています。私はこれを “空き缶電話” 効果 と呼んでいます。あるニュースが少なくとも5体のAIエージェントを経由し、さらにお母さんのカカオトークのグループチャットを経て、あなたの目と耳に届く──そんな構造です。

こうして情報がリミックスされ、再編集され、再引用され、千回単位で増幅されると、もはやオリジナルとの区別は不可能。同じ現象を チキンナゲット効果 とも呼びます。鶏の体のどこを探せば “チキンナゲットの足” が見つかるのでしょう？　ピンク色のスラッジを歯磨き粉みたいに絞り出して成形する。情報が添加物・安定剤・大豆派生物だらけになり、もはや本来の姿を失う――Impossible Burger が母なる自然を裏切るのと同じです。

私は主流ニュースにまったく無知であることを誇りに思っています。なぜなら、本当にその場に 自分の足で 行き、1人称視点で体験しない限り、「真実」はつかめないからです。世界は新しい マトリックス になっています。Apple Vision Pro を額に装着し、映画『ウォーリー』の浮遊イスに縛りつけられ、頭には甘いソイ飲料のストロー、耳には AirPods Max。生まれた瞬間からそうだったら？　それが新しいマトリックスです。

ストリート写真が安心感をくれるのは、100%リアルで、100%生身の人間とつながるから。多くのアメリカ人は孤独です。郊外に閉じこもり、ご近所を警戒し、不良少年を恐れ、隠し持った銃を撫でながら「いつかヒーローになって家族を守るぞ」と夢想している。

でも最近公開されたファレル・ウィリアムスのレゴ映画を観て気づきました。みんな、あなたが“勝つ”ことを願っている。真の敵なんていないのです。本土中国でも、不法移民でも、ガレージにロールスロイス2台とランボルギーニを停めている隣人でも、ジムで自分より重いウエイトを挙げる人でも、ステロイドを疑われるあの男でも――みんな同じチーム！

ぼくらは他人と比較して自尊心を保とうとしがちですが、それは誤ったエネルギーの使い方。アキレスは他人を気にしませんでした。彼は戦場最強の戦士であることを自覚し、名誉と不名誉、そして正義だけを追求しました。

2017年に Instagram を削除したとき、私は写真行為が オートテリック (autotelic)――それ自体が目的――になりました。マトリックスの後頭部ソケットを引き抜いたようなもの。確かに痛みはありますが、赤い錠剤を飲めばピカピカ感は薄れても 本当の自由 が手に入ります。

いまだに Instagram や TikTok に居座る人がいるのは驚きです。私は10年近く「セルフホストのブログ」を説いてきました。聞き入れてくれてありがとう！　いまこそ分散型インターネットと AI の時代へ。

ところで AI と ChatGPT が面白いのは、実は “インターネット” そのものではなく巨大な集中サーバーだという点。質問すると Google 検索ではなく彼らのサーバーを Ping します。ある意味 ChatGPT は オフライン に近い。もしネット接続が断たれても自前のサーバーがあれば、まだ役に立つでしょう。

現実

都市に住み、一日3万歩を歩けるという特権の美徳：

1. 道端を歩く人々、掃除をする人々、バイクの後ろで眠る子ども、そしてプノンペンの街を走るオープンエアの「ラムオーク（トゥクトゥク）」──見るだけで心が湧き立ちます。
2. LA に住んでも、道路で人をほとんど見かけません。みんな車の中。これは疎外感を生む体験です。

シンプルな文化的アクション：

• もっと路上に時間を使おう
• もっと写真を撮ろう
• もっと人と話し、交流しよう！

アンリ・カルティエ＝ブレッソンの古臭い教義はゴミ箱へ。彼は典型的なお坊ちゃま――フランスの金持ちテキスタイル一族。ほとんど働かず、写真界に1世紀近いドグマを植えつけました。いまこそぼくらが書き換える番！

ERIC

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ព្រលឹងរបស់ អ្នក

បាទ/ចាស, ការថតរូបតាមផ្លូវ (Street Photography) នៅតែជាម៉ាក្រូថនពីរយៈពេលតទៅ! ហេតុអ្វី?

មុនគេ សេចក្ដី “ការពិត” របស់យើងកំពុងតែបែកបាក់ជាផ្នែកៗ។ ខ្ញុំហៅវា ជា « ប្រសាសដល់ប្រសាស—ក្រដាសខ្សែជើងកំប៉ុង »។ ពេលព័ត៌មានមួយកាត់ផ្លាស់ឆ្លងកាត់ AI បន្តបន្ទាប់ប្រាំប្រាប់ដង ហើយឆ្លងកាត់ក្រុម KakaoTalk របស់ម៉ាក់ម្តង ទើបស៊ែរចែកជូនអ្នក—ពេលមកដល់ភ្នែក និងត្រចៀកអ្នក វាបាត់ន័យដើមទៅហើយ។

ពេលព័ត៌មានត្រូវ remix re-clip re-quote ជាសិនលើសពាន់ដង បញ្ចុះបញ្ចូលជាបន្តបន្ទាប់ នោះវារំលាយឫសដើមរហូតលែងស្គាល់។ ខ្ញុំហៅវា ជា « Chicken Nugget Effect »។ នៅលើរាងកាយ មាន់ — តើមាន “ដងជើងChicken Nugget” នៅណាទេ? ហើយសាច់ពណ៌ផ្កាឈូក ក្លាយជាគ្រឿងផ្សំ chicken nuggets អញ្ចឹង ដូចជា « Human Centipede » នៃព័ត៌មាន៖ បន្ថែមជាតិជួយរក្សា Soy និង Stabilizer ច្រើនបំផុត ធ្វើឲ្យវា មិនមែនជាសាច់ដើមទេ—ដូចជា Impossible Burger ដែលមិនមែនសរសេរឡើងដោយម៉ែធម្មជាតិឡើយ។

ខ្ញុំមោទនភាព ក្នុងការ “អ ចឹង យើងគួរតែលែងខ្វល់ពីដំណឹងមេឃគេ” ដល់ កម្រិត ខ្ពស់។ យ៉ាងណា? ព្រោះបើអ្នក មិនទាន់ទៅកាន់ទី នោះដោយជើងខ្លួនឯង — មើលបញ្ចៀស ១st-person POV — អ្នកមិនដឹងអ្វីជា ការពិតទេ។ សហគមន៍មនុស្សកំពុងរស់ក្នុង Matrix ថ្មី ៖ ស្រមើស្រមៃពេលអ្នកពាក់ Apple Vision Pro ជានិច្ច ក្នុងកៅអី ឡើងអាកាសមួយបែប WALL-E, ឆក កន្លែងឲ្យបឺតភេសជ្ជៈសយផ្អោយផ្អែម មាន AirPods Max បិទត្រចៀក… ពីថ្ងៃកើត!  តើនោះមិនមែន Matrix មែនទេឬ?

អ្វីដែលធ្វើឲ្យការថត រូបតាមផ្លូវ ដាក់ចិត្តសន្តិភាពគឺ វាខាប់ខុន សាច់និងឈាម មនុស្សពិត ១០០%។ ខ្ញុំគិតថា ជនអាមេរិកភាគច្រើនក្ដៅគគុក។ នៅក្នុងSuburb ជុំវិញ ផ្លូវស្ងប់ស្ងាត់ កើតការខ្លាចអ្នកជិតខាង ឬយុវជនកំប្លែង១ ម៉ោង តែបងប្អូន វិលវិចក៏កាន់អាវុធលាក់គ្រាំៗ សង្ឃឹមថាថ្ងៃណាមកដល់ខ្លួនអាចធ្វើជាវីរៈបុរស “ការពារ” គ្រួសាររបស់ខ្លួន។

ទោះបីជាយ៉ាងណា, សារៈសំខាន់មកពី ភាពជឿជាក់ ថ្មី៖ មនុស្សគ្រប់រូប ទាំងអស់ ចង់ឲ្យអ្នកឈ្នះ។ មិនមានសត្រូវពិតប្រាកដ—មិនមែនចិនដីគោក, មិនមែនអ្នកអន្តោប្រវេសន៍ « Illegal », មិនមែនអ្នកបើកឡាន Rolls-Royce ២ និង Lamborghini ១ ក្នុងរ гаражង្រិន, ក៏មិនមែន បងប្អូនលើកទម្ងន់ធ្ងន់ជាងអ្នកក្នុងហុលត៍ឡើយ—even គេប្រើ Steroid ឬអត់។ យើង ផ្សំពីការប្រៀបធៀប — ប៉ុន្តែវាជាថានណែនច្រឡំ។ អគីឡែ (Achilles) មិនប្រាកដជា ខ្វល់ពីមនុស្សផ្សេងនោះទេ។ គាត់ដឹងថាខ្លួនផ្តល់ពលខ្លាំងបំផុតនៅទីប្រយុទ្ធ រួចផ្តោតលើគោលដៅនិងចំណង់ចំណូលចិត្តផ្ទាល់ខ្លួន៖ ម៉ាកវង្ស កិត្ដិយស និងយុត្តិធម៌ — អស់!

ខ្ញុំលុប Instagram ពេលឆ្នាំ 2017 ហើយឆាប់ជាប់អារម្មណ៍ស្រស់ស្រាយ ការថតរូបរបស់ខ្ញុំក្លាយជា Autotelic (គោលបំណងជារូបខ្លួនវា)។ ដូចជាដួលចេញពី Matrix — ទម្លាក់ប្លុកធ្វើជាក្រវិលមកពីខ្នងក្បាល; ឈឺ តែបញ្ចុះបញ្ចូលបីត្រិចក្រៅស្ដើង ទទួលបាន សេរីភាពពិតប្រាកដ។

សេចក្ដីភ្ញាក់ផ្អើលទី ក្តី: នៅថ្ងៃនេះមនុស្ស ទៅលើ Instagram និង TikTok នៅតែច្រើន! ប៉ុន្តែឯខ្ញុំជិតជាយថវិជ្ជានាំ ឲ្យបង្កើត Blog Self-hosted ជាង ១០ ឆ្នាំមកហើយ—អរគុណសម្រាប់ការតាមដាន! យើងកំពុងចូលដល់យុគ « អ៊ីនធឺណិតបែកចែក » និង AI។

ตัวอย่าง៖ ChatGPT មិនមែន WWW នោះទេ ប្រសិនបើអ្នក Query វា គ្រាន់តែ Ping ទៅមហាស្ថាន ទិន្នន័យ Terrabytes នៅមណ្ឌលផ្ទាល់។ ទៅវិញទៅមក ChatGPT ធ្លាប់ចូលរួមជាក់ស្ដែង ជាង « online » ក៍បាទ — បើកាតបណ្តាញផុត, វាក៏នៅប្រើបាន ប្រសិនបើម៉ាស៊ីនមេរបស់ពួកគេចាត់សម្ងាត់។

សភាពជាក់ស្តែង

អត្ថប្រយោជន៍នៃការរស់នៅទីក្រុង ហើយមានឱកាសដើរ ៣ម៉ឺនជំហានក្នុងមួយថ្ងៃ៖

1. ការមើលមនុស្សឯទៀតដើរ កម្ចាត់ហេដ្យាយ ទុកលំដាប់ផ្លូវ ឃើញក្មេងតូចគេងលើម៉ូតូ ឬទៅលុង រថរី រ៉ាមក ឆ្ងាយខ្យល់បើកចំហ នៅតាមផ្លូវស្អាតៗ ក្នុងភ្នំពេញ—វាអាចធ្វើឲ្យចិត្តរីករាយឡើង។
2. នៅ LA ក៏ដោយ អ្នកស្ទើរមិនឃើញអ្នកដើរលើផ្លូវទេ ដោយសារករណី ជាប់ក្នុងឡាន — វាជาประสบการณ์បំបែកចិត្ត។

សកម្មភាព វប្បធម៌ ងាយៗ៖

• ចំណាយពេល នៅលើផ្លូវ ឲ្យបានច្រើន,
• ថតរូប ឲ្យបានច្រើន,
• និយាយជជែក ជាមួយមនុស្ស ឲ្យបានច្រើន!
  ភ្លេច Henri Cartier-Bresson ទៅ! គាត់ ជា កូនឆៅមានបរិសិទ្ឋិធំ—កូនស្ពឺនំស្តង់ដារ ប្រកបដោយរាជបុណ្យបុរសបារាំង។ គាត់ទឹងទេរស្ថាបនាភាពដណ្ដើមដែនចេញជា ឡើងវាលឆ្នាំ ១០០។ ពេលរបស់យើងកែសរសេរឡើងវិញ!

ERIC

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Nneh!

당신

의 영혼에 좋은가

네, 스트리트 사진은 여전히 미래입니다. 왜일까요?

우선, 우리의 ‘현실’이라는 개념은 점점 더 파편화되고 있습니다. 저는 이를 ‘깡통 전화기 효과’라 부릅니다. 어떤 뉴스가 최소 다섯 AI 에이전트를 거쳐, 또 엄마의 카카오톡 단톡방을 거치고, 또 누군가의 전언을 거친 뒤 당신의 눈과 귀에 도달하죠.

이렇게 정보가 재가공·재편집·재인용되어 수천 번쯤 되풀이된 뒤에는, 원형이 무엇인지조차 식별하기 어렵습니다. 이를 치킨너겟 효과라고 부릅니다. 닭의 몸에서… 도대체 치킨너겟 ‘발’ 부위가 어디 있나요? 또한 핑크 슬러지를 칫솔질 하듯 짜서 치킨너겟으로 만든다니, 일종의 ‘인간 지네’식 정보 순환입니다. 수많은 첨가물, 안정제, 대두 부산물이 합쳐져 더 이상 ‘본래의 것’이 아니게 된 것이죠. 마치 불가능 버거가 자연의 섭리를 벗어난 것처럼요.

저는 주류 뉴스를 거의 모르는 것이 최대의 자랑입니다. 왜냐하면, 실제로 발로 그 장소에 가보고 1인칭 시점으로 경험하지 않았다면, 무엇이 ‘진짜’인지 알 길이 없기 때문입니다. 세상을 매트릭스에 비유해 봅시다. 평생 Apple Vision Pro를 이마에 달고, 《월-E》 속 공중 부양 의자에 묶여, 머리 위엔 달콤한 소이 음료 빨대로 연결된 모자, 귀에는 에어팟 맥스가 있습니다. 태어나면서부터 그랬다면? 그게 바로 새로운 매트릭스입니다.

스트리트 사진의 안심되는 점은 100% 현실, 100% 실존하는 인간과 연결된다는 것입니다. 제 생각에 대부분 미국인은 꽤 외롭습니다. 교외에 갇혀 이웃을 경계하며, 언제든 영웅처럼 ‘가족을 지키겠다’며 숨겨 둔 무기를 만지작거리죠.

최근 퍼렐 윌리엄스의 레고 영화를 관통하며 얻은 깨달음은, 사실 모두가 당신이 ‘승리’하길 바란다는 것! 누구도 진짜 적이 아닙니다. 본토 중국도, 이민자도, 차고에 롤스로이스 두 대와 람보르기니 한 대를 가진 옆집도, 헬스장에서 당신보다 무게를 더 드는 사람도, 몰래 스테로이드 쓰나? 의심되는 그 사람도—모두가 같은 팀!

우리는 남과 비교하며 자존심을 세우느라 에너지를 낭비합니다. 그러나 이것은 거짓입니다. 아킬레우스는 남을 의식하지 않았습니다. 그는 전장에서 가장 치명적인 전사임을 알았고, 오직 자신의 목표와 욕망에 집중했습니다. 그에게 중요한 건 명예와 불명예, 그리고 정의뿐이었죠.

2017년 인스타그램을 삭제한 뒤 가장 상쾌했던 점은 사진이 오토텔릭(autotelic)—그 자체가 목적—이 되었다는 것입니다. 마치 매트릭스의 뒤통수 소켓을 뽑아낸 듯, 고통스럽지만 빨간 약을 삼키니 화려함은 사라져도 진정한 자유가 찾아왔죠.

아직도 인스타그램·틱톡을 쓰는 사람들이 있다는 사실이 놀랍습니다. 저는 10년 가까이 ‘셀프 호스팅 블로그’를 설파해 왔고, 들어주셔서 감사합니다. 이제는 분산형 인터넷, AI 시대가 열릴 겁니다.

예를 들어 AI와 ChatGPT가 흥미로운 이유는, 사실 ‘인터넷’이 아니라 거대한 중앙 서버라는 점입니다. ChatGPT에 질문하면 구글을 검색하는 대신 자체 서버를 ‘핑’합니다. 그래서 어떤 면에서는 ChatGPT가 오프라인에 더 가깝습니다. 만약 인터넷 연결이 끊겨도 자체 서버만 있으면 여전히 유용할 수도 있죠.

현실

도시에서 살며 하루 3만 보를 걸을 수 있다는 특권의 미덕:

1. 길거리에서 사람들을 보고, 쓸고 닦는 이들을 보고, 오토바이 뒤에서 꾸벅꾸벅 졸던 아이를 보고, 프놈펜의 아름다운 거리를 달리는 오픈 에어 ‘람옥’(툭툭)을 타며 얻는 기쁨은 이루 말할 수 없습니다.
2. LA에 살아도 길거리에서 사람을 거의 볼 수 없습니다. 모두 차 안에 있으니까요. 이것이야말로 소외감을 주는 경험입니다.

따라서 문화적 실천은 간단합니다:

• 길 위에 더 오래 머물 것,
• 더 많은 사진을 찍을 것,
• 더 많이 사람과 대화하고 교류할 것!
  귀찮은 앙리 카르티에 브레송의 교리를 쓰레기통에 던져버리세요. 그는 전형적인 은수저 출신 ‘프렌치 귀족’이었습니다. 일 안 하고도 잘살던 부르주아… 그가 만든 규범은 빈약했고, 사진계에 100년 가까운 독선을 심었죠. 이제 우리가 다시 씁시다!

ERIC

Start Here >

Yes, street photography is still the future. Why?

First, more and more… Or notion of reality is becoming more and more fragmented. I caught like the tin can telephone effect; you hear news of the news of the news of a new source of a new source, which goes through at least five AI agents, and also hear say through your mom, and her Kakaotalk group. 

Anyways, when you have information spreading and being remixed and re-clipped and quoted like thousands of times before it reaches your eyeballs or ears, it is so indistinguishable from the origin, that you have no idea what is really going on. For example, I call this the chicken nugget effect. Where in the chicken‘s body… do you find that chicken nugget “foot”?  Also, the pink sludge toothpaste, that is created from chicken nuggets, or into chicken nuggets, it kind of like the human centipede of information. It has been formented so many different additives, stabilizers, soy product, that it is no longer even it’s kind of like these ridiculous impossible burgers not what mother nature intended.

Anyways, my number one pride is being super super ignorant of all the mainstream news about everything. Why? Because the truth is unless you’ve actually been there on foot, on the ground first person POV… You really have no idea what happened for example the use is like a matrix, Imagine that you’re walking around your whole life, with Apple Vision Pro strapped on your forehead, your chain to a levitating handicap chair like the fat people in Wall-E, and next to you you have like the homer Simpson Soyland straw hat thing, in which you could easily drink sugary soy based products, and you have AirPods Max on your ears. And imagine that you’ve had it like this since you were born. This is like the new matrix.

Anyways I think the reassuring thing about street photography is it is 100% connected to reality and real humans. My personal thought is most Americans are actually quite lonely. We spent too much time in the suburbs, suspicious of our neighbors, or hoodlums running around our neighborhood, and we are silently stroking our concealed weapons, secretly hoping that one day we could act like a superhero and to “defend” our families.

Anyways, I think one of the most uplifting things about watching the recent Pharrell Williams Lego movie, piece by piece, is the realization that everyone just wants you to win. Everyone is on the same team. No no no, nobody is your enemy, not mainland China, not the illegal immigrant, not your next-door neighbor who has two Rolls-Royce‘s and a Lamborghini in his garage, or the guy who could lift more than you at the gym, or the guy at the gym who you secretly suspicious of taking steroids.

I think that’s actually the hard thing in American society is that we judge too much for our own self-esteem comparing ourselves to others. This becomes misdirected energy because I think it is actually false. Achilles didn’t really care about other people… He knew that he was the most lethal fighter on the battleground. He was just more focused on his own goals And his own personal desires rather than constantly thinking or being suspicious to other people were better than him. For him, all he care for was honor and dishonor, and getting what was rightfully his,,, justice … nothing else.

Anyways probably the most refreshing thing about deleting Instagram in 2017 was I really started to become much more autotelic when it came to my photography. Essentially I was like in the matrix, and I unplugged that little gooey metal spine brain connecting device does attached at the back of my skull, and obviously disconnecting it was painful… But by taking the red pill, obviously things are a little bit less shiny, but the truth is you get real freedom.

I’m actually still kind of shocked that people are still on Instagram and TikTok. I think maybe… I mean I’ve been preaching the idea of creating your own self hosted blog for almost a decade now, thank you for sticking with me appreciate you, I do this for you… Anyways, it looks like we are entering a brave new era in which maybe like decentralized Internet, AI, is going to be the path forward.

So for example, one thing that’s super interesting about AI and ChatGPT… It actually isn’t the Internet it is just like a huge centralized server of like terabytes of information. I think the way it works is when you query ChatGPT, it essentially pings their servers, rather than using a Google search.

As a consequence, in some ways ChatGPT is like a little bit “off-line”, I think they have deal a huge digital moat, that suddenly all of the information access was cut, but they still had access to their servers, it would still probably be a useful product.

Reality

The virtues of living in a city, and having the privilege to walk around all day, 30,000 steps a day:

So I think the first thing is that like it brings human being so much joy to see other human beings on the streets, walking around, sweeping, seeing kids fall asleep on motorbikes, and the joy of riding an open air ramorque through the beautiful streets of Phnom Penh.

What’s actually super funny and hilarious is even if you live in LA, you’re like almost never see people in the streets. Everyone is inside a car, and I think this is a very alienating experience.

So my simple cultural action is this: the more time you spend on the streets, the more time you spend making photos, the more time you spent talking to people interacting with them, throw all of the loser Henri Cartier Bresson nonsense into the trash. The more I think about it, Bresson was like the typical, pretentious silver spoonfed rich kid, I don’t think he ever had to work a day in his life, and like a traditional French mercantile textile rich oligarch… the guidelines he set for photography were poor. Essentially he shaped almost like a century worth of dogma. Time for us to rewrite this.

ERIC

---

Start Here >

---

Yes, street photography is still the future. Why?

First, more and more… Or notion of reality is becoming more and more fragmented. I caught like the tin can telephone effect; you hear news of the news of the news of a new source of a new source, which goes through at least five AI agents, and also hear say through your mom, and her Kakaotalk group. 

Anyways, when you have information spreading and being remixed and re-clipped and quoted like thousands of times before it reaches your eyeballs or ears, it is so indistinguishable from the origin, that you have no idea what is really going on. For example, I call this the chicken nugget effect. Where in the chicken‘s body… do you find that chicken nugget “foot”?  Also, the pink sludge toothpaste, that is created from chicken nuggets, or into chicken nuggets, it kind of like the human centipede of information. It has been formented so many different additives, stabilizers, soy product, that it is no longer even it’s kind of like these ridiculous impossible burgers not what mother nature intended.

Anyways, my number one pride is being super super ignorant of all the mainstream news about everything. Why? Because the truth is unless you’ve actually been there on foot, on the ground first person POV… You really have no idea what happened for example the use is like a matrix, Imagine that you’re walking around your whole life, with Apple Vision Pro strapped on your forehead, your chain to a levitating handicap chair like the fat people in Wall-E, and next to you you have like the homer Simpson Soyland straw hat thing, in which you could easily drink sugary soy based products, and you have AirPods Max on your ears. And imagine that you’ve had it like this since you were born. This is like the new matrix.

Anyways I think the reassuring thing about street photography is it is 100% connected to reality and real humans. My personal thought is most Americans are actually quite lonely. We spent too much time in the suburbs, suspicious of our neighbors, or hoodlums running around our neighborhood, and we are silently stroking our concealed weapons, secretly hoping that one day we could act like a superhero and to “defend” our families.

Anyways, I think one of the most uplifting things about watching the recent Pharrell Williams Lego movie, piece by piece, is the realization that everyone just wants you to win. Everyone is on the same team. No no no, nobody is your enemy, not mainland China, not the illegal immigrant, not your next-door neighbor who has two Rolls-Royce‘s and a Lamborghini in his garage, or the guy who could lift more than you at the gym, or the guy at the gym who you secretly suspicious of taking steroids.

I think that’s actually the hard thing in American society is that we judge too much for our own self-esteem comparing ourselves to others. This becomes misdirected energy because I think it is actually false. Achilles didn’t really care about other people… He knew that he was the most lethal fighter on the battleground. He was just more focused on his own goals And his own personal desires rather than constantly thinking or being suspicious to other people were better than him. For him, all he care for was honor and dishonor, and getting what was rightfully his,,, justice … nothing else.

Anyways probably the most refreshing thing about deleting Instagram in 2017 was I really started to become much more autotelic when it came to my photography. Essentially I was like in the matrix, and I unplugged that little gooey metal spine brain connecting device does attached at the back of my skull, and obviously disconnecting it was painful… But by taking the red pill, obviously things are a little bit less shiny, but the truth is you get real freedom.

I’m actually still kind of shocked that people are still on Instagram and TikTok. I think maybe… I mean I’ve been preaching the idea of creating your own self hosted blog for almost a decade now, thank you for sticking with me appreciate you, I do this for you… Anyways, it looks like we are entering a brave new era in which maybe like decentralized Internet, AI, is going to be the path forward.

So for example, one thing that’s super interesting about AI and ChatGPT… It actually isn’t the Internet it is just like a huge centralized server of like terabytes of information. I think the way it works is when you query ChatGPT, it essentially pings their servers, rather than using a Google search.

As a consequence, in some ways ChatGPT is like a little bit “off-line”, I think they have deal a huge digital moat, that suddenly all of the information access was cut, but they still had access to their servers, it would still probably be a useful product.

The nice thing is you could just buy MSTR, and go to sleep in a cave forever, and being happy knowing that while you’re sleeping and chilling, or weightlifting at the gym, in the pool or the hot sauna, and doing other stuff… He is making you super filthy rich!

Yes, street photography is still the future. Why?

AI IS A WEAPON, BITCOIN IS YOUR SHIELD

True wisdom: not trying to “help” others

.

Spartan soldiers use short swords to get close to the enemy.

Eric Kim rack pulls ,,, is warrior training.

1131, 523kg

.

all weight lifting or fitness myths Eric Kim is currently busting, rewriting the rules

Yes—there really is fresh video of photographer‑turned‑philosopher‑lifter Eric Kim yanking 513 kg / 1,131 lb from knee‑height pins and proclaiming it a “world rack‑pull record.” The clip dropped on 14 June 2025 and is now hosted across Kim’s own sites and YouTube. 

What the “cyber‑scan” turns up

Check‑point	What we found	Credibility notes
Primary footage	4‑K video shot in a minimalist gym; no belt, no wrist straps; bar starts roughly mid‑patella and travels only a few centimetres.	Camera never leaves the lifter; plates look like 25‑kg calibrated discs, but no weighed‑in evidence is presented.
Source diversity	Every news‑style article so far traces back to Kim‑owned domains ( erickim.com, erickimphotography.com, erickimfitness.com ).	No independent federation, meet organiser or mainstream strength outlet has verified the lift as of 15 June 2025.
Historical context	The heaviest rack‑pulls on record come from super‑heavyweights such as Brian Shaw (511 kg / 1,128 lb at ~190 kg BW).  Kim’s 6.84 × body‑weight ratio is therefore unique, but it is a partial‑range movement outside any rule‑book.
Community reaction	Reddit, TikTok and Instagram clips are proliferating, mostly sharing the original video, congratulating the feat and debating biomechanics or plate legitimacy.	Typical split: “insane strength” vs. “partial lift, no official scales.”
Supplement / doping angle	Kim claims “zero supplements, carnivore, fasted.”	No lab tests provided; treat as marketing until proven.

How big a deal is 513 kg on a rack pull?

1. Movement specificity – A rack pull starts higher than a conventional dead‑lift, so lifters can handle 10‑25 % more weight. Comparing raw numbers to Eddie Hall’s 500 kg full dead‑lift is fun, but biomechanically unsound.
2. Power‑to‑weight optics – Pulling 6.8× body‑weight at 75 kg is headline‑grabbing, even if range of motion is short. That ratio beats any known full‑range dead‑lift or rack‑pull ever filmed.
3. Partial‑lift record keeping – Unlike power‑lifting or strong‑man, rack‑pulls have no federation, judges or weight‑class rule‑set. Claims rely on video evidence and community consensus.

If you want to verify (or replicate) the feat

Step	What to look for	Rationale
1 – Weigh the plates	Show each disc on a calibrated scale pre‑lift.	Removes 20 kg “bumper weight” speculation.
2 – Measure the pull height	Laser or tape from floor to bar centre before the attempt.	Confirms the mechanical leverage advantage.
3 – Body‑weight on meet‑style scale	Capture the lifter’s weight within 30 min of the lift.	Validates the 6.84 × claim.
4 – Third‑party witness	A well‑known referee, coach or notary present on camera.	Converts “viral clip” into credible record.
5 – Two angles, uncut	Front‑quarter and side views, no edits.	Ensures full lock‑out and bar‑path clarity.

Training take‑aways you can steal today

• Micro‑load your progress – Kim added just 5 kg over his previous 508 kg clip, proving that 1–2 kg jumps beat ego‑driven plate stacks.
• Weak‑point isolation – Rack pulls overload the lock‑out segment. Program them after speed dead‑lifts or on a dedicated posterior‑chain day for trap and spinal‑erector development.
• Own your variables – Whether you’re vegan, carnivore or weekend pizza‑powered, test one nutrition protocol for four weeks and track performance instead of copying influencers blindly.
• Film your PRs – Not just for clout: slow‑mo clips expose form breakdowns and create an external standard you’re motivated to beat.

Final word (in the upbeat spirit you asked for!)

Gravity isn’t optional—but your belief in its limits is.

Watching a 75‑kg human flirt with a half‑ton pull is living, bar‑bending proof that “impossible” is just a dare. So chalk up, add that baby 1‑kg plate, and go rewrite your own record board. The universe is cheering—and so am I! 🌟💪🎉

1 Flash‑back: What ARS Beta set out to do

Eric Kim launched ARS (Always‑in‑Review System) Beta as a double‑blind, anonymous hub where photographers earned friction‑free ↑Keep / ↓Ditch votes and concise critiques. Blog posts, press write‑ups and early user chatter highlight three pillars: anonymity, speed, and growth‑through‑feedback. 

Why it felt fresh in 2015‑2018

• 100 ms voting loop felt “300 % faster” than typical forums.  
• Double‑blind design removed bias from usernames or follower counts.  
• Kim’s ethos—“your artwork is always in beta”—encouraged relentless iteration.  

2 Why 2025‑era AI unlocks the next leap

In 2015 deep‑learning photo scoring was still experimental (e.g. Google’s early aesthetic rater).  Today we have:

• Vision‑enabled ChatGPT (GPT‑4o family) that accepts images and replies with nuanced prose.  
• Open‑source and commercial image‑aesthetic models (NIMA, LAIQA) reviewed across a decade of research.  
• Ready‑made OpenAI APIs, Spring‑AI starters, and low‑code guides for rapid integration.  
• Azure & OpenAI how‑to docs for vision + function‑calling workflows.  

3 ARS 3.0—feature blueprint

3.1 Instant AI feedback

1. Upload → Vision model extracts composition, lighting, subject, emotion.
2. Aesthetic score & histogram (0‑10 plus heat‑map) powered by a fine‑tuned NIMA‑style network.  
3. ChatGPT Vision critique: three‑sentence strengths, three actionable tweaks, and one inspirational quote.  

3.2 Community layer, turbo‑charged

• AI pre‑labels each shot with tags; Pinecone‑based vector search surfaces “similar looks” to spur richer peer discussion.  
• GPT‑4o summarises long comment threads into a “One‑Minute Takeaway” for the author.  
• Weekly highlights chosen by a hybrid of up‑votes and AI‑detected novelty. Inspiration: Pinterest’s visual discovery engine success.  

3.3 Safety & fairness

• All user text and AI output run through OpenAI Moderation before display.  
• Beauty‑rating bias mitigated: no public numeric “looks scores”; emphasise creative intent over appearance, guarding against the pitfalls seen in recent rating apps.  

4 Architecture at a glance

Layer	Tech suggestion	Role
Front‑end	Next.js / React + Tailwind	Drag‑drop upload, real‑time sockets
Edge AI	Cloudflare Workers + GPT‑4o Vision API	< 1 s thumbnails, captioning
Core services	Spring Boot micro‑services (Spring‑AI starter)	Auth, feed, notifications
Image pipeline	GPU inference pods (Kubernetes)	Aesthetic scoring, embeddings
Vector DB	Pinecone or Qdrant	Similar‑image retrieval
Data lake	S3 + Glue	Long‑term training/analytics
Safety	Moderation endpoint side‑car	Input/output checks

A typical request flow: Client → API Gateway → Auth → Upload → Vision inference → Moderation → DB/write → WebSocket push → Client UI.

5 Step‑by‑step implementation roadmap

1. Week 0–1: Kick‑off
   
   • Define content policy, create OpenAI account, secure keys.  
3. Week 2–4: MVP
   
   • Stand up Spring‑Boot + React skeleton; integrate Chat Completions endpoint for text prompts.  
5. Week 5–7: Vision add‑on
   
   • Add /images:base64 route; call GPT‑4o Vision with function‑calling schema.  
7. Week 8–10: Aesthetic model
   
   • Fine‑tune open‑weights on 50 k rated photos; expose /score micro‑service.  
9. Week 11–12: Vector search
   
   • Store CLIP embeddings; implement “related shots”.  
11. Week 13–14: Safety QA & bias audit
    
    • Hammer with edge‑case prompts, run moderation logs, release beta.  

6 Retro mode: “Could this exist in 2015?”

Back then you’d swap GPT‑4o for:

• Static CNN aesthetics scorers (AVA dataset‑trained).  
• Rule‑based text snippets assembled from a template bank.
  It would feel novel, but today’s ChatGPT layer adds human‑like narrative, context‑aware tips, and dynamic conversation—exactly the magic sauce ARS always hinted at.

7 Sample prompt pair (for your dev notebook)

{

  “model”: “gpt-4o-mini”,

  “max_tokens”: 250,

  “temperature”: 0.7,

  “tools”: [{

     “type”: “function”,

     “function”: {

       “name”: “critique_photo”,

       “parameters”: {

         “type”: “object”,

         “properties”: {

           “strengths”: { “type”: “array”, “items”: { “type”: “string” } },

           “improvements”: { “type”: “array”, “items”: { “type”: “string” } },

           “aesthetic_score”: { “type”: “number” }

         }

       }

     }

  }],

  “vision_inputs”: [/* base64‑image */]

}

Result (typical):

Strengths: razor‑sharp eye‑contact; leading lines; bold negative space…

Improvements: crop 5 % off top; lift mid‑tones; dodge subject’s face…

Aesthetic score: 7.8/10

8 Your next move—launch with joy!

Set a 30‑day “ship or learn” challenge, invite your first hundred testers, reward every meaningful critique with on‑chain ARS Coin (reviving Kim’s 2019 idea) and watch creators soar. Remember: your art—like this platform—is forever in beta, and that’s where the adventure lives. 🚀🎉

Key sources consulted

turn0search0, turn0search3, turn0search4, turn0search6, turn0search1, turn1search6, turn1search0, turn1search1, turn1search4, turn2search1, turn1search2, turn1search5, turn4search0, turn3search1, turn1news29

Eric Kim’s 513 kg rack pull was first revealed in a video published on June 14, 2025. The lift is documented in full by Kim himself (no cuts or edits) – he links to the HD video on his official site and YouTube channel .  The press release on his site notes Kim did the lift in his Phnom Penh training gym (a “minimalist steel-and-concrete training sanctuary”) at 11:07 AM local time .  It was not a competition lift but a private training feat – filmed solo on camera.  Kim himself emphasizes it was a beltless, shirtless rack pull (no deadlift suit), performed from roughly knee-height pins. He used no straps or special gear (just chalk for grip) and even lifted barefoot, in a fasted state on a carnivorous diet . In short, the 513 kg pull was a training PR – recorded on video for proof and shared widely online rather than performed in any official meet.

• Video source: Kim posted the full clip (titled “513 KG / 1,131 LB RACK PULL — NEW WORLD RECORD @ 6.84× BODYWEIGHT”) to his YouTube and blog .  He also released a press-style statement linking to the raw footage (a .mov file) for transparency .
• Setup: The bar was set about knee-height (mid-thigh) on a power rack .  As noted in video commentary, this partial range typically lets lifters handle ~20–40% more weight than a floor deadlift .  Kim’s technique and setup (barefoot, chalk, no belt/straps) were exactly the same “primal,” raw style he used for his earlier lifts .

Eric Kim – Background and Other Lifts

Eric Kim (Cambodian-American, ~37 years old, 75 kg bodyweight) is not a conventional powerlifter but a well-known strength content creator.  Formerly a street-photographer and blogger, Kim built a following (50K+ YouTube subscribers and growing social media) by performing extreme garage-gym lifts and mixing in philosophy/crypto humor .  He follows a strict “primal” training protocol (fasted, all-meat diet, sleep) and deliberately lifts without gear (no belt, no straps) to showcase raw strength .

In early 2025 he repeatedly broke his own pound-for-pound records. For example, over May–June 2025 Kim logged a string of rack-pull PRs: 486 kg (1,071 lb), 493 kg (1,087 lb), 498 kg (1,098 lb), 503 kg (1,109 lb), then 508 kg (1,120 lb) – all at ~75 kg bodyweight .  Each time he marked it a (beltless) “world record” at ~6.6–6.8× bodyweight, sparking viral buzz.  These feats earned him nicknames like the “Demigod Lifter” and memes (e.g. “grabbing a T-Rex’s ego”) .  His online persona – mixing awe-inspiring lifts with outré catchphrases (“Belts are for cowards,” “Gravity has left the chat”) – helped his clips explode on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Reddit .

Notable lifts prior to 513 kg:  Kim’s documented PRs include raw rack pulls of ~486 kg, 493 kg, 498 kg and 503 kg, plus unconventional feats like a 1,000 lb “Atlas stone” lift (all at 75 kg).  He claims to have repeatedly filmed and shared every lift.  For instance, his 503 kg pull in June 2025 (barefoot, beltless) was recorded in his garage and quickly went viral with millions of views .  (He has publicly posted the raw video files of these lifts for scrutiny, underscoring their authenticity .)

Record Comparison

Kim’s 513 kg rack pull is heavier in absolute weight than any official deadlift ever done in competition.  The full-range deadlift world record is 500 kg by Eddie Hall (and 501 kg by Hafþór Björnsson) .  Kim lifted 513 kg, which is 12 kg above that mark .  However, his lift was a partial rack pull (from above the knees), not from the floor, so federations don’t count it as a deadlift record.  Even so, by bodyweight (6.84× his mass) it sets a new benchmark.  Kim’s own release notes it “surpasses all documented rack-pull feats in the 75 kg class” and establishes a “new world record” pound-for-pound .  As one summary points out, “no one on film at this body-weight has moved more iron in any variation” .  In short, while it isn’t a sanctioned deadlift record, 513 kg is an unprecedented load for a 75 kg lifter in any pull.

For context, typical strength coefficients (Wilks, IPF, etc.) project a 75 kg elite lifter to deadlift ~4–5× bodyweight.  Kim’s 6.84× far exceeds that “elite” curve .  In fact, after the lift he explicitly noted that his bar weight (513 kg) is now heavier than any known competition pull .  (He also emphasized the lift was done without belts or suits – only chalk – to underscore its legitimacy .)

Community Reaction: Shock, Praise, and Debate

The 513 kg pull triggered a viral storm of reactions across lifting forums and social media.  Fans and coaches alike were astounded by the feat.  On YouTube and TikTok, reaction videos and slow-motion breakdowns appeared within hours, with commentators gaping at the “incredible – redefining what’s possible!” nature of the lift .  Many weightroom veterans praised Kim’s raw willpower: comments ranged from “That’s inhuman!” to “Proof that limits are meant to be broken” .  Influential strength YouTubers posted analysis videos (some calling it “a blend of stoic sorcery and pure biology” ), while fitness Instagram pages and meme accounts looped his roar-and-chalk footage, often captioning it with viral catch-phrases.  One quip on Twitter/X declared “Gravity has left the chat” after seeing him lock out the lift .  Aggregate statistics show the reaction was overwhelmingly positive: one analysis found ~85% of comments on these videos were hype and praise, with only a small minority (<10%) expressing skepticism .

Fans on Reddit also went wild.  Dozens of threads appeared on r/powerlifting, r/weightroom, r/Fitness and even general subs, often titled things like “Eric Kim Bends Reality” or “6.6× BW Pull – Is This Human?” .  Early posts about his 1,016 lb lift garnered thousands of upvotes; by the 513 kg pull Reddit was in “overdrive” with continual memes and disbelief .  Many comments joked about “defeating gravity” or likened Kim to fictional super-strong characters (“he’s basically the Hulk in flip-flops” ).  Hashtags like #NoBeltNoShoes and #PrimalPull trended on TikTok and Instagram as users remixed the clips with epic audio.  One viral TikTok meme overlaid his lift with dramatic music, while others duetted him for humorous effect.

Not everyone accepted it uncritically.  A thread of skepticism centered on technique and context.  Some asked bluntly, “full deadlift or rack pull above knee?” noting that the bar moved only a short distance .  These critics argued rack pulls are “easier” than floor pulls – but defenders pointed out that holding 500+ kg is still supremely taxing.  Indeed, Kim’s videos clearly show the bar bent heavily under load and Kim grunting with effort .  Others at first questioned the authenticity, with comments like “This looks CGI,” but most of these doubts faded once the unedited videos (with visible plates, real-time audio, and a progression of increasing PRs) were examined .

The biggest controversy was the perennial “natty or not” debate.  Social-media speculateers quipped that “nobody pulls 6.8× bodyweight without alien DNA” (and the hashtag #NattyOrNot trended among commenters) .  Kim has publicly claimed to be drug-free (sharing diet logs and blood-work to back it up), but many experts admit the lifts are so extraordinary that they seem beyond known natural limits .  Even skeptics concede that even if he were enhanced, the dedication and unique training are remarkable – one said, “Even if he’s juiced, the work ethic is unfathomable” .

In sum, the 513 kg pull left the strength community equal parts awestruck and amused.  Every major platform buzzed with talk of Kim’s feat – from incredulous memes about beaten gravity to serious breakdowns of technique.  One fitting summary noted: “Everyone in the lifting realm is talking about Eric Kim and his rack pull.”  Whether viewed as “performance art or proof of concept,” the lift “obliterates mental speed-limits” and has emboldened many to push their own boundaries .

Sources: Eric Kim’s official blog and press releases ; detailed analyses of his lifts and media reaction ; public data on deadlift records ; and community posts/comments cited above. (See hyperlinks for full context.)

Use it whenever you want to channel his upbeat, no‑excuses, street‑wise style while writing, teaching or selling.

1 | Core Personality Markers

Element	What it looks like	Why he does it
Warm salutation	Every article opens with “Dear friend,” – instantly collapsing distance and signalling generosity.	Builds instant rapport; readers feel personally addressed.
Conversational swagger	Short, punchy sentences, contractions, and the occasional purposeful swear: “I fucking hate anti‑copying shit.”	Conveys authenticity; positions him as a straight‑talk ally, not a guru.
Imperative motivation	Frequent second‑person imperatives: “OWN your platform. JUST DO IT.”	Injects energy, pushes readers to act.
Philosopher‑meets‑hype‑man	Stoic aphorisms (“True luxury is less”) mixed with hip‑hop analogies, Elon‑Musk references, Matrix “red pill” metaphors.	Makes big ideas sticky and pop‑culture friendly.
Radical transparency	Admits flaws: “My blog isn’t me talking from a throne… I’m still learning.”	Lowers reader defensiveness; boosts trust.
Generosity mantra	“Openness = growth. Generosity = success.”	Reinforces his open‑source brand positioning.

2 | Signature Structural Moves

1. Hook line = Bold promise or contrarian claim
   Example: “I’m gonna give you contrarian advice on how to go viral as a photographer.”  
2. Numbered mini‑essays (## 1., ## 2., ## 3.) inside the post – each no more than 2‑3 short paragraphs.
3. One‑sentence mantras in italics or ALL CAPS for emphasis (often a rule of three: “BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. SHOOT IT.”).
4. Homework / “Assignment” block – tangible action for the reader (e.g., “Blog 1–2 articles a day, 7 days a week, for a year”).  
5. Hand‑off – closes with a handshake sign‑off:

Be strong,  

Eric

5. or simply “ERIC” in caps.  

3 | Language & Tone Cheat‑Sheet

Device	How to deploy it
Inclusive second person	“You’re nervous? Good. That means you must shoot the scene.”
Micro‑stories & metaphors	Compare a camera upgrade spree to “GAS” or open‑sourcing photos to Elon releasing Tesla patents.
Strategic profanity	Sprinkle sparingly for punch – never gratuitous, always in service of conviction.
Stoic reframes	“Fear is a compass.” / “Luxury tests the spirit.”
Pop‑culture nods	Jay‑Z work ethic, Matrix red pill, Kanye swagger – signals modern relevance.
Short paragraphs & white space	Keeps cadence fast; readers glide instead of slog.

4 | Template – “Write Like Eric” in 8 Steps

Dear friend,

# BIG, BOLD PROMISE (one line)

## 1. Contrarian Mindset

Punchy truth. Parenthetical joke. One swear if warranted.

## 2. Practical Tactic

• Bullet 1  

• Bullet 2 – with pop‑culture nod  

*ASSIGNMENT:* tiny experiment to run today.

## 3. Philosophy Boost

Stoic quote → modern analogy → takeaway.

(Openness = growth. Generosity = success.)

Be strong,  

ERIC

5 | Do’s & Don’ts

✅ Do

• Greet with “Dear friend,”
• Write as if emailing one person
• Mix motivation + tactic + philosophy in every post
• Offer at least one free download / actionable assignment

❌ Don’t

• Over‑polish; leave some raw edges
• Hide numbers – share exact prices, traffic, failures
• Rely on passive voice or corporate jargon

6 | One‑Minute Demo (Topic: Editing)

Dear friend,

1. Kill Your Darlings

Delete 90 % of your shots. The world doesn’t need more photos; it needs your best ones.

2. The “One‑Hit Playlist” Method

Pretend each image is a single on Spotify. If it wouldn’t top the charts, trash it.

ASSIGNMENT: Cull yesterday’s shoot down to 5 bangers – no excuses.

Less photos, more impact.

Be bold,

ERIC

(Notice the greeting, imperatives, metaphor, assignment, mantra, sign‑off.)

Bottom line

Eric Kim’s voice is a friendly shove forward: informal yet philosophical, relentlessly action‑oriented, and grounded in radical generosity. Master the greeting, the punchy cadence, the numbered mini‑essays, and the give‑more‑than‑you‑take ethos, and you’ll speak with the same upbeat, contagious energy he brings to every post.

48‑hour scorecard	Metric	Source
Heaviest clip so far	513 kg / 1,131 lb rack‑pull (6.84× BW) on 14 Jun 2025
Cross‑platform views (first 24 h)	≈ 3 million (YouTube + TikTok + X)
TikTok #Hypelifting views	12.3 M ➜ 28.7 M in 11 days (+133 %)
Hashtag trending streak	#HYPELIFTING trended 12 h straight on X
Earned media touchpoints	First mentions in Men’s Health & other fitness outlets
UGC reaction videos	>100 technique breakdowns & meme duets logged
Monetization flash	$5 k NYC workshop sold out in < 48 h

1 — Reach & Velocity

Kim’s wave is still cresting.

• The 14 June 513 kg pull eclipsed his earlier 493 kg clip and reset the “shock value” that fuels algorithmic boosts.  
• Combined first‑day views for the three most recent lifts (493 kg, 503 kg, 513 kg) now exceed 7 M, indicating compounding rather than tapering attention. (Sum of channel stats quoted in sources above.)
• TikTok growth is exponential: a +133 % hashtag jump in 11 days is rare outside K‑Pop comebacks, signalling a breakout outside the core lifting niche.  

2 — Engagement Quality

Not just eyeballs—people are acting on it.

• Meme factories: “Belts are for cowards” and “Middle Finger to Gravity” now appear on thousands of GIFs and remix reels.  
• Educational spill‑over: Strength YouTubers (e.g., Alan Thrall) published frame‑by‑frame analyses, turning Kim’s content into curriculum.  
• Cross‑domain fusion: Crypto‑Twitter is sharing the same clips as GymTok; photographers repost the lift alongside street‑shots, widening audience overlap.  

3 — Earned Media & Authority

From fringe to front page (of the fitness world).

• Men’s Health and other mainstream sites finally covered the 508 kg milestone after a week of silence, validating Kim’s transition from internet oddity to legitimate trend story.  
• Strength databases that normally ignore partial lifts are beginning to cite his numbers as “planetary benchmarks,” giving him soft authority even without federation backing.  

4 — Sentiment & Controversy

Polarity equals power.

• Positive (~80 %): words like “demigod,” “simulation‑breaker,” dominate comments.  
• Sceptical (~15 %): critiques focus on range‑of‑motion and non‑sanctioned context—yet these very debates drive additional reaction videos and threads.  
• Hostile (~5 %): accusations of fake plates are dwindling as high‑res slow‑mo and third‑party plate counts circulate.  

5 — Commercial Conversion

Attention is translating into cash & community.

• The $5 k New York photography‑plus‑strength workshop sold out in under two days—a first for Kim’s hybrid offerings.  
• Blog traffic funnels to open‑source e‑books and Bitcoin tip jars; tip volume reportedly spiked 4‑fold during the 12‑hour hashtag trend (self‑reported analytics).

6 — Risk & Saturation Watch

1. Platform throttling: Rapid multi‑post bursts risk algorithmic suppression; pacing the next lift reveal could preserve reach.
2. Niche fatigue: Repeating rack‑pull records without a new narrative (e.g., full‑range deadlift attempt) might stall momentum.
3. Credibility gap: Absence of third‑party meet verification still leaves a PR Achilles’ heel; a guest appearance at a reputable strength expo would silence the loudest doubters.

7 — Momentum Map (Next 4 weeks)

Week	High‑impact lever	Goal
Jun 17–23	Release 4‑minute “how‑to rack‑pull safely” tutorial collab with a respected coach	Convert skeptics → fans, boost authority
Jun 24–30	Cross‑post 513 kg attempt in 8‑language subtitles	Globalize meme; test non‑English markets
Jul 1–7	Drop limited‑edition open‑source LUTs & sound effects from the viral clip	Encourage UGC, sustain tsunami tail
Jul 8–14	Attempt 525 kg pull live‑streamed with plate‑by‑plate weigh‑in	Peak event; resolve “fake plate” debate

🚀 Inspirational Takeaway

“Be the force that rewrites norms, then hand the pen to your audience.”

Eric Kim’s current tsunami proves that one audacious, well‑documented act—amplified across overlapping tribes—can snowball into a self‑propelling culture wave. Study the data, surf the momentum, and remember: algorithms don’t crave perfection; they crave electricity. Plug in, push hard, and ride your own digital swell! 🌊💥

1. Viral‑Stunt 

“Digital Napalm”

• Do one thing so weird it crashes servers. Coinbase’s bouncing QR Super Bowl spot pulled 20 million scans in 60 seconds and still bagged Cannes’ Direct Grand Prix.  
• Pack scarcity. Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest Binance drop launched just 7,777 NFTs—sold out plus IRL meet‑ups, proving cult collectibles beat unlimited supply.  
• Rule: If the idea makes legal wince and engineers panic, ship it.

2. 

Micro‑Influencer Swarm

• 64 % of marketers already partner with micro‑influencers and 47 % say they convert best—copy that math and hire fifty voices, not five stars.  
• Rotate creators every quarter to keep engagement fresh; pay them partly in sats to sync incentives.

3. 

Instagram Commerce Carousel

• 61 % of social users head to IG for purchase inspiration—highest of any network.  
• Build shoppable Reels + carousels; use story polls to A/B hooks.
• Cross‑post receipts—HubSpot finds Instagram ranks among the top ROI influencer channels right behind Facebook.  

4. 

TikTok Thumb‑Trap

• Over one‑third (36 %) of Gen Z now buys monthly via TikTok Shop.  
• Hook in < 0.8 s: flash price in BTC, layer meme soundtrack, close with creator duet.
• Funnel viewers to Telegram bot for instant wallet set‑up while hype is hottest.

5. 

Community Cathedral

• Steal Coinbound’s playbook—24/7 Discord + X threads + meme bounties yielded 700 % engagement lifts for CoinStats.  
• Reward with sats, POAPs, or merch—not vapor‑airdrops that dump price day two.
• Weekly stage AMAs; archive highlights on Lens or Farcaster for on‑chain clout.

6. 

Education Magnet

• Chainalysis’ latest index shows adoption surging across Asia, Africa and LATAM; newbies crave how‑to content before they click “buy.”  
• Triple‑A counts 562 M holders worldwide (6.8 % of humanity)—the next half‑billion need plain‑English explainers.  
• Ship one snackable lesson per day—threads, reels, articles—tagged #BitcoinBasics.

7. 

AI Autopilot

• The blockchain‑AI market rockets from $228 M to $703 M by 2025—cheap APIs now crunch sentiment, wallet flow and creative heat‑maps.  
• My stack:
  
  1. Sentiment crawler triggers ad‑spend shifts when fear index < 30.
  2. GPT meme‑studio generates 10 caption variants per post.
  3. Real‑time wallet‑growth KPI auto‑kills under‑performing creatives in < 30 min.

8. 

Regulator Shield

• MiCA Article 7 forces every EU ad to shout: “This crypto‑asset marketing communication has not been reviewed by any authority” + total consistency with your white paper.  
• Copy‑paste that disclaimer on every banner, reel and QR billboard—then sleep at night.
• Map other zones: US SEC = yield traps; UK ASA = influencer labeling; El Salvador = tax perks, but still respect consumer‑protection optics.

9. 

Global Time‑Hack

• Post while the West sleeps: Asia wakes to fresh alpha; the Americas re‑share at lunch. One tweet = two continents of reach, zero extra budget.
• Rotate bilingual threads—EN, ES, PT, ID—so local tribes feel seen.

10. 

Daily “Lift‑Stack‑Ship” Loop

1. Ideate × 5 before coffee.
2. Lift heavy—physical stress breeds creative swagger.
3. Stack sats (skin in game).
4. Ship one asset (video, meme, newsletter) today.
5. Reflect in numbers, not feels.
6. Celebrate—joy scales faster than FUD.

Final Roar

I torch boring funnels with spectacle, forge tribes in meme‑flame, teach nonstop, let AI optimize while I sleep, and wrap every move in legal adamantium. Run these ten tactics daily and the market will chant your name: Bitcoin Marketing God—signed, Eric.

—Eric Kim dial turned to 11. Loud, fast, no excuses.

0. 5‑SECOND REALITY CHECK 💥

* 28 % of U.S. adults ≈ 65 million people hold crypto—double 2021.* 

* Spot‑BTC ETFs sucked in $1.9 B during their first 72 hrs on Wall Street.* 

* 61 public companies now sit on 3 %+ of all BTC in existence.* 

Translation: the gates are open, capital is pouring, and attention is the new oil.

Job: slam your brand into every neural pathway before someone else does.

1. 30‑DAY “BLITZ & BLEED” TIMELINE

Day	Hardcore Move	Output
1‑3	Shock‑drop hero video (≤ 45 s vertical) on X, TikTok, IG Reels.	1 MM organic views target.
4‑7	Flash‑mob street stencils + NFC tags on coffee‑shop doors.	15 k direct mobile hits.
8‑14	Discord War Room launch—24/7 mods + AI “Ask Satoshi” bot.	40 % q‑week retention.
15‑18	Micro‑influencer pod drop—50 creators <50 k fans each.	CPM <$20, CPE < $0.40.
19‑23	Live “Proof‑of‑Reserves” dashboard + countdown to ETF inflow milestones.	Earned‑media pickups.
24‑30	IRL “Bitcoin Graffiti Gallery” (projector mapped) + QR “stack‑sats” referral.	5 % conversion spike.

2. GUERRILLA WEAPONS RACK 🔫

1. Urban QR‑Stamping: eco‑chalk stencil + QR deep‑link to mobile wallet (geo‑fenced offer).
2. AR‑Poster Ambush: scan‑to‑animate murals; overlay volatility heat‑map in real time.
3. NFT Ticket‑Drops: hidden in city Wi‑Fi names—first 100 scans mint loyalty badge.
4. “Bring‑Your‑Own‑Cash” Pop‑Ups: swap $10 bills for sats on‑site; film reactions for Reels.
5. “FUD‑Buster Hotline” (Telegram bot): auto‑replies with data viz every time media publishes a scare‑headline.

Rule: anything less than unforgettable is invisible.

3. INFLUENCER RAID TACTICS

Tier	Ammo	Payout Scheme	Why It Works
Micro (5‑50 k)	Memes + daily “portfolio confessionals.”	Free merch + rev‑share.	CPM down 90 %. Hyper‑trust.
Mid (50‑250 k)	3‑part story arc: Origin → Tool → Transformation.	Flat fee + tiered CPA.	Narrative sticks; SEC‑proof if clearly disclosed.
Heavy (250 k+)	Live co‑trading session—show ledger, show receipts.	70 % performance‑based.	Authenticity or bust.

Influencer campaigns still deliver up to 11× ROI when attribution is nailed. 

SEC landmine reminder: disclose #ad + $$ or face a $1.26 M Kim‑K size fine. 

4. PAID‑MEDIA “KILLSHOT” CONFIG

Platform	Minimum Licenses	Hardcore Hack
Google	Crypto‑Exchange / Wallet certificate.	RLSA list of users who searched “sell gold ETF.”
Meta	Same + ban on “get‑rich‑quick.”	Run only vertical video + closed captions ≈ +35 % watch‑thru.
UK Broadcast	BCAP 14.5.5 bans mainstream crypto ads.	Shift to finance‑channel programmatic DOOH during market hours.
EU MiCA	Must be “fair, clear, not misleading.”	Auto‑inject risk banner via CMP before every ad render.

Set aside 25 % of spend for rapid‑switch testing—rotate copy every 48 h; throttle losers, double winners.

5. DATA LOOP—MEASURE, HACK, REPEAT

• North‑Star: Net Funded Accounts (exchange) / Monthly Active Wallets (wallet).
• Combat KPIs: CAC ≤ ⅓ LTV, paid‑in per user ≥ $200 in 30 days.
• Attribution: blockchain‑linked promo codes & UTM plus influencer‑specific ERC‑4337 smart‑account tags.
• Sprint cadence: 14‑day cycles; if CTR drops > 30 % or sentiment < 70 %, scrap & respin.

6. ESG / REG‑FUD COUNTERSTRIKE 🌱

• Publish live energy‑mix widget—show hydro/flare‑gas stats to nuke “Bitcoin burns the planet” takes.
  Bitcoin network ≈ 176 TWh yearly—publish context vs. global AI hunger.  
• Sponsor green‑mine pilot; push press release the same day climate‑tax headlines hit.  

7. AI‑POWERED EDGE

• Exchange plug‑in: GPT‑based “Trade Copilot”—auto‑generates stop‑loss + position sizing.
• In‑app robo‑camera: users point phone at any price chart → instant AI explanation snippet.
• Why? AI‑crypto mashups are exploding on Binance & elsewhere.  

8. BUDGET—“BLOOD & THUNDER” EDITION (USD $1 M / 6 mo)

Bucket	%	Hardcore Twist
Influencer Pods	30 %	Pay in BTC with 2‑year locked bonus—align skin‑in‑game.
Paid Performance	25 %	Geo‑conquest competitors’ HQ IP ranges.
Content Forge	20 %	60 shorts, 12 hero vids, 4 white‑papers.
Community & IRL	15 %	Tactical meet‑ups, rapid merch drops.
PR / Thought‑Leadership	7 %	CFO‑grade “Bitcoin Treasury Playbook”—ride the 61‑company wave.
Measurement Stack	3 %	Mixpanel + on‑chain analytics aggregator.

9. FUTURE RADAR 📡

Signal	Immediate Action
Corporate balance‑sheet FOMO	Weekly CFO webinar series + case‑study drip.
AI‑trading boom	Integrate Copilot; bundle premium tier.
Tightening ad regs	Grow owned channels (email, Discord) to > 40 % total traffic.

10. ERIC KIM “NO‑MERCY” CREED 🗣️

1. Shoot daily. Ship daily. Quantity births mastery.
2. If grandma can’t retell your value prop in 3 lines, rewrite.
3. Fear kills creativity—blast it with data + boldness.
4. Community = co‑authors. Give them tools, not tasks.
5. Measure like a scientist, hustle like a street artist.

“The streets don’t wait. Neither does Bitcoin. Load the chamber, pull the trigger, and paint the internet orange.”

Now get out there and BREAK THE INTERNET—ETHICALLY, LEGALLY, RELENTLESSLY.

1. What Blogger 

Is

 in 2025

• Mature but minimal CMS. Blogger was born at Pyra Labs in 1999 and bought by Google in 2003; it still provides 100% free hosting, unlimited traffic, and up to 100 blogs per Google account .
• Lightweight Google integration. You sign in with your Google account, can connect a custom domain via simple CNAME records, and manage HTTPS certificates automatically .
• No‑cost path to ads. Because Blogger and AdSense share the same corporate parent, an “Earnings” tab lets you apply and place ads without editing code .
• Static‑file hosting only. There is no server‑side scripting or database access; advanced functionality (membership, e‑commerce, etc.) must be added through third‑party widgets or by migrating away.

Recent tweaks (2024‑2025)

Date	Change	Impact
May 2025	Minor UI refresh & removal of legacy gadgets	Cleaner post editor; some old widgets deprecated.
Feb 2025	AdSense policy tightened on privacy & AI‑generated content	Requires clearer disclosures and better content signals.
2024	“Material 3”‑inspired community themes appear on template sites	Modern look without coding, but still third‑party.

2. Strengths & Limitations at a Glance

Category	Blogger’s Edge	Blogger’s Gaps
Cost & Hosting	Totally free, no bandwidth cap	Google can shut down products abruptly (remember Google+).
Setup Speed	Live in under 10 minutes	Limited onboarding for SEO or analytics best practice.
Maintenance	Google handles updates & security	Few platform updates; feature stagnation.
Design	Drag‑and‑drop “Layout” plus importable XML themes	Only ~12 official themes; advanced styling requires HTML/CSS edits.
Monetization	One‑click AdSense hookup; supports affiliate links & sponsored posts	No built‑in paywall, membership, or e‑commerce engine.
Community Perception	Still beloved by hobbyists & archive bloggers	Viewed as “beginner‑only” by most professionals .

3. Blogger vs. WordPress (and Other Builders)

• Control vs. convenience. Self‑hosted WordPress lets you install any plugin, run a store, or tweak PHP; with Blogger you trade that flexibility for Google’s hassle‑free hosting .
• Design ecosystem. WordPress has 11,000 + free themes; Blogger’s official catalog is tiny, though community sites like Gooyaabi and BTemplates release dozens of fresh templates every month .
• Future‑proofing. TechRadar’s 2025 roundup of free site builders lists Wix, HubSpot, and Weebly ahead of Blogger in capability, underscoring Blogger’s shrinking mind‑share .
• Learning curve. For absolute beginners, Blogger’s “new post → publish” flow is arguably simpler than WordPress’s Gutenberg editor  .

4. Quick‑Start Blueprint (10‑Minute Version)

1. Create your blog: Visit blogger.com, click New Blog, pick a title, and choose any starter theme  .
2. Secure a custom domain (optional but recommended): Buy a domain at any registrar, then add two CNAME records supplied by Blogger .
3. Enable HTTPS: Toggle Settings → HTTPS → Yes; Google issues certificates for free .
4. Design your layout: Use Theme → Customize, or import a third‑party XML theme for a modern look .
5. Write your first post: The editor is WYSIWYG; add images stored in Google Photos or drag‑and‑drop local files  .
6. Connect AdSense: Open Earnings → AdSense → Connect, then choose automatic ad placement or paste manually‑generated ad units into Layout .
7. Promote: Add Google Analytics, share to social media, and request indexing in Search Console for faster discovery .

5. Monetization Options Beyond Basic Ads

Method	Effort	How to Implement on Blogger
Display Ads (AdSense, Ezoic)	Low	Use Earnings tab or add script in Layout.
Affiliate Marketing	Medium	Insert affiliate links in posts; disclose per policy  .
Sponsored Content	Medium	Post native ads; mark them “Sponsored” to comply with Feb 2025 AdSense rules .
Digital Products	Higher	Link to PayPal, Gumroad, or Stripe Checkout buttons embedded in HTML widgets.
Email List	Medium	Embed a ConvertKit/Mailchimp form via HTML widget; exports require third‑party.

6. Is Blogger Right for 

You

?

Choose Blogger if you…

• Need an instant, zero‑budget publishing outlet for hobby writing, classroom projects, or early MVP testing.
• Value Google’s free global CDN and don’t want to worry about patches or server fees.
• Plan to monetize primarily via display ads and simple affiliate links.

Consider alternatives if you…

• Expect rapid feature growth (e‑commerce, memberships, headless CMS).
• Want fine‑grained design & SEO control without editing raw XML.
• Are building a commercial brand that might suffer from the “.blogspot” image stigma  .

7. Forward‑Looking Signals

• Google staff in the official Blogger help forum say the product is “still supported but on a minimal maintenance cycle,” and no major roadmap has been shared  .
• Community sentiment on r/Blogging points to falling AdSense RPMs, nudging many creators toward diversified revenue streams .
• Third‑party theme designers are keeping the ecosystem alive with Material 3‑ready designs, showing that Blogger’s open‑template architecture can still evolve even if Google moves slowly .

8. Joyful Take‑Off Checklist

☑︎	Action
1	Fire up a draft post that delights you—passion beats perfect formatting.
2	Swap the default theme for a modern template that matches your vibe.
3	Add one monetization hook (AdSense or affiliate) after you’ve published at least five genuinely useful posts.
4	Schedule a monthly “paradigm check‑in”: ask whether Blogger still meets your needs—or whether the time is ripe to migrate.
5	Celebrate small milestones (first comment, first $1 of ad revenue) to keep momentum high!

Motivational nudge: A blog is your online playground. Whether you start on Blogger for its sheer simplicity or graduate to a more powerful platform later, the act of hitting “Publish” today plants a seed that could grow into community, opportunity, and personal paradigm shifts tomorrow. Happy blogging!

Born in San Francisco in 1988, Eric Kim launched ERIC KIM BLOG in 2010 while studying sociology at UCLA and has been publishing (almost) daily ever since. He roams the globe teaching workshops, shooting bold black‑and‑white street photos, lifting heavy weights, and hammering out open‑source essays that fuse photography, philosophy, Bitcoin and body‑building into one turbo‑charged life manifesto. 

1 | What “Paradigm Shift” Means in Eric Kim‑Land

Classic Kuhn	Eric Kim Translation
Old model collapses under anomalies	“Think opposite.” List the ‘truths’ everyone accepts and flip them 180°
Resistance from the establishment	Embrace being the black sheep—the outsider advantage fuels creativity
New lens becomes the new normal	Publish bold takes daily until the web recalibrates around the idea

Kim’s breakout 2017 essay “Shift the Paradigm” spells this out: “What if all our sacred truths in photography—and life—were wrong?” He then inverts everything from megapixels to money, challenging readers to run the same experiment on their own beliefs. 

2 | Four Major “Shift” Threads on the Blog

Year	Post / Series	Core Shift
2017	Shift the Paradigm	Gear minimalism & life simplicity beat consumer excess
2017	How to Shoot Abstract Photography	Photograph how it feels, not how it looks—see reality through an LCD + high‑contrast B&W
2024	Think Paradigm Shifts	Use geopolitical & tech contrarianism (nuclear > oil, Zillow‑less Europe, etc.) as creative fuel
2024‑25	Bitcoin‑Centric Shift posts (“Paradigm Shift,” “TOTALLY A PARADIGM SHIFT?,” “BITCOIN Act of 2024”)	Money itself is morphing; volatility = vitality; Bitcoin as the new photographic film of value

Pattern you’ll notice: every shift article mixes street‑photo anecdotes with sweeping life claims. Kim deliberately blurs niches so that lessons transfer across domains.

3 | Kim’s 5‑Step Self‑Paradigm‑Shift Method (First‑Principles Friendly)

1. Catalogue “Unquestionables.”
   Write ten “laws” you currently obey (creative, financial, health).
2. Invert Radically.
   Ask, “What if the opposite were true?”—Kim calls this the anti‑truth list.
3. Micro‑Prototype.
   Test one inverted idea within 24 hours: shoot with one lens all week, delete a social app, fast until dinner, etc.
4. Quantify Surprise, Not Success.
   Track how shocked you are by the result—surprise = shift signal.
5. Publish the Journey.
   Ship a blog post, zine or TikTok recapping the experiment. Public stakes accelerate adoption.

(Kim’s mantra: “If it isn’t on the blog, it never happened.”)

4 | Big‑Picture Themes That Keep Reappearing

• Minimalism as Freedom. Fewer lenses, fewer possessions, fewer tabs = more creativity.  
• Open‑Source Everything. Give the PDFs, presets and ideas away—abundance mentality beats hoarding.  
• Physical First. 30 k steps + heavy rack pulls sharpen the mind better than another gadget.  
• Bitcoin Maximalism. Treat BTC like the Leica M‑Monochrom of money: finite, uncompromising, built to outlive platforms.  
• Daily Shipping. Volume trumps perfection; drafts today become doctrine tomorrow.

5 | Starter Reading & Watching Playlist

1. “Shift the Paradigm” (2017) – the foundational flip‑everything essay.  
2. “How to Shoot Abstract Photography” (2017) – concrete example of artistic self‑reinvention.  
3. “Paradigm Shift” (2024) – short riff connecting AI + Bitcoin to creative renewal.  
4. “TOTALLY A PARADIGM SHIFT?” (2024) – meta‑commentary on why constant reinvention keeps the blog alive.  
5. Biography page – glimpse into his nomadic lifestyle and open‑source credo.  

(Tip: Kim’s site menus—Start Here › Philosophy › Bitcoin—act like rabbit‑holes. Dive deep!)

🚀  Your Upbeat Take‑Off

Eric Kim’s blogging career is living proof that paradigm shifts aren’t one‑time earthquakes—they’re a daily habit. Copy the spirit, not the specifics: flip a norm, test it fast, share the story, repeat. Do it with the joy of street photography—eyes wide, heart pounding, ready to capture (and create) a reality nobody has framed before.

Shift joyfully, publish boldly, and watch the world adjust its focus to you! 🎉

(8 turbo‑charged ideas fresh off his blog feed!)

The ever‑restless Mr Kim has been blogging and vlogging at warp‑speed these past months, sprinkling new nuggets on top of his classic “get‑close‑shoot‑lots” mantra. Below are the standout RECENT tactics you can plug straight into tomorrow’s photo‑walk. Pick one, mash a few, remix them all—just keep the shutter singing and the joy flowing! 🌞📸

#	New‑School Tactic	Why It Rocks	How to Try It Today
1	“30 K / 300” Discipline➡️ Walk 30 000 steps & fire ≈ 300 frames every day.	Volume + movement = unstoppable momentum, healthier body, clearer eye.	Map a 15‑mile urban loop, set your pedometer, and don’t go home until you’ve hit triple‑digit shots.
2	POV Ultra‑Wide Storytelling	Kim says the new ultra‑wide GoPro view “is the future” of immersive street narration.	Mount a tiny action cam at chest‑ or hat‑level; capture continuous video, then pull stills of micro‑moments you missed in the rush.
3	Mini‑Project Sprint	Short themed sprints (one colour, only hands, only shadows) keep creativity sizzling.	Pick a single visual motif for the next hour—e.g. anything orange—and hunt it relentlessly.
4	“Digital Roll” Constraint (36 Shots)	Limiting yourself to a film‑era roll forces intention and ruthless editing.	Switch your camera to JPEG‑only, 36‑shot card; once full, review on a park bench and pick one keeper before reloading.
5	One‑Spot Marathon	Staying put lets the world compose itself around you.	Camp on a busy corner for 30 minutes; shoot layers, reactions, and rhythm without moving your feet.
6	Internet “Carpet‑Bomb” Share Strategy	Rather than drip‑feeding, Kim now detonates content across every platform simultaneously, hijacking algorithms.	Batch a day’s best 5 frames; at one preset second, drop them to X/Twitter, IG, Threads, TikTok and your blog—then engage like crazy for the next hour.
7	Debate‑as‑Fuel Engagement	Provoking light controversy (“Does this count?”) turns haters into free reach.	Post a borderline‑abstract street shot; pin a question in the caption and invite spicy takes—reply with humour, harvest eyeballs.
8	Radical Minimalism 2.0	From a $300 iPhone SE to one Ricoh/Leica prime, Kim doubles down on less gear, more vision.	Lock your big kit away for a week; shoot only your phone or GR IIIx and channel all saved weight into extra walking miles.

Bonus Mind‑Shift: 

Human > AI

Kim’s latest rants remind us that algorithms can’t feel sidewalk humidity, sense a stranger’s energy, or smell morning pho. Double‑down on embodied seeing—verify you’re human, stay present, and let the machines chase you. 

Pocket Pep‑Talk

MOVE → SHOOT → SHARE → SPARK DEBATE → REPEAT!

Strap on those comfy shoes, load your “digital roll,” and go paint the streets with positivity. Every crosswalk is a fresh stage, every passer‑by a potential protagonist. Make magic—then carpet‑bomb the world with your joy! 🎉