Month: October 2016

One of the best documentaries I have ever watched is “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” If you haven’t watched it yet— you are missing out on a visual masterpiece which will change how you think of life, work, and dedication to a craft:

Dear friend, I just had a lively conversation with Cindy about the meaning of traveling and photography. Why do we have to make photos while we’re traveling? Do we do it to document our personal experiences? Do we do it to have a sense of “conquest” of a foreign place? Do we do it to…

Pablo Picasso was one of the most prolific, creative, and inspirational artists who has ever lived. Here is a man who created his own destiny — who constantly re-invented himself (regardless of what his critics said), was always creating art, and had fun (like a child).

Dear friend, I’m currently at the boarding gate from Sydney>Ho Chi Minh>Hanoi, and I have a few minutes to reflect on my experiences in Sydney, Australia.

Today I hang out with my buddy Hugo Sharp, and get a large-format portrait shot of me. Also joining us is my buddy Greg Marsden. We shoot the portrait in the spirit of Richard Avedon (simple white background) and the whole process was quite amazing. Slow, meditative, and insightful. Really makes you appreciate the large-format…

I’m currently reading “The Essential Drucker” by the management educator Peter Drucker. His insights into companies, communities, society have been quite inspirational to me. The most interesting interesting concept that I got from Drucker was the idea of creating a “parallel career” — a career that goes in tandem with whatever you’re doing right now.…

In the ancient days of Socrates, there was a concept of a “daemon” — a little inner-guide which gave you wisdom. That voice is also known nowadays as our conscience or our “gut.” The problem in today’s society is that we don’t listen to our inner-voice anymore. We listen to “rationality”, and the opinions of…

When we are children, everyday is a new adventure. Everyday is a chance to learn something new, to explore, meet new people, learn new words, new phrases, and to pick up new social cues. We are bewildered by reality. However as we get older, we become jaded with reality. We feel trapped in these shitty…

I love gear as much as the next guy. I always get suckered into thinking that if I buy a new camera, a new lens, or some new gadget– I will somehow be more creative, and inspired. In reality, it never happens. All of my big breakthroughs in photography have been practicing (shooting a lot)…

I’m currently staying with Cindy’s family in the suburbs, in Garden Grove, Orange County, California. There are no sidewalks here. There is nowhere to shoot “street photography” in the traditional sense. The entire place is full of strip malls, cars, and starbucks.

A friend recently asked me, “Eric — why do you give away your photos and stuff for free? Aren’t you worried that people are just going to copy this stuff, and claim it as their own? You also realize that you can make a ton of money off this stuff, and monetize it more.”

Dear friend, I’ve been blogging since I was 16 years old, which is 12+ years now (from age 16 to age 28). I’ve been blogging about photography for 7+ years (2009–2016). If I started blogging all over again, this is the advice I would give myself:

Dear friend, This guide is intended for you if you currently own a smartphone (iPhone, Android, etc) and want to learn how to take better photos.

Dear friend, I wanted to write you a little diary entry from Melbourne. I just got here a few days ago, and have been suffering massive headaches (severe caffeine withdrawals from Vietnam) and mild food-poisoning (think I ate some bad eggs on the flight over). Yet it has been some of the best few days…

My primary passion is “street photography” — yet I find my biggest inspiration for my work comes from photographers who aren’t “street photographers.” Enter Guy Bourdin: a fashion photographer who revolutionized the field (alongside Helmut Newton). Bourdin was one of the first photographers to mix fashion, fine art, and commercial photography. His photos are full…

After lovely espressos, my homies Nick and Frankie from Slater St. Bench, helped me have an incredible workshop this past weekend in Melbourne. The students practiced the “5 yes, 5 no” assignment, practiced “working the scene”, getting closer, and also shooting more candids. See all of their best photos by reading more below. Also, I…

Dear friend, I wanted to write you this book on how to take better photos. I know you started off with your iPhone, and started to show keen interest on making better images. I taught you the “rule of thirds” and other basics; but now it is time for you to take your photography to…