Month: January 2017

Dear friend,

I want to share with you my personal American immigrant life story:

Dear friend,

Today I turn 29 years old, and I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect about my life, and 29 lessons I’ve learned along the way:

Dear friend,

I’ve been really into Spartan culture as of late.

Dear friend,

I wanted to share some “writing hacks” with you:

Dear friend,

Many of us are trying to find our “style” in our photography.

In the sect of “Stoic” philosophy, Musonius Rufus gave practical, day-to-day living advice:

In America and the west (okay, perhaps mostly America) — we are told from a young age to “stand out” and “be different.”

Dear friend,

I wanted to share some thoughts with you on traveling.

Dear friend,

One question I’ve been wondering to myself is this: is it better to have plans and goals in our photography, or to have none?

Dear friend,

I do believe that having the right equipment in life makes life easier.

Many of us want a “legacy” or to be “remembered.” Why?

For me, I exist to create information, or to improve upon it.

I’m a victim to caring too much about what other people think about me.

Dear friend,

I want to write you a letter and some personal reflections about photographing landscapes— particularly, how to shoot “non-boring” landscapes, which aren’t cliche.

Dear friend,

I want to share some personal life hacks that have helped me in life (as of Winter, 2017).

Dear friend,

For me, photography is all about self-development, self-growth, and self-introspection.

To start off, how do we make a “living” — not a “killing”?

If I started street photography all over again, one technique I wish I knew was the “bookend” technique.

No matter what your situation in life is, there is no better time for you to be a photographer than now.

When it comes to photography (and food) — you want to cut the fat, and eat the meat.

Imagine a boat at sea, that is swaying in the ocean. Without an anchor— it would float away (and possibly be captured by pirates).

What if we photographed our loved ones as if it were their last day on earth?

One new word I’m trying to integrate into my life is “ultralight” — reducing weight in my life. Physical weight, emotional weight, and spiritual weight.

I just finished (part) of a brief family trip and wanted to share some of my personal reflections on how to travel as a photographer (with family).

“Expert counting uses no beads.” – Lao Tzu

Truly rich people don’t count the money in their bank account. They know that they are wealthy — because they don’t even worry about how much money they have.

Why do we plan for retirement when we are 65 and older– why not retire today?

Photography is only worthwhile because it gives us excitement, passion, and enthusiasm about the world.

Dear friend,

With every new year— it is a chance for us to burn the past, and start this new year afresh.

Don’t photograph with your mind, intellect, or camera.

Dear friend,

I wanted to write to you about photography contests — why I generally recommend staying away from them.

Life is a hassle.

You were destined for great things.

When we go to an all-you-can eat buffet, we overload our plates with too many different types of food. This often leads to indigestion, regret, and an upset stomach.

The only thing that separates “successful” people and “unsuccessful” people is grit, tenacity, and endurance.

Dear friend, if you want to take control of your own life, to live on your own terms, and pursue your passion for photography — here is some advice, tips, or insights I will share with you:

Designer watches, bags, and cars — is this true luxury?

Never buy the first generation (anything) technology (no matter how innovative or life changing it may seem).

No matter where we live, it will be boring.

One of the biggest inspirations I have gotten from Silicon Valley is this concept of an “MVP” (minimum viable product).

I’m easily bored.

One of the common misconceptions I think there is in photography is that using filters, presets, or any sort of post-processing (or ‘Photoshop’) is somehow cheating.

When I was 20, I was dissatisfied with my photography. I felt like I was being limited by where I lived.

I remember when I started off in photography, I would be marveled by all these great photographers, with their fancy cameras, and their fancy lifestyles.

One of the things I hate is when people say snobby things like: “Nowadays because everyone has an iPhone, everyone thinks they are a photographer.”

I am a huge fan of collaboration.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has taught me that “happiness” is simply being in a state of “flow” — or “in the zone.”

Don’t call it “street photography” — call it “walking your camera” (like walking a dog).