Your photography is always in a state of flux, and so are you.
I. Growth comes from change.

Heraclitus once said that all of life is in a state of flux.
Flux: constant chance and movement.
For example, your atoms and molecules are totally different today than when you were 5 years old. However, you would still identify your 5-year old self as “yourself”–why? Because a sense of continuity, and personal memory.
However, to grow develop, and be a human– we need to be in a state of constant change and flux.

We are in flux between hungry and satiated.
We in in flux between movement and stillness.
In your photography, your style is gonna always be changing, in a state of flux.

For example, when you started photography, you’re certainly a different photographer and human being than who you are now.
If your photography style never changes, it means you’re dying as a photographer and artist.
II. I love changing my photography style

For example, when I was 18, my photography style was different than it is now at age 29.
When I started off, I liked landscapes. Now it bores me to death.
When I started street photography, I liked black and white “decisive moments” in the spirit of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Now that bores me silly. I’m more of a Josef Koudelka meets Richard Avedon– I love gritty photos, with soul, and portraits of humans, and photos of myself.

I’m always in a state of flux. I changed from street photography, to personal photography, to urban landscapes, black and white, color, film, digital, smartphone, Medium format, self portraiture.

Philosophically, from technologist, to Stoic, to zen, to Taoism, to Nietzsche, to poetry, to art, to modern design, to classic Greek philosophy, to Socrates, to pre-Socrates, and post-Socrates, Jesus, Seneca, Nassim Taleb, and now Eric Kim.
III. Change is good.

For some reason, we have shame in change. In American politics, to “flip flop” is seen as negative.
To change your opinion is also seen as bad.
To not be “consistent” is bad.

But it makes no sense. If you are the same person you were 10 years ago, wouldn’t that be depressing?
If you never changed your mind, would you ever grow, develop, and evolve?
IV. Never stop changing as a photographer.

The lesson is this:
Your photography style is always in a state of flux, or change. Don’t be embarrassed, relish in it.
So be like a mad photography scientist: never stop experimenting, and having fun. Blow shit up, explore, wander, and tinker.

Always,
Eric



If you’re new to photography, start here:
- Free Photography Bootcamp
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography
- 100 Photography Tips for Beginners
Photography Tips
The Fundamentals of Photography
- What Makes a Good Photo?
- Why Photography?
- Everyone is a Photographer
- How to take better pictures
- How to take better selfies
- How to Paint With Light
- Why Bokeh is Overrated
Technical Photography Settings
Street Photography 101 »
- The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Street Photography
- 70 Street Photography Tips
- 15 Street Photography Techniques
Personal Photography »
Photography Entrepreneurship »
- How to Do What You Love for a Living
- Should I Follow My Passion For a Living?
- How to Create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
Photography Equipment »
- What is the Perfect Camera For You?
- What to Consider When Buying a Camera
- More Megapixels, More Problems
How to Take Better Photos »
- How to Take Better Photos
- How to Capture Emotion in Your Photos
- How to Create a “Curiosity Gap” in Your Photos
Composition Lessons »
- Composition Lesson #1: Triangles
- Composition Lesson #2: Figure-to-ground
- Composition Lesson #3: Diagonals
Photography Assignments »
- 40 Practical Photography Assignments
- 15 Street Photography Assignments
- 25 Photography New Year’s Resolutions
Contact Sheets »
- Street Photography Contact Sheets
- Street Photography Contact Sheets Volume II
- Debunking the “Myth of the Decisive Moment”
Editing (Image Selection) »
Creativity »
Motivation »
- Each Photo You Take is an “Attempt”
- How to Overcome Photographer’s Block
- Why Do You Need “Inspiration” to Shoot?
Post-Processing
- Grain is Beautiful
- Are Filters “Cheating” in Photography?
- Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom