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PRETENTIOUS PHOTOGRAPHY

I fudging hate pretentious photography, and pretentious photographers.

Okay imma rant a little bit. If you don’t like the tone, please close this page.

Cool. You still here? Let’s continue.

Where I’m coming from.

I’m probably lower than average intelligence. I was mostly a straight B+ student in school, although I took all AP (advanced placement) classes.

Math was hard. It never made sense to me.

Grammar and English was hard. All these grammar rules didn’t seem to make sense. I used to actually have a slight speech impediment as a kid, my mother diagnosed me and sent me to a speech therapist at age 11. I would often repeat words, echo the words after saying it (subconsciously), and I often have mild dyslexia (I reverse the order of words).

School was also boring. I was the kid who asked to use the bathroom every 15 minutes. Teachers didn’t really like me much.

Anyways, I worked hard in school to make my momma proud. I also stacked up on community service and extracurricular activities, because this was my college strategy:

I will not get into UCLA with my GPA (grade point average). I’m not that smart. Yet, I can have a shit load of community service and activities, to prop myself up.

I played tennis from my sophomore year to senior year. Coach Greg Lowe taught me for free, along my friends Nima and Charlie. Thank you coach. I played Varsity Doubles my junior and senior year. I was an average player.

I played (American) football my sophomore and junior year, as linebacker.

I interned at KCCEB (Korean community center of the East Bay) my sophomore to senior year with my friends Justin and Isaac. I was a student youth leader, leading social activism events to empower my fellow youth.

I was a Boy Scout with my cousin DJ. I eventually became Eagle Scout.

Anyways, my resume was good. My happiest moment: when I got the email from UCLA with gif images of balloons, saying I got accepted. My mom cried. I thank all my mentors.

I hate name droppers.

Anyways I got into photography at age 18. I did it for fun, and wanted to learn how to make better photos. Google was useless. All the articles I read were too theoretical and pretentious. I then experimented for 3 years, and started this blog to share my findings.

I remember at age 21, all these pretentious photographers I would meet at exhibitions and galleries would “name drop” famous photographers. For example:

You know who William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, surely?

I nodded my head not to look dumb. Then I’d run home, Google these famous photographers, and couldn’t find any practical useful information on them. I wanted to learn practical lessons on how I could improve my photography, not just read some art critic or photo criticism maaturbate to their own pretentious words, designed to confuse the reader.

So I was like:

Fuck all this pretentious photography bullshit. Imma start writing articles, with practical tips and lessons.

I started to write “Learn From the Masters of Photography” as a way of self education, but also to share practical information with others.

Of course I got criticism for writing “listicle” articles just to drive page views and to promote myself.

  1. Why write lists? To me, I prefer reading lists and bullet points. I like Buzzfeed articles.
  2. Of course I want to promote myself.

I’m pretty proud of myself. I distilled all the information into the free and open source book: “100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography“. I think it’s a mini magnum opus. It’s really good.

The lesson was this:

Don’t complain about the world. Either make a change, or just be quiet.

Whiners.

STREET NOTES MOBILE EDITION

I hate people who whine and criticize others.

Trust me I’m a hater. Or course there are a lot of people I don’t like. But I keep it (mostly) to myself. I won’t waste my energy, time, or key strokes on criticizing someone online.

Rather, I’d prefer to be like Gandhi: being the change which I wish to see in the world.

Pretentious People are Insecure

Sydney, 2016

Let me tell you a secret: pretentious photographers are just very insecure and small people. They try to boost their own self esteem by putting others down. Kind of like bullies.

Pretentious photographers love to name drop, because it shows their “intellectual superiority”. To combat this, read my “cheat sheet on the masters of photography.”

A lot of pretentious photographers are insecure about their own photography. They feel better about their own photos by putting other photographers down.

A rule:

Never compare a photographer to another photographer. Only judge photographers as good or bad in your own eyes.

Nassim Taleb taught me that when people start to compare, they love to use the word “but” to nullify them

For example, someone might look at your photos and say:

Your photos are good, but you’re more Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Rather than saying,

Your photos are good, because of your use of juxtaposition, dynamic composition, and drama. But my critique is that your portfolio is too random and all over the place.

A real useful photographer:

  1. Will tell you what you’re actually good at.
  2. Will give you “constructive critique” to improve your photography.

A pretentious asshole photographer will just put you down.

Solutions

Achilles, a (flawed) hero of mine

In regard to pretentious photographers, art critics, art school kids, or curators who are snobby and assholes, this is what you can do:

  1. Say, “fuck off”. Nothing more or less.
  2. Ignore them.
  3. Imagine them as crying babies.
  4. Imagine them like barking puppies.
  5. Imagine them like the fat keyboard warrior in the South Park episode of World of Warcraft.

And ultimately look at your own photos and ask yourself:

Do I like my own photos?

Nothing else matters.

PHOTO JOURNAL by CINDY x HAPTICPRESS

For more empowerment, buy PHOTO JOURNAL or other HAPTIC TOOLS and study Stoicism.

BE STRONG,
ERIC


PHOTOGRAPHY 101 >

Seoul, 2009

Dear friend,

If you’re new to photography, start here:

  1. Free Photography Bootcamp
  2. The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography
  3. 100 Photography Tips for Beginners

Photography Inspiration

  • Photography Energy Management
  • How to Unlock Your Potential in Photography
  • There Are No Good or Bad Photos
  • The 5 Minute Photographer
  • A-Z: PHOTOGRAPHY DICTIONARY by ERIC KIM
  • Why I Want to Be a Photography Newbie Forever
  • PHOTOGRAPHY FLUX.
  • 10 Creative Photography Assignments to Re-Inspire You
  • 50 Photography Tips by ERIC KIM

The Fundamentals of Photography

  • GET CLOSER.
  • Keep or Ditch?
  • 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

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) »

  • How to Choose Your Best Photos
  • Be Your Own Harshest Critic
  • Nobody Wants to Look at Your Photos

Creativity »

  • The Beauty of “Creative Constraints”
  • Beginner’s Mind
  • Follow Your Intuition

Motivation »

  • Each Photo You Take is an “Attempt”
  • How to Overcome Photographer’s Block
  • Why Do You Need “Inspiration” to Shoot?

Post-Processing

  • How to Edit Your Photos
  • Grain is Beautiful
  • Are Filters “Cheating” in Photography?
  • Video: Introduction to Editing, Processing, and Workflow in Lightroom

How to Create a Body of Work

  • Don’t Work on Too Many Projects

Technical Photography Settings

  • DSLR Photography 101

HENRI SHOULDER STRAP

Film Leica MP x Henri Shoulder Strap (CREMA BROWN)

Supreme >


Street Photography Starter Kit

street photography starter kit by ERIC KIM

Master street photography >


HENRI WRIST STRAP PRO

Henri wrist strap pro

For the pros >

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship

My brand-new Udemy Course, "Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship" now live!

Seize your destiny >


Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography

eric kim ultimate beginners guide to mastering photography udemy

Master photography >

ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS

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Unleash your creative potential:

2021:

  • April 10-11th, 2021: BOSTON / Discover Your Unique Voice in Photography Workshop [Register Intent Here]
  • May 1-2nd, 2021: CHICAGO / Street Photography Composition Masterclass [Register Intent Here]
  • May 22-22nd, 2021: NEW YORK CITY / STREET PHOTOGRAPHY MASTERCLASS by ERIC KIM [Register Intent Here]

Be notified of when new workshops are live here.


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PHOTO JOURNAL

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