Month: July 2017

I don’t think you can change the world with photography, but you can change yourself with photography.

How do you SEE MORE and PERCEIVE MORE in photography?

Society tells us it is rude to take a photo of someone without their permission. Why?

To me, the more photos I make, the happier I am.

IKEBANA: the Japanese art of flower pruning and arrangement.

A fun idea, what if you want to be ultimate zen in photography? The concept: no camera, no lens.

“Let us say what we feel, and feel what we say; let speech harmonize with life.” – Seneca For me, photography is all about self-expression, and shooting with your soul.

I consider Richard Avedon the best portrait photographer who ever lived (so far).

Full-frame is overrated in photography. Why?

What impedes you, or gets in your way in life?

The most interesting photos to take are photos of people.

We’re drowning in a sea of images. How do we choose our best photos?

To never get bored in photography, increase challenge.

“Nothing in excess” – Solon It recently occurred to me — everything in excess is horrible for us.

Unedited visual diary of SAIGON–life with Cindy.

We buy cameras to look cool. Thus, the proliferation of hipster, old school retro cameras.

If you’ve ever felt anxious for not going a full day without checking your phone, or accidentally leaving your phone at home… having trouble sleeping, etc, you might be suffering from information overload.

Tim Wu wrote a book called “The Attention Merchants”— a fascinating expose on social media companies, and how everyone is fighting for your attention, eye balls, and dollars.

FIAT CURRENCY: our Faith (Fiat) in currency, money, politics, government, economics, and security.

What are the best lenses or focal lengths for street photography?

What are the best settings for street photography?

If you’re rigid, you will break and die.

What is the best camera for street photography?

I’m impatient. I hate waiting. We’re always taught patience is a virtue. But what if that is wrong?

“Astonish me” – Alexey Brodovitch Alexey Brodovitch is an individual who has had a MASSIVE influence in the history of photography, design, and much more.

HAPTIC INDUSTRIES: Creative Tools to Empower You.

Practical street photography techniques to take your work to the next level:

Dear friend, If you’re reading this, you are probably either an aspiring street photographer, or a street photographer with some miles under your belt looking for some inspiration, direction, or motivation.

‘Know your faults and keep to your wits’ – Horace Everyone has a different style in photography and life.

Dear friend, It is currently 9:19pm and I’m enjoying a nice sencha green tea, and meditating on life here in Saigon.

What is an image, and why is it important? And how is it related to photography, and how does it affect our personal lives and the society in which we live in?

IRVING PENN: so good I had to do a Part II on him.

“He without a past has no future.”

Dear friend, Here are some street photography ideas, freshly pressed from STREET NOTES MOBILE EDITION.

In life, we only have a limited “bandwidth” for doing things.

Without death, we would not appreciate life.

In studying the (dead) masters of photography, it is a good reminder – I’m going to die, and so will you. So why waste your life and limited time on planet earth, not making …

LISETTE MODEL: a genius photographer who has influenced so much of photography.

“Taking a portrait of someone – be it man or woman – starts with a conversation.” – Martine Franck

Practical tip, try to make CLASSICS with your photos.

Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on the benefit of doing — rather than “thinking.” Don’t theorize I see a lot of arm-chair philosophers, thinkers, and academics— who simply analyze, theorize, …

I don’t think I’m a master photographer (yet), but I do think I am a great photographer. How do you make great photos? Some ideas:

I love things which are timeless.

There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.

Some ways I’ve been able to find more happiness in my photography:

HAPTIC INDUSTRIES: The Creative Place to Be.

MEMENTO MORI: you might not be alive tomorrow.

To start, I don’t consider myself a master. But, I have mastered myself, and I have mastered photography for myself.

Scaling, growth, and life.

Ok, I’m currently in a super ZEN MODE, let me share you my feelings… and how I got on this golden brick road.

Dear friend, we often make life more complicated than it needs to be.

My friend Brian Day, who I consider one of the best contemporary monochrome shooters, introduced me to Gordon Parks while I was living in Michigan. I’ve recently been re-introduced to his work randomly, and …

Let’s be real, we all own an iPad, but we don’t really use it for anything useful.

CLOSER…a concept that can help us in photography and all aspects of life.

Easiest way to make better photos: photograph your subjects against a clean background.

“To own nothing is the beginning of happiness” – Diogenes Freedom is owning nothing.

Rather than trying to fit into the categories society shows you, why not make your own category?

Could (or would) an AI (artificial intelligence) shoot the same photo as you?

Dear friend, To me, photography is all about a meditation on seeing. Of perceiving the world more wholly, more fully.

We always make the wrong assumption that by buying new gadgets, phones, and devices— we will somehow “upgrade” our lives.

GAS: Gear Acquisition Syndrome, a horrible disease that plagues us all.

Dear friend, If you’ve ever woken up, and felt, “What is the fucking point of living?” this letter is for you.

So we established the fact: to be happier is to make more photos.

Ok, imma essay some ideas on photography and the purpose of life.