Dear friend,
A good way to stay inspired in your photography — realize that your first million photos will probably be your worst.
10,000 photos on film = 1 Million on digital
![Contact sheet from Henri Cartier-Bresson in Seville, Spain, 1933. © Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Contact-sheet-from-Henri-Cartier-Bresson-in-Seville-Spain-1933.-©-Henri-Cartier-Bresson-Magnum-Photos.jpg?resize=1000%2C1339)
I think it was Henri Cartier-Bresson who once said,
Your first 10,000 are your worst.
In today’s digital world
Your first million photos are your worst.
![Sweat. Downtown LA, 2016.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/How-to-Master-Monochrome-Photography-by-ERIC-KIM16.jpg?resize=1200%2C900)
![1-la sweat contact eric kim photography sheet](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/1-la-sweat-contact.jpg?resize=1200%2C1517)
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself
![eric kim contact sheet new orleans street photography portrait orange](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/1-contact-nola-2.jpg?resize=1200%2C1505)
I like this idea, because it puts less pressure on us.
![New Orleans, 2015](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS4-1325x2000.jpg?resize=1200%2C1811)
It gives us the self compassion to make bad photos. It encourages us to experiment, have fun, and not take ourselves too seriously.
![Red shirt and green background. Low perspective shot. New Orleans, woman and deer.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ERIC-KIM-STREET-PORTRAITS5-1325x2000.jpg?resize=1200%2C1811)
And just consider, if you took a million photos, aren’t you bound to get at least 10 photos you really like?
![Newport Beach contact sheet.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/0-eric-kim-contact-sheet-badass-street-portrait-newport-beach-800x694.jpg?resize=800%2C694)
![STREET PORTRAIT. Newport Beach, 2017](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/eric-kim-badass-street-portrait-newport-beach-0014051-800x1208.jpg?resize=800%2C1208)
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/eric-kim-badass-street-portrait-newport-beach-0014063-800x1208.jpg?resize=800%2C1208)
Just seek to make one good photo a month
![Woman with Star of David. NYC subway, 2017](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/5AAD93B0-4266-4822-9701-6FD70B502B95-2000x1500.jpeg?resize=1200%2C900)
To be honest, even if I make one photo a month I like, I’m very happy. 12 good photos a year? That’s fantastic.
![](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/eric-kim-san-francisco-street-photography5-1325x2000.jpg?resize=1200%2C1811)
And then I just aim to make 1 GREAT photo a year.
![Contact sheet. Tokyo eye, 2016.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/0-TOKYO-EYE.jpg?resize=1200%2C567)
Consider, assuming a small exhibition is 5-6 pictures. You can make a solid exhibition in just half a year. Or for a website portfolio (10-12 images), it will only take you a year.
JUST SHOOT IT.
![Photo of ERIC KIM by Harald Schmidt https://fotografie.io/ — ERIC SHOOTS BERLIN](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Harald-Schmidt-1336x2000.jpg?resize=1200%2C1796)
When you shoot, never think,
This needs to be a good photo.
When you see something interesting, just shoot it. Don’t think too much about it. You can choose your favorite photos when you go home.
![The devil silhouette of the bull “about to” collide directly with you. The effect of shooting head-on with a wide-angle 28mm lens.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6523F2BA-107F-47C1-9AF5-561BAAE2B06E-1325x2000.jpeg?resize=1200%2C1811)
![Marseille contact sheet.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/marseille-contact-sheet-copy-1.jpg?resize=1200%2C789)
![Istanbul contact sheet.](https://i0.wp.com/erickimphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1-istanbul-metro-contact-1.jpg?resize=1126%2C667)
Seek to make 10 million bad photos in your life
So friend as an encouragement, just make your first bad million photos. Perhaps — you can become a master photographer once you hit 10 million bad photos.
SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT!
ERIC
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