Golden Triangle Composition in Yellow x Cindy

Why Photography is Good for the Soul

Golden Triangle Composition in Yellow x Cindy
Golden Triangle Composition in Yellow x Cindy

Dear friend,

Realize, photography is essential for your thriving in life. Don’t just treat photography as a superfluous luxury. Photography is good for your soul.


THRIVE AS A PHOTOGRAPHER

Learn more about ERIC KIM Udemy Courses #ERICKIMCOURSE
Learn more about ERIC KIM Udemy Courses #ERICKIMCOURSE

Learn to thrive as a photographer in my new Udemy courses, “Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography” and “Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship.”

Learn more about why I am teaching both courses here >


Why take better photos?

High perspective shot, with the Lumix LX100 (24mm) in the air, using the LCD screen to frame, and pointing the camera downwards.

The first question to address:

WHY take better photos?

My thoughts:

  1. It isn’t about making better photos; it is about living a better life. And for me, photography is a tool to find more joy in your everyday life. Photography is a tool to encourage you to live more adventurously; to live a more fulfilling life. Photography encourages us to take unknown paths (street photography), photography encourages us to embrace the randomness, chance, and chaos in everyday life. Photography to me is a good lens to see the world from a philosophical/artistic perspective.
  2. I think the biggest benefit of photography is that it is good for our mental therapy. Street photography for me is particularly therapeutic, because it is the best way for me to find more joy and beauty in everyday life. Street photography helps me slow down; I treat street photography like a zen walking meditation. When I’m shooting street photography (solo), I walk 25% slower than I normally do; I look around the world with the naive and curious eyes of a child, and I find beauty in the ordinary and mundane. I find beauty and joy in colors, textures, visual shapes, forms, lines, and certain ordinary fleeting moments. For me, street photography is about engaging more with the real world, spending less time inside the house and watching Netflix, and to live life more fully!
  3. For me, I think life is a combination of action, achievement, and appreciation. Let’s call it the “3 A’s” of living. Action: we must do stuff in life. Achievement: We must achieve success for ourselves. Appreciation: We must appreciate what do we in life, and what we achieve in life in order to feel “happy”. Photography checks off all the boxes. Photography allows us to take action in life: we act by walking around more, and the ACT of clicking the shutter (the action of MAKING photos). Achievement: You achieve as a photographer when you make photos that you are proud of. Appreciation: Looking at your own photos and telling yourself, “Wow — I’m proud of myself for making these photos!”

Thus it is clear to see, photography is good for us and our soul in so many different ways.


How to fulfill your soul more in photography and life

Practical takeaways:

  1. Prioritize your photography in your life. It is essential for you. You MUST make photos; don’t let “obligations” in life get in your way. Prioritize yourself, and your own mental health; if your goal is to empower others. If you don’t take care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of others?
  2. If you’re feeling stressed at work or at the house; just go for a walk and take your camera along. Or just go for a walk, switch your phone to airplane mode (zen phone photography), and shoot photos. You kill two birds with one stone: first of all you enjoy the walk for clearing your mind/feeling better and also you end up making more photos; which also brings more joy to your life!
  3. The more you walk, the more you shoot, the happier you will be. And the happier you are, the more you will positively affect the lives of others in your life. Consider, if you’re generally in a better mood, smiling more, that positive energy is going to be contagious to others!

How to re-spark your passion for photography

Kyoto man with square box, walking. 2018

Another difficulty: you know you want to make more photos, but you’re not just feeling it. You don’t feel the same passion/enthusiasm you did when you were a beginner photographer.

My suggestions:

  1. Enroll in my Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography course on Udemy to take your photography back to basics, and take your photography back to “first principles.” What that means is this: ask yourself, “Why did I first start making photos?” This is your ‘initial intent’ in photography. For example, the reason why I first started to make photos was because I had a horrible memory, and I used the camera as a memory-aid. I wanted to capture fleeting moments which brought me happiness; and I wanted to have the opportunity to replay those memories to re-spark more joy and appreciation in my life. This has actually been one of the coolest things about using the GoPro Fusion: the ability to re-live memories that bring a smile to my face.
  2. Delete Instagram: Sounds crazy; but it is a good idea. Why? When I started photography, social media didn’t really exist. This meant that when I started photography, I first made photos to please myself and a few friends/family members. But mostly for myself. I shot photos to make visual art that brought a smile to my face. Consider children: they paint and make drawings for fun. They don’t really care to share it with others or get affirmation from others. I remember when I was a kid; after I made a painting or drawing as a 2-year old, I would throw it to the side and be “onto the next one.” I still remember a photo my mom shot of me sitting at my tiny blue table, super focused with an intense look in my eyes, firmly grasping a crayon, and drawing my masterpiece on a blank piece of paper.
  3. Ask yourself, “Why do I make photos?” Share your responses in ERIC KIM FORUM.
  4. Give yourself permission to make “newbie” photos again. Don’t take your photography too seriously– shoot your food, shoot selfies, urban landscapes, abstract photos, landscape photos, or anything that catches your eye!
  5. No pressure: Take a zen-approach; no expectations in you photography. Enjoy the process of photography. Think of yourself like a fisherman in photography; the joy of fishing is the purpose– the purpose isn’t catching fish. Photography is the same: don’t set expectations for yourself to make good photos. Rather, enjoy the process of photography — this is the most rewarding.

And when in doubt,

JUST SHOOT IT.
ERIC

Take your photography to the next level

udemy ultimate beginners course photography eric kim banner

Dear friend, if you’re looking to re-spark your passion for photography and to take yourself and your photography to the next level, I am very excited to share the news that I have two brand-new online photography courses (for the first time ever!)

1. Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography

ultimate beginner guide mastering photography splash

The first course is Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography, which is focused on taking your photography back to “first principles”; which will encourage you to ask yourself, “Why do I make photos? For whom do I make photos? What pre-conceived notions do I wish to erase from my photographic process?” Even if you consider yourself an intermediate/advanced photographer, this course will be awesome for you, because it will re-spark your “beginner’s mind” in photography (to return to that zen, child-like state of pure awareness), and also it will be a good present to give to a friend, family member, or co-worker just starting off in photography. You can see the course here on Udemy, or you can learn more why I decided I wanted to teach the course here.

2. Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship

Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship by Eric Eric Kim on Udemy

My second course is Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship; a brand-new and super-innovative course on unlocking your hidden potential as a photography entrepreneur. If you want to build your following, if you want to stand out of the crowd, or if you want to potentially monetize your passion for photography, this course will be perfect for you! The course isn’t cheap, but consider– if the tiny investment in the course helps you potentially earn additional income (or boost your current earnings as a photographer): it is the best investment! The course also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose!

Learn more about the course: “Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Photography Entrepreneurship” or ENROLL HERE on Udemy.