Month: July 2018

Dear friend,

A philosophical idea: never settle.

Channeling my inner #nietzsche — art is the stimulus which makes life exciting and worth living!

What makes a good photo? I traced some of my favorite Henri Cartier-Bresson compositions to find out more for myself:

RICOH GR II, ERIC KIM MONOCHROME PRESET, in TOKYO:

All my favorite street photography:

Street photography is great because it’s the most affordable, open, and democratic form of photography out there. All you need is a cheap camera, the desire to walk and explore, and your own confidence to shoot! Here’s what I consider the best cheap cameras for street photography:

Dear friend,

Here are some simple street photography principles which I believe can empower you in your photography!

Dear friend,

A simple yet powerful idea– happiness is creating! Specifically– if you want to be “happier” in life, seek to create more!

The word encumbered means to be ridden with debt. And we all know the way that people accumulated wealth in the past: sell those who had debt into slavery.

Dear friend,

Some more photo philosophizing: what we are trying to do as photographers is to communicate our life experiences, our perspective, and to transmit the emotion and mood we feel to the viewer!

When I was a child (around 9 years old-12 years old), I grew up on the comic book, ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ (written and illustrated by Bill Watterson). Almost 20 years later (I’m 30 years old now), I actually appreciate it MORE! I never realized quite how philosophical it was– (Calvin and Hobbes is an homage to the protestant theologian John Calvin and Thomas Hobbes):

Dear friend,

A thought: recognize that everything is permitted in photography. There’s no rules; only tips and ideas. Shoot photography, select your photos, process your photos, and share your photos however you desire or see fit!

Dear friend,

A random thought: I think one of the best ways to conquer depression is via photography; using photography as a tool to improve your mood, elevate your energy, and to see life with more hope, optimism, and joy!

Dear friend,

A simple thought to find more joy in your life: enjoy your present moment right now, without thinking of the future!

Dear friend,

A practical thought: to live a happier life, live a simpler life!

Personal photography shot in Singapore, on Lumix LX100, processed with VSCO Kodak Portra 800HC preset:

The biggest sucker mistake we make in life is not shooting, and falling victim to “paralysis by analysis” before shooting a photo.

Dear friend,

A question I’m curious about: what is style, why is important, is it important, how do you define style, and how to determine your style?

Dear friend,

A practical entrepreneurial idea for you: fill a void.

Super excited for everyone’s past assignments! (Assignment 1 Cafe, Assignment 2 Park, and Assignment 3 Elderly) We wanted to post the last assignment early so that everyone has  chance to submit to all the assignments before August 12, when we announce the winners and grand prizes (Grand prize: Saigon Satchel with Street Notes, Street Hunt, Photo Journal & Film Notes print editions; 2nd prize: Street Photography Starter Kit;  Third Prize: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Mastering Photography Online Udemy Course!)

Currently working on a new photography book with my friend JOSH WHITE; here are some behind-the-scenes of my design process in Adobe InDesign:

David Cheng: a good friend of mine (he’s the one who gave Cindy the Lumix LX100), and also the Leica CL, Leica M10, and Leica M-D to test out. Oh yeah, he’s also a really good street photographer, designer, writer, and illustrator!

Dear friend,

Don’t miss your unique opportunity to elevate your street photography composition by attending my new and exciting NYC Dynamic Street Photography Composition Workshop (October 13-14th, 2018); all-day Saturday and Sunday.

One of my students Luis Casadevall recently went to Cuba and shot monochrome. Here is some of my feedback for his photos (very strong set) — so hopefully you can learn (below are my comments, and feedback/critique):

If you want a sharp and compact camera, get the RICOH GR II (no anti aliasing filter, which means super sharp photos!):

The LEICA M-D; the ultimate zen minimalist digital camera.

Great job streettogs on the park assignment. Make sure to enroll for ELDERLY ASSIGNMENT (#3). Jump to ERIC KIM FORUM for more fun!

My buddy (the ancient Greek, pre-socratic) philosopher Anaxagoras has some pretty fantastic atomic theories in philosophy. A basic concept is that everything is comprised of dark and light, and other opposites. The reason this was fascinating to me was this: the word “composition” literally means “what something is comprised of, or made of”. Therefore a photographic composition isn’t just lines, shapes, and forms (as Henri Cartier-Bresson believed it to be), but actually something deeper; the contents of a photograph, and why a photograph has power, dynamic emotions, and soul!

I believe it is self evident and obvious that all of us as photographers seek “happiness” in our photography. But what does that even mean? How can one achieve happiness in photography? Is happiness everlasting in photography? What role does money, fame, and external measures of success play into photography? Let’s examine. #photolosophy

Lumix LX100 and 24mm focal length Street Photography in Singapore:

A simple entrepreneurial idea: to thrive in today’s modern society, create your own niche, create your own ideal lifestyle, and figure out how you can improve your life!

Never stop singing
And dancing to the melody of life
Life is more than pain and strife
Its full of hope and smiles
Never forget– you’ll probably live long, and be around for a while

Ain’t nobody stopping you!
You got two shoes and ambition
Follow your own gut and volition!

Make better photos by integrating S.A.P. (shape, arrangement, position) as well as C.I.A. (Contour, Inter-Contact, Position) to your photography!

Why wait on making photos?

You have a camera, yet you don’t take it with you everywhere you go. You don’t have the motivation/inspiration to take photos. You are patiently awaiting the day you can travel, and go on vacation before you feel inspired to make photos.

Interesting philosophical idea I came across from the old-school (pre-socratic//aka, before socrates) philosopher Anaximander: that the soul is something that has the capacity to set our movement in motion! #MOVEMEAN

Why I am anti-moderation:

Why we must control ourselves, and self govern our own actions, behavior, and attitude in life:

Getting my #heraclitus on; based on his saying, “No man steps into the same river twice” [because neither the river is the same, nor is the man the same].

I can’t speak for you, but photography has brought me so much happiness, joy, and meaning in my life.

Democritus– one of the best (OG — ‘original gangster’) pre-socratic philosophers:

It is evident that the new Leica M10 is the best digital rangefinder for street photography. The camera is fantastic. Let me share more of my experiences shooting with the Leica M10 and the Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit lens in ‘real life’:

I see this sucker mistake being made all the time in modern society; we mistake activity (answering emails, swiping and typing on our phones) for achievement. What we must focus on is effective, meaningful, and purposeful activity — in order to achieve what is substantial to us!

I borrowed my friend Dav’s new Digital Leica CL for the weekend in Singapore– and man, I was blown away.

I’ve shot with all the cameras in the world, and I can easily say that the RICOH GR II is the best camera for street photography. Why? Let me explain:

Dear friend,

A recognition: to seek true happiness, wisdom, and self actualization; focus on unlearning in life, not “learning”.

I’ve achieved my dream of living nomadically and pursuing my passion of photography. I want to share a little bit of how this lifestyle is, and why I enjoy this lifestyle.

If you’re traveling, shoot street photography at the airport!

New upcoming products from HAPTIC INDUSTRIES:

Dear friend,

Simple question: why share photos?

Saigon is my favorite city in the world. Why? Let me share:

Compositions sketches with iPad and screenshot tool:

Here’s some practical life hacks and travel hacks for you:

My favorite Hanoi photos from 2016. Shot in RAW with RICOH GR II x ERIC KIM PRESET:

Sounds like a basic question: but what’s better for photography or street photography: black and white or color?

MY FIRST PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK (Print Edition): Pick one up for your child or yourself! Only in a limited print run of 20 copies:

STREET CLUB ASSIGNMENT #3: photograph the elderly!

VSCO phone street photography:

A photography composition lesson: take photos from very far (or very close) to show a sense of scale.

Don’t miss out your opportunity to pick up a signed first edition copy of SUITS > (only 19 copies available!)

I’m currently studying the photos of Robert Capa, and this is what amazes me about his work: he documented history, with beautiful artistry and composition.

A fun idea: start a photography project based on your passions or side hobbies!

The rolling stone gathers no moss, you’re the boss

Dear friend,

To philosophize a bit on life — let’s ask ourselves the question, “What moves us?” “What is the primary driver, or motivation behind our actions?” “Why live and wake up in the morning?” — or in simple words, “What moves us?” #philosophy

Dear friend,

I wanted to philosophize a bit with you on failure. Namely, the upside of failure — and why pushing your limits until you fail is a good thing. #zenoferic

A photolosophy idea: by photographing at a close proximity to your subjects, you’re more likely to feel the emotions of your subjects. And the closer you are to your subjects and the closer you frame them (with a wide angle lens), the more emotional connection your viewer can feel from your photos!

Philosophy means love of wisdom (philos=love) Sophia (wisdom).

I then thought as photographers we are also philosographers (lovers of making photos, or loving painting with light)! #photolosophy

Currently reading the Aeneid, super inspired:

Photography is fun because it is random, chaotic, and unpredictable. Photography would be boring if everything were totally optimized and predictable #inpraiseofrandomness