Month: June 2019

Something I wanted to essay about:

What makes a great photograph?

Also — does it even matter if a photograph is ‘great’? Is ‘good’ good enough?

(more…)

A simple thought and idea:

What should I photograph if I want to make more “interesting” photos, more meaningful photos– or to find more ‘inspirational’ things to photograph?

(more…)

Thinking about video games —

1. People want an “open world” concept
2. Gamers want to have fun, explore, discover, and adventure/quest
3. Gamers want to exercise their “hand eye coordination”skills (consider first person shooter games)

How can we integrate these video game traits to real life? Simple — by playing and shooting street photography!

Street photography as playing, while also making art work.

A thought while at the gym today:

You didn’t ask to be born, thus you technically “owe” anything to anybody.

So perhaps we should think BEYOND “duty” and “original sin”. We didn’t have a choice in being born, but now we have a choice how to live our lives (we have the faculty of free will, and we have the power to live our lives however we desire).

It seems the best thing I’ve come up with so far is this:

Not to treat life as a miserable self-flagellation or “self-sacrifice” type of duty. Instead, to treat life like a fun game!

Simple thoughts:

1. Use a “standalone digital camera” like a RICOH GR II in order to NOT get distracted while shooting. While I think smartphones are legitimate cameras, the biggest downside of smartphone cameras is the fact that it is very difficult to focus on the simple task of only shooting photos! This is a good case of shooting film; you can only do one thing at a time.
2. Shoot while walking, and don’t think too much while shooting photos. The best photography is instinctual and from the gut. Don’t worry about getting a “good” photo while shooting. Just enjoy the walk, shoot, and don’t think too much. Fall into the zen-like trance of wandering the streets, and just responding to scenes you find interesting and just shooting! Also, when you see an interesting scene, allow yourself to shoot as many photos of the scene as you want.
3. Shoot JPEG: You can shoot quicker (no buffer or lag), and later it is easier and quicker to look through and review your photos. And yes, you can post process jpeg photos.
4. Shoot P (program) mode: “Set it and forget it!” Distinguish yourself and your photos via your composition, not what your technical settings are.
5. Find a good place to shoot: I prefer being in an urban setting, with a decent amount of people walking, and (of course) sidewalks where I can dance around a bit. I prefer environments with larger plazas– which allow multi-directional movement. Essentially the idea is have a good walking place, that allows enough regularity from navigating a certain city or downtown area, and also enough randomness to keep things interesting! I cannot get into a ‘flow’ when shooting in a very boring suburban neighborhood or environment– some “danger” helps me focus!
6. Keep your camera around your neck or on your wrist: I really like the ERIC KIM Neck Strap MARK II with the RICOH GR II, as it is always on you — and because the Ricoh GR II weighs practically nothing– you forget you have it on! Another option– experiment using a wrist strap (Henri Wrist Strap OG, or Henri Wrist Strap PRO), and just go on walks with your camera attached to your wrist. The way I like to think about it: Rappers wear heavy chains, watches, and bracelets. Perhaps we should think about our cameras on our necks and wrists like rappers wear chains!

I am passionate about composition — to me, it is the root and foundation of all artwork and aesthetics.

But how do we improve our own composition? Easy — research compositions from other artists whose work inspires you, deconstruct it, sketch it, break it apart, figure out how it works, then determine how you can integrate it into your own artwork!

(more…)

Luxury isn’t buying stuff, nor is it living a certain “lifestyle”— it is about having the luxury of time, your own attention, and your own focus and willpower to create your own artwork!

(more…)

A thought:

Perhaps what we should be optimizing for in our personal lives is FOCUS, not ‘privacy’.

(more…)

In today’s epic and hyper-connected world with smartphones and the internet– what is the role of a ‘standalone’ digital camera?

(more…)

A thought while bored in mass today:

What gets better with time, and what gets worse with time?

When it comes to purchasing things, should we optimize to only buy things which get better or more beautiful over time? For example, beautiful patina, wear and tear, rips and holes (raw denim, wabi sabi aesthetics, leather).

(more…)

Don’t think about race, ethnicity, genetics; think epigenetics, hacking your own DNA, and modify and build yourself with your willpower, effort, and fearlessness.

(more…)

What we are doing as photographers and creators: creating a beautiful visual stream of images— not caring too much for a single image, but delighting in the totality and collection of images as a whole and a stream. Including photos we’ve created, images we remixed, hybrid images, sketches we’ve made, traces we’ve made, and screenshots of other artwork which inspires you!

(more…)

How would you live your life differently if you didn’t believe in an afterlife? 

As a photographer do you prefer to create the image, or be surprised?

(more…)