Month: December 2019

Photos from Kyoto— the most aesthetically beautiful and sublime place on the planet:

Once upon a time in Hollywood by Quentin Tarantino— a classic.

We are so insanely futuristic; why are we still producing, purchasing, and driving gasoline cars?

My thought: Much of how we live our lives SHOULD be directed by our own personal ego, aesthetics, vanity, and pride.

What I’ve been making photos of:

Do you have the great satisfaction or dissatisfaction from life/existence?

Practical photo thoughts: Start an ‘everyday’ photo project using your “standalone digital camera”. Keep your iPhone or smartphone in your backpack or bag, and keep your camera always with you. Anything you might shoot with your iPhone, just shoot it on your standalone digital camera. Stop photographing your food with your iPhone, instead, use your…

A big thought: Use the New Year as an opportunity to truly reflect, meditate, and understand WHY you make photos. There isn’t any “right” or “wrong” answers. And also realize, this is dynamic— your reasons on why you make photos will continue to change, evolve, and change over time. Why I make photos I cannot…

Dear friends, The New Year is just around the corner, and I wanted to use this opportunity to share some practical New Year’s Photo Resolutions you can apply! For all of this year, only shoot with one camera and one lens for the entire year. Practical idea: just shoot only with RICOH GR III for…

What do we want from photography, technology, blogging, etc? To augment our modes of creative expression.

I got the gouda – no shoota I don’t got a car still go hella far I got the guac; I’m from Cali I got the racks and I pay all my tax (early!) I don’t got the Benz, but I get all the wins.

My personal photography odyssey (thus far):

Badder is better. My thought: Better to do something “bad” (poorly) than to not do it at all. The way to achieve more, do more, and brave more in life.

Photography: chronicle your own (epic) life story.

Don’t do anything “for the culture”; do it for yourself.

We build our cars, we build our wealth, we build companies, and we build external things. Why not focus on building ourselves?

Helmut Newton: One of the photographic greats. Downloads

Helmut Newton — one of the kings of portrait and fashion/erotic photography:

Perhaps our love for shapes, forms and proportions is rooted in the human body — the most beautiful human body, shape, and form.

It seems the modern pursuit is to accumulate and acquire more. More possessions, more status, more money. A new goal: Striving to become more.

Simple thoughts:

Everyone wants to make a billion dollar company. But how come nobody wants to make themselves into a billion-dollar individual?

I’m a sucker for wanting to buy the new new (anything). The new Apple whatever, the new Tesla, the (used) Lamborghini, etc. But ultimately what do we want? We want the excitement and thrill of innovation. But perhaps it is more effective for us to innovate ourselves (build new things) than to simply buy it.

In almost every domain in life— bigger and heavier is generally worse. Let me share my thoughts:

Photography lifestyle as a mode of living. A way of living.

In life so much of us play the “waiting game”(or sit in the “waiting room”, as Dr. Seuss said in his ‘ Oh the places you’ll go!’ book). A thought: Don’t wait for reality or lady fortune to extend her hand to you. Be the one to do thr happening!

All day photo: Always shooting photos Always looking at your photos Always sharing and publishing your photos Always delighting in photos, art, and more!

You ain’t just an artist or photographer; you’re also a visual scientist.

A thought while walking: I am so grateful that Ricoh made the GR 3. While there are lots of things I really loved about the GR 2 (embedded flash), the GR III is still superior.

No rules. You can do it everyday, every other day, once a week, once a month, once a year, or maybe even once a decade! My suggestion: Follow your gut. If you don’t feel physically strong enough to review your photos, procrastinate on it as long as possible.

What is the best life? The life with maximal fun, experimentation, and seeing the limits of yourself.

When I look at images, what do I look for? Strength. Role models. Idols and icons. Individuals I can imitate and look up to. Above all, images which augment my feeling of strength, power, virility, and courage.

The best life is the most dangerous one:

I’ve been very happy lately — currently settled here in Providence, Rhode Island and been able to hit the gym (at least) once a day. I’m the strongest I’ve ever been physically, the most muscle mass, and the highest weight I’ve been. This is something I’ve noticed physiologically: The way I’ve been able to get…

Why I’m confident I will become a greater photographer than Henri Cartier-Bresson: My enthusiasm for photography will never die! Then my thought: Perhaps the secret to success in all domains of life is rooted in enthusiasm. So how do we live a life where you never lose enthusiasm? Some ideas:

AD ASTRA: the latest film with Brad Pitt which I really enjoyed. It ain’t as good as 2001 Space Odyssey, but still a solid film. My thoughts:

Great cinema is a great stimulus to your photography! For example a recent film I like: AD ASTRA —

To the stars How far do you dare to fly? What’s better — being earthbound, or do you die to try? Naive is good. How far can you go— however far you should!

The virtuous cycle of emptying our lives and filling it— what gives life and creative force?

Download all the course content for PHOTOLOSOPHY below: Introduction (830mb) Street Photography (2.6gb) Personal Photography (1.8gb) Entrepreneurship (1.5gb) Audio (100mb) Presets (40mb) Transcripts (29kb)

In photography we are simultaneously capturing life AND death.

I really love the iPhone Pro for the ultra wide angle lens, and ability to share your perspective. But the biggest problem: Phone cameras don’t have a beautiful aesthetic.

What makes photography so interesting? Your position. Where you’re standing, and your particular viewpoint or perspective. For myself what photos do I love most? Photos which make you feel like you’re standing in the shoes of the other person!

What is your ultimate aim in life? Don’t waste time with the middle — go get what you really want.

The eternal creative return: To work on things you will never tire of, never bore of– things that will always interest, entertain, excite, and thrill you. For example: Photography: I will shoot photos until I die at age 120–140 Writing: Writing and blogging as ‘meta-thinking’, or ‘augmented thinking‘. I don’t put any ego or pride…

My gut says making great photos. But in order to make great photos, we must also live a great life. How do we balance the two?