A thought after getting a gun pulled on me (and not getting shot): Wow, we really got nothing to fear except death. And in modern life, the chance of us actually dying is so so slim. The only realistic way to die is through texting-while-driving, walking-while-texting, or perhaps skydiving. Thus beyond getting killed — why…
There is nothing more holy than our own body. Our body is our own personal deity. Why so much disrespect for our body? Why don’t we revere, respect, admire, or prioritize our body? Some thoughts:
In photography — detail is fascinating.
One of my fascinations and personal goals in photography: to strive to discover NEW compositions in photography which have yet been discovered, attempted, or done!
Principle of life — being greedy for gains? The insatiable desire for more?
RICOH GR III for life!
A life lesson: the best bang for the buck with technology, cars, phones, laptops, cameras, devices, etc are refurbished! The upside of “new out of the box” and the upside of saving tons of money! The great feeling that you got a great deal.
Why the mind is great: It filters the unimportant. Perhaps to augment our mind is the wrong notion. Perhaps we should strive to become “more forgetful” in some regards. Intelligence as “via negativa”– the more crap and nonsense you can filter out, the better. As with intake of knowledge, only consume the best ideas and…
A thought: all of existence can be justified even with one great photo. Also— an entire trip or experience can be justified for even one great photo. Same goes with [x] amount of money spent on an experience, spent on equipment and gear, travels, etc.
For a more dynamic composition, don’t center your subject. Put them on the extreme left or right:
Thoughts on future-oriented fashion:
Make things or attempt things which endure! Also, invest and use technologies which you imagine will endure. Furthermore, read books, watch films, listen to music, and follow certain lifestyles and diets you desire which can endure forever!
Not all pain is created equal. Some pain debilitates us, but some pain actually spurs us on. And some (good) pain is a sign that we’re growing! For example when you’ve had a great workout at the gym. Or the pain of a conflict with a loved one which then ends with a resolution which…
Another life goal of mine this year: Eveyerday become less fearful, and become more confident, courageous and brazen into the future! There’s no downside to failure What I’ve discovered in powerlifting: Failure is just useful information about what your limit is. Once you fail, you gain that useful information what your maximum or limit is.…
Stoicism applied to your own life: All the shitty stuff that happens to you can be channeled by you into something which actually benefits you (for example, post-tramautic growth). It’s like having the Midas touch: every misfortune, pain, disaster, or downside in your life (if you touch it, it turns into gold!) If you’ve had…
I often write about “the future” in abstract, but perhaps better to talk about our future; YOUR personal future. What do we want from our personal future? First question: What do you personally want from YOUR future? I cannot speak for you, but for me: Have offspring: Have children Think more deeper thoughts Write and…
What does the future hold for us, or what should the future hold for us? Phones are overrated I believe phones are massively overrated as productivity devices. Phones are great for making phone calls, texting, shooting photos, videos, google maps, Uber and the such — but beyond that, I think phones are a bit overrated. For example,…
New photo goals: Can we achieve a DEEPER monochrome in black and white photography? How to achieve a deeper monochrome? Seeking deeper monochrome — Deeper shadows RICOH GR III in high contrast black and white mode with JPEG Flash Lowering exposure compensation More contrast post processing (Lightroom CC)
Thinking about the year 2020 and the fact we are living in the future: We seem to want to augment our minds, become “smarter”, “more intelligent”, to augment ourselves with AI/machines, to process more data more quickly — but towards what ends? Some people might be seeking “knowledge”, others “wisdom”, and others want a ‘competitive…
It blows my mind that it is 2020 already — I feel a bit disappointed. Where are my flying cars? My Jetsons future?
Photography as the ultimate game!
Philosophical musings on money — from coming with NO money to having money:
Race doesn’t exist — effort does.
Was listening to a vinyl record player the other day and thought: Wow, this is so much more aesthetically beautiful-sounding than a “perfect” mp3 or streaming song. Why is that? My thought: the imperfections is what made it beautiful. For example, the cracking and popping of the vinyl, the parts where it skipped, or the…
The principle to life: never stop striving to gain more!
Why chaos makes life more fun, sweet, and interesting:
My only regrets in life: when I failed to trust myself, and trusted the words of others (above myself).
If you make an interesting or good photograph by chance, does it make it any less legitimate? No. Chance is an essential ingredient in photography, especially street photography. And this is what makes photography so great! You don’t know what the photo will look like until you shoot it
Where do we gain artistic optimism from? Some ideas: Ignorance: The child-like ignorance of the outside world and what other artists are doing. The ability to approach artwork from a “carte blanche” approach — that nobody else has done it before (but you!) Physiological overpower: To be physiologically hyper-healthy is key. If we are in…
Not a matter of discipline, but something else? A thought: We often berate ourselves for not being “disciplined” enough for x, y, z — but perhaps this is the wrong way of thinking. When we think of ‘discipline’, we think that we are being disciples of someone and following in their footsteps. Following their moral…
Whatever artwork you make — the goal is to impress (embed) your soul into your artwork. That when someone witnesses your artwork, they can actually see your soul.
I am insanely optimistic. Why? And where does it come from? Some thoughts:
“Life is about reps” – Arnold Schwarzenegger In modern times, to repeat oneself is seen as bad. But in truth, isn’t life about repetition?
Why street photography? Some reasons: Insanely fun: I keep finding street photography fun, challenging, and interesting. There is no finality to it; I keep changing as a street photographer over time, I keep accumulating experiences, I keep traveling, and I keep making new photos! Thrilling: Street photography for adrenaline junkies. The thrill and rush of…
Why do we get bored? Because lack of challenge, difficulty, risk, randomness, or chaos! Solution: Add more difficulty in our lives: Powerlifting style, increase one-rep max for deadlift. Take more risks, particularly social risks (or entrepreneurial risks). Inject more randomness, chaos, and uncertainty into our everyday lives: Less algorithm-generated, more randomness in human interactions. We…
The basic notion of wabi-sabi in Japanese aesthetics: Over time, the more you use something, the more “worn in” it becomes, and the more beautiful it becomes! The tricky thing: Most technological things become WORSE as time goes on. Generally speaking, only the organic actually “improves” over time. For example:
It seems to me, the best way to live life is to attempt to MAX OUT. In weight-lifting, strive towards the powerlifting “one rep max” style, and keep attempting MORE until you MAX OUT, and fail. In business, work, and life– keep seeing how far you can push the envelope. A life where you are…
Composition is something I am insanely passionate about. Why? Let me share:
I just got back from Mexico City, and am currently reviewing my photos (two weeks of shooting everyday). Some ideas and tips:
No photograph is inert. No photograph is objective. All photographs are subjective to you, and every photo you shoot (and end up sharing) has a certain message. So the question to you, my dear friend is this: What messages are you trying to relay to your viewers?
When I pursue and follow and listen to my will, I’m happy! When I act contrary to my will, or feel as if I’m not able to act upon my will, I feel unhappy. Thus happiness is created from us exercising our will, our willpower and our desires! And the more conscious we are of…
In today’s world, if you desire success, best to advertise yourself, your character, your ideas, your skills, and your soul over other people, other companies, and other products!
We need both pain AND pleasure to accomplish grand things in life!
A simple street photography assignment: When you see something interesting, shoot at least 36 photos of it (same number as you would a roll of film!)
Why do I like good value? When I get something which I perceive is good value— I feel more clever, smart, and innovative! To be able to figure out a more cost-effective solution for not much money. Thus perhaps value is a system of problem-solving, and the desire to flex your own individual “smartness”, “cleverness”,…
“Where shall I go? The net is vast and infinite.” One of my favorite films of all time:
Why have philosophers always recommended a life of maximal frugality and economy? Not frugality for the sake of frugality, but a life of the maximal personal independence.
My thought: There is no “finality” for you as a photographer or artist. Instead, better to consider that you’re always in a state of becoming as a photographer and visual-artist.
Who is the best person to trust? Trust yourself. Trust your gut. Trust your personal taste in aesthetics. Trust your own moral judgement, your own ethics, without worrying that someone is “looking over your shoulder” or “watching your every action”. No heaven or hell. No (conscious) afterlife. Every decision you take and make is a…
The danger of metrics and measuring/weighing yourself: The ability to LOSE COURAGE and LOSE FAITH in yourself after measuring yourself to arbitrary numbers.