ERIC KIM

Why Photographers Should Get into Bodybuilding, and Why Bodybuilders Should Get into Photography

All upside; no downside.

ERIC KIM MUSCLE FLEX (1080P, 60FPS, RICOH GR III cross process filter)

The devil is in the details

Can you see the blue veins? RICOH GR III in cross process mode.

Why despise your body?

The negative bias in christian-judeo thought:

The body is evil and is to be despised. The only good is the soul; which is everlasting.

A mix of eyptianism (notion of an immortal soul), Plato, and thinking the body is somehow evil. Even Jesus said:

If your right eye offends your left eye, pluck it out.

Which means:

Any sexual indulgence or desire or admiration of the human body is evil. And you will go to hell.

Pride in yourself, pride in your body

Your body is the source of the ultimate truth. Without your body, you cannot think. The body is your soul. Your body is more valuable than your mind; because the body can exist without a mind… but a mind cannot exist without a body.

Problem of photographers

Photographers generally a shy bunch. But you cannot be shy to photograph yourself. You cannot deny yourself or feel embarrassed in front of yourself.

Also, we love change over time. With body building, we can see our bodies change over time!

Upside of body builders

To body build is an art. To photograph yourself and your own progress; highly practical and also an art!

Flexing is fun!

The best quarantine project

Shoot nude selfies of yourself or semi nude photos of yourself flexing and posing. Can be still photos or videos. Or animated GIF IMAGES!

  • selfie muscle abs ERIC KIM front selfie flex muscle 00004
  • bicep flex ERIC KIM video ricoh flex still screenshot flex muscle 00015

I bought my first camera from a body builder

Funny memory — my sophomore year in college I bought my first dslr; a canon rebel xt. It was from a body builder; he bought it to photograph himself but found it too complicated.

Which makes me think:

Bodybuilders should learn how to make really good self portraits of themselves, and photographers should learn to admire and respect their body to photograph.

Consider, photographers often have a hard time finding subjects to shoot. Why not just shoot yourself? You’re the ultimate subject; you cannot refuse yourself!