selfie electric

Photography Motivation Tips

Dear friend,

Today I am in unusually good health and mood, and feeling great about photography. Some turbo thoughts to get you shooting:


1. Photography is supreme

First of all, let us consider how supreme photography is. We are the ultimate hybrid visual artists. We are part computer scientist, part artist. I see us photographers as visual scientists.

Consider all the explorations we can make:

  1. Virtual reality photography (360 cameras like GoPro Fusion and Max)
  2. Different types of cameras, processing styles, formats.
  3. Phone cameras, selfie cameras
  4. Laptop cameras
  5. Shooting both still photos or video, and also creating Animated GIF photos

There is still sooooo more explorations we can make in photography. What are the limits of photography? Even if I pursued photography with my greatest zeal for 120 years, I would have BARELY scraped the surface!

2. Study the greats

Photographers to study:

  1. Henri Cartier-Bresson [PDF]
  2. Robert Capa [PDF]
  3. David ‘Chim’ Seymour [Magnum Portfolio]

Study the greats and the OG’s (original gangsters). Let their photos serve as a stimulus to your own creative spirit.

Here is a list of all the master photographers or you can start here:

Cheat sheet of the masters of photography.


3. Google Arts and Culture App

Download the Google Arts and Culture App (Apple App Store or Android Store).

Artists to study:

  1. Sandro Boticceli
  2. Michelangelo
  3. Leonardo da Vinci

Any of the renaissance painters are good. Look at their photos, screenshot them, trace them, sketch them, and let their visual genius be a stimulus to your own visual genius!


ERIC KIM ONLINE Photography Composition Workshop (Saturday, May 23rd 2020, 12-2pm Eastern Time).

Super pumped to share my upcoming Online Photography Composition Workshop in just a little less than two weeks. If you want to kick-start and re-spark and re-ignite your passion for photography and visual arts, and learn new tips, techniques and approaches to elevate your photography, don’t miss out.

More info here >.


Art Quotes

  1. Without music, life would be a mistake. Nietzsche
  2. You never step into the same river twice. Heraclitus
  3. You don’t take a photo, you make it. Ansel Adams

SHOOT ON! And don’t forget to upload your best photos to arsbeta.com


Recommended Philosophical and Artistic Films

  1. Inception (Leonardo DiCaprio). Thinking about memories, perspective. Very good visual stimulation for photographers.
  2. Matrix: What is real and what isn’t real? Good cyberpunk vibes.
  3. Akira (anime). Great colors.
  4. 2001 Space Odyssey. The classic.

All Cinema Recommendations >


More motivation

Photo ideas and assignments:

  1. Shoot a selfie of yourself and your face mask and upload it to ARSBETA.COM
  2. Sign project: Photography COVID 19 related signs (store closed, wear face mask, etc) and start a project on it. Upload it to your own blog. Make your own blog (bluehost.com and install wordpress.org).
  3. Look through all your photos of all-time, and choose your 1 best photo of all-time (if this will be the last photo you will be remembered for) and upload it to ARS.

My final thought:

If you even make 1 great photograph in your entire life-time … your whole life was worth it!

ERIC

And when in doubt, JUST SHOOT IT!