Month: February 2021

Extreme risk-taking to strive to become yourself:

In this short game of life, why not grant yourself great exceptions? To disdain the popular prejudices and virtues of our time. To form ourselves, to select our own virtues for ourselves, and to …

What makes an artist or what is an artist? Someone who is passionate about aesthetics, and how he or she perceives external visual stimuli.

Certainly nobody makes it through life without experiencing or feeling regret. But what is regret? How can we positively channel it? What wisdom is there in regrets, and do we desire a life in …

Or how every moment is a photo moment:

It seems the art (photo) world sneers at digital photography, and somehow puts film photography on a pedestal. But what if digital photography (given COVID) is the only reasonable and logical step forward? And …

Thought: We obsess over luxury cars, luxury homes, luxury lifestyles, luxury goods, luxury devices, clothes, etc … but what is *true* luxury versus ‘weak’ (unsubstantive) luxury? My belief: Health as the ultimate luxury. Health …

In these extreme times, the best way to approach life seems to be through extreme adaptation — to never plan a day or moment in advance, extracting the maximum from every moment in the …

To plan is the current ethos of modernity. But why plan? Is it even a good idea?

You best show your beliefs via what you are anti, more so than what you are “for”. Also you exhibit your true beliefs via what you decide *not* to do, *not* to say, and …

What if your present scenario and situation were in fact, the best?

Or in other words, how to extract the maximum from existence.

Not RAW like the file format, but RAWNESS, in terms of emotional rawness, directness. Your soul imputed into your photos. This means: More contrast (crush the blacks in monochrome) More chiaroscuro (dark blacks, deep …

A thought and realization: We often speculate too much on investments, future returns on certain gains, speculate with stocks and crypto, speculate with real estate, and speculate about money in general. But what if …

What is the secret to intimate story telling through photography? The focus on the specific moments, and specific details:

A new realization ever since becoming a father, and having a newborn child: Making long-term, or even weekly plans is not good. Best to take it moment by moment, day by day.

We speculate on investments, money matters, economic matters, and things *outside* of ourselves. But what if we instead put these resources to ourselves? To our own self-development? To use ourselves as experiments unto ourselves …

What is the end? To focus on photography. Your photography. Perhaps then the simple idea: Optimize your life, lifestyle, living choices, city, neighborhood, etc to maximize your photographic optionality!

A thought: When you have the option in life, opt for the riskier, more interesting, newer developments. This can be in regards to life, lifestyle, homes (new luxury apartment buildings), new development neighborhoods, new …

A thought when driving downtown the other day: Wow, how blessed I am to be alive, having the chance to experience the beauty of a city, the joy of photography, the joy of interacting …

Another modern societal critique: Stress is not a virtue, it is a vice. For example when you ask any working class professional or educated person, “How are you doing?” it seems 99% of the …

Too often than not, we feel we need to justify ourselves, justify our decisions, justify our purchases and our lifestyle choices. In today’s world, it seems the apex justification is economic. For example, we …

In Silicon Valley we talk much about the “minimum viable product” (MVP). But how can we cross pollinate this concept to living?

Towards a new way of thinking about the ego:

True passions: an unadultured passion you’ve had since you were a kid, teenager or high school/college student. For example my passion for working out, fitness, diet and nutrition, modding cars, photography, blogging, travel, new …

You are the camera, the tool, the instrument. You decide what to photograph and what *not* to photograph. You don’t need to ‘buy’ a new camera if *you* are the camera!

Photos not reviewed aren’t worth shooting:

Typically we are taught: “The more space, the better”. But through my life experiences, I’ve found this to be patently false. More often than not (due to complex scaling effects) bigger, more space, more …

If you have the option, always opt for a good home (your ideal apartment or living situation) over having a fancy car. If anything, because we spend so much time at home now, being …

What do we desire? Exuberant, high spirits. Ideally, permanently elevated high mood and spirits.

Rational — ratio, to compute (reor). Comes from PIE (hreh) to think, which is a reanalyzed root of her- (to put together). So in some ways, to be “rational” means: Make decisions based on …

Life is a series of decision making. But how do you know what the “best” or “right” decision is? You don’t. But I’ve discovered for myself, the happiest I am is when I have …

All photography and art, knowledge and wisdom goes back to your self.

Know thyself Oracle at Delphi The only and most meaningful knowledge which can be more accurately ascertained — your knowledge of your self. Self knowledge.

What is a “true desire”? A true desire: The self knowledge in knowing what is best for *you* and not others. Seeking your own greatest personal advantage in life. The knowledge and recognition that …

We are taught and trained that logic is supreme and irrationality is bad. But what if logic is overrated, and if we desire to live the best and most supreme life, we should harness …

Obey your desires, especially the strong ones. And another thing: Ensure that your desires at the “true” ones — don’t get suckered into desiring “false” things you don’t truly care for. In other words, …

Each moment in your day is the same and equal, which means: Leverage each and every moment to make photos and to document and record it all!

What is the end of our money-getting, our entrepreneurial hustle, our investments and speculations, etc? The hope for a better tomorrow and brighter and more prosperous future. But what does that even mean, and …

I am currently in a state of deep and profound tranquility. Unperturbed, strong, calm, and zen. Many seek tranquility yet never get it. Why not? And how can we gain tranquility? Some thoughts:

Photo by photo — each photo as part of a particle steam or wave. This means: It isn’t about a single photo, single moment, or even a contained photo “project” or set. All your …

What is the secret behind making immortal photos? Simple: Shoot with your soul. You cannot fake love and enthusiasm, especially when it comes to your photos. Shoot with your entire soul and being, and …

“Love without sacrifice is theft.” – Nassim Taleb What makes love so great? The level or degree of sacrifice we put forth in order to verify that love. The other night when doing the …

It seems modernity says impulses are bad. But there can also be great wisdom behind impulsive behaviors, especially when it comes to art. Simple thought: Impulses which come to our “base pleasures” are bad, …

Dear friends I am convinced: If you desire to extract the maximum from existence, live as maximally a risky, entrepreneurial and adventurous life as possible! Hypothesis: Much of our boredom, ennui, depression and existential …

Going in reverse — Cindy heroically birthed Seneca Thien Anh Hanul Kim after an arduous 52 hour labor. For personal reasons, I wanted to keep the pregnancy photos “low key”, but now that Hanul …

Some lovely color photos and words from Savannah Condon, straight out of Mexico:

Simple ideas:

A thought leader — Someone whose opinion, thoughts and ideas sway and impact and influence the crowd and society. For example, Elon Musk as meme lord of the internet and more recent Dogecoin advocate …

Now that I feel like a billionaire, what is my final end and goal? Simple — photography. Ever since the birth of my son, my priorities include Cindy, Seneca, and my photography — nothing …

To piggy back off of yesterday’s thought: Once you become a crypto billionaire, then what? My simple answer to that: For me, I already have everything I need. As long as I can continue …

As Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, and other crypto technologies continue to rally, the thought that came to my mind: Once you become a Bitcoin or Crypto Billionaire, *then what*?

As photographers we don’t just make photos, we make stories:

In reverse chronological order. Life before Seneca Thien Anh Kim:

Witnessing the birth of my first child Seneca was the most phenomenal thing I’ve ever experienced — both in terms of seeing the pure strength, power and perseverance of Cindy, as well as the …

Contrary to popular wisdom, I feel there is a huge deficit of bloggers in the world. Too much information trapped on social media — not enough on independent self hosted blogs (WordPress.org). Why does …

Street photographers as being one of the most versatile forms of photographers. Our ability to predict and anticipate the decisive moment, our ability to quickly capture these fugitive moments, our skills for edgy and …

Impact — how your photos affect and change and move people. Simple thoughts:

What are the best photos? The photos which boost your serotonin! Perhaps this can be a good measure of how we should choose, select, and edit our photos?

Contrary to what I’ve said in the past, the world wants your photos. To see, witness, experience and impact them. Your photos as having the potential to give others a serotonin boost!

The goal is to master photography:

I didn’t realize this until Seneca Thien Anh Hanul Kim came into the world: You cannot even imagine how much more massive future joy awaits you.

Domain expertise: What you are really good at, what you are the master (dominus) of. For me, it is certainly photography and blogging. Then the thought: Focus 90% of your efforts and skills on …

I am convinced: if you desire to maximize your photographic ability, you must get RICOH GR III. Why? Let me outline some thoughts:

Simple principle and idea: Focus 90% of your strength on your ‘archimedes lever‘ (what you are insanely good at, and what you *already* are doing to maximize your impact) and then use your superfluous …

Recursive photo editing — this means: As you shoot new photos and create new photo albums, every once in a while go back to all the older photos, and make a newer (tighter) edit …

Photographing the birth of my first child (Seneca Thien Anh Hanul Kim) as the most meaningful thing I’ve ever photographed (thus far). Some more thoughts:

Photography motivation: Having a motus and a motive to shoot. Motivus— a moving cause. To be “stirred” to do something. Motus— aroused, excited, impulse, passion, emotion, advance, progress.

Whatever your life story is, photograph it. Whether it be photographing a funeral or death, your wedding, or the birth of your child. No life story is less worthy than another. As long as …

Simple nugget of a thought: Hard to know what we’re passionate about; easier to know what we’re *NOT* passionate about. A via negativa way of approaching things: Don’t focus on pursuing your “passion”. Perhaps …