Month: May 2021

It seems a lot of entrepreneurs want to build $1 billion unicorn company and then sell it off. But perhaps better to build up your own billion dollar first and last name brand, yourself, and never decide to sell yourself.

I just consolidated all of my cryptocurrency. Just sold off all of my DOGE, dodge coin, chain link, and DGB (digibyte) and converted it all into bitcoin.

Why did I do this? My thoughts: first of all, it is easier to remember how much bitcoin I have on the top of my head then track all these other cryptocurrency’s. Second, it will always be the gold standard, just like how Coca-Cola is and will always be the number one soda brand. Or like McDonald’s is the number 1 fast food place, or how Starbucks is and will probably always be the number 1 fast coffee place.

When randomly going on craigslist and looking at Lamborghinis, it seems a lot of people are excepting both US dollars and bitcoin and cryptocurrency for purchases or exchanges.

Furthermore, bitcoin is now so main stream even my mom and Cindy‘s mom know what it is (fake money).

If Nassim Taleb wrote an essay about bitcoin, and Tesla once accepted bitcoin to buy Tesla cars, it is here to stay. I don’t plan on ever selling my cryptocurrency, just giving it all to Seneca once his 21 years old. I am certain that 20 years from now, bitcoin and cryptocurrency and crypto technology will generally be up. In this generation Z has taught me anything, the future of payments will be your smart phone and digital phone wallet.

To master street photography for yourself and others — this is the goal.

Keep augmenting your experiences, knowledges and insights, create your own self hosted blog (wordpress.org) and share your insights, experiences and wisdom with others.

Now available for chestnut brown and velvet red. See in HAPTIC SHOP >

HENRI NECK STRAP (MARK IV)

Barbell health. This is a Concept I got from the philosopher Nassim Taleb. The general concept: have as much coffee and stimulants as you want first thing in the morning, but fast after afternoon. And during the day don’t eat any food until you break your fast in the evening, and when you break your fast at night, eat as much food as humanly possible.

Perhaps this is a more optimal route to health. Similarly speaking, perhaps when it comes to alcohol or drug consumption it is best to go super super hard one day but abstaining for a really long time, perhaps a month.

We could also apply this concept to sexual matters, in porn consumption, and when to release your testosterone.

This is based off the warren Buffett quote “be fearful when others are greedy, be greedy when others are fearful quote. Perhaps when people are scared when it comes to crypto and cryptocurrency, and also bitcoin prices, it is the best time to buy. This is the best time when I chose to buy more bitcoin.

Brighter is always better for devices, homes and life.

The goal is to study the masters of the past in order to improve your own photography composition and vision!

If you desire to improve your ‘visual acuity‘, note and study composition … everywhere! In compositions when you’re watching films/cinema (in praise of watching animated films, especially Studio Ghibli films like ‘Princess Mononoke’) as you can find epic compositions everywhere!

For so much time in my life, I have searched for the perfect and the optimal and the best x, y, z. The perfect clothes, tools, car, lifestyle, city, etc. But in fact … perhaps being perpetually dissatisfied, inexorable and impossible to placate is a good thing …

Contrary to popular belief that once you become a parent, your ‘life is over’… in fact, your life truly *begins*.

I am convinced– the future of photography ain’t cameras or hardware, but software– publishing software, and new innovative ways to share and publish your photos (digitally). Not social media, but publishing PDF e-books, PDF ‘zines‘ (magazines), new innovative ways to blog, and more!

I don’t know about you, but I find the new Adobe subscription model a bit annoying. If I have multiple devices, I always get booted out, and I (always) forget my login passwords, having to reset my password, etc. Easier to just buy and own it forever — in praise of the new Affinity Publisher and Affinity Photo:

Photography captures, encapsulates and glorifies life.

Now that I have become a street photography OG, I have a lot of time to think, reflect and meditate on street photography. One thought — perhaps we should think of street photography as a practical practice, skill, and an active *doing*, rather than a ‘thing’ or genre.

Some thoughts:

The key to a more productive, seamless and frictionless life.

The benefit of shooting black and white photos:

When I go back and look at my old photos … I have to use my brain-power more to *remember* the scene, as monochrome abstracts the scene.

For example when I walk in the forest and see beautiful green, I think to myself — ‘Oh, I should shoot this in color to capture how verdant it is, and when I look at the photo in the future, I can recall how beautifully green it was.

But in actuality, perhaps it is better to shoot monochrome, as when you revisit your old photos, you will have to rack and use your brain to *actively remember* how you saw it in color. Thus perhaps monochrome is best in almost all conditions … even when you see colorful scenes in real life!

Isn’t photography magical? You can take reality, and re-imagine, re-see, and re-interpret it through photos. No other art form allows for this!

When I see certain scenes and shoot them both in black and white and color, the high contrast monochrome photos feel so much more enigmatic. But why?

Simple thought: if you look at something and it brings you joy and happiness, just shoot it! Whenever you see something you love, photographing it is a signal and stamp of your approval of love!

Privacy is overrated. Attention and focus are underrated.

The problem with Google and other “adware” services — they rob you of your focus for a utility and use. This is how iOS and iPhone and Apple is superior to Android. In praise of Apple and iOS for prompting you to turn on notifications or turn off notifications when you install a new app.

Also, when you see any social media or technology or advertising which distracts you, be very aware and get rid of it and prune it ruthlessly!

Or in other words, how Fujifilm is superior to Leica in innovation:

Don’t analyze or philosophize while you’re shooting photos. Rather, analyze your photos after the fact.

Perhaps in terms of investing and building the future, we should focus our efforts on ‘real world’ applications, not theoretical or conceptual ones. Or in other words:

Think of yourself as your own ideal end-user. Ask yourself — is this thing or a service a thing I would actually use or do?

The impetus behind all HAPTIC INDUSTRIES products — I create and design products for my own ideal use, and then sell/share them with others! For example, ERIC KIM WALLET — creating the ideal wallet for myself (photo + life integration) to make me shoot more boldly (always having a spare SD card just in case).

And also another rule:

We as creators and designers should beta-test our own products, for our own uses and tests, and find great joy in the products we create, and be the end-users for our own products!

ERIC

Life and photography is a continuum and stream. Rather than separate single images, think of all the photos as a visual stream.

Photography not as a separate activity from your everyday life. Rather, just live your life and take your camera along for the ride!

The funny irony — I feel the most peaceful, calm and zen when I’m shooting (high adrenaline) street photography.

The future of your photography is based on how you share and publish your works. Some ideas:

1. Publish your work as ebooks or e-zines via PDF using Affinity Designer or Indesign.
2. Publish your work as slideshows via iMovie and put them on YouTube and your blog.
3. Publish your work on blog posts and experiment with gallery settings — full screen, tiled gallery, auto playing slideshow feature.

The mind of a child — maximally pure, open and wise. Perhaps also for us adults to return to a child’s mind as the greatest boon to our creative mind, soul, and creative opportunity!

Chicago — the great American city; one of the most phenmoanl places for street photography and beyond:

Crimson RED & BLACK imagery:

Once you’ve become “successful”, or if you’ve achieved what you consider “success” in your life — then what? Simple thought —

Perhaps the next step is then to focus on our artwork, our arts creation, and also self-formation!

What’s the best car? The car that *DOESN’T* kill you in a car accident.

The best car doesn’t have any “stalks”(lame automatic transmissions). Doesn’t require oil changes or any other annoying forms of maintenance). So preferably an electric car.

Also, a car at the bottom of the depreciation curve (so perhaps an older model used Tesla Model S).

When making any life decisions or consumerist purchasing decisions, always first ask yourself: “What is the purpose of this, and my desired outcome?”

Let us not be fooled — photography as a strong form of artistic creation — photography is our art. And as children, we should take our artwork and play very seriously!

The funny realization I had:

I am the most zen, peaceful and tranquil when my adrenaline and focus is at its peak.

For example, powerlifting before a one rep max attempt for deadlift or squat.

Theory:

The reason why we aren’t so tranquil and zen in everyday life is that everyday life isn’t physically challenging or interesting enough.

All modern “feats of strength” (how efficiently you can process your email inbox, check things off your todo list as insanely uninteresting, boring and hateful to us).

Morale and lesson: Do more things which elevate your adrenaline in a positive, productive and creative way. For example the adrenaline rush I get from street photography or social interaction which is good. And deadlifting, and squatting and powerlifting!

If you’re not afraid of potentially failing, it isn’t difficult, challenging or interesting enough!

It is impossible to know how things will turn out unless you test it out for yourself. This is the root of all scientific experimentation, and empirical self knowledge augmentation!

My personal ethos to life:

Enough is never enough.

Perhaps this desire for more is the great stimulus and hope to life. A life in which we are satisfied — how does this differentiate us from the happy grass munching cows?

What makes photography so great? Not only is photography augmented living, photography augments your life experiences. Furthermore, all life experiences of yours is ongoing, and photography helps you capture, record and experience these ongoing life events even deeper, more beautifully and more purposefully and profoundly!

The function becomes the fashion! For example, drug dealers in NYC winters wearing timberland boots — turns into hip hop fashion. Fighter jets and matte black for stealth turns into cars “murdered out” design. “High visibility” (neon orange and yellow) for construction workers NOT to get run over goes into fashion.

Lesson: Always think function first, ignore the design and fashion.

Things that become more valuable over time and things that become less valuable over time:

If you know what you like and what you don’t like, it is easy to quit or to continue a habit of doing things.

The difficult thing— most of us don’t know what we like or don’t like (our tastes are often superimposed on us via guilt and ethics by others). Lesson: spend much time to think, meditate and reflect what you truly like and don’t like, and obey your own tastes, ethics and personal ethos in life!

Why photography? It arguments our lives, *improves* our lives, and makes existence and embodied reality 1000x more enjoyable, fun, joyful, interesting, and wonderful.

The joy and zen of just looking, and looking around— this is my looking meditation in photography

To draw, sketch, trace, and analyze and deconstruct a design is more fun and interesting than buying it!

Let your body self motivate itself … you don’t need your mind and “willpower” to motivate you.

Or in other words:

Never “force” yourself to do entering, to be “productive” or anything, unless your body self motivates itself to do anything!

Perhaps the notion of “discipline” is a bad American Utilitarian notion — effortless and elegant wu wei (Taoist) activity is superior!

A thought when photographing with my RICOH GR III [high contrast mode] of a (color) wedding photo I had on my refrigerator:

The joy of black and white is having the power to re-interpret and re-imagine reality around us!

Then perhaps what makes photos more artistic — when it is a *reinterpretation* and re-imagination of things … rather than photographing things as they are, but to inject a sort of surrealism or your own interpretation to them!

A design thought:

Perhaps the interesting design aesthetic and trend is to make things more powerful and muscular, but in a smaller radius or footprint.

For example, this new breed of “crossover” or “compact SUV” cars. The Tesla Model Y, the Mercedes “coupe” SUV, similar offerings from Porsche (Macan), and BMW.

With devices like the iPhone Pro — the question:

How can we make this thing as powerful and strong as possible but in the smallest possible size and footprint?

iPhone Pro (smaller size) as probably the upper limit. And with human bodies, to become more muscular, without adding unnecessary body fat or size.

What are we truly hungry for in photography? To gain deeper wisdom about photography, art, aesthetics and ourselves and the world around us. To augment our photographic wisdom— this is the goal of studying the masters, studying art, studying ourselves and always philosophizing in photography and art!

“Up-up-up-upgrade complete” (Starcraft)

A thought when contemplating on my “all black” merino wool clothing (completed — Outlier.NYC Black merino wool T-shirt, Woolly Black Merino athletic shorts, Meriwool merino wool leggings, etc)—

Is my clothing like my armor … something I want to upgrade, just as if life were an RPG?

Similarly speaking — it seems in modern day life, we desire to also upgrade our “weapons” (phones, laptops, tools, cars, watches, etc)— and there seems to be no end in sight. But towards what ends?

The joy and fun of photography— to attempt and make new creative and innovative compositions with 2 dimensional reality!

What do we as artists joy and delight in? Shapes, forms, dynamic curves, lines, body, three dimensionality, proportions and shapes which inspire and provoke movement!

Or why focusing too much on goals and achievements in life is bad — it ends up being a hidden trap and dead end. The more robust way:

Always strive for more!

A thought on Tesla cars:

I personally love the aesthetic (clean, flush, minimalist) of Tesla cars, but my critique: the design of the cars and the design language is a bit boring and generic.

For example the Model S— the Plaid mode is undeniably cool. However it is very generic — a bit and pieces here of a Jaguar, Toyota Camry in size, and bulbous in shape.

The Model 3 is definitely an improvement — it seems more like a shark (front end of a Porsche 911) and the tail lights and end definitely is distinctly “Tesla”. The Model X with the falcon wings are very cool, but it is a bit too big. The Model Y is certainly a huge innovation (perfect hybrid between the Model 3 and Model X), but still … it seems a bit too plain for my tastes.

And even if you think about it, there’s not too much variety you can get in a Tesla. Most people will probably opt for the white package, or the “all black” aesthetic, or perhaps red to be a bit more bold (but even the red color paint job isn’t bold or bright enough). So the question:

Is it fine to just get a very good generic design that “just works”, or should we strive towards more extreme, unconventional aesthetics?

My thought for now:

Opt for extreme.

ERIC

A thought on aesthetics:

What we are striving for is towards is an elite aesthetic — to look different, have a different taste (above the “vulgar masses”).

Furthermore to go even beyond a superficial elite aesthetic. For example, to me it seems too basic to buy an Audi car, a BMW, or even a Mercedes to “stunt” your aesthetic tastes. It is almost like the lazy way to spout “luxury” (equivalent to buying a Louis Vuitton bag). Even in some ways, buying a Porsche 911 is “too obvious” of a cool aesthetic (everyone already knows it is a cool car, and everyone already has one … so why do you gotta get it?)

Anyways with your design aesthetic, design choices, clothing, fashion, haircut, the way you present yourself — perhaps the desire is for us to differentiate ourselves even more from others, than to fit in.

ERIC

What do we desire when it comes to motivation, travel, photography, street photography, music, arts and literature? To be moved! And more specifically — to harness the outside and internal stimuli in order for *us* to move more!

In today’s brave new pandemic world — the optimal strategy:

We must radically adapt to the now!

No future — only now.

Simple idea:

Natural light as the ultimate luxury in a home.

Moving forward— if there is 1 thing you can prioritize and optimize for (above all else)— over bedroom size, location, street noise, cost, amenities, appliances, aesthetics etc — it is for natural light.

Don’t delay; shoot street photography now.

The best way to motivate yourself to workout:

Enjoy the movements.

Or only do workouts which you genuinely enjoy the movement for the sake of the movement.

In today’s brave new world of street photography, shooting street photography while traveling (airport, etc) is a good way to shoot street photography now.

Free motivation for you:

Dear friends,

It seems that many of us have been sitting around in eager anticipation for COVID to blow over, or perhaps the day that we (or everyone in America) becomes fully-vaccinated.

But it seems that will not be the case, nor will ever be the case. It seems COVID is the ‘new normal’, and rather than waiting for things to change, we must learn to radically adapt to the present moment, and figure out how we can thrive artistically, creatively and photographically right now; today.

Life is too short for basic shit. Assuming there is no ultimate meaning in life (optimistic nihilism), then —

The best life is in which you task yourself an awesome and epic (self appointed) mission(s) in life.

No expectations. Enjoying the walk for the sake of the walk. The joy of all the natural wonders in the world. The joy of composing a scene, and the excitement to see how the scene will manifest as a photograph!

Photography as a zen, meditative practice.

I don’t have to love it .. just not hate it.

Why does this matter? Because in modern capitalist American society, we desire to always obtain things that we love. And thus our Sysiphian quest for “more more more, better better better, improved, more optimized, and more beautiful”.

But with all our design things, tools and objects (camera, phone, tablet, car, clothing, shoes, watches, accessories etc)— we don’t need to *love* it— just not hate it. In fact, can we truly love any design objects? I say no. **We can only love human beings.**

How do we make “better” photos, and what does this even mean?