Month: September 2021

When it comes to photography and artistic matters, best to think:

It is all art.

Perhaps the purpose of art is to become more provocative. To provoke a reaction or emotional response:

After much contemplation and experimentation, I believe that the 28 mm lens is the best, perfect, ideal, and supreme lens for street photography, and generally most types of photography. Why? My thoughts:

Life is training:

With the street photography you do, ask yourself—

Are these photos personal to me?

Pursue street photography which speaks to your soul.

More personal photos. RICOH GR III, digital medium format, less iPhone. I’m quite bearish on the future of iPhone Pro for photography. If you love the ultimate aesthetics for photographic art and images, best to get a RICOH GR III, a Fujifilm digital medium format camera, or a used Pentax 645z.

The future of open source JPEG and PDF ebooks and e-magazines. Open source WordPress.org blogs. iPad for enjoying your photos.

Less need for “better” cameras, mote need for publishing ideas, motivation, inspiration, entrepreneurship, passion. More need for feedback (arsbeta.com).

Since 2017 I considered myself retired. And also since then, I achieved financial independence. How did I do that? My thoughts and experience:

It seems everyone wants to FIRE (Financial independence, retire early). But once you got the financial independence and you retire early… then what?

Simple ideas, at least for me —

1. Focus on arts generation, philosophy, entrepreneurial ideas to motivate others, and photography.
2. Focus on physical culture: physique, power building, bodybuilding, powerlifting, gym, or kettlebell home life.

But the big thought:

FIRE as a means to an end, not the end itself.

The thought — if we think about “practice” as a road and a means of becoming, then to do is to become.

That is —

Figure out what you desire to become, and simply do more of it.

We are defined by what we do, make, create, and how we act. Then our identity as something fluid, and dictated through our actions. A +1 towards free will, free self-determination.

Assuming photography is our passion,, the question:

How do we do more of it?

“We talking practice???” – Allen Iverson

One of the (few) good concepts I’ve gotten from the yoga folks is this:

They don’t call it “working out”, they call it “practice”.

Why is this a good concept? Well, it allows us to think of the practice not as some toilsome labor, but rather … some activity we engage in, because we legitimately enjoy the process.

What does society hate? The true and deep individual.

True innovation happens *NOT* from asking others for their opinion or ‘focus groups’, but trusting your own artistic gut.

In the world of rapid and ruthless innovation, the practical question, when should one upgrade and one should one not upgrade?

Photography is my passion. And what brings me insane joy? To do more of it.

Just visited an Amazon fresh store, and what is so fascinating to me is the ruthless efficiency. cutting down waist, cutting down excess, and distilling to the essential. Spartan business.

We are alive. We exist in embodied reality.

But in today’s world where we got virtual reality, video games, Netflix, etc… what is the purpose of being alive and what is the purpose of existence? And what do you want to derive from reality?

Far superior to iPhone Pro, especially for us photographers. The iPad M1 pro as essential for photographers, because we could quickly import our photos via the USB-C SD card reader, and there is no processor I’ve use which is as buttery smooth as the Apple M1 chip.

GO GREAT IN LIFE:

A realization why I don’t like owning things:

I like to have extreme optionality, that is, at any moment to ditch it, trade it, or move somewhere else or no longer own it.

For example the other day I realized I’m kind of over Lamborghinis. The design isn’t extreme enough, and it has become a bit boring for me design and design philosophy-wise. More into Porsche GT2 and GT3 (manual transmission).

With phones, I got a refurbished iPhone Pro, and just the other day the new new iPhone Pro came out. Even Leica cameras and rangefinders are starting to feel played out.

Then, what is the goal? Extreme optionality, to pivot at a seconds notice, to disdain consistency, and to stay eternally productive!

ERIC

Dear friends,

A thought:

You’re not just a photographer, you’re also a visual designer.

What does this mean? As a photo designer, you decide what to include in the frame, and what to EXCLUDE.

Anything which is in between and tries to get the best of both worlds is a bad idea, and a compromise.

Life is too short for you to not follow your passion.

Looking at the new Leica digital M10 rangefinders with fresh new eyes I now think:

Wow, the design is so boring.

The design is classic and timeless, but … boring!

The street photographer as humanitarian, who transforms society into his/her artwork.

In a different life I can totally see myself going to design school (like RISD) and studying industrial or architecture design. Why? Design is king — it dictates almost everything in our lives. And us as designers, we *designate* what is important and what is not important.

If you happen to have fallen in with photography as your passion, also acknowledge you’re a designer … a visual embodied reality designer. You designate importance by deciding what to put (and what not to put) in the frame.

It seems in today’s world, we are seeking perfect or the best in almost everything. But the question — is this desirable?

What do you do once you’re a bitcoin billionaire, or once you become a crypto whale?

To me, it seems the only logical thing to do is to focus on your photography, to focus on your artistic creations, and to focus on your own personal self development.

The true privilege is via negativa:

Dear friend,

If you are hungry for an epic street photography adventure and experience, I cordially invite you to my upcoming San Francisco Bay Area ADVANCED STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP, November 13, 2021:

The iPhone has a great tool for street photography. Not quite as good as the Ricoh GR 3, but good enough.

Something funny I noticed— all of my friends with good jobs and good salaries in life are quite complacent in their lives. Very happy and comfortable, pleased with where they are, no qualms, no gripes.

But the problem — this breeds complacency (pleased with one’s standing and where one is).

So then it seems that the life goal is this: When you’ve succeeded and reached in certain level of success, hate complacency. Always strive for more. This can be striving for more in your photography, to hate complacency in your artistic and creative endeavors.

My favorite and most personal city for street photography:

The best judge of something and its worth:

Do you use it daily, or only on the weekends, or almost never at all?

My critique of Tesla cars and humans in general:

I don’t like beautiful but boring.

Why PORSCHE is cooler than TESLA:

I am amazed– the experience of viewing your photos on iPad (Pro with M1 Chip) is insanely great. Why?

Our aesthetic ideal. Thinner socks, thinner soles for shoes, thinner devices (why iPhone Mini is superior to iPhone Pro … the Mini is thinner and slimmer).

ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER >

You’re an artist and a creative visionary. Some ideas for you:

My simple life mission:

Strive to turbocharge myself to the maximum, and to turbocharge others.

Why get a Lamborghini over a Tesla Model S Plaid, when the Tesla is obviously the superior car? The aggressive shark-like design (teeth and all) of the Lamborghini over the mostly … soft and jelly-like looking Tesla Model S.

My theory — masculine design strives towards the aggressive, loud, and “angry”. Thus the more aggressive the design, the better.

Rather than try to conquer others, self dominance and self conquering is a much more noble an interesting goal. Why is that? This is because you could become your own inner tyrant. In fact that is what Nietzsche defines as willpower, the tyrant within.

The best empire is yourself — an empire over yourself.

What does it mean to become a photographer? Simple: the idea that every moment you’re in a state of becoming, and every moment you’re photographing that process. Thus, being in a state of becoming as a photographer is for you to become more cogent and cognizant of your life, realizing how beautiful it is, despite any tragedies and downsides.

We exist. We are in a state of being. However, far more interesting to be in the state of becoming over being.

Being is static. Becoming is dynamic. The notion of “being” is stagnant, boring, and doesn’t go anywhere. However the state of becoming is striving for more, striving for more difficulties, striving for more obstacles, striving for more resistance, and striving for more power and strength. Life is the beautiful struggle of becoming.

Why is RICOH GR III the best camera of all time? The most compact, simple, and powerful performing camera on the market.

Why do people buy things? Not for the thing itself or the ‘performance’ — they buy it for the design.

Why I own DigiByte:

Some ideas towards a more efficient lifestyle:

ERIC KIM WRIST STRAP II: The only strap for RICOH GR III (and II, and I).

Why I am invested in Chainlink:

The more you can link and connect things, the better. You’re the glue.

Once you’ve become the greatest, then what?

A good idea I got from the philosopher Nietzsche: that is, any action which is done instinctually and without thought is a perfect action. Thus, when you decide to act, best not to think about it too much. Rather to just follow your gut.

Perhaps in photography this also holds true. That is, to just photograph anything that your instinct tells you to photograph. Shooting with your gut is a good idea, just like what Anders Petersen says.

Perhaps the lust for more is a virtue.

Disregard what’s “pragmatic” in life. What’s pragmatic in life is often ugly and boring. I don’t desire a future where everyone is driving a Prius or a Honda Accord. True aesthetics is flamboyant, impractical and an ethical-aesthetic ideal.

Just setup the HAPTIC SHOP to accept crypto (Bitcoin, DOGECOIN, Ethereum, Litecoin, etc), and it is exciting to start again from zero, to start from scratch!

In praise of this carte blanche approach:

ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER >

Dear friends,

Contrary to what people think, right now is the best time to be alive, and the best time for street photography!

Contrary to what nihilistic people say, the year 2021 is the best year to be alive.

Turbo thought:

Perhaps it isn’t ‘street’ photography we are doing, but *society* photography.

HAPTIC INDUSTRIES now accepting cryptocurrencies — Bitcoin, DOGECOIN, Litecoin, Ethereum etc for any HAPTIC PRODUCTS.

Powered by Coinbase Commerce

Discover all HAPTIC PRODUCTS >

The reason why crypto is good:

As time goes on, it will become *MORE* valuable, useful and interesting.

Compare this to fiat currency (like the USDOLLAR or the Euro) which will LOSE value over time.

Why are interest in brand new things? What does this even mean?

HENRI NECK STRAP MARK IV in the now beautiful Blood Red x Mahogany Brown. Also available in PHANTOM BLACK.

What’s the purpose of design? Why is design important?

If you’re interested in the future of photography, it is PDF:

1. PDF: ERIC KIM Photography Composition Studies // Google Drive
2. PDF: Josef Koudelka Photography Composition Studies // Google Drive // Direct Download PDF
3. PDF: Richard Avedon Photography Composition Studies // Google Drive

More books >