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7 Tips How to Become More Entrepreneurial in Your Photography

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Dear friend,

If you upload your photos online, you’re a photography entrepreneur. Then assuming that we are all in a stream of becoming, then the question is:

How can we become MORE entrepreneurial in our photography and life?


1. Control

Control the platform. Control yourself. WordPress.org as the ultimate open source platform for your photography blogging. Signup with a domain and host on bluehost.com or 1and1.com. I personally use 1and1.com (I signed up for it about 10+ years ago), but bluehost.com as probably the better solution.

2. Disconnect

Unplug yourself from the social media matrix.

To become more entrepreneurial means to think differently. How does one think differently? Simple:

Unplug yourself from the sources of inspiration others have.

For example, avoid anything modern. Modern thoughts, modern ideas, modern trends.

If you want inspiration, seek the classics. I have gotten better ideas from reading the Iliad, reading the fragments of Heraclitus, or reading the philosophy of Nietzsche.

3. Become more philosophical

Philosophy is key. For example, even some of the greatest entrepreneurs (JAY Z, KANYE, PETER THIEL, ELON MUSK) have all dabbled with philosophy in one way or another.

And what does it mean to become more philosophical or think more philosophically? Simple:

Whenever you smell B.S. anywhere … ask yourself — ‘Why?

To question common sense, common knowledge and traditional ways of doing things… this is what entrepreneurship is. Shaking up tradition.

4. Take more interesting risks

Entrepreneurship means: risk taking. Take more risks with your photography.

For example, in street photography, take photos when it feels risky. For example when you see someone you want to photograph (either with permission // street portrait style, or perhaps using a flash).

Also, take greater risks when sharing certain photos that you personally like, but photos you’re afraid that others won’t like. For example — let us say you want to experiment with a new post processing style (which is contrary to your traditional style) — I say take the risk and just share it.

5. Blog it

Why do a photography blog? Photography blogging is a form and a method of deriving more sense of your photos. For example, if you’re not sure what direction your photos are going … blog it. As you’re blogging, you will figure out your direction.

And I also recommend yourself to disable comments, disable pageviews (stats) from your blog, in order to stay focused, and not get emotionally disturbed from changes in statistics.

6. The great passion

What is the great passion? That which you do which in doing it… is a reward in itself. For example, the thing that gets you (jumping) out of bed in the morning. The thing you do because you MUST, not because you ‘should’ do it.

Things you do not for money, but for autotelic purposes (you do it for the sake of it).

For example, in my mind … I fancy myself a crypto billionaire. Of course I am not, but … I wonder and think:

If I were worth $10 billion dollars… where money literally has no more worth to me … what would I do with my life?

Then it is simple —

Empower other photographers.

What does that mean? To motivate others. To share ideas which have helped you, and just ‘pay it forward’.

The motivational photographer — a sure-key road to success as a photography entrepreneur.

7. Write

Just write it, blog it, and share your ideas.

How do we evolve? By taking the lessons, ideas, and wisdom from the past, remixing it, and ‘upcyling’ it and sharing it with others.

No past, no future.

ERIC KIM


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WHY?

Get more philosophical with WHY APP?


Things interesting to me

  1. Google AI BLOG
  2. Neuralink
  3. Polestar electric car company (probably the cleanest designed sedan car of all-time… even more so than Tesla for me) // wondering how Chinese companies are so innovative
  4. Finishing the Matrix (part 3). Enjoying how the film and cinema that helps spark ideas and philosophical thoughts.
  5. Excited for the new DUNE film by Denis (Dune 2021)

More turbo thoughts on BLOG >


If this inspired you, feel free to forward to a friend(s) needing motivation.


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