DIABLO II ANALOGIES FOR REAL LIFE.
If real life was an MMORPG, this is how I would create real life analogies:
…November 2021
Decentralized Photography
One of my ideals and goals for the future: decentralized photography. To get photos off of Instagram and Facebook, and to put the power in your own hands.
arsbeta.com as my first attempt and assay. But we must go further.
PHOTO FOCUS
A thought —
Perhaps in life, the best way we can leverage our archimedes lever in life is to just focus on photography. Our photography. Our photographic innovation.
10 PHOTOGRAPHY PRODUCTIVITY TIPS FOR YOU.
Dear friend,
A thought:
How can I extract the maximum out of existence?
I think the secret is ‘productivity’ — being able to do more (meaningful) things with your photography and life with our shortness of life. As Seneca said:
Life is long as long as you know how to (efficiently) use it.
Some productivity thoughts:
…FUTURE VS PAST PHOTOS.
A thought —
Better to meditate and think about your FUTURE photos, than to ruminate too much on your past photos.
SNAPSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY.
One of the best things I learned from Daido Moriyama or the Japanese ‘Provoke’ school of photography:
Snapshot photography is good.
THE MORE DEVICES YOU GOT, THE LESS PRODUCTIVE YOU ARE.
Ironically enough, the MORE devices you got, the LESS productive you will become.
…THE MORE DEVICES YOU GOT, THE LESS PRODUCTIVE YOU ARE.Read More »
THE ETHOS OF THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHER.
What does it mean to be a street photographer? To me it is all about an attitude and ethos. A philosophy and approach to life.
For example, preferring to be outside. Loving other people. Loving humanity, making small talk with strangers, and finding beauty in society in the world.
The street photographer as artist-sociologist. Visual sociology.
Isn’t this the ultimate, to make art out of people?
WHY I HAVE A PASSION FOR BUILDING.
For me, I only get happiness and joy when I am actively building creating and making. Not consuming or playing.
For me, our legacy will be all about what we built and made. Thus it seem that in order to extract the maximum out of life and existence, focus on building.
Compliment Strangers
One of the things I found which is really good in life, is just compliment strangers. This is the best way to make small talk with strangers, push yourself outside your comfort zone, and find beauty in every single human being.
This is the ethos of the street photographer.
Products will not bring you joy
The tricky thing is this: there are certainly certain products in life which make our lives much more convenient, efficient, and productive. But this is what I learned: no matter how good or perfect the product is, it will never bring you joy. At best, you won’t hate it.
However this is a plus one to Wabi Sabi aesthetics. Things that become more beautiful overtime, with more wear and tear. For example Henri camera straps, which are made out of leather, which age in patina over time, and become more beautiful. And this is what you can have pride in, the more you use some thing, the more pride you have in it.
Therefore when it comes to purchasing products in life think this: invest in products which get better over time, avoid that which is simply robust or gets worse over time.
…iPad is not a laptop replacement
I love the iPad, but the problem is this: it is not a laptop replacement. Nor should it be. Thus, don’t have the pipe dream that thinking that getting an iPad Pro will somehow replace your laptop. It won’t.
iPad is good for viewing your photos, using procreate, calligraphy on Zen Brush 2, and that’s about it. iPad Pro is the best viewing experience for your photos, but for the best laptop just get a maxed out MacBook Air.
Does street photography have to be on the streets?
Something to a lot of people talk about: whether street photography has to be on the streets or not. I say it does not. Street photography is more of a catchall term which involves photography that has to do with humanity.
…Does street photography have to be on the streets?Read More »
Reductive creativity versus open world creativity
One of the new critiques I have of Legos this: it is reductive and close ended. That is, you’re only allowed to be creative in the reductive box of Lego, and you can only build with instruction. Better to have open world creativity instead.
Chrome is Cheap
Anesthetic thought: whenever I look at cars, I hate cars that have chrome accents. Chrome just looks cheesy and cheap.
Lesson, when designing your car or purchasing your car get something with no chrome. Blacked out. In praise of the new Tesla cars with the blacked out accents.
Better to Airbnb a really nice home instead of owning one.
Homeownership is a trap. Better to occasionally rent nice Airbnb‘s, instead of dealing with the hassle of owning one.
Your Photography Assignment: AS DARK AS POSSIBLE (ADAP)
Dear friend,
A focus this week for you:
…Focus on making photos as dark as possible (ADAP), and practice with highlight weighted metering.
Your Photography Assignment: AS DARK AS POSSIBLE (ADAP)Read More »
How to Make Small Talk with Strangers
One of my greatest skills in life, and also having studied sociology, and social skills, especially the ability to talk to strangers.
…TO NOT BE GLOOMY, BE SOCIAL.
If you’re feeling gloomy, or depressed or anxious, the best panacea is being social.
Also attending workshops, in person things, even online zoom things (like online zoom workshop). Go and be a part of society, make small talk with strangers, etc.
…Generation Over Consumption
A simple thought: optimize your life for generation, not consumption.
For example, generating writing, photos, art work, thoughts.
…Highlight weighted metering
Something new I learned with my Ricoh GR 3 when experimenting with my friend Jun, perhaps in the new firmware update is the highlight waited metering mode. A new game changer, especially for the as dark as possible aesthetic (adap).
…Plane Thoughts
Some random thoughts I jotted down on my iPad with iA Writer while on my flight from Oakland back to Orange County:
…The In-Between Moment
Not the “decisive moment”, but everyday “in-between” moments which we are trying to capture as photographers.
WHY I LOVE AIRPORTS
Airports are a fascinating place to me. Why? Because airports are a non-space. A liminal zone between departure and arrival. Almost like a place where time stops.
…
Why Street Photography is So Great
Street photography is truly great. Why? It combines all of the things which are beneficial to humans thriving: walking, social interaction, being in public, making artwork, traveling, and being active.
…Extreme Stoicism
A new ideal for myself: extreme stoicism. This means to be irrationally stoic. To swallow insults like chewing glass, to harness your anger as energy for personally productive things, and to hold your tongue like a dragon.
It takes a lot more skill to be stoic, than to say what’s really on your mind.
I propose a simple idea: when you’re angry, or feel injustice, wait at least 48 hours before responding.
…Practicality is Boring
Life is infinitely too short for us to be practical and boring. Go opposite — strive for insanely epic and different instead!
…
WE GET BORED OF PERFECT.
I do think there are some perfect things in the world. Some perfect designs, some perfect tools, some perfect cars, some perfect cameras, some perfect lifestyles etc. But the thing is this: once you get perfect, it quickly gets boring.
…BECOME YOUR OWN STANDARD.
Thinking about 007 and John Wick, and certain aesthetic standards that we are inspired by and desire to emulate.
…
On Becoming a More Self-Confident Photographer
What is it that we want in our photography? Not necessarily to get “better“, but to become more confident. More self-confident of ourselves, our photographic ability, and our photographic future.
…
Outrage Porn
Avoid the news, social media, political commentary etc. Why? It is “outrage porn”— optimized to anger and outrage you. It gets us addicted to a sense of injustice, self righteousness and of course … anger and outrage. Which goes nowhere, just like us swallowing our own poison.
Delete the news from your personal life.
…Are Dreams Bad?
We are usually taught that having dreams are good. But what if dreams were bad — a trap? A fantasy with no upside?
…In Praise of College Campuses
Whether or not you think college is a scam, it is undeniable that college campuses are great. Great architecture, great student life, great human activity. College and college campuses are a pseudo-utopia.
So the question is whether or not you should go to college, or send your own kids to college. It ultimately comes down to the financial thing. If you can go for free, or highly reduced with student aid, go for it. But as greatest student life in college campuses are, if you have to go into massive debt in order to afford sale, don’t do it.
…Money-Making and Your Passion as Separate?
I wonder this barbell theory: if you want to maximize your money making potential, maybe it is good to separate your money making profession and your passion. For example, you’ll probably make a lot more money as a lawyer then even the highest paid photographer.
Now or is still possible to make a lot of money as a photographer, but the money making potential of a photographer is much lower than that of other professions.
…Growth & Change
What is life? Growth and change. Thus if you just optimize your life towards growth and change, how can you fail?
…
Just in Time
The notion of “Just in Time” comes from the Toyota way. Similar to notions of kaizen. Anyways the notion of Just in Time is fascinating to me because it is similar to the notion of ALAP, as late as possible.
…How to Shoot More Meaningful Photos of Your Kids
As parents, what I think we want is to make more meaningful photos of our kids. Artistic and more beautiful photos of the kids, that brings us more joy delight and gratitude.
…
ASCENDING OR DESCENDING?
A philosophical classification system: almost everything in life you could either categorize as ascending or descending. Then the focus becomes to only focus on that which is ascending, and a void understand that which is descending.
…Spice it Up
Perhaps if you live somewhere uber-boring like the suburbs, we must be inventive and figure out:
How can we spice up our boring lifestyle — and make it more exciting?