Display on iPhone Pro is quite phenomenal — when viewing your photos.

Display on iPhone Pro is quite phenomenal — when viewing your photos.
iPhone Pro in graphite (black) as the ideal zen device? Why? The zen of the best.
Heavy food, heavy weights. Builds muscle.
Not as big as possible, but big enough.
Hypertrophy.
+1 for Tesla.
Once you’ve discovered a new innovation, method or workflow … stick with it, and keep plumbing its depths.
Something I think about a lot when shooting photos and composing:
Which composition is the best?
The first trick:
Shoot all iterations of the scene, and figure out *later* which you prefer.
For example, when photographing this abstract of a cross … which do I prefer?
The best way to study design. Study and observe the silhouette you see.
Lower your exposure compensation to as dark as possible (ADAP) to reveal more. Low key shows more design components and silhouettes.
Why do I have so much joy in shooting and making photos? The joy of playing with compositions.
Something interesting I’ve observed in Seneca:
There is a strong link between him touching things, and learning what they are.
A secret on capturing the decisive moment in photography:
(more…)Start shooting *BEFORE* the decisive moment happens!
Something very tricky about exposure —
In photography, we often try to capture the ‘perfect’ or the ‘ideal’ exposure.
But what is the purpose of exposure? I say to be creative!
A simple thought:
To either make your photos very very dark (as dark as possible, silhouette) *OR* to make your photos very very bright (high-key, very white).
Less technical, more artistic, fun and creative.
Only bet on things blowing up (in a good way). To bet on the demise of something is more accurate and can be more profitable, but it is beneath us.
Our more zen stoic path in life.
If you have the option, best to workout outdoors, in the direct sun than the depressing, cramped (dark) indoors gym.
A new innovation:
Do kettlebell swings (outdoors, in your front lawn or porch, or backyard) in the direct sun, with your shirt off, than have an inefficient gym membership.
The single lift to rule them all — sumo deadlift (one rep max style). Or single armed heavy (105 pound) kettlebell cleans.
Barefoot living, the foot as the most sublime designed thing. Don’t put condoms on your feet (thick, foam padded shoes ).
Embrace when your black fades to purple. Purple Lamborghini, Purple Heart, Purple Ralph Lauren polo logo on black polo shirt. The sign of privilege is purple?
Physical education, physical culture. Physical training, physical privileges.
We all acknowledge that the fat in breast milk is of the most supreme nutrition — but why is the fat in fleshy red meat seen as so “bad?â€
Why?
LA (Los Angeles, Downtown LA) — more pride and glory in fashion, and the individual. Silicon Valley is just a bunch of skinny-fat nerds, trying to make a billion dollar company, sell it, etc. Silicon Valley cares more to glorify technology, AI (artificial intelligence), algorithms, data, science, numbers, ‘evidence’ over the glory of the human individual.
In other words:
LA glorifies the human being,
And
Silicon Valley glorifies the computer.
The ideal:
To glorify the human being, and have the computer *augment* the glory of the human being, rather than the other way around.
Thus the ideal:
“Silicon Beach” (Silicon Valley thinking in LA, Santa Monica, or somewhere in Southern California or San Diego … not the Bay Area)
Fatal flaw with iPhone SE marketing materials–
Calling it a ‘smartphone’.
No. It is an iPhone, not a ‘smart phone’.
The new iPhone SE is quite exciting — the same processor and powerful chip as the standard iPhone/iPhone Pro, yet a smaller form-factor, classic design (home button).
But assuming you got ‘fuck you’ money, or ‘fuck off’ money, should you prefer the iPhone SE over the iPhone Pro or the iPhone Mini?
iPhone SE is great because it democratizes photography for all. Now, anyone can afford to make great photos, and can afford a great computer (the iPhone). At ~429$ USD, anyone and everyone can afford it.
(more…)A simple thought:
Interact and play with your kids, or train/educate your kids how you wish your parents would have done so with you.
For example — I have seen in my short life:
First, the ideal is to become ‘self employed’.
Then, the new ideal was
Become a millionaire and retire early, travel the world, etc.
Then —
Create a billion-dollar company, sell it (IPO), then fuck off and do whatever you want (travel, pursue art, etc).
Now —
Speculate in cryptocurrency, and make a bunch of money, then retire, buy a Lamborghini, etc.
For example, do you really *believe* in Bitcoin, or do you just want to get uber-rich?
The reason I like Bitcoin:
When people say that “I don’t do it for the money”, they do it for the money.
If they really didn’t do it for the money, they wouldn’t even say anything about the “M” word (money).
Recently I’ve been getting the ‘W Magazine‘ in the mail, which is supposed to go to Cindy’s younger sister. But recently, looking through it, I’ve been very inspired. Why? Fashion, women, and the whole fashion world and industry is good insofar much as it glorifies the human individual as a piece of art. And glorifies fashion clothing (art pieces) to outfit the most apex thing (the human being):
Long story short, if you want more inspiration in photography, life, and human beings– more focus on LA, fashion, and human art, than objects, things, cars, etc.
Or in other words:
Something funny — when someone refers to Seneca as a ‘baby’, I get low-key offended. And thinking about common terms like ‘child-care’, etc … none of them seem apt. Best for me to think of Seneca just as ‘my son’.
Or for me to think about him as my ‘Pride and glory‘:
(more…)Lamborghini is great because of the attitude associated with it (the panache, the extroverted egoism, the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude). Yet, the design itself has some fatal flaws. For example the Lamborghini Urus, which seems to be the new ‘it’ car:
The insanely ugly piece of plastic on the side back, just like the Toyota Camry.
This thing:
Same as the Camry here:
Once again the Urus:
Also when seeing a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ in person– my critique:
The back-end of the Lamborghini Aventador is quite lack-luster — too much plastic in the back tail-exhaust area:
In fact, I actually believe the design of the Lamborghini Huracan is *superior* to that of the Aventador (which has the iconic ‘scissor doors’). I actually would *PREFER* to have a Huracan STO over the Aventador, even though I lose out on the scissor doors.
What I desire to become–
Not just ERIC KIM, the photographer … but to become *THE PHOTOGRAPHER*.
No reason to ever ever ever get another Android, or Windows, or non-Mac or non-iPhone thing:
Something I think people don’t recognize or know — how easy it is to share your photos and videos quickly and efficiently and effectively from your laptop, via your desktop, MacOS, or on Apple Photos.
For example, do not optimize your website or blog for Google (Google Search Engine Optimization). Optimize your website and blog for yourself. Or for humans (human optimization, HO).
Difficult to know what the ‘better’ or the ‘best’ option in life, but easy to know which is the option or decision which requires more courage.
One day having a Tesla will be as common as the iPhone. The standard.
A better aesthetic and goal than being a “billionaire†or CEO or owner of a big tech company.
A life more optimized for photography, and being carefree.
The fatal flaw of much Lamborghini design — the use of ugly plastic.
Keep bravely marching forward, either for better or worse. Ignore the feedback and criticisms of others. You know what’s best.
Do you want people to know what it is, or don’t know what it is?
A thought on my mind:
Why feel supreme?
For example, if you want to feel supreme (in terms of your car), it makes sense to get a Tesla Model S Plaid, knowing that you got the fastest (most supreme) car.
A funny thought I had a while back:
Better to invest in DogeCoin than to buy a Tesla.
Why? You buy a Tesla, you still gotta maintain it. For example, it is great that with a Tesla and electric cars you don’t need to change the oil, but you still gotta change the brakes, the tires, wash and clean it, and pay insurance (this is what I hate the most). Even with the most awesome Tesla, there is *some* sort of maintenance you probably must do.
If you want the most maximally care-free and maintenance-free life, then it makes more sense to put your money into things which are ephemeral — like cryptocurrency. For example, I recently switched all of my crypto to 100% Bitcoin. And instead of buying a Tesla Model 3 (base), or a Tesla Model 3 performance, or a Model Y, or a Model S, or a plaid, better to just buy dogecoin and bet long on Tesla and Elon Musk.
In praise of more text over images.
Love and hate is the same thing? But simply placed differently?
Thought about Apple and now Apple (credit) card —
Apple is now a financial institution.
For example, Apple always talks about how you can pay monthly. But how different is this than the scammy loan-sharks?
And if you think about it, Apple wants you to be addicted to their products for life. In an ideal world, Apple wants you to *always* be upgrading to their newest iPhone. And be permanently subscribed to all of their services.
Some suggestions for Apple marketing on their website:
For iPhone SE, not ‘Love the Power, Love the Price’. Just ‘Love the Power’.
For iPad Air, make it say ‘Mightier than Air’.
For Studio Display, make it say ‘See Boldly’.
For Mac Studio, have it say ‘Power Station’.
For iPhone, make it say ‘Your New Camera’.
For iPhone Pro, make it say ‘Become Pro’.
For Apple Watch, make it say ‘Always On’
For Apple Card, have it say ‘Unify Your Life’.
This should be the new tagline for the iPhone Pro line. Because when we purchase the ‘Pro’ thing, we want to *become* it.