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.
What is self-confidence in photography?
Self-confidence in photography is this: to know that you have the ability and the power to judge your own photos without compromise.
How does one become more self-confident in their photography?
- Study the greatest photographers of all time, the master photographers. Figure out their psychology, break them apart, and use them as a measure of your own success.
- Have the courage and ambition to become a master photographer yourself, and to also supersede the past masters. Henri Cartier Bresson is our benchmark, and the goal is to become greater than him.
- To not identify yourself as a photographer. And to also not attach your self worth as a photographer based on your money making potential.
- To see yourself becoming more enthusiastic about photography over time. Better to gauge enthusiasm for photography than your “goodness“.
- Be able to start to sincerely critique and judge the past master photographers, and also judge and critique our own photos (without hate, but with honest admiration).
Improving your visual acuity
Some thing I was randomly thinking about: I’ve always been really good at Tetris, ever since I was a kid. Perhaps there is some sort of visual skill that corresponds with our interest in photography. Tetris is all about taking the pieces are given, making something good out of it. Maybe photography is also the same, taking in body reality and making something interesting out of it.
How to improve your visual acuity >
Deconstructing visual things
Whenever you see any design thing which captivates you, draw it or sketch it, or screenshot it and use Procreate to trace over it. Once you understand the dynamic proportions, the lines, the curves, the color contrast, etc… you are able to integrate that design philosophy into your own photography.
We photographers are also visual designers. We designate what is interesting by the way we frame it and compose it.
In praise of the visual arts
My simple thought is this: as long as iPhones are around, there will always be a penchant for the visual arts. We will be interested in static visual images, as well as moving visual images.
Digital photography and analog photography is the same
There is a bias that analog photography is superior to digital photography. But honestly after doing both, they are the same. What is more important is the aesthetic feel of the image you create, and emotions you evoke from the photograph. Digital or analog doesn’t matter.
I think often analog photos or film photos evoke more emotions because of the inherent beauty in the random green in color imperfections in the photos. But if you could find a good JPEG digital filter to do so, it is the same.
And actually, I think now with today’s world with COVID-19, in a world where is increasingly harder to get film processed and developed, and scanned, just stick to digital. Ricoh GR 3.
Just publish yourself
Don’t wait around to have a publisher pick you up. Do it yourself.
Either self publish digitally, and just sell or giveaway your PDF e-book for free. Or self print and publish your hardcover book, and either sell it to your followers, or to friends and family.
Don’t look at the photos of your contemporaries
Only look at the photos of the dead masters. This means that you’re less likely to be suckered by contemporary trends, and less likely to feel jealousy and envy of your peers.
I think it might be Nassim Taleb who first figured out that we are less likely to be envious of the dead masters, than our contemporaries.
Have other hobbies and passions
Do not just pigeonhole yourself into one type of passion. If so, you’re fragile. For example, bodybuilders and powerlifters who stick their entire self-worth on their gym abilities become devastated when they get injured, or when they’re not working out.
Treat your photographic passion the same. Have other passions, like weightlifting, hiking, poetry, or other forms of artistic self expression. This way you’re less likely to be in a fragile state of self-doubt.
Harness the mind of a child
Child’s mind — the ultimate artist.
ERIC KIM
CONQUER YOUR FEARS AND MEET NEW PEERS
Embark on an epic street photography adventure:
- November 13th: SF BAY AREA STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ADVANCED WORKSHOP
- December 18-19th: Mexico City Travel Street Photography Workshop Experience (New)
HAPTIC PHOTO SUPPLY COMPANY
BOOKS
Random thoughts on my mind:
1. Crypto thoughts
It seems that the world has gone a bit crypto crazy. But this is my main takeaway:
Not that many people are interested in the actual technology behind crypto technologies (like Chainlink, Digibyte, Ethereum, etc). Everyone just wants to get (really) rich.
The reason why everyone is interested in DOGECOIN and now Chiba coin is this:
They see an opportunity to 10x their money.
But … once you get 10x your monetary investment … then what?
Even going to Elon Musks’ twitter page– he isn’t that interested in crypto currency, or money for the matter. He is interested in insanely epic things (like Space X, taking humans to Mars). The best way to become like Elon Musk:
Just aim to do something insanely epic with your life, ignore the money making thing.
Even consider James Bond. James Bond isn’t cool because he’s rich. No, it is because he is like John Wick — with a singular purpose, unlimited courage and bravery.
2. Blogging thoughts
In today’s short world with short time, what is important? To leverage your own ‘archimedes lever‘. This is the best way to ‘10x‘ yourself.
So for me, this is blogging. I am the first master blogger. And perhaps for me to maximize myself, I should just promote others to become bloggers too.
Thus, the simple thought:
The best way for you to innovate yourself and your photography forward is to become a photography blogger.
3. Never satisfied is good
The last thought:
Even though you get all the material possessions, tools and achieve your aesthetic ideals, you will never be satisfied.
Thus the simple takeaway:
Never stop.
ERIC