In praise of open, unbonded spaces.
Author: ERIC KIM
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Apple Products are for Mediocre People
Mediocre meaning average, the “normal†and basic person.
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APPLE HAS LOST ITS ALLURE.
Not a good sign. Today at the mall I had almost zero interest in entering the Apple store.
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7 Street Photography Tips for You
Dear friends,
To promote my new and upcoming WORKSHOPS, I wanted to share some insightful thoughts which can hopefully turbocharge you:
1. Why street photography?
When I consider all of my writings and thoughts on street photography, the good thing is that as time goes on, I become more fascinated in the nuances around street photography.
In fact, as I become older and more experienced in street photography, I’ve become more open minded around street photography, what it means, and how to do it.
2. New street photography techniques?
When I think about my top 30 street photography tips, I wonder to myself:
What new street photography techniques have yet been uncovered yet?
For example, mall street photography.
Even at the moment, the current bane of my existence is trying to live a virtuous life in the suburbs.
However perhaps the good idea is to think:
I can do street photography anywhere — I just gotta be creative and flexible enough to modify my current life situation to make street photography interesting to me.
For example, starting a street photo project in the burbs: — more thoughts here.
Or if you’re busy with work, work around that. Lars Tunbjork did a great series on ‘office’– in which you can shoot street photography even in insanely sterile office environments.
“Officeâ€: The Chaos and Alienation of Office Life by by Lars Tunbjörk (Book Review)
Or check out my suits project
3. Delete the gram
Instagram is bad for your health and also your photography. I deleted my instagram in 2017, and it was the best thing I did for myself creatively.
The boldest and most courageous things you do in life is not what to do, or what you decide NOT to do, or what you decide to get rid of or delete.
Delete your instagram, make your own website, and the simple strategy:
Everything you would have otherwise uploaded to Instagram, upload to your own website/blog instead.
4. The best street photographers to study
The masters of street photography:
To keep things simple, the GOAT is still Henri Cartier Bresson. Just study him.
After Henri, Josef Koudelka, Garry Winogrand, then Richard Avedon. All the other masters are extra.
100 lessons from the masters of street photography free PDF on google drive >
Also discover this more ‘future-proof’ Google Docs version here >
Also the .epub version
5. OPEN SOURCE IT
The biggest detriment to our street photography is feeling like we need some sort of ‘ownership’ over our photos.
My personal vision of open source is simple:
Make things as accessible as YOU wish you can have.
For example, if you hate pay-walls, DRM (digital rights management) or other silly things, make it as open and free as possible.
No watermarks. The best watermark is your own style.
Also —
Even if someone ‘steals’ your photo, time will uncover the truth.
Also, from a marketing perspective, (YouTube video) // photography marketing 101:
Better to market yourself by making your photos easily accessible (open source, full resolution JPEG online, easily downloadable).
The goal is for your photos to spread and percolate throughout the (open) internet.
Download PDF text for marketing 101
6. Creative longevity
Depressing enough, when I think about when I started street photography (knee deep) when I was a year out of college (around 21 years old) and now looking at myself (I was born in 1988), I have seen so many street photographers rise and fall, and lose motivation.
Why? I believe the culprit is social media, fame, and the ‘metrification’ of ‘success’ in photography.
For example, going viral as a photographer can be the worst thing that happens to you, as you become insanely famous and popular, then fade into obscurity. This is not good for your ego.
How was I able to conquer this?
For myself personally, creative isolation. My 2016-2017 is the best thing I did for myself creatively, getting rid of my phone, not checking my email or using email for 2 years, etc.
Then what you want to do is to allow yourself to become the own judge of your photos. If you want honest feedback on your photos, arsbeta.com, but otherwise, allow yourself to become the own judge of your photos by thinking:
If nobody else looked at this photo besides myself, would I still care?
7. Creative resources for you
Made in AFFINITY PHOTO - Street Photography Contact Sheets Volume II // direct PDF // google docs
- Street Photography Contact Sheets: PDF DL
HAPTIC PHOTO SUPPLY
HENRI NECK STRAP MARK IV: For the brave // in PHANTOM BLACK x BLOOD RED
ERIC KIM NECK STRAP MARK II: The ultimate RICOH GR strap
If this sparked any good ideas within yourself, feel free to share or forward to a friend!
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Stripping is Good
Strip away the superfluous. Strip off unnecessary clothing, adornments, and superfluous things from our designs and life.
Getting rid of things and stuff is also stripping.
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Naked
Only judge yourself naked, and others naked as well.
Whenever possible, wear the minimum amount of clothes legally possible. Minimum viable clothing.
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Stronger, more condensed, more concentrated, more compact, less diluted.
All killer, no filler.
For coffee, cold brew or very strong drip coffee.
For food, insanely high in fat and cholesterol (ribs, liver, organ meats).
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Beware of things which try to do too many things.
Just one is enough.
A Swiss Army knife doesn’t do anything well.
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Exposure to New Environments
When observing Seneca, and noting his growth, he is most invigorated with new environments. When we’re traveling, at hotels, at hotel lobbies, college campuses, hiking, etc.
This does not just apply to children, but also adults. Perhaps for us to gain the maximum amount of life, we need maximal exposure to the maximum of novel and new environments. In praise of traveling, and attempting new environments and places.
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Body Temperature and Health
It isn’t “weather†which is good for our physiological health, but rather sunlight, UV exposure, and having the right bodily temperature we seek.
Insanely hot baths, hot sauna, insanely cold showers and baths, alternate between these extremes in temperature. Also taking a nap in a warm, and bright car.
In the winter, crank up the heat until your body feels good. Similarly when it’s hot, crank up the AC or the fans until you feel good. No heroism in enduring bad temperatures inside your home.
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What’s the best driving experience?
What does this even mean?
Thoughts:
- Most unobstructed view of the road when driving
- Fewer distractions, fewer screens.
- Manual transmission: More focus and connection to the road while driving
Perhaps the GR Corolla? Or some manual-transmission Porsche?
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“I’m over it.”
The good thing with delaying on things, you get over it.
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Marketing Thoughts for Google Pixel
If you want to drive interest and sales for Google Pixel (PRO) — best to say:
The best camera on earth.
The only way that Google Pixel can steal interest from iPhone interest is to say that their camera (computational photography abilities) is FAR GREATER and superior to iPhone (Pro).
The only reason to buy a Google Pixel isn’t to add more Google stuff to your life, but it is because it has the best camera, and the best cloud storage solution for photos (Google Photos).
Also more marketing emphasis on differentiating yourself from the traditional Apple (iPhone) lemmings:
Also, if you got hardcore Google users (Gmail, Google Calendar), then it should have some emphasis on becoming ‘far more productive’ with it.
Also a massive incentive for people to get a Google Pixel:
Make some exclusive Gmail feature for the Gmail app on the Google Pixel phone.
Also perhaps emphasis on the fact that perhaps with Google Pixel, you don’t need to upgrade your phone as often (I think people are starting to get iPhone upgrade fatigue).
Essentially the aesthetic for a Google Pixel user:
- Become more productive (like a machine)
- Become a greater photographer
- Differentiate yourself from the traditional Apple fanboy
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PRICE, DEALS?
Think less about price and ‘deals’ — if you talk too much about price and deals it conjures thoughts of Walmart (bad). For example even the Google Store website marketing copy — too focusing on ‘thoughtful pricing’ and ‘great deals’ (boring).
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YOU CAN MAKE PHOTO BOOKS ON APPLE PAGES ON YOUR MACBOOK LAPTOP
First open up the “PAGES” app on your MacBook Laptop:
Then scroll through the side and find the ‘photo book’ template:
Then it is simple– just drag and drop your images into the spots:
And export as PDF (PDF DOWNLOAD)
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YOUR OWN MARKET RESEARCH.
When you buy things, consider it as your own market research, to hopefully develop your own products.
Consider how Kanye went shopping at Balenciaga, in order to do market research for his own Yeezy line (and also his GAP Yeezy line).
For example, when purchasing clothes or thinking about cars, phones, laptops, tablets, cameras.
For the sake of creating your own products.
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Eye Contact is Strong
Even when looking at photos as small thumbnails, you can easily see when your subject(s) make eye contact with you.
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Programmable Things Are the Future
Toys for kids which are programmable (by the kids). In praise of Apple TouchBar on MacBook Pro– you can customize and program your own keys.
Perhaps even the future of iPad– make it insanely programmable. Make the keyboard more programmable.
Even the upside of TESLA — being able to program and customize the screen and your car. Or even how modern cars allow you to adjust the mood lighting in the car.
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I’M DISSATISFIED WITH ALL COMPOSITIONS.
Thus, it seems an interesting goal to attempt and try ALL the compositions and variations, and perhaps choose all of them?
Then perhaps a new idea and innovation when it comes to composition:
It ain’t about choosing your (1) best photo, but perhaps about sharing all of them, or the series of them?
For example, sharing your photos as a slideshow, or for sharing your photos as a gallery, or as a progression?
Digital as the future — blogging on websites as more hyper. Even most websites and “printed” e-publications (PDF) as too static.
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COMPACT IS BETTER.
Compact cameras, compact cars, compact phones, compact bags, compact homes, etc.
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DEEP INTEGRATION.
The upside of Apple and Apple products and Tesla. Also Kanye West music and his new STEM PLAYER.
Don’t separate and compartmentalize things in your life and business. Rather, integrate them.
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How to Make Sense Of Your Photos
The importance of reviewing your photos, blogging about them, organizing them, and compartmentalizing them:
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Full â€Range of Motion†is Overrated
To even move something half an inch is all you need.
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Quickly Scan Thorough Your Photos
The upside of looking at your photos as small thumbnails and flagging your photos based on small thumbnails is that you can more quickly scan through your photos.
Reviewing your photos as small thumbnails as a good way to build your visual acuity.
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In Praise of TouchBar
Getting rid of the Touch Bar seems like a massive step *BACKWARDS*,
I really like the TouchBar on MacBook Pro — the ability to program it, and also, the intuitive ways to change the brightness and volume controls, and access my Apple Music library (change songs without opening a new app).
Also, deep integration with Apple Photos (flag photos, send photos, favorite photos, rotate photos).
The TouchBar with the MacBook Pro was a *HUGE LEAP* forward in terms of futuristic thinking with the laptop. The 14” MacBook Pro as a massive compromise, a huge step BACKWARDS.
Touch and touching is good.
Get rid of this notion that ‘touching is bad’ or ‘see see, no touch’.
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I’m Over Espresso?
I think I just prefer (very strong) drip (light roast) coffee instead (more caffeine),
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Maximum Contrast
A life philosophy. With your clothing, choose an outfit with the maximum amount of contrast. Also with you and your life partner, best to have a life partner who has the maximum contrast to you.
And of course in photography, use a filter or process your photos with max contrast.
