And this is why Instagram is lame.

To expedite your workflow, I suggest to look at all your photos as small thumbnails (contact sheet), and just favorite the ones which ‘pop out at you’ (when seen small). Favorite them, and export them, and re-inspect them later. Much faster than looking at each photo full-screen, one by one.

The best street photographer as maximally extroverted, gregarious, and interested (and interesting) to others.

Or in other words, don’t be a ‘stealth’ or a ghost street photographer (like Henri Cartier-Bresson). Better to be a William Klein (interacting, engaging with others and strangers). This is the best way to impute your soul into your street photos!

For me, the joy of photography is my personal curiosity of how certain scenes will manifest as photos.

Also the joy when you’re looking through your photos, and you re-remember certain happenings and joys.

I am more interested in the making of, the ‘behind the scenes’, than the final product.

Why? When I see people behind the scenes, or a work behind the scenes, I get inspired by the working process, and can apply that inspiration and motivation to my own work!

For example as a photographer, show more photos of yourself and your own life.

The goal isn’t for you to work out for the sake of working out. To work out is not a duty, or a goal. Instead, the best way to think about it:

When you power lift, or attempt to lift a weight, it is more about testing your strength, and fulfilling the curiosity of your strength, rather than working out for the sake of working out.

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Your task as a photographer:

To re-interpret, and re-imagine, and re-explain the world, via your photos.

As photographers, we are not magicians. It is impossible to know with 100% accuracy what your photo will look like until *AFTER* you’ve shot it.

Thus —

When you see something which interests you, just shoot it, and shoot it a lot (at least 10 photos of it).

Then AFTERWARDS you will discover how it manifested as a photo.

Like Garry Winogrand said:

“I photograph the world to see what the world looks photographed.”

Photographs of the world (embodied reality) manifest themselves *DIFFERENTLY* as photos. Therefore consider our own photos as an artistic interpretation of the world!

If you have a certain problem, and you think money can solve it, spend a lot of money on it. No need to be frugal, if anything— to become less frugal in important matters is a good thing.

It doesn’t need to be “original”, just new.

The life in which you’re just shooting street photography all day, just walking around all day, being outside and outdoors all day, is this the ideal lifestyle? To strive to walk at least 10 miles a day which is 20,000 steps a day, and shooting as many photos as possible during the day?

The best way to differentiate yourself isn’t what you own, do, or where. Instead, you best differentiate yourself what you don’t wear, but you’re not interested, what you don’t use, and what you’re not interested in.

Or another words, I’m more interested in meeting photographers who don’t have an Instagram, instead of the photographer who has 1 million followers.

Assuming to be human is to walk, then everything we do, the things we wear, and our lifestyle should be optimized for walking.

We often plan to much for the future. However this is what I have discovered: better to figure out the best plan of action once you get there, rather than in advance.

Certainly there are certain places which are more conducive to photography than others. For example, if you’re passionate about street photography, typically more urban cities tend to be better for street photography.

But a thought while traveling, here in Mexico City: perhaps finding the perfect place to photograph isn’t the goal. Rather, using the creative constraint of where you already are, and become a great photographer nonetheless.

Or in other words, better to be a Mazda Miata than an American muscle car. Also, better aspire towards the Doryphoros physique over the modern American bodybuilder type.

For our body physique, better to aspire to have a smaller waist line, less body fat. Having to self-restraint not eat breakfast or lunch, no carbs. no starchy vegetables. Having courage to leave food on the plate, which doesn’t suit your palate or your physique. Being less money conscious.

For a long time, I have inspired for the perfect. The perfect physique, the perfect clothes, the perfect lifestyle, the perfect life, the perfect tools, and the perfect city and neighborhood, and the perfect home to live in.

But what I have discovered, is that perfect as a trap. For example, I have discovered the perfect city, which is Roma Norte and Mexico City. Yet once I discover perfect, it no longer interest me. I want to move on, and do or experience something else, something new.

Something i’ve learned with my photography: when in doubt, shoot more photos. Especially with your photography, there’s really no downside to shoot extra photos. Especially if you shoot small JPEG, allow yourself to see more photos of the scene.

For example, upon reviewing some of my recent photos, I only shot two or three photos of the scene. And didn’t get the shot. I should have taken at least 10 to 15 photos of the scene instead. maybe it is better to shoot 10 times more photos of the scene than you think you should, in order to get the perfect photo.

Even as a fun photography assignment, whenever you see something interesting, force yourself to shoot at least 10 photos of each scene.

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The best outfit — the outfit in which you can deadlift anywhere, at any times notice.

Like “athleisure”, but more. “Powerleisure” is what I call it (powerlifting plus leisure clothing).

This is, simple merino wool t shirt (no clothes which restrict your movement). Merino wool leggings, paired with shorts. Flat sole minimalist “shark shoes” (water shoes).

Do not concern yourself so much whether your photos are original or not. Also, do not worry if you’re copying someone else’s style or not. In fact, photographs are copies. Copies of embodied reality. Therefore as photographers, we are copy machines.

In order to do more photography, or street photography, or to think more, become happier and more productive, just keep walking. The more steps the better.

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When we often want to buy something, and we don’t buy it, we probably don’t really need it. Thus I said just buy it as late as possible. If you really need it, you’ll just buy it.

Perhaps rather than having Brand New shiny clothes, better to have worn and tattered clothes with holes, stitches, and patches. A more worn in, Wabi Sabi look, which shows your experiences on your clothes. Clothes which show patina as more interesting and beautiful.

How do we artists innovate? By experimenting with aesthetics, and striving to create a new aesthetic. Or a new way of interpreting and expressing the world.

For example, my aesthetic innovation of making photos as dark as possible.

Shomei Tomatsu, Eikoh Hosoe, and more:

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This is perhaps why I like street photography so much: it gives you the social adrenaline. Also, powerlifting. Perhaps what it means to be an extrovert as somebody who needs more adrenaline than average person.

It’s hard to *not* be inspired to make photos while here!

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What is the best mind? The most empty one. The more empty your mind, the more open your mind, the more interesting and unique ideas can come into your mind. Thus, it seems the wisest strategy is to optimize our mind for mind space.

Therefore as a general life strategy, rather than seeking to intake for information, strive instead the opposite: to remove more information from your mind.

More effective to unlearn than to learn. More effective to get rid of superstition than to add knowledge and wisdom. For photography art, aesthetics and design, most effective to subtract than to add.

Just strive to make the “minimum viable image”. In order to do this, shoot with the smallest JPEG setting possible, shoot black and white, and when you’re composing and framing, get closer and fill the frame with it. Also, minus exposure compensation to show less detail. Make your photos as minimal, as dark as possible, and as simple as possible. With the least amount of detail as possible.

Deeper integration with nature, more natural light. More innovative lighting design, exposure to the public. Blurring of indoor and outdoor, and blurring of public and private.

The priority is pedestrians, not cars. In fact, the ideal future design is where you don’t need or want a car. The ideal future design of a city encourages at least 20,000 steps a day.

Future design as being more minimalist, with the most superior and supreme materials. Material innovation as the thing of the future. For example, future footwear with more use of Gotetex, and also more durable materials, but lighter.

Industrial design: greater use of materials like stainless steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber.

With our homes, greater use of Wabi Sabi wood, glass, and stainless steel.

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Then perhaps just share your enthusiasm and thoughts with others?

The source of all of our intelligence, or bodily wisdom, and what does it mean to be human? To walk. To be bipeds.

Therefore, the most important shoes are the ones that motivate you to walk and move, and cause as little pain as humanly possible. Typically this means the more minimalist, the more barefoot, the least amount of padding. Zero drop.

Water shoes tend to be good. I’m also interested in the minimalist sandals from Xero.

One of the things I love most in my current Airbnb apartment in Mexico City is the massive floor to ceiling windows. Which allow in a massive amount of natural light.

I’m so surprised just how much it improves my mood, my energy, and my overall gratitude to life. Now I understand why so many ancient religions consider the sun as God.

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As opposed to going endlessly shopping, striving to find the perfect product that perfectly fits your needs.

Why I prefer Japanese photographers over western or American photographers: Japanese photographers focus more on soul and emotion, whereas American and western photographers focus too much on technical aspects.

Good Japanese photographers to study include Shomei Tomatsu, Daido Moriyama, Araki, Eikoh Hosoe.

You’re out and about shooting, strive to show less of the scene.

Another reminder that photography and art is more about subtraction than addition.

While here in Mexico City, some thoughts:

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Still my favorite city, especially the Roma Norte neighborhood:

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Just go to the local market and buy eggs, go to the market and buy “chiccharon pensado” (pressed meat for chiccharon, more meat heavy). Get arrachera on the streets, even bone marrow! And the crispy crunchy chiccharon to scoop up your meat.

Also a lot of places sell cooked cochinita pibil by the kilo!! (2.2 pounds of meat). Makes life so much easier, and to get enough of your meat and protein intake! And just do chin-ups at the local park.

In photography, to disorient your viewer as a good thing.

Don’t put too much faith in your LCD screen, whether it comes to matters of framing, or reviewing. Rather, stick to ‘highlight exposure‘ priority, and just wait later until you download your photos to your laptop.

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Everyone wants a self driving car or a Tesla or any other futuristic car. But isn’t NOT to own a car better? To just Uber everywhere?

I think so. Then it seems the ideal strategy is not trying to hard to be different. If you are perceived as being the same as others, so be it.

Dear friends,

A thought:

Perhaps the greatest benefit of street photography is helping us build supreme confidence in ourselves.

And if I think about it, even my workshops are mostly about conquering your fears, and to build confidence in your photography (approaching strangers, photographing strangers with or without permission, and just confidence in general).

So how does one conquer confidence? Some thoughts:

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Or in other words, we desire to show off, in a more low-key way?

Some material thoughts: even though there are some materials which are great, aesthetically they don’t really look that nice.

For example, I recently got these black merino wool shorts, and even though the material and performance is quite good, I just don’t really like the way it looks. The material is too floppy, piles too much, and looks worn out in a bad way.

Even merino wool leggings, sooner or later, they lose their elasticity, and the wear pattern is not that aesthetically appealing.

So the question on my mind is this: how do we get the best materials, that have the best performance, yet aesthetically still is beautiful to us and interesting to us?

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In praise of stainless steel, and other materials with extreme durability.

Perhaps what this means is find a design that you’re 80% happy with, and no matter how good the design is, sooner or later you will bore of it. But that’s OK. That’s part of the game. Then strive to hold onto it as long as humanly possible.

More interest in ephemeral, experiential or non tangible things.

10x or 1000x gains versus trivial 3-5% gains.

Currently here Mexico City, and I love it. Great street life, great street food, great restaurant, bread cafés, and very conducive to thinking.

I’ve noticed that my thinking here is much more prolific than it is back home. Why is that? My theory is that if there is an ideal amount of street life, people, and café action, it stimulates your mind.

Something I’ve learned and realized about myself: I don’t really care about price that much. Rather, I just desire the best possible thing.

Mexico City— still one of my favorite cities in the world, especially for travel and street photography:

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Dear friends,

One of our greatest challenges: staying motivated in our photography.

How does one have infinite motivation in their photography? I think I got it figured out:

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What is the greatest stumbling block for photographers? Motivation. The question:

How does one stay productive, motivated and encouraged throughout their photographic life?

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Better be a stoic in an ugly harsh world, then epicurean in a beautiful closed world.

How does one gain in their photography? By expanding your perspective, figuratively and literally.

Expand your perspective in terms of a photographic subject matter, expand your perspective in terms of your focal length and lens, and expand your perspective in terms of how to share and publish your work.

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The ethos of the innovator: becoming more unreasonable. What is reason anyways? The status quo. The innovator is extremely dissatisfied with the way things are, and desires to create a novel new solution which satisfies his or her needs.