Honestly at this friends, to have the guts and the courage to go out and shoot *any* photos takes insane guts. So this is our new mantra:
All photos are good photos.
And applied to street photography:
(more…)All street photographs are good photographs.
Street photographs from America– mostly shot on Kodak Portra 400, via Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron on film Leica M6/film Leica MP:
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Ironically enough, those who are born privileged have it the worst. Why? They will never have the chance to become great. Why? Only difficulty and need/want will give birth to your inner genius. In other words:
Rich kids born into wealth typically turn into degenerates, lazy people, and don’t do anything interesting with their lives.
Note the kids of Rockefeller — none of them of note. Also the kids of Warren Buffett— none of them have made a huge mark on history or society. Trying to live in the shadow of your (extremely successful parents) is a curse. No room to grow, ascend, or fly?
I also highly doubt Elon Musk’s kids will do anything of repute. Musk has apparently said that all they do is play video games.
Punished by privilege.
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Needless to say, obviously there are some people who are born richer, more advantageous, or higher-class.
But why atone for this?
If you want to succeed far into the future, best for us to get into bed with Google and YouTube (YouTube is owned by Google). In other words:
To talk randomly, with strangers or even friends … to ‘shoot the shit’ (the Vietnamese have a phrase that literally means “to cut the air”) is good. Why? Social skills!
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Because most people are either cowards (no skin in the game), or their opinion (online) depends on advertising, revenue, sponsorship, etc:
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As long as someone monetizes their YouTube channel with advertising or their own website-blog with ads … don’t trust them. Why not? They cannot truly be 100% free with their thoughts, in fear of losing sponsorship or advertising revenue.
More trust of people who are either independently wealthy, have a random side-job (plumber, janitor, cleaner, construction worker) than someone who is employed with the aesthetics of their body composition. No trust in ‘fitness experts’ who hasn’t publicly admitted to steroid usage. This is why I trust CALUM VON MOGER more than other guys, because he has openly admitted to steroid use!
Or in other words:
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To practice ‘good’ grammar or to speak ‘well’ is anti-creativity. Why? Imagine poetry, rap music, or any great form of art with “proper” grammar.
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The idea of a sleeper:
It looks boring, plain and slow but in truth under the hood… it is a beast!
Or in other words:
Cars which look really fast are typically not.
And maybe with humans and wealth:
People who look super rich, are most likely to be the most poor.
Also:
People who look poor are often very rich!
Nobody wants their loved ones of themselves get Alzheimer’s disease (loss of cognitive function) or to get it themselves. So if we truly do value our mind, we would also value our body. In other words, if we understand Alzheimer’s disease as Type 3 Diabetes (which is caused by overconsumption of sugar, carbs, starch, sweets, pastries, alcohol and desserts) then perhaps we would attack the issue differently. Obesity (overfat) is only “badâ€because it is linked with metabolic disease, which will erase your mind.
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The more these technology companies (FacebookGram, GoogleTube) can distract you, the more profits they can make! Why? When you get distracted or interrupted by an advertisement, they make money.
My thought:
In the future, focus will become the ultimate luxury.
Google and Android — all distractions. Anti-focus. Apple as the luxury brand — freedom from advertisements and disruptions. Which makes me think:
Perhaps a lucrative industry to get into now and the future is investing in anti-disrupting technologies?
Note Bose and noise canceling headphones. Noise cancelling technology as super interesting … as the technology gets rid of distractions (via negativa innovation). Ad blockers on your devices are also good … they remove and subtract distractions from you. And truth be told I’ve never met a programmer or IT person who doesn’t have Adblock installed on their browser. In other words, don’t trust Google Chrome.
Hate means ‘strong emotion’. So when people hate x, y, z … they actually are obsessed with it, and love it.
Or why your critics are your most beloved lovers:
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In many ways, Apple photos (desktop app, iPad app, and iPhone app) is actually *superior* to Adobe Lightroom. My thoughts:
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The problem with metaphysics — it is not empirical. Metaphysics as very pseudo-science, and against rationalism. Empiricism as “experienceâ€â€” real life lived experience.
For example we cannot weigh a soul. But we can weigh a human body. We can see flesh. Human flesh is the most empirical thing which exists.
We cannot judge metaphysical things like “virtue†and “viceâ€â€” but we know what a photo is, what a video is, what colors are, and what human bodies are.
Therefore my idea:
(more…)Be highly highly highly suspicious of any thinker or individual who has (too much) belief in metaphysics (things which aren’t physical).
The future is photography marketing. Everyone is a fantastic photographer nowadays, but not everyone is a great self marketer and self promoter.
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Why waste your life trying to indefinitely augment your wealth? What if you’re rich enough?
I’m probably both the most loved and the most hated photographer online and perhaps in the world. How and why? Some thoughts:
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I’m very easily distracted. Perhaps my artistic sense comes from this. Sensitivity to light, sounds, emotions and people. Like I have a high “ISOâ€sensitivity to art, people, and audio visual things.
I know I’m easily distracted by colors, notifications and things so I turn it all off. Thus the thought:
(more…)If we follow the “don’t do unto others as you don’t like others to do unto youâ€, then perhaps we should also design things to be the least amount of distractions to others?
When making videos or anything, assume people are gonna watch it on mute. For example:
True luxury: *NOT* having bullshit and stress in your life. The fewer irritants you got in your life, the better.
If you have an option, always better to rent instead of buying.
Why?
First of all, if you technically are a quadrillionaire… the best life is the life with the least amount of stress, worry, and bullshit. This means renting is superior:
No stress associated with maintenance, upkeep, and bullshit.
For example I got some rich friends and they tell me the stress associated with having to maintain their properties in the south of France. But the problem:
(more…)Their bank account (overseas) is locking them out. Therefore they gotta go through all this bullshit (hoops) to un-lock their international bank account.
Who determines ‘coolness’ or lameness? The tyrant-artist.
For example:
‘Auto-tragic’ seems true. Why buy a sports car which is automatic? Seems lame. For me:
Either buy a manual sports car, or just buy a Tesla.
If you got extreme vanity, it is actually super easy to lose body fat (adipose tissue) and gain muscle mass (skeletal muscle mass).
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Poison ivy is “naturalâ€. Poisonous mushrooms are “naturalâ€. Tobacco is “naturalâ€. Sugar is “naturalâ€. Heroin and opium is derived from poppy seeds, cocaine from the coca leaves, etc.
Let us not get suckered. Not everything natural is good for you.
I like almonds and have eaten a shitload of them over the last few years. But … how come nobody critiques them? Some thoughts:
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The enemy isn’t “fatâ€â€” it is adipose tissue (body fat). For example:
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Adipose tissue (body fat) is bad beyond 10% for men, and beyond 20% for women. However men with uber-low bodyfat (in the 3% range) is bad, because they lose their ability to procreate and have children (they lose their mojo, or their fertility). Same goes for women — women with single-digit bodyfat is bad, because they lose their ability to have children as well.
To have a 6-pack is good for both men and women. But when you get too “insanely shreddedâ€â€” this ain’t good.
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“Irreverence for your reverence … why would I not have a watch like a Saudi prince?” – JAY Z (From ‘A Written Testimony’ by Jay Electronica)
Don’t take things or life too seriously. The best life is the most irreverent, playful and fun!
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If you are a philosopher that can deadlift over 4 plates (405+ pounds), then your thoughts have great merit. Why? The importance of both the mind AND body.
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No such thing as a perfect blog post. All blogging is a stream of becoming (Heraclitus).
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The new Lightroom CC (Creative Cloud) Desktop App is really good. Why? Much faster on desktop (on my MacBook Pro Laptop) than even the classic Lightroom. I am not a huge fan of the subscription model, but it certainly is a superior product!
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You are what you eat. You eat what you shoot. Thus, shoot what you eat!
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Or in other words:
If your body is healthy, so will your mind.
Which makes me think:
In order to treat “mental illnessâ€, we should focus on treating bodily or physiological illness?
Avoid dying. Potential chances for an early death, or permanent disfigurement:
If you want an epic hormonal pump associated with fast speed, just go for heavy one rep max deadlift attempts (sumo style, no belt and straps!)
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It don’t matter how rich you are, how tall you are, how rich you are, how buff you are, how popular you are whatever… we humans will always ‘anchor’ our self-worth in comparison to other humans.
Something I am very interested in — male depression. I cannot speak for women because I am not a woman and have never had female experiences. But let me talk from the male perspective:
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A lot of modern Silicon Valley and Elon Musk thinking is predicated on the notion of an “Earth Deathâ€. But what if an Earth death never happens, at least for another 100 million years? Then what?
Haptic. You don’t lack it. Just stack it. Black it out, matte it out. You don’t gotta shout— just pride. Glide through life with this verbal slip and slide. No need to Freudian slip with Freudian whips.
I got the cream and the cheese. I got the breeze on my side and the wheeze. I got the keys like JAY. And like ‘yonce all I do is slay.
To slay and pray is better to hack and back track yourself.
(more…)Caveat:
The best car is no car.
But let us say you *NEED* a car.. then Lexus is probably the best car brand. Why?
Toyota is certainly the most dependable car brand. And Lexus is just a really nice Toyota (upgraded). Thus if you want the ultimate hybrid…
(more…)Isn’t the best car a Lexus hybrid, like the UX Hybrid Lexus?
Marketing is today’s archimedes lever to moving the world, changing the world, and deeply impacting the world.
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A lot of us are car hungry. We want the perfect or best car.
But what if the best car were no car?
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How to live best is the question a lot of philosophers have been grappling for a long time. The “art of living†should better be seen as the “best technique or approach†to living everyday life. Some of my thoughts:
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Things of durability are of first class on planet earth. In other words:
If things are durable (last over a long period of time), they are good.
Just as Horace said:
“I shall make a monument more lasting than bronze!”
To make photos which last … create photos that you create out of a spirit of love and joy!
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Certainly we all want to be happy, and beyond this … we want to maximize our happiness. But how can we do this? Some of my personal thoughts:
When I look at my old photos, an interesting thing:
Photos I shot while I were depressed … these photos don’t last.
However the photos I shot when joyful and full of life … these photos have lasted!
Lesson: first strive to be happy and joyful and THEN make artwork if your goal is to be maximally joyful and happy in life!
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What drives me? I create out a sense of curiosity … I often wonder:
How come nobody does x. y, z online?
And as a consequence whether it be photos, videos, or blogs … I outline and share these things with others!
For example:
So as a simple entrepreneurial thing:
Create what you would like to see manifested in the real world!
ERIC
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Because your photos can uplift, inspire, motivate and move others (both physically AND emotionally!):
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You can only critique someone you truly understand and love. This is my personal critique on Henri Cartier-Bresson:
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