Prototype of the new Pro HENRI Wrist Strap. Email Cindy at hapticindustries@gmail.com if you’re interested.

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Dear friend, I believe it is possible to make a living from your passion. I will try to use this essay as an attempt to flesh out my ideas on how to do it– as a practical guide for you!

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I was randomly surfing the web, and randomly came across the work of George Bernard Shaw, and I am super-inspired. George Bernard Shaw is probably one of the wisest, most badass, and empowering philosophers/writers/aphorists that I have come across.

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Yves Vernin is a good friend of mine, and in my opinion — one of the most talented contemporary color street photographers.

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Chu Viet Ha: one of the most epic street photographers, with his use of layers, color, and surrealism:

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Dear friend,

How can you use photography as a tool for empowerment and positive social change?

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Philip Jones Griffiths: one of the ultimate photojournalists of history:

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Peter Phan is a friend and a little brother of mine, who is going to London to study Photography and Philosophy. Expect to see more of his work here, I consider his work pure poetry, and see a lot more greatness to come from him:

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Photography is the best magic that exists!

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Dear friend,

I am the ultimate anti-nihilist. I believe in infinite optimism, hope, and meaning in life.

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1988 was the year I was born
Born to help others and to placate the masses

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First batch of photos from LA->SAIGON: Shot on Lumix G9, Leica 12mm f/1.4 lens (24mm full-frame equivalent) x ERIC KIM PRESETS:

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My new photographic inspiration is my 3 year old niece Amelia. She shoots photos with “Amelia TV” (her codename for her iPad mini) without hesitation, and with so much joy and wonderment!

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Frederik Trovatten takes STREET HUNT through the streets of Mexico City.

>> Street Hunt Print Edition in Haptic Shop (Ships Internationally)

>> Street Hunt on Amazon

>> Street Hunt Mobile Edition

>> Street Hunt Mobile on Kindle

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Very simple photography tip: Fill the frame with a certain color, certain visual element, or your subject to make a more engaging/interesting photo!

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Dear friend,

A simple idea and question to ask yourself,

“Do you like to look at your own photos?”

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Dear friend,

A very simple photography composition tip: Look up!

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Dear friend,

A philosophical idea: to live a more epic and fulfilling life, never seek an “end”; instead, seek to create, produce, and make stuff, forever, until you die!

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Dear friend,

Something I want to talk with you about (that nobody has ever really covered): is there an ideal diet, workout routine, or lifestyle which will help you be more inspired/motivated/creative as a photographer, visual artist, philosopher, or cinematographer? I think there is.

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“Photography is the mother of cinema.” – Abbas Kiarostami

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Today is my two-year wedding anniversary with Cindy, and wanted to reflect on love. What is love? Why is love important? How is love manifested in a relationship?

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Rest in peace Abbas; your legacy and images live on!

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Honeydew eyes
I’ll follow you
Into the depths of the ocean blue

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Gilles Peress: a photographer who I admire. He shoots with his heart, and seeks to use his photography as a tool to enact positive change in the world. Not only that, but his compositions are magical.

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Dear friend,

A simple thing to improve your life in all shapes and forms: smile!

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Dear friend,

After studying a lot of cinema, and doing random long walks in the park here in Saigon, while also studying the work of Gilles Peress (His Iran series), I had a huge epiphany on why I love street photography so much: the ability for me to make beautiful pictures/visual-art, in a random, chaotic, unpredictable setting (the streets), chat with people (strangers, and open up my heart to them), to travel and see the world, and have fun compositional-visual puzzle games!

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I just finished watching ‘Full Metal Jacket‘, and have a lot of food for thought. Warning: the film is extremely graphic, and there are a lot of spoiler alerts ahead.

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Dear friend,

An empowering thought: realize that in life, you have the power to dictate your own purpose in life!

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In life we are told to be “balanced”. I agree — but realize, we can achieve balance in life with asymmetry!

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Let’s dive deeper into the rabbit hole with MATRIX:

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One of the most elegant compositions we can incorporate into our visual artistry: the arabesque (curve):

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Dear friend,

A realization: in life, distraction is the enemy— nobody/nothing else.

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Dear friend,

Only photograph what you love or what you’re passionate about.

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Practical tip: Study human anatomy to better understand the human body, to make better photos of people/portraits!

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Purple: Royal, elegant, bold, timeless:

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Pink: Feminine, youth, bold, bright:

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Orange: relaxing, the color of food, the color of skin, fresh, energizing:

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Dear friend,

A revelation: to find more joy and happiness in life, produce more!

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Dear friend,

A practical life philosophy: Do You.

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Practical tips to make better black and white photos:

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Dear friend,

Currently in Saigon, and pondering– how can you live the best possible life, and what does that even mean?

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Dear friend,

Don’t miss your chance to take your street photography to the next level at my upcoming Singapore Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography Workshop (July 21-22, 2018):

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Dear friend,

I just finished re-watching the MATRIX; and oh man, this movie is so epic– not only in terms of the concept behind the film, but the ‘pop philosophy’ sayings are pretty good as well. And the cinematography is pretty solid as well.

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Hustle hustle hustle
Keep shaking your creative tree; make the leaves rustle

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I think as photographers we want real and honest feedback on our photos, thus I created ARSBETA.COM with my friend Kevin (CTO) and Cindy (COO):

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Here are my favorite street photography quotes from the masters of photography:

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Inspired by CINDYPROJECT, I want to meditate on the concept of ‘The Photographic Moment’.

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Lumix G9 + 12mm f/1.4 Leica Lens x ERIC KIM PRESETS:

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Dear friend,

The best advice I can give you to thrive as a photographer in today’s digital age: OWN YOUR OWN PLATFORM, which means: make your own photography website/blog, and make sure you own the FTP, the backend, and the open-source platform!

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Just flew via EVA air for 20 hours, and arrived in Saigon, and made a what’s in my bag Youtube Video.

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I met a guy named Tank and we had a super deep talk about philosophy and life. I asked him what his personal philosophy in life was, and he told me simply: “To best effectively utilize my human metabolism [for humanity].” It was probably the most elegant explanation I’ve heard so far, something I also believe in.

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What is metabolism?

To my understanding, metabolism is the process of biological organisms to consume energy, and to expend energy. For example as humans, we must eat food and water to survive. Our bodies then metabolize that food and water to keep our human body functioning. Ideally we would want our human body to have the maximum amount of energy, the maximum amount of strength, with the least amount of waste, fat, and superfluous excess.

Then of course for our human metabolism to work, we must also excrete waste material (human excrement), and we also need other things like sunlight, sleep, temperature/warmth, etc. There’s probably a billion other things that the human body needs to have an “optimal” metabolism that we don’t yet know, of and might never know of.

Anyways, my current interest is this:

How can I best “hack” my body, in order to have the maximum of energy, focus, and creative output?

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Let me explain my reasoning:

1. Biological metabolism mandates that the organism must eventually die. The biological function of metabolism wouldn’t work, if we would never die. Metabolism is a steady process that ends in the death of the biological organism. Therefore, death is nothing we can ever cheat.
2. So far, the maximum lifespan of a human being has been around 120 years. Assuming we can extend the human metabolism (like we can live to be 200 years old), I’m not sure whether that would be desirable assuming your strength/bodily health was in the condition of a 120 year old. I think people would only want to live to be 200+ years old, assuming their body was at most the condition of a healthy 75-year-old.
3. Therefore our goal isn’t to live forever, or to live for a very long time. What we desire is to live as long as we can, in a “healthy” state. What that means is that ultimately we want our bodies to be strong, full of energy, optimism, and agile/supple. We want to have strong muscles, flexible joints, absence of chronic back pain, and we want to have enthusiasm to live everyday to the fullest!
4. Assuming this is the case, while we are (still) alive, it makes sense to me to have a lifestyle which gives us the maximum amount of strength and energy.
5. To me, the best way to have the maximum amount of strength and creative energy is a combination of nutrition (what you eat), what you drink (no sugar), your physical activity (lifting heavy stuff, and walking long distances for fun), creative activity (art stuff you make), social connections (social interactions), and your own mental state (philosophy). Therefore I’m still on a quest to understand how How to maximize all of these things, because it is my self-dictated purpose in life is to discover truths about art, philosophy, and life.

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So, what have I learned so far?

1. Ketogenic diet seems to be “optimal” so far. This means no starches, no sugar, no fructose (no sweet fruit), carbohydrates (“simple and complex carbs”), no dairy, no bread, no rice, no tubers (potatoes, root vegetables), no cruciferous vegetables, and no foods which are generally white. All the food I eat is fatty meat (pork belly, ground beef), fish, coconut oil, leafy greens, eggs, organ meats (liver, heart), or anything that once had a heartbeat. With eating non-starchy and no sugar foods, I get less “food coma” after meals, thus I have more energy throughout the day to write more, read more, make more videos, photograph and video more, and to produce more.
2. I also practice “intermittent fasting” (only 1 big meal a day). I generally fast from breakfast and lunch, and usually will eat a massive dinner after 4pm, then pass out and go to sleep. Or sometimes take a long nap after eating, wake up, do some more work, eat a little more, then go back to sleep. This has worked for me because when I’m hungry, I’m actually more focused. And I have a motivation to work hard, because I know after 4pm I have a delicious meal waiting for me. Random benefits: food tastes 100x more delicious after fasting! So if you’re a “foodie” who loves the taste of food, this actually seems to be an optimal strategy.

Generally this combination of ketogenic eating and intermittent fasting has made me insanely productive, strong, full of energy, and I’ve also built muscle mass, and cut down my body fat. At the age of 30, I’m the most “ripped/cut” I’ve ever been, and the most productive and self-confident as well.

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Isn’t this dangerous?

No it isn’t. Consider Muslims fast regularly during Ramadan (no food and water during the day, in the insane heat of the middle east), and they’re fine.

Also if we look at animals like lions, when we feed them 3 square meals a day, they become lazy, lethargic and get fat. Even trained Hawks do well when they’re constantly in a fasted state (it heightens their taste for blood).

Also, to be honest, I think it’s probably 50x more dangerous to have a Red Bull and Vodka at the club, Ecstacy, Smoking Cigarettes, and drinking soda and twinkies for your health than fasting, and sticking to a Ketogenic diet.

But isn’t high fat bad for you?

No. Read the book, “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes, or his more accessible “Why we get fat” book.

Fun fact: when wolves kill an animal, they immediately eat the fatty organ meats (most nutritious), and they leave the lean meat for scavengers.

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Metabolic disease

If you see someone who is 300 pounds and full of excess bodily adipose tissue (fat), they’re probably suffering from “metabolic disease” or “metabolic syndrome”. Essentially the reason why they’re fat is because their metabolism is out of whack.

What causes metabolic damage? Essentially when we eat a lot of sugar or starchy vegetables/carbohydrates, our body ejects excess insulin into our blood stream, to stabilize our blood sugar levels. But these extreme peaks of excess insulin production from our body damages our body.

This is why when you eat a huge bowl of pasta (with a sweet Coca Cola with high fructose corn syrup, which is actually worse than white sugar/sucrose), you get “food coma” and feel super tired afterwards, and want to sleep.

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Essentially, you can eat whatever you want and life however you want. But for myself, I want to live limitless, and to keep climbing higher like Icarus (but with better wings). I want to fly towards the sun, and achieve my personal maximum in life, before I die in my 90s, or at worst, today in a plane or car crash.

MEMENTO MORI,
ERIC

Become the best version of you

1. Diet, Health, and Fitness for Photographers
2. My Experience Eating Only One Meal a Day
3. How to Get Cut.

Dear friend,

A thought I had that reminded me of Socrates famous saying, “Others live to eat; I eat to live!.”

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Red: The most bold color, the color of blood, lust, death, anger:

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Dear friend,

I was thinking at the gym, and I had the realization: my number 1 skill in life isn’t photography, art, philosophy, sociology or whatever; it is the “art of people”, or the art of interacting with strangers, and people I know/love.

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Did you ever see a great street photograph, and wonder– “How did that street photographer make that photo?” If you’re curious like me — study CONTACT SHEETS (the behind-the-scenes of how a photographer made an image):

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Learn more in STREET PORTRAIT MANUAL.

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SAIGON SATCHEL: only 11 left in stock. Don’t miss your opportunity to stand out from the crowd, and always be ready before the decisive moment in street photography.

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Dear friend,

You got all the creative DNA you need to make you fly to the next level!

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“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

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Inspiration
Pull up to your creative gas station
It’s premium
No self hate or poison, it’s unleaded

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Continuing our Space Odyssey 2001 series:

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Blue: calm, relaxing, the ocean.

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Photographing your loved ones is the most meaningful thing you can do, which is why I made CINDYPROJECT.

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ARTIST STATEMENT

CINDY PROJECT is an art concept—a musical album of photographic statements on the fleeting and evolving nature of life and love.

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Prototype of HENRI Pouch. Email Cindy at hapticindustries@gmail.com if you would like to be put on the waiting list, or fill out this Google Form.

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If you want more personal meaning in your photography, I recommend starting your own personal photography project.

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PHANTOM BLACK: Henri Shoulder Strap on Amazon 🔥🔥🔥.

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Limited-Edition PHANTOM BLACK Henri Shoulder Strap. Always have your camera strapped on your neck or shoulder, and make some new epic visual boulders.

Make hot photos, make it smolder.

Make photos everyday, regardless of the day, or whether it’s black and grey. Keep prowling the streets with the PHANTOM.

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Never miss another decisive moment again.

Never stop shooting. Win win win!

PHANTOM BLACK on AMAZON >

PHANTOM BLACK in Haptic Shop (For international shipping) >

Make sure to also check out all HENRI/ERIC KIM STRAPS by HAPTIC >

I’m in this interesting genre of photography called “street photography”. It’s a funny, fulfilling, and epic genre of photography in which we have this passion and curiosity of photographing strangers.

But before I talk about specifics on how to photograph strangers, let’s tackle a bigger question: Why photograph strangers?

So for myself, I photograph strangers because it opens up my world, perspective, and fulfills my inner-curiosity in other people. I studied sociology (the “science” of people) in school, and have always found human beings to be the most fascinating things. Why? Because it’s practical; as humans we all have to live in society with other humans. So sociology tackles questions like, “How can I best live with other people? How can I “succeed” in a world with other people?” And the deepest question,

What does it mean to be human?

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Xenophobia

In modern society, we have “xenophobia” (xeno: foreign / phobia: fright). We are afraid of the foreign. We’re afraid of foreign people; we even all them “illegal aliens” (dehumanizing them, seeing them like green aliens from UFOS).

I think street photography is the opposite reaction. We have “xenophilia” (love of foreigners). We are curious in other human beings (just like children), and we aren’t clouded with judgements, biases, racism, or stereotyping.

For example, when I was a kid, I didn’t see color. My best friends when I was 11 years in Bayside, Queens (New York) was my buddies Spencer (Spanish), Aditya (Indian), Jonathan (Jewish), Christian (Brazilian), Steven Chen and Pai (both Chinese), David (Korean). We were the ultimate rainbow crew, and we never hated on one another, besides when my friends said my house smelled like kimchi, and my friend Adityas house smelled like curry.

Anyways, I also believe that photographing strangers builds empathy. We feel their pain, we feel their emotions, we see the world from their perspective. We can also feel their joy, excitement, and warmth!

Sociology was a great major, but limited. We weren’t allowed to take photos of people and communities we were studying, because of “ethical” concerns. But now, I feel like I’m onto something interesting; bringing the gap between Sociology and Photography, which is street photography or Visual Sociology.

We use visual images (photos, videos etc) to better understand people, humanity, and society!

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How to Photograph Strangers

We can photograph strangers in many different ways. For example,

1. Ask for permission to take their photo

2. Shoot their photograph without permission (candidly, without talking or interacting with them)

3. First start talking to your subject, then take photos of them while they’re talking (without permission).

4. Start talking to the stranger then about 5 minutes in, ask for permission to photograph them.

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I’ve also found these tips to help:

1. Tell your subject you’re nervous to photograph them. This will make your subjects more empathetic, and more willing to be photographing them.

2. Give your subject “tactful flattery“, compliment them on why you find them interesting or beautiful.

3. Try to get rejected. Approach a bunch of strangers and ask for permission to photograph them, and keep asking until you get 10 rejections/”no’s”. More assignments in STREET HUNT.

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Prepare to get rejected

Practical tip: take a Stoic approach. Expect to get rejected before asking for permission. This means if you get rejected, you won’t be sad or offended.

Shooting without permission

My simple suggestion, when photographing strangers without permission: If you take photos of a stranger, and they notice you making their photo, don’t just turn around and run away. Instead, make eye contact and smile! Smiling is the ultimate “life hack” in life and photography.

Predict the worst case scenario

Another Stoic Street Photography approach: Prepare for your subject getting angry. Then how will you respond?

I generally just apologize, and move on. I’ll look at the photo on my lcd screen, and if the photo isn’t good, I’ll delete it. If the photo is good, I will just say “Sorry for offending you, but I don’t delete photos.”

To be honest, you might get into trouble photographing kids. But I do it all the time, with no problems. I just make sure TO NOT be candid. I talk with the kids, I interact with them. I crouch down and play with them. I open up my own inner child with them, and then the parents are cool. Often, I’ll offer to email the photo to the parents.

You’re doing a good thing for society!

Never forget, you’re not just a creep or a weirdo for shooting street photography. You’re a visual historian, you’re a visual-social anthropologist. You’re doing a “net positive” to society by making photos of others, even if you might “minorly annoy” them.

Photography has to do with the impermenance of life, the fleeting moment, and documenting beauty around us. As photographers, we aren’t just photographers. We are artist-philosophers whom are seeking to understand both ourselves and others through the act of making photos.

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Questions to reflect on:

1. What kind of mood or emotion are you trying to convey through your photos?

2. Are your photos more about yourself, or others?

3. If you didn’t own Facebook or Instagram or any other form of social media, would you still make photos? Where else would you share your photos? Who would you share your photos with?

4. How does it feel while you’re in the zone of making photos? How do you feel once you get home? How do you feel when you’re looking through your photos?

5. Ultimately, are you a positive/optimistic person and photographer, or are you a pessimist?

For myself, whenever I make a photo of anything or of a stranger, I’m blessing them. I see a person or a moment and I think,

Wow this is a beautiful moment. I want to capture this moment and share it with others, to inspire and empower others as much as this moment empowered me!

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Seeing through the eyes of someone else

Photography is phenomenal. Consider, you can show others what you saw! You have the control to frame your scene in a way which you want to present your own version of reality. Isn’t that amazing???

Ultimately, I always see photography as self therapy. When I’m making photos, I’m happier. I’m more optimistic. I find more beauty and joy in the world!

Don’t just take photos of strangers. Photograph your loved ones, just like how I photograph Cindy.

Ultimately the fate we all share is death. So never let fear hold you back from making any type of photos.

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Be bold, and fly higher. Make more photos and rack up those frequent fliers.

Make photos which make your heart sing. Keep on winning everyday, win that 6th ring.

Don’t worry about the gear or equipment. Make photos with whatever camera or phone you have, just make sure to shoot photos which you think are authentic and real to you. Stay glued to your own creative vision, just like super glue.

With photography, we have a lot to chew with our eyes. Much of the world is shrouded in shadows and disguised. Before you die, before your own personal demise, be the nice guy, and smile. You’re going to be alive for a while, so why not use that opportunity to make photos that make your heart sing?

Make photos, dance and love. Be the black swan, Michael Jackson with the thrilling white glove.

Your photos might scare, confuse, or provoke, but don’t choke! Never doubt yourself, and stay true, even though you’re beaten pink and blue.

The world is a fun visual zoo; your own personal visual playground. So don’t quiet or mute yourself; play your photos loud!

ERIC