Author: ERIC KIM

Dear friend, When it comes to your photography, art, or life — a tip I have for you on living: decisions you make is either a “Hell fucking yeah, or no.”

Damn it feels good to be fucking alive, To jump and jive to realize that I am alive.

Dear friend, You have in the power to reset, or reformat your brain.

Only work on a photography project if it works for you — if you find it confusing, stressful, or boring; don’t do it.

How to make your photos go viral (like a virus):

Don’t stay low; glow.

Dear friend, I think we are all trying to find meaning in our photography.

Less weight = more power = more fun

Photos by Eric Kim:

Dear friend, A practical photography tip for you: don’t shoot on a full stomach.

I feel one of the biggest mistakes is that we confuse the difference between being “rich” and being “wealthy.”

There is no substance stronger than diamonds (or very few).

Personal notes on what Einstein has taught me about life:

How do you be a “productive” photographer — who is always inspired, always making photos, and outputting?

Dear friend, I want to give you some no bullshit advice on how to photograph textures.

Lessons Malcom X has taught me about life, equality, and justice. Warning, photos are NSFW (not safe for work).

Dear friend, I want to write you a letter giving you a life update from Hanoi:

Buckminster Fuller wrote this interesting book called ‘Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth’ (written 1969)— using the Earth as a metaphor for a spaceship: Here are some ideas: 1. What is human drive? Our drive …

Maintenance is for chumps.

Are you you in control of your steering wheel in life? Or is someone else driving your life for you?

Buckminster Fuller; probably one of the greatest thinkers since Leonardo da Vinci:

Nobody knows what they are ‘passionate’ about photographing; but we certainly know what we’re afraid of photographing.

Personal thoughts on how to make more art in your life, and to have more self-confidence in yourself:

I’ve been very inspired by traditional Japanese woodblock printing — strong graphics, clean lines, with soul:

Interview with Cindy A. Nguyen: essayist, dreamer, and maker.

How can we be more curious in life?

Frank Lloyd Wright; genius maverick architect, who was one of the first leading ‘modernist’ architects, who followed his gut:

Pericles: Greek Statesmen, Orator, and General (~400BC). Also called ‘the first citizen of Athens’ by Thucydides

Fuck homophobia, shit is more poisonous than scorpions

“If a writer wrote merely for his time, I would have to break my pen and throw it away.” – Victor Hugo Dear friend, don’t just photograph for yourself– photograph for your future generations:

Practical philosophical tips on living:

The death clock is ticking— why do you postpone what is truly meaningful to you in life?

“Sharpness is a bourgeois (rich person) concept.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson

I prefer black over white.

Dear friend; I want to give you some basic photography composition tips:

Dear friend; I want to write you a letter on the importance of photographing your loved ones.

We all need a direction and sense of purpose in life.

Practical life and business lessons from Mark Cuban, the serial entrepreneur and owner of the Mavericks:

The easiest way to make more dynamic, better compositions: integrate more diagonals into your photos.

Dear friend — what is luxury, how do we define it, and how do we achieve it?

I often suffer from “paralysis by analysis” — I think too much when making decisions, and aim for perfection.

Personal meditations, on my life philosophy.

One of the biggest mistakes I think individuals make in life is to think that “success” is making a ton of money, becoming famous, and having tons of influence.

No, becoming enlightened is not becoming some Buddhist monk, and meditating on a rock in the middle of the ocean.

Dear friend, I want to give you some practical tips on how to be a good photographer.

Many of us are afraid of death.

Dear friend; I want to write you a letter on finding your purpose in photography — and giving you a chance to reflect on why you make photos.

Anyone can be a philosopher — you just need to have a love for wisdom.

Know that photography isn’t everything.

I think we all need a life mission in life— mine is peace, understanding, and love.

To me, Jay-Z is the epitome of the American dream: started off in the projects, and now is a self-made (almost) billionaire.

Life lessons from the Greek Historian, Thucydides — who actually fought in the Peloponesian war (between the Athenians and Spartans) then wrote a history on it.

Shouldn’t it be a meaningful photo?

Dear friend, Today I want to teach you about ‘Juxtaposition’ — a fancy word that a lot of art school kids like to throw around.

Simple and practical photography tips for you:

Dear friend, You might live in a shitty state of circumstances; but I want to encourage you — you can control your future and your fate.

Dear friend; here are some lessons that Socrates has taught me about photography — and can hopefully inspire you:

“To be happy means to be free. To be free means to be brave.” – Thucydides The lesson is this: If we are courageous, we gain freedom If we gain freedom, we gain happiness …

Some meditations on my personal life, through some wisdom of the past.

Dear friend, I want to encourage you — use your smartphone more for your photography.

Dear friend, Recently I’ve been trying to combine two of my biggest passions in photography — street photography and personal photography.

Fuck my selfish needs, all I care about are my virtuous deeds.

Why shoot like everyone else, when you are a unique, idiosyncratic individual, with unique life experiences, different from everyone else?

I just finished skimming some of Edward Gibbon’s “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” (through some quotes), and have some valuable lessons I want to share with you:

Dear friend, Why is it that we compare ourselves and our photography with others?

Dear friend, I want to write you a letter on how you can unlock your inner-genius.

Dear friend, All of us lack confidence in ourselves— how can we learn to have more confidence, and belief in ourselves?

The mind is like the universe. It constantly expands, infinitely. So be like the universe; keep creating. Keep opening the minds of others. Keep expanding your mind. Your mind, creativity, and abilities are infinite. …