Happy 2016; goodbye 2015.
Every year, we are told what to do for a new year’s resolution.
I propose something opposite this year— let us try to propose things not to do this year.
It is kind of like a Lenten promise— for 40 days deciding something not to do anymore. I have tried Lenten promises in terms of things to do— but these never seem to work out. Figuring out what to not do (or abstain from) actually tends to be easier.
Abstinence is easier than forcing yourself to do something.
In American society— we are always told to buy more shit to take away our misery and dissatisfaction in our lives.
Dear friend,
I want to propose a new school of photography called “personal photography.†Consider this letter as a way for me to work out some ideas, and to share some ideas with you.
For the latest Assignment over at Streettogs Academy, our editor’s choice, Jota Barros chose Self Awareness.
(Details of joining and more info after the jump!)
Dear friend,
I want to let you know— I am a brand-slave. Meaning; I love brands. I love the way they make me feel, but I am imprisoned by them.
Dear friend,
I just wanted to write you this letter to share you some personal thoughts after reading “Capital†and “The Communist Manifesto†by Karl Marx. And no, it isn’t some crazy communist shit– it is rather about how you should never let anything hold you back from unlocking your creative potential.
After about a hundred shots of espresso, the newest “Learn From the Masters of Street Photography” PDF Book is live. This version (Version II) is the newest and cleanest version that distills the wisdom of the masters of street photography into 100 practical lessons.
This book is “open-source” and free to download, edit, modify, translate, remix, and share.
For further reading, learn from all the masters of street photography.
“It’s not the daily increase but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.†– Bruce Lee
I’m like a pigeon. I am so easily distracted. If you saw how many Google chrome tabs I have open at once, you’d know what I mean.
When I was walking around in SF in Soma, I saw a sign that said:
Deep Focus
It really stuck to me the next few weeks. What is “deep focus†anyways?
Better late than never as they say. The “ber” months have been tough on your admin balancing a busy schedule, the flu, and paying the bills. That said, I want to say that this assignment was a great treat. The entries are very creative and I’m happy with the continous participation of everyone despite my shortcomings. So here we go with some of the selections for the assignment and of course our editor’s choice!
Don’t be afraid.
Fear is what prevents your inner-artist from expressing itself.
Fear is what prevents you from approaching that stranger you want to talk to/take a photo of.
Fear is what holds you back from quitting your job, and traveling the world.
Fear is what prevents you from approaching that curator to show your work.
Fear is what prevents you from uploading that one photo online; you are scared that others will judge you, you are scared if you aren’t going to get any likes, and you are afraid that you might be revealed as a “fraud.â€
Dear streettogs,
I am excited to share that I am one of the instructors at “Gulf Photo Plus 2016†this year. If you’ve never heard about the event, long story short— it is the most epic, fun, and educational photography-related event I have ever been to.
The event “Gulf Photo Plus†is also the name of the organization (also called Gulf Photo Plusâ€â€” yeah it can be confusing)— and it is a yearly event in Dubai (the place that has the ski-lift inside a mall). It brings all the world’s best instructors (both adept photographers and great teachers), and honestly it is just a fun time to hang out with other photographers, grab drinks at the bars in the evening, and feel love and inspiration.
Discover all of the camera straps made by HAPTIC INDUSTRIES:
HENRI CHROMA Wrist Straps: available for a limited time.
This post is written by Cindy aka Haptic:
In summer of 2014Â Eric and I met a group of talented artists in Saigon. We hung out, drank lots of coffee, and talked about creative projects to work on:
Project 1: Our friend Gin and his gang of skilled film producers put together this beautiful film about shooting street photography in Vietnam along with Fujifilm Vietnam:
Project 2: Gin also introduced us to his childhood friend who are models and musicians, Lan and Uyen. In Vietnam, rarely do people just do one thing. There is a spirit of creativity, entrepreneurism, and scrappiness in Saigon. Lan and Uyen also are talented leather makers and artisans.
Over the course of three years we worked together to design, experiment, and make different products.
All of our leather products — the HENRI COLLECTION (neck strap, wrist strap, wrist strap pro, shoulder strap, chroma) and ERIC KIM COLLECTION (wrist strap, neck strap) are 100% leather and handmade and crafted with care from start to finish. Lan and Uyen source the leather, handmake the straps during the weekdays between music gigs, and ship them to California from Saigon.
Rather than mass produced, these are handmade in small, limited-quantity batches in order to preserve a level of excellent craftsmanship and quality. Each strap is unique.
Once they get to California, Eric and I, (and now with the help of our loving and supportive family–sorry Mom for taking over the dining room table…) work to quality check, finish, and package each strap.
I designed the packaging of each product (I love boxes). The labeling is hand-stamped!
Unlike huge, anonymous factories, this is the entire operation: Eric, me, my family, Lan, and Uyen. We are transparent about the labor practices behind the straps because we are proud and love each product we make.
We live in Vietnam currently and are very cognizant of global inequality, especially in labor practices. This is why we price our products the way we do. We want to give a fair and respectful wage to everyone involved. We do not run a wholesale factory, but support honest and beautiful work.
We know there are so many other straps and camera accessories to choose from, so we thank you for choosing to support us!
Here are our friends from all around the world, proudly displaying their HAPTIC products:
Moving forward, we are focusing on HAPTICPRESS — to publish more art, books, and guides to inspire and empower our artists and photographers. We wish to build a platform of mutual empowerment, and to also hopefully feature your work one day.
We are also building up the ERIC KIM FORUM — your new home to improve, grow, and learn as a photographer and artist.
We thank you so much for building this positive community of sharing, growth, and openness. Let’s continue to ride this creative wave together.
Always,
Cindy & Eric
Saigon, 2017
Raise your hand if you don’t have enough time to make photos.
[Raises hand]
Dear friend,
I want to tell you about my camping trip in Yosemite during the thanksgiving break.
Street Photography Quick Links is a compilation of Links, Projects, News, Videos, Events, or anything that is related to street photography or photography in particular that I have personally consumed. Perhaps these might interest you or make you think. If you want to send some links my way, details will be at the bottom of the post below:
This is an interview between me and Neil Ta, my good friend (and manager). He’s recently taken his street photography to the next level by shooting exclusively with a Hasselblad Xpan (panoramic film camera), and has taken a few trips to Cuba. See his on-going edit of Cuba, and learn more about him and how he shoots:
“Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now.†– Rainer Maria Rilke
A.G. DeMesa: We have another guest post from photographer and self publisher, Maarten Rots. He previously wrote about Printing Your Work. Here is at again with how poetry can affect your photography:
Read this as a Google Doc
I was talking with one of my friends and students David— and he has an excellent camera. He shot with an Olympus OM-D EM-5 Mark II with a Lumix 15mm lens (30mm full-frame equivalent). I was actually curious about the camera (as Josh White, one of my best friends in Korea) has one— and has been taking phenomenal shots with it.
“Happiness: take away from your desires, not to add to your riches.†– Epicurus
Today is American Thanksgiving. It is a time of the year to appreciate what you have— to spend time with friends, family, and eat lots of (dry) turkey. I think about Thanksgiving as a chance to really “give thanks†— here is what I am grateful for in my life:
With the end of the year holiday season only just around the corner, I thought it would be fitting to write about Can Giving Make Us Happy?
Dear friend,
I am writing this as a practical instructional manual in terms of how to start your own photography blog. Note that none of this is “truth†or “rules†— these are simply guidelines that I wish I knew when I started a photography blog. I will share some tips, pieces of advice, and lessons which can help you practically when starting a photography blog.
Dear friend,
I am addicted to G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I always want to buy new shit— the newest iPad (Epic), cars (Mustang), phone (iPhone 6s or Nexus 6P), clothes (hipster $200+ raw denim), coffee makers ($500+), and tons of other stuff in my Amazon gift list. Here are some practical tips that have helped me (partially) combat G.A.S.:
I love to buy shit. It makes me feel great. I feel cooler, handsomer, sexier, more powerful, and more important. I always feel that if I just bought “X†I would become happier. For example, if I bought a Leica, I would feel more “creativeâ€, “inspiredâ€, and become a better photographer. Not only that, but I would be more “respected†if I had a Leica.
Ugh, I just woke up and haven’t had my espresso yet (fortunately it is being made right now).
Anyways— I wanted to share an idea that I had when I was rolling out of the couch today: practice random acts of kindness.
This weekend I’m teaching a “how to find your unique voice†street photography workshop in Downtown LA. One of the things I love most about teaching a workshop is that it gives me the opportunity to come up with new posts to share with you.
Dear friend, life is brutally short; live a life of leisure.
This is part two of my review on Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, ‘On Street Photography and the Poetic Image‘.
For part one, click here.
Hey Neil,
Happy birthday man. I’m not 100% sure how old you are now, but all I know is that you’re about a decade my senior. I wanted to write this letter to wish you a happy birthday, and share some personal thoughts of how grateful I am to have you in my life.
Dear friend,
I want to share some ideas with you– specifically about “personal” street photography. I’m going to ramble a bit before that, so please be patient with me.
Dear friend,
I wanted to share some ideas with you on my mind; one of them being on happiness.
Interview by A.g. De Mesa, photos by Harvey Stein
The thing about any creative pursuit, specifically photography, is that it is easy to pick up but only a few can stay with it let alone be good at the same time.
I’m in a plane to LA from Oakland (Southwest), and wanted to use this hour or so to write and share about my experiences shooting 100 rolls of Kodak Tri-X Film pushed to 1600 this summer.
(A.g.: In the spirit of Open Source here on Eric’s Blog, this is a German translation of Eric’s 10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography made by photographer Lukas Beinstein).
Aperture have released a book collection called ‘The Photography Workshop Series‘ and currently have four in that set. I recently bought the co-authored one from Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, ‘On Street Photography and the Poetic Image‘. As Alex is one of my favourite photographers, I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to gain knowledge and guidance from such a great photographer. Especially as it’s unlikely that I’m going to get the chance to meet him in person, and what better alternative than with a book.
Simon: I recently took part in Eric’s workshop in New Orleans and during one of our daily critique sessions Eric asked if I’d like to write a post about the top 5 things I learnt.  After taking the time to reflect on the week I really struggled to cut it down to 5 and decided to share the top 10 – sorry Eric!
Before I get into what I learnt about photography I want to share a couple of other things I learned from this trip:
See the most recent version of this book (Version III): “100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography.”
Learn from the masters of street photography, with 82 practical lessons and assignments that will push you outside of your comfort zone, and take your work to the next level.
I’ve been in the “social media†game for as long as I can remember. Let me tell you a story:
I just turned 21 years old, and I got 100+ “happy birthday†messages on Facebook. No phone calls. Two text messages (one from Cindy and one from my mom). No presents. No hugs in real life. I felt sad, shallow, and neglected.
(A.g.’s Note: We’re glad to have Observe Collective back on the blog again with some highlights of their recently held Under Construction exhibit in Germany. Check it out!)
Dear fellow streettog,
I want to live my life to the fullest. I want to die without regrets.
Often I piss away my days, live a life according to the opinion of others, and desire shit that I don’t need (materialistic things like cars, a lot of money, fancy cameras, shiny devices, and a big house).
As a reminder to myself, I always try to remind myself of “The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.” A hospice nurse wrote a list of 5 common regrets people had on their death bed.
Hopefully by now, you already know what this means! If you don’t know what we do, check my introductory post of Streettogs Academy Here! For those of you already know, read on!
I am currently loving my “boring”, humble, yet simple life back in Berkeley.
Everyday my life with Cindy is like this:
Original post from Nick’s blog.
So it’s that time of year again when I look at my life and all of the things that I’ve accomplished, or in my case, haven’t. My opinions have changed as I’ve gotten older and the things that mattered to me weren’t always the same. I was a selfish person as I only thought about material things. As clichéd as it sounds, but I’ve realised that it’s not the things around me that matter, but who, that make me happy.
(Cover Photo by Assignment No. 15 Community’s Choice, Salman Taseem Haque)
While sifting and reading these pictures, I constantly have a smile on my face. This has got to go down as one of my favorite because it reeks of so much positivity. That said, let’s look at some of the best in this beautiful assignment.
(This was initially sent to my newsletter)
Dear friend,
Long time no talk! I am excited to share that I just got back safely from New Orleans after an epic two-week trip there. I have to admit; it is my new favorite city in America (top 3 cities in the world, the other two being Saigon (Vietnam) and Beirut, Lebanon.
Why? It is the only city in the US where you feel like you’re not there. Also, southern hospitality is real— seriously some of the nicest human beings I have ever met.
Dear friend,
I wanted to give you a new “no bullshit” review of the Ricoh GR II (new version, Mark II). I can honestly say that the previous Ricoh GR is the best value camera for street photography (read my review).
Dear friend,
I wanted to write you this letter on photography and life.
I just finished an epic week-long street photography workshop here in New Orleans, and it was an absolutely incredible experience. I had such a great time with the students, in terms of teaching, bringing people together, and sharing new experiences together.
Dear friend,
It is 7:20am in New Orleans, and I just downed a “Miss Tracy’s Addiction†(Double espresso, Cayenne pepper, Thai coconut milk) at Addiction Coffee and I’m feeling good. Had a nice chat with Dave, the barista here, and ready to do some writing to share with you some ideas.
Just as a random note, I was thinking about this article for the last day, and woke up super-early for you (6:30am after sleeping at 1am), because I felt it could be of use for you.
I’m currently staying at an Airbnb with my friend Todd and Neil, and Chris (new friend, who is also a workshop participant at my week-long street photography workshop here in New Orleans). All three of them have the new Sony A7RII (the 40+ megapixel monster), with Neil and Chris bringing both of them.
Check out the updated book: “100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography.”
Dear streettogs,
I am excited to announce my new free “open-source” e-book: “Learn From the Masters of Street Photography.” This book is a compilation of all the lessons I’ve distilled from my “Learn From the Masters Series” on the blog, in a convenient PDF for you to read, learn from, edit, remix, and share.
This project is very close to my heart, because I think it is my greatest work to date. I have poured my entire heart, blood, and soul into this work (along with drinking close to 100 espressos in total). I truly hope that this book helps stimulate some new ideas, helps push you outside of your creative zone, and for you to embrace these timeless lessons from the masters of photography.
Street Photography Quick Links is a compilation of Links, Projects, News, Videos, Events, or anything that is related to street photography or photography in particular that I have personally consumed. Perhaps these might interest you or make you think. If you want to send some links my way, details will be at the post below:
Eric: This article is by John Hall, a photographer and human being I respect deeply. John Hall was one of my students at a week-long street photography workshop in SF, and since then he has been my zen master (he always reminds me to stay centered). He recently attended a Jacob Aue Sobol workshop in Kyoto, Japan and I loved the article so much I wanted to share it with you. You can see his original article here.
John: I just finished a week long workshop with Jacob Aue Sobol in Kyoto and it was terrific. The Leica team was also most helpful during the week as the workshop was held in their beautiful Gion Leica store. Jacob, Chloe and Albert did a super job with a diverse set of students. A highly recommended workshop!
During my street photography workshop in SF this weekend, I experienced something that touched my heart. Peter Zhang, one of my students, was having a lovely chat with this woman in the Tenderloin of San Francisco. When I approached them, I saw him already deeply engaged with her in conversation, and he even gave her a kiss on the cheek!
What he did next amazed me; he took a portrait of her on an Fujifilm Instax Wide camera, and gave her a print as a present. The woman was blown away, and I recorded all the footage on my phone to share the love.
A post taken from Josh’s blog. He doesn’t always say much, but like this post talks about, simple things are sometimes good ones. Enjoy.
The end of a long weekend. I used to travel on weekends like this. I would go to Tokyo or Hong Kong. Now, I prefer to stay nearer home.
(Editor’s Note: Words and Photographs by Steve Simon. Steve is a very passionate photographer, author, and an educator that has traveled the world shooting for various brands, companies, and organizations. His work focuses on street and documentary photography. He shares with us today how simple it is to start a street project and how it will develop your photography further. All words and photographs are by Steve Simon.)
We all have a unique vision of the world and photography is such a great way to express your vision. The more you shoot, the more focused and recognizable that vision becomes, a style if you will. But you don’t set out to create a style, your style reveals itself when you get through a volume of work. It’s unconscious and not contrived. Others might see it before you do… you’re too close to your work to always recognize it.
I have been a street photographer since I first picked up a camera as a young kid, wandering the streets of Montreal.
How much is enough?
How much is superfluous in life? What is excess baggage that holds you back?
What are some demons from your past and mental baggage that holds you back? What are physical possessions which hold you back?
What kinds of cameras and equipment hold you back? Which cameras are sitting on your shelf or drawer which you haven’t used for a few months, or even over a year? Why do you keep onto them? What do you fear? Do you worry about these “what if?” situations?
Let’s keep things going and get to more shooting with the latest assignment for Streettogs Academy!
For avid readers of Eric’s blog, you’d notice he’s on a relentless pursuit towards zen, stoicism, and minimalism. All of this is in the pursuit of one thing. Actually it is a thing we are all pursuing in all the aspects of our lives.
Here is our next assignment:
Dear friend,
I wanted to write you a letter about “Wu-Weiâ€, a Taoist philosophy and concept that I learned from the “Tao Te Ching†(recommend the version by Stephen Mitchell).
So let me pose you a question: have you ever been out shooting on the streets for an entire day, and you tried really hard to make good photos, and you ended up not making any good photos after 8 hours of hard work and stress?
Dear friend,
I wanted to give you some advice on bouncing back from negative and debilitating experiences when you’re shooting street photography.
Dear friend,
I wanted to write you a letter on the concept of “killing the masters of photographyâ€. It is kind of a Buddhist philosophy, as well as a philosophy I gained from Seneca, my stoic philosophy hero and mentor.
Dear Eric,
I want to write this letter for you, as a reminder of sorts to meditate upon some of the thoughts running around in your head.
Remember when you used to work in IT at UCLA? How many people complained that their computer didn’t work, and a simple rebooting of their computers fixed the problem?
I think the same thing applies to your own life’s problems: simply reboot. Don’t let the demons of your past drag you down. Reboot, and start afresh.
I think one of the things you did for yourself which was refreshing was rebooting your Flickr. I know how attached you were to your images, and how great you thought you were. You were attached to your older black and white photos, and while they were pretty, as your friend Josh told you, they weren’t that memorable (besides a few photos, like the dark faced man in Tokyo, the jazz hands lady, and your grandfather series). So what you ended up doing was listening to Josh, re uploading your “Grandfather†series to your portfolio, and you removed your older black and white “Grit and grain†series of your best black and white photos. That was difficult, but damn refreshing.
So anyways, you marked all of your photos on Flickr to private, except your new color street portraits shot on a digital Ricoh GR. Josh told you that he felt these images felt more honest, and you agreed. Not only that, but wasn’t it refreshing to simply “reboot†your entire Flickr and start again from scratch?
A few months ago, your blog went offline. Suddenly, all 1,000+ of your posts over the last few years were gone. Disappeared.
At first you freaked out. You crapped your pants. You thought you got hacked, and jumped to all these conclusions.
Yet after the first hour of panic, you actually felt an intense wave of calm. Everything you said before was now dead. You actually looked forward to restarting from scratch, just like a beginner. And honestly at the end of the day, the only thing you’re really proud of include your recent ebooks made into PDFs. If suddenly your entire blog disappeared again, I think you would have no regrets. Just keep writing, putting together those PDFs, and don’t expect to leave some sort of legacy. Just do your work, day by day, and be diligent. Don’t give up, keep drinking coffee, and ultimately write for yourself and a few good friends, without seeking others approval.
Another interesting thing that you tried out is dropping “street photography†from your title. After all, your ultimate passion (at least for now) is street photography. Why would you change your title from “Eric Kim Street Photography Blog†to simply “Eric Kim Photography Blog?†Well, nowadays you’re starting to feel a bit trapped by being pigeonholed into the genre of “street photographyâ€, because you don’t only shoot street photography. You shoot different types of photography. You’re exploring a lot more “personal documentary photography†(similar to Anders Petersen) in which you’re photographing your loved ones (like Cindy). Josh White also helped inspire you in this direction.
Not only that, but you don’t want the blog to just appeal to street photographers, but to all photographers. I think what you want to do is to make it more general, because ultimately all of us photographers deal with the same issues in life: issues with not having enough money and free time, issues trying to find our own voices, and the stress and anxiety of not getting enough “likes†or comments on social media. So why restrict yourself to just a small audience of street photographers. You were built and put on this earth to serve all of mankind. So don’t restrict yourself. Perhaps even down the line you can rename the blog to just “Eric Kim Blogâ€, where you don’t even have to just talk about photography either, because your interests also lie in philosophy, happiness, psychology, history, and other topics. Don’t restrict yourself. Speak your mind, be open and free, and know that most people won’t appreciate or care what you say or do or write. But once again, you’re ultimately writing to solve your internal fucked up mind, to solve your inner stresses, to medicate your own ailments. If anyone gains benefit from it, be happy. If not, be happy that you’re helping yourself at the end of the day.
So how else can you reboot your life? Reboot your family history; don’t be held back by the demons of your past with all the drama with your mom and your dad. Reboot your photography, don’t feel you only need to shoot “street photographyâ€, just shoot whatever makes you happy. Reboot your social life; only spend time with the select few friends who truly bring joy to your life. Reboot your philosophies on a daily basis; don’t feel tied to these arbitrary “rules†you set yourself. Know that when you find a rule you set yourself in life no longer works, change it. Don’t be a fool and be stubborn. Ditching film (for now) and shooting digital has made you feel like a beginner again, more free, and more fun. So stick with it, don’t feel like you need to stick with film just for the sake of it.
Anyways, you have an amazing day to look forward to, to teach your Seattle street photography class. Help the students build their confidence, show them love, compassion, and your heart. Ultimately focus less on technique, and more on treating them like human beings. Remember at the end of the day, they’re not going to remember what you taught them, but that you loved them.
Oh yeah, and you’re allowed to have as many coffees today as you want (you deserve it). Hipster espressos galore, woot!
Love always,
Eric
9:35am, Thursday, 9/17/2015 @ Walters house after a nice espresso he made for you, always be grateful of his friendship and those who have helped you along the way.
About a month ago I gave a talk on street photography at EyeEm headquarters in Berlin. During the question and answer session, there was a member in the crowd who asked me the question: “What is your dream?â€
“If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything, it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few. †― Shunryu Suzuki
(Cover photo by Assignment 14 Community’s Choice, Michele Berlingeri)
This has got to be one of the assignments that got the most number of beautiful pictures so far! The number of interpretations given to our theme is very diverse. Let’s start our analysis with our Community’s Choice:
You can download this essay for free as a PDF or Microsoft .DOCX file.
Dear friend,
I wanted to write you a personal letter on innovation. Not to say that I am the most innovative person (I’m not), but in the hope that I can hash out some of my personal thoughts on creativity, pushing boundaries, which I hope can ultimately help you too, my dear friend.
I just finished re-reading the excellent biography of Steve Jobs written by Walter Isaacson. If you can own just one book on innovation and inspiration, this is the book to get friend. So let me map out some of the lessons I’ve learned from the book, and the life and philosophies of Steve Jobs:
Read as a Google Doc (where you can suggest edits, and also download as a PDF).
I recently came across the excellent book: “Mary Ellen Mark on the Portrait and the Momentâ€, an educational workshop book published by Aperture, at the home of my friend Brian Sparks. Mary Ellen Mark is a photographer who endlessly inspires me, and especially with her recent death, I wanted to meditate on some of her thoughts and philosophies about photography and life.
I have already written an article on Mary Ellen Mark titled: “8 Lessons Mary Ellen Mark Has Taught Me About Street Photography.†However I still learned new lessons that I want to share with you:
I’m still afflicted with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I want new shit all the time. I’m always dissatisfied with the technology I have (smartphone, tablet, laptop, camera, espresso machine) as well as my car, clothes, standard of living, quality of my food, etc.
What causes this constant treadmill of dissatisfaction?
There is a disease that Nassim Taleb calls “neomania” in his book, Antifragile. It’s probably my favorite modern book (I’ve re read it about 5 times, cover to cover). The concept of neomania is that we love the new for the sake of the new.
For example, whenever the new iPhone comes out, everyone instantly becomes dissatisfied with their old iPhone, and want the newest and greatest. And they forget how happy they were when they bought their “old” iPhone, and how slick and advanced it was when it first came out.
This is a psychological problem, that Daniel Kehnnamen explores in his book, “Thinking fast, and slow”. The problem with humans is that we notice differences more than similarities.
For example, when it comes to digital cameras, we always point out the differences (megapixel count, body style, sensor) rather than the similarities (all cameras take photos at the end of the day). The difference between a Canon and Nikon is negligible at best, but people always want to separate themselves from “others.” It is sort of a tribe mentality, which is sad. At the end of the day, we are all photographers. Who gives a shit which cameras we use? It especially pisses me off when Leica shooters look down on Fuji shooters. Probably like how guys who wear Rolex watches look down on guys who wear Seikos.
So I have a new mental heuristic (rule of thumb) that I’m trying to follow: ignore differences, and pay attention to commonalities.
For example, we always make differences in terms of places we live. I always complain of living in Berkeley instead of San Francisco. But at the end of the day, they are more similar than dissimilar. They both have huge commonalities (hipster coffee shops, hipster people, good restaurants, a downtown area you can walk around). But I’m always dissatisfied because I feel like I’m “missing out” not living in SF. It’s the whole “FOMO” idea (fear of missing out); that I’m missing out on the “street photography scene” in SF by being stuck in Berkeley.
Similarly, there is always a debate of film vs digital. Honestly at the end of the day, just shoot whatever makes you happy. Film and digital do have differences, but at the end of the day, they’re far more similar than dissimilar (you make photos either way).
The same applies to cars. There are people who compare Nissan with Toyota and Honda, and people who compare BMW vs Mercedes and Audi. But people always focus on the tiny differences, rather than the commonalities. And at the end of the day, a Honda Civic isn’t much different than a Porsche 911 (they are both cars that have four wheels, are made out of metal, and take you from point “A” to point “B.”
We can also point out the same in fashion. Is there really a difference between wearing Nike sneakers versus Adidas sneakers? Or a difference between Louie Vuitton and Coach? If aliens came to earth and saw us humans comparing the differences, they would think we’re fucking idiots (which we are).
Even a huge debate (iPhone vs Android, or Mac vs PC); they’re much more similar than dissimilar (regardless of what fan boys want to say). I used to be so dependent on my MacBook Air, but when I got it stolen in Paris a month ago, I bought a cheap Windows 8 tablet laptop. Sure there were some small differences between them (I prefer the Mac), but I was still able to get all my work just fine.
So as a practical tip whenever you hear about some new camera rumored or being released, don’t ask your friends what’s new about it. Ask them: “What is similar about it?”
Another thing I think about: no matter how cool or slick a new camera may seem, one day (generally 2 years) it will seem outdated and shitty.
For example, whenever I see an old iPhone 4, or even an iPhone 5 it looks so tiny and outdated compared to the iPhone 6. Whenever I see older MacBooks (not Air versions), they look like they’re from the stone ages. Even when I see old Leica m9s, I remind myself of how much I lusted and craved for it. But now it looks so dated compared to the new Leica M240.
Do we really need more megapixels in our cameras, bigger sensors, better image quality, faster autofocus, high iso performance, and image stabilization?
Isn’t it incredible that some of the best photos taken in history were shot with ancient cameras (manual focus), with low-Iso film (iso 25-100), tiny viewfinders, and other limitations? In fact I think that these limitations of technology forced photographers to be more creative (to start using a flash, shooting in good light, or mastering their equipment). Whenever I hear someone complain that their camera is grainy at iso 6,400 or that they moan that their camera isn’t “full frame”, I want to slap them. Similarly, we complain that our cameras and equipment is too big and heavy. Have you ever tried to carry around a medium format or large format film camera?
Don’t get me wrong, I bitch and moan all the time. I think new cameras with new technology will help me be more creative. But the truth is having less technology in your cameras will force you to be more creative (I think the best photographers often shoot manual focus and with outdated film cameras). The more limited you are by your camera technology, the more you’re forced to be creative. It is a “creative constraint.”
I’m so damn picky with coffee too. I only like hipster espressos. But at the end of the day, coffee is more similar than dissimilar (caffeine is caffeine).
Same with food; I eat to live, I don’t live to eat. I need to stop wasting time on Yelp and Trip Advisor trying to find a new restaurant to “entertain my palette”. I need to realize at the end of the day, most restaurants are more similar than dissimilar. And who you decide to eat with is far more important than what or where you decide to eat.
I’m going to try being less picky in my life, have fewer preferences, and be grateful for what I have (rather than wanting the new, and better).
God grant me the serenity to appreciate what I have, and not bitch and moan about what I don’t have.
