Trying to be too secure, you end up disadvantaging yourself or locking yourself out.

Less security is better.

It often breaks something critical.

PODCAST

Dear friends, to promote my upcoming Seoul South Korea street photography workshop experience, I wanted to share some thoughts on discovering your own personal soul in photography:

1. What is your soul?

The first question which comes to mind is what is your soul? What is the significance of it?

I don’t really think about the soul in a New Age spiritual way. I see it as very pragmatic. Basically your soul is a combination of your personality, ego, self consciousness, your memories, and your personality.

Basically, your soul is you.

2. What does the soul mean in the context of photography?

My thought is in the context of photography, your soul is imputing your own personality into your photos. In another way, you could think of your soul in photography as your own personal style, your style being like your own personal paintbrush. To show your own brushstrokes in your photos is your photographic style, and your soul.

3. Aesthetics

When it comes to aesthetics, everyone is drawn in a different way. For myself, I see black-and-white as the most sublime form of aesthetic and photography and also art. I have a very deep and strong connection with calligraphy, and abstract black-and-white paintings.

In photography, you choose your own paintbrush in your own aesthetics. For example, you make the conscious decision whether to shoot film or digital, which format to use, and what “look” you want.

For example if you shoot film, you have an array of choices. For example, you could choose whether to shoot 35 mm, medium format, large format. You could shoot color film or black-and-white film. You could push your film or pull your film.

In digital, you could shoot digital medium format, full frame, APS-C, etc. Also you can shoot JPEG or RAW. And also if you should JPEG, you could decide what filter to use. In raw, you could create a preset to create a certain process look, in which your aesthetic suits your artistic taste.

The aesthetic you choose is very important.

4. Consistency?

My personal thought is philosophically, your soul is always changing. Even Heraclitus says, “you never step in to the same river twice”. This means that your environment is always changing, and you are always changing. Therefore your experience will always be different.

Therefore in the context of photography, we should take the same approach. This means allow your photographic style to change. Shoot different subject matter, process your photos differently, and choose different processing techniques. Consistency is for suckers.

But why is there the bias that one must always be consistent in the artwork? I think it is a marketing thing. It is easier to market yourself if you are consistent, difficult to market yourself if you are always changing and evolving.

However, if you think about great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, etc., their style and subject matter is always in a sense of flux, they just followed their curiosity.

5. You are always re-discovering your soul

Discovery, and reddiscovery. Even if you travel to the same place again, you will reddiscover something new. Either in yourself or the environment, or the people there.

And this is why nostalgia is such a bad thing. When it comes to nostalgia and romanticism of the past, we seek refuge in the consistent. We don’t like change. Yet, the reality is things are always changing. And this is what makes life so beautiful.

Therefore in your photography, and your soul, allow yourself to always discover it, and rediscover it anew.

ERIC

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EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW

NEW: DISCOVER YOUR SEOUL: ERIC KIM SEOUL SOUTH KOREA STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TRAVEL EXPERIENCE 2022 (September 30-October 2, 2022) >

ERIC KIM EXPERIENCES >

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If this gave you deeper insight about your photography, and some interesting pragmatic ideas on the soul, feel free to re-publish or share with a friend!

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It isn’t about becoming a “better” blogger, but a more fearless one.

1. Asymmetry

Don’t make the photo symmetrical. Off-center.

2. Black and white

You can capture more beautiful tones and see the overall shape of the face in black and white.

Tip: Invert the photo to better see the silhouette and outline in your photos:

3. Shoot a lot of photos

Work the scene.

4. Obscure

Chiaroscuro — clear and obscure.

Curiosity — the impetus to travel, explore. To become stronger (curiosity about one’s strength) is what drives us to pursue new personal records in powerlifting.

Travel, adventure, exploration, physical training (powerlifting, weight lifting, physicality).

PODCAST

SEOUL IS THE FUTURE:

Dear friend,

If you’re hungry for adventure, and curious to experience the culture and streets of Seoul, South Korea, I cordially invite you to my new DISCOVER YOUR SEOUL ERIC KIM TRAVEL STREET PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE (September 30th to October 2nd, 2022):

(more…)

A new shift:

I don’t care to have it to become the ‘best’ or the fastest, or the most optimal … I just want it to work!

Some simple creativity ideas:

1. Just do it on the iPad. Funny enough, I see the iPhone as anti-creativity. The canvas is too small, and I think for the most part, iPhone breeds for bad habits. iPad on the other hand is a much larger creative canvas, and is better for illustration, the procreate app, viewing and reviewing your photos, calligraphy, etc. While I do not see the iPad as a full laptop replacement, it is a full stack creative powerhouse. I said instead of getting an iPhone Pro, just get a iPhone SE, and get iPad Pro instead.
2. Just do it manually. Manual means hand. The more you could use your hands, the better. Raising Seneca I have discovered that there is a deep connection between what you do with your hands, learning, and enjoyment.
3. Use voice dictation on iPhone or iPad. If you have an iPhone or iPad, enable dictation, and just use your voice to dictate your thoughts. I have discovered that there is something very natural about standing upright, walking around, and just using your voice to dictate your thoughts. If you think about ancient Greek in Homeric times, the great orators had iron lungs. And there is something more primal about using your voice than using your fingers to type, which is a lot less natural.
4. To become more creative is via negativa. Funny enough I’ve actually discovered that in order to become more creative, you want fewer apps, and also fewer sources of inspiration. The tricky thing is that we need some outside influence, but not too much. It is a dosage dependent thing. For example, having 1 to 3 cups of coffee a day during the morning is good, but having 50 cups of coffee a day is bad. I think in today’s world with all the streaming services and entertainment sources, it is like equivalent of drinking 1000 cups of coffee a day. Not good. As a simple creative exercise, I say that for entire month, unsubscribe from all your streaming services. Don’t look at YouTube. Uninstall social media. And your ultimate source of inspiration is just going out, going to the streets, going to public places, and just shooting things with your camera.
5. Kinetic creativity: all artwork is rooted in the physical. When I say physical I mean I was literally walking around, moving our bodies, etc. If you want to become more creative, I just say do more physical activity and exercise. For example, go to the nearby park and do a bunch of chin ups, go to the gym and going to powerlifting, or just buy a heavy kettle bell and work out at home. I think I might be the first person to discover that there is actually a link between art and adrenaline. The more I get amped up at the gym, the more creative ideas I get. For example, I’ve discovered more about myself, in reality, from deadlifting 475 pounds, than all these books of philosophy and wisdom combined.
6. Buy a cheap espresso machine. Cindy recently picked up a cheap Delonghi espresso machine, singleserve, for the house, an Amazon open box purchase, and it only cost 100 bucks. Waking up and being able to pull my own espresso at home is great. Also we buy the light roast Ethiopian fresh roast coffee on Amazon, which is great. Do not become dependent on coffee shops. You become your own coffee shop, your own barista.
7. Deep nutrition: I found it very fascinating that when you study wild predators, when they kill their prey, the first thing they do is consume the organ meats, like the liver heart and offal, and leave the rest of the lean flesh for the scavengers. What this means is this: liver, heart, and organ meats have the most nutrition. Recently on a trip to Charlottesville, I stopped by a local butcher, and started buying beef liver. I also find it fascinating that beef liver has one of the highest sources of cholesterol, which is essentially a steroid. Also, the more you consume foods high in cholesterol, it acts as a natural testosterone booster. Therefore as a simple thought: if you increase your testosterone, will it also augment your artistic abilities? I think so.
8. Travel: pretty basic but one of the biggest benefits of traveling is that it forces you to innovate your life and approach. A lot of people actually do not want to travel because it is not like home, and you’ll not have access to the same things you are used to. But this is actually a good thing. Always having access to everything is bad. It causes you to become stuck in your ways, and what creativity actually is is being able to discover new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking about things. Therefore, living a semi nomadic life is probably best, if you want to augment your creativity. Therefore if you have the option, and if your job allows it, move around, and don’t stay in one place for too long. If you stay in one spot for too long, it breeds stagnation. And stagnation is bad for creativity.
9. Vibram five fingers shoes: the best shoes are Vibram five finger shoes. Why? It is essentially like walking around barefoot. And our feet actually has one of the highest density of receptors. Nassim Taleb mentions in his book anti-fragile that there is a theory that our feet are actually able to map out the natural environment. And there is also a reason why getting a foot massage actually stimulates your thoughts. I think there’s actually a very strong link between the stimulation you get the bottom of your feet, and your intelligence. Also, the reason why humans are so intelligent is because we are bipeds, and walk around a lot. The days where I walk the most, around 30,000 steps, is the days that I get the most creative ideas. The more foam you have on your shoes, the worse. It is like putting a very very thick condom on. Who wants that?
10. think classic: the best creative ideas are very old-school. Ancient Greek times. Read the Iliad by homer, the odyssey, ancient Greek poetry, Horace, and philosophers like Heraclitus. For the most part, all modern ideas are not very interesting. I have discovered that after reading all these books on business and innovation, that all modern books try to turn you into a machine, or try to maximize your money making potential. True creativity is rooted in the past.

Upload your creative photos on arsbeta.com

Why make art or photos? Ask WHY APP?

HAPTIC INDUSTRIES

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Creative sources of inspiration

Watch some Stanley Kubrick films, or Akira Kurosawa. Roshomon or Stray Dog by Kurosawa.

Cinema by Kim>

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If this gave you any sources of creative inspiration or motivation, feel free to forward to a friend!

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FREE NEWS >

I think so! Perhaps I’ll experiment and find out for myself.

It augments us, our ability.

Anti automation.

Our ethos:

Which environments are best simulating for our minds?

The best armor is muscle.

This is what we seek. 

Maybe it’s a good idea to try to intentionally scratch your phone, camera, and devices.

This is living life on the edge. No need for stupid protection devices, cases or covers.

If your kid is already perfect in your eyes, maybe one is enough.

My critique of a lot of modern day games, especially mobile games this this: it takes no skill. Honestly, if you look at it long enough, and click enough buttons enough, you will win and advance.

The upside of living in a hotel — your own personal fortress.

Often when you try to optimize things, you either break it, or make it worse.

What is critical photography? Critical coming from the Ancient Greek “Kritikos”, which means judge. As a critical photographer, you judge your own photos uncompromisingly, without concern for others.

How and why should you be critical? Not self critical in terms of self flagellation, and lowering your self-esteem. No, to become deeper, more introspective, and more philosophical in your photography. Becoming more critical on why you make photos, for whom, and what innovation and creativity means for you in the context of photography.

The upside of investing in photography — its a growing field!

Let us consider, the reason why people upgrade their iPhones is for the camera. Photography as the dominant form of communication, and artistic self expression.

Simple idea:

1. First of all, extra small JPEG. Faster transfer speeds and uploading speeds. Greater ability to publish more.
2. Resourcefulness: Use any environment you’re in to make photos. Be the ultimate photo chameleon — shoot landscapes, urban landscapes, street photography, selfies, abstracts, or photograph interesting signs, billboards or things you see.
3. RICOH GR IIIX or RICOH GR III/II. Always having your camera in your front right pocket ready to shoot.
4. Set it and forget it: P, program mode and autofocus and auto iso.
5. The goal isn’t to make one immortal photo that will outlive you, but to stay infinitely curious like a child, and keep exploring and shooting.
6. Life on the road: Whenever possible, opt for a more nomadic experience in life. Photography and your life is more important than your job and career.
7. Self hosted WordPress.org blog: The ultimate publishing and sharing platform.
8. No social media. Delete the gram.
9. Don’t shoot with iPhone: Ricoh GR has 1000x superior ergonomics and image quality. Also cheaper than iPhone Pro. Stand-alone digital cameras are the key.
10. 30,000 steps a day. If you walk 30,000 steps a day, how can you not find things to shoot?

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It is illegal to be naked in public. But if you’re a man, you’re allowed to go topless in public. As a man being topless in public might provoke some chagrin, but just go for it anyways.

Why I love living in a hotel, especially having a kid.

There are not a lot of things in life which can buy us happiness. But iPad Pro for photographers is one.

I’m also not interested in competing with others.

The joy of shooting 40mm with a Ricoh GR 3X is this: what do you see is what you get.

What Seneca loves the most is having things that he could interact with, cause-and-effect, pushing buttons, etc.

It doesn’t matter how great or poor you are, stagnation is our greatest enemy.

The reason I love Zenbrush 2 is my ability to illustrate my ideas. When I desire a futured image to better illustate my thoughts.

If you decide to go to college, or get a major, don’t study fields which are dying. Study things which are growing.

For example, don’t study anthropology because it is a dying field. Study computer science because it is a growing field.

The problem with our thinking analogies is this: we think about how we were raised, and what our ideals were for ourselves when we were children. However, it seems the wise thing to do is actually as an adult, think carte blanche, without regard for your upbringing, and think what is best for you right now.

The question is: what do you desire your child to become? For me, the best direction is towards creating your child into a demigod, or following the script of an ancient Greek hero mythology.

For myself, ideally turning Seneca into an Achilles or Hector.

Certainly things like human rights, equality between races and sexes, the right to vote, etc. is a good thing. However, thinking about things in general: equality is an ideal, not a reality.

For example, not all students are admitted into Harvard or UCLA. Inequality is what creates rank, and an elite status.

Therefore if 100% pure equality were indeed made realized, it would just uphold mediocrity. If we strive for a more beautiful, interesting, and elevated society, inequality is a must.

Perhaps America will just stand back and let Europe fall.

Also consider, does your diet mimic that of herd animals, like eating “plant-based foods“, or like a wild predator, where you prefer more fatty, higher cholesterol meat?

The best food to get your testosterone up, also what acts as a natural steroid, gives you more energy and power through the day, and will augment your muscular gains is beef liver.

Just get it at the local butcher shop. The best way to cook it is to just pan fry it. First cook some bacon, and then cook the beef liver in the bacon fat. Top with mustard and hot sauce and you’re good.

Why beef liver? It is an organ meat. Wild predators like Wolves will first consume the organ meat, and leave the lean cuts of meat for the vultures.

Also, beef liver has the highest concentration of dietary cholesterol in it, and cholesterol is a natural steroid and testosterone booster. Just Google it: how old school bodybuilders used to eat tons of beef liver and beef liver supplements.