For a long time, I thought of and labored for a “perfect”device (phone). Now I’ve discovered it — iPhone Mini (in black, with a red silicone case). And this is the strange zen I now feel and experience:

I no longer think about, or worry about my phone or having the *best* or “perfect” phone.

In terms of devices, I got the perfect tablet (iPad Pro, 10.5 inch)— I actually prefer the home button for screen shotting. And for laptop, the best and perfect laptop is probably the new 13’’ MacBook Air (Space Grey).

For cameras, RICOH GR III as the perfect camera.

So the thought is this:

When we labor so much for the perfect things … towards what ends? And once we do get perfect (I think it is possible), then what?

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A thought and realization:

With strength, and strength/physical culture, the apex is to maximize your maximum power output (once, a la powerlifting) than arbitrary ‘reps’ (repetitions).

I am convinced this is the best way to *enjoy* “working out”, to prevent injury, and to also become more superhuman:

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The new re-edited JUSTICE LEAGUE by Zack Snyder as insanely great:

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A strange bias I notice in modern society:

We are more interested in objects (cars, watches, design objects, devices, etc) over human beings.

Why? Some thoughts:

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For more effective street photos, try to include the face of the subject in your photos. And as a plus– add your own photo into the frame too!

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In praise of photographing faces:

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We love human faces.

Almost above everything else. The joy of watching movies and films is based on faces. Close ups on human faces and conversations.

Even babies and children — they’re mostly drawn to faces, far more than any other stimuli.

Thus the simple thought:

To be “happier”— perhaps expose ourselves with more human faces?

Also in photography and art, more focus on faces?

A thought and realization:

No more hierarchy of “good” and “bad” stimuli.

Anything which gets you going and inspires and motivates you is good!

This means music, films, videos, sunlight, coffee, social stimuli, visual novelty, art, books, literature, poetry — it’s all good!!

Dear friends,

It seems one of the most difficult things in photography is to self-motivate yourself towards photography– this means:

1. Motivating yourself to shoot and make new photos
2. Motivating yourself to review your photos, select (edit) them, process them, export them, publish/share them, then figure out which photos to share, etc.
3. Finding and discovering deep joy from your photography, which will motivate you to continue your photographic journey.

But why is self-motivation in photography so difficult, and how can we motivate ourselves further in photography? Some thoughts:

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I’m very enthusiastic and interested in the new ultra wide angle lens for the iPhone in terms of the new creative perspectives and views and compositions it will open up to us!

To advance in your photography means:

To become more fascinated with your own photos than the photos of others.

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The goal isn’t to just have a life in which we have aimless leisure — in which we just sit around and ‘do nothing’. The goal is to have a life of artistic and creative leisure — in which we have the mind space, time, opportunity, energy and power to focus on our artistic and creative pursuits and ends!

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In life there are many things we want to do— things we desire to do, and want to do.

However on the other hand, there are other things in which we *MUST* do— things we don’t need to force ourselves to do— things that no matter what, we will self-compel ourselves to do it.

Then the thought is this:

Perhaps in life the best course of action is to simply pursue things you MUST do, instead of things you *want* to do.

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With design– small, compact, and light is the apex:

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Everything that happened to you is for the betterment and strengthening of you.

Everything that happened to you is the best possible thing that could have ever happened to you, and the most desirable thing to have happened to you.

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A thought while watching the new Zack Snyder cut of Justice League:

Wow— you can achieve soooo much more artistically when *NOT* given the basic constraints of the typical 1.5-2 hour film.

This is why the future for (great) films must be online and streaming— directors aren’t stuck in this “Procrustean Bed” of arbitrary constraints, just how there is arbitrary constraints on 30 minute TV shows (for the 5 minute commercial break), or how the typical pop or rap song is around 3 minutes long (or how the typical music album is around 12 songs long).

Then which makes me think: What other (arbitrary) creative Procrustean Beds do we put ourselves into? Social Media as a creative Procrustean Bed— you must follow their restraining template and format. Same goes with the typical photo book: printed matter as a Procrustean Bed because of costs, and production distribution costs.

When it comes with decisions or life events, best to think: everything happened as it ought to have happened.

Also realize all decisions are just a continuum — and your decisions (and your life) is always in a mode of becoming.

A simple thought:

When you shoot and create photos which bring you delight, share that delight with others by sharing/publishing your photos!

And it ain’t even about your ‘best’ photos — it is about your *FAVORITE* photos — photos you love.

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The artist as shaping form. You as an artist — you have the power to form and shape yourself. You are the ultimate clay, the ultimate thing to be reshaped, reformed and to shape yourself into a greater you!

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My interest and passion in design — applied to photography:

The greatest boon of studying design is applying the concepts to photography.

For example:

1. How to design a frame (composition is designating what is of importance to you in the frame).
2. Dynamic design (dynamic composition concepts)
3. The aesthetics of your photo (color combinations or black and white) and post-processing styles, etc.

To design: to designate. If you designate what you show is important (you designate and select the subject-matter and what to and what *NOT* to photograph) and you also design the composition (you designate what you find is beautiful or not in a frame).

Also:

A designer seeks to beautify the world, by creating beautiful things.

As a photographer, you do the same — you desire to create beautiful images, and bring them into the world!

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My interest in design:

A realization … not to just admire and continually obtain “design objects”, but instead to seek to *UNDERSTAND* the beauty behind design, and to use these insights to create your own designs and things!

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With cameras, equipment, lenses, gear or any other decisions of the type try to honestly ask yourself: “Will this decision or purchase help me create more”?

If so, just go for it. If not, just use what you got and make on!

The definition of “creativity” as the propensity to create … anything!

Photographic fitness: to shoot a lot, frequently, and to always stay fit with your photography; your technique and sharpness in shooting, your photographic vision, and your photographic muscles!

You are a special type of artist– one who paints with light. You write and paint with light; this is what photography is!

Thus in photography, think about creative ways you can write with light and paint with light. Utilize the light, create light, and write your feelings with your photos!

Why I love RICOH GR III, and why I think it is the best camera (better than any Leica camera, rangefinder, iPhone, etc):

1. Ability to shoot with one hand (increases your photographic optionality)
2. Best monochrome JPEG images (high contrast black and white)
3. Charges via USB-C (insanely useful, especially if you own a MacBook Pro charger)
4. Smallest camera, lightest weight, and strongest power (the most powerful camera, with the smallest footprint and weight).
5. Best ergonomics on a compact camera (best ergonomics holding it in your hand, the hand grip, shooting, etc).
6. 1080p 24fps video recording (monochrome) as very good for making artistic videos or short clips.

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A epiphany I had while shooting with the iPhone Mini (one handed, in my left hand while walking):

The most flexible form and the best technique in photography is having the ability and privilege to shoot one-handed.

For example, most of the time when we are out living our everyday lives, we often have to do something with one of our hands (holding a grocery bag, holding a coffee cup, or pushing a stroller if you got a child).

This is one of the reasons I LOVE the Ricoh GR III–I can shoot with it one handed! And also the new touchscreen for autofocusing points is great, because I can even use one hand to touch a certain point of the screen to autofocus. As a result, I’ve been able to shoot more personally decisive moments— when walking around the neighborhood with a coffee in my left hand, and a camera in my right! Or holding an umbrella with your left hand, and a camera with your right hand!

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How do you know what great design or technology is?

The more you use it, the more you like it!

Or,

The more you use something, the more the design surprises and delights you in ways you couldn’t have even imagined!

For example, the iPhone Mini: the joy of shooting photos with one hand, the ability to reach all of the screen with one hand, and even the ability to use the phone with my (less dominant left hand)! The thought that ‘one handed photography‘ is great!

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What do we desire?

We desire to look forward to a more beautiful and prosperous future.

What does this mean? This means:

1. More beautiful sights (more beautiful interior decor, more beautiful neighborhoods)
2. Being part of a more elite/beautiful society (more beautiful human beings, deeper conversations, more ‘turbo thoughts‘)
3. Brighter light (living in a place with more bright light, sun), better weather (Southern California as the goal).
4. Training your body to beautify your body, and to also make more beautiful art work.

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When I look at my most powerful photos, this is what I have noticed:

My strongest photos are typically very close (I am close to the subject, both physically [macro mode] or emotionally).

This goes not only in my street photography, but my personal photography.

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Or in other words:

Life is too short to pursue or do anything you are *NOT* passionate or enthusiastic towards.

I still believe:

If you pursue your passion(s) with the greatest zeal and might in life, there is no way you cannot succeed and win.

Why? With passion, you will have pure endurance, perseverance, not out of some sort of ‘virtue’, but you cannot do anything otherwise (meaning, you cannot help but keep on going on pursuing your passion, because you are compelled by yourself to do it naturally, with love, play, and fun!)

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The goal:

To make more powerfully impactful images.

Photos which elicit a strong and powerful emotional response within us. Stronger and more powerful aesthetics, stronger light, and stronger and more emotional subject-matter (for example, photographing your family, loved ones, or children).

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When do we have the greatest zeal and zest for life?

When we strive to over-come and over-go ourselves.

In other words:

1. Striving to achieve more ‘PR’s (personal records) in life– whether it be entrepreneurial, financial, strength-based (powerlifting) or even achieving a new ‘max reps’ number.
2. To become more.
3. To become stronger today (in some regard) than which you were yesterday.

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A thought —

In terms of aesthetics, story, drama, and happenings … darker is better.

This is what I mean:

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Designs I am into right now:

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I’ve been pretty much wearing ‘all black everything’ (in terms of clothes) for around 4+ years straight. Today I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought to myself:

I really don’t like the way this black t-shirt looks on me.

Instead, I put on a well-fitted Uniqlo V-Neck Supima Cotton (White) and I thought to myself:

I actually far (right now) prefer the way the white t-shirt looks on me, with a black bottom (black merino wool leggings with black athletic shorts on top).

Which made me think:

Wow … no matter how ‘perfect’ you make a certain aesthetic ideal … you will always (eventually) bore of it.

Thus perhaps our minimal pursuit of just finding the ‘perfect’ everything (aesthetics you will never get bored of) is an impossibility. No matter how great, cool, zen, stylish a certain aesthetic you got (in terms of cars, clothes, watches, devices, etc) … you will eventually bore of it!

Then the question and thought:

Is it possible to achieve a certain aesthetic you will never bore of?

Then–

Actually, is it a *GOOD* thing that we bore of certain aesthetics?

For now my takeaway is this: yes, it is good that we bore of certain aesthetics, designs, and things … or else, what motivation would we have to innovate? Otherwise we would all still have iPhone 6’s, still be wearing top hats and monocles, and pantyhose (men as well).

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The most fun composition you can shoot anywhere:

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Every photo you make is a reflection of yourself (the saying that a photo is a mirror with a memory):

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For me, having the ‘best’ or the most ‘optimal’ tools and things in order to *NOT* second-guess or consider other options, which frees up mind space in order to focus on what is truly important– your focus on your artistic and creative creations, deeper philosophical thought, and innovation!

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I don’t need the best — I’m more about reviewing and testing? I don’t need to own the things. In fact, I prefer to own nothing — to he tied down by nothing.

The goal and game isn’t to acquire all the best things. Rather, to use, test and experience/learn from the best things, tools and designs, and transfer these concepts to your own designs, creations and art works.

Nowadays, to say anything about the body is seen with bad taste. For example:

If you flex to much, it is seen as vain and sinful.

Also:

Due to our Christian-Judeo morals and ethics in America, the body is seen as bad, evil, and to be untrusted.

Yet the irony is that in America, we glorify the body. We glorify swimsuit models, bodybuilders, and superheroes in movies. Can you imagine Batman or Superman being the average ‘skinny fat’ American? Or can you imagine Wonder Woman without her muscles and strong form?

Thus the strange bias:

In the media (TV shows, movies, films) or things that aren’t ‘real life’, we love and glorify the human body. But in everyday affairs, we look at the body with part scorn and hate, yet desire.

But what if we returned to more robust Ancient Greek ideals — which glorified the body (the ‘arete’ notion of Ancient Greece)– in which to reach the apex magnanimous version of being a human, one had to excel both in spirit and soul *AND* their body.

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Something I thought about when looking at the Puma x MAISON KITSUNE collaboration line (specifically these yellow and black sneakers):

Wow, Puma makes some really cool shoes, even though Puma isn’t considered as prestigious or “cool” as Nike or Adidas.

In a similar vein, I find the new Kia and Hyundai/Genesis cars very cool from a design perspective — specifically the Kia K5 (the wolf grey is insanely cool) and the Kia Stinger (Panthera metal). Kia Telluride is also very cool (all black).

With Hyundai, the new Elantra front end (the Elantra N with a 6 speed transmission is super cool), and the bold styling with the Hyundai Sonata. For Genesis, the new G80 is insanely innovative from a design perspective (far cooler than any Porsche, Audi, BMW or Mercedes sedan).

Which makes me think:

When we desire things x, y, z … how much of it do we want for the brand prestige and name, or just the design?

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How does one feel extreme gratitude? Through extreme difficulty and through long periods of enduring difficulty.

Thus in life, one cannot feel gratitude without difficulty. One cannot force oneself to feel gratitude.

Furthermore, perhaps life ain’t about trying to avoid difficulty and challenge, but rather to take it in good stride and know:

Once this difficult task is finished and accomplished by me, it will all be worth it … due to the extreme gratitude I will feel!

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Philosophy means “love of wisdom, or sophia”. Taken further, we can also think about photography — our love of photography, the love of photos, and the love of making photos!

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The new tag line of the new Nissan Z Proto. I love the concept and execution. Why? I believe it is what I actually do believe in— the best design gives homage to the past, while injecting in the present and modern. Even the car having a classic 6 speed manual transmission — brilliant. Even the recent new Toyota Supra was a huge letdown to fans, as it is only available in auto(tragic-matic). Same goes for many new models of Porsche 911 and BMW M-cars; only automatic!!! Considering that sports cars is all about romanticism, control and the joy of (manual) driving — this should be kept pure.

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My buddy Anthony Larson told me about the new MacBook Air, and how the new apple M-chip is quite epic.

A related thought:

After trying so much to try to improve my productivity with iPad, iPhone, etc… still at the end of the day, I am 100x more productive with a laptop.

Which makes me think:

Are phones and iPhones the red herring– a distraction from true and deep productivity, which is best achieved with a laptop?

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In life, art, writing, and thoughts — always opt for the more interesting one.

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What do we aspire to? Simple — augmenting, improving and raising our visual and artistic acuity to photography.

But how does one do that? Some ideas:

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Why I prefer iPhone Mini over iPhone Pro:

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I think I first heard the notion of ‘lifestyle design’ waaaaay back when talking about Tim Ferriss. The general gist:

You craft and create your own ideal life and lifestyle for yourself.

Lifestyle has been the trend for a long time. But what does ‘lifestyle’ mean, and why is ‘lifestyle’ design important?

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You are the craftsperson of your own life.

I say:

Adjust the different settings of your life — continually tweak the knobs and levers, to build your own ideal life.

Nobody will hand you your own life on a silver platter. Similarly speaking, nobody knows what *YOUR* preferences are. Thus, be staunch, strong, and head-strong. Craft your own ideal future.

ERIC

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Know your body, know what is best (and what is worst) for you:

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Uplift and pump yourself up!

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Why design rules everything around me:

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No such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ thoughts. All thoughts are thoughts, and worthy of being shared:

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Just got a new iPhone mini and was checking out all the new iPhones. Some thoughts:

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If all of existence built up to one day of insanely sublime joy, it was all worth it!!!

UBER-LIME: The opposite and other half of ‘sub-lime’ (ABOVE and OVER the line). The deepest and darkest sorrow as necessary for the highest and most sublime joy.

What do we desire as photographers?

To make beautiful photos.

What is our desire for cameras, lenses and equipment?

To have a certain image quality or aesthetic to the camera, sensor, or image-processing which helps us create beautiful photos.

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A thought while looking outside my window, and seeing a new electricity pole:

Wow, even seeing this slightly different version of my view is very delightful!

The electricity pole is brand-new– taller, with a darker (more aesthetically pleasing) brown wood, and there is some bright orange tape on it.

Taking it further — let us assume the ‘eternal return’ (Nietzsche’s concept assuming if our life were on loop forever) — would we prefer consistency, or a life of forever change and novelty?

I say the second!

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A simple heuristic and approach to life:

When it comes to decision making, either do it ‘as much as possible’ or not at all.

For example, when it comes to food (intermittent fasting), either don’t eat anything during the day (fasting) or when you break your fast (at night, in the evening after sun goes down) eat as much meat as possible.

With children, how many should you have? Either none, or as much as possible.

With coffee consumption, how much coffee to drink? As much as possible or none. Perhaps the same goes with drinking water?

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Or why I hate Google Chrome, Android and (most) of Google products and social media:

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We often regret:

Oh I should have known better. I wish I had made a better decision. 

But how rarely do we think:

How grateful I am that given the circumstances something FAR WORSE did not happen!

Or in other words, having the wisdom or insight to understand that your “mistake” was very small and limited, and could have been 1000x worse!

For example the other week I slipped down the stairs (while wearing slippery socks on the slippery stairs). I had a major headache after it and pain, but instead of bemoaning my injury, I thought:

Oh shit, thank God this didn’t happen with me while I was holding the baby!!!

My earliest passion and interest in photography was specifically street photography. But starting off, how does one approach street photography?

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Question:

Do you like your own photos? Are you interested in your own photos?

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One of the challenges I deal with:

How to keep up with my photos.

What I mean by that is this:

I am shooting so much now (with the birth of my son) — perhaps on average ~500-1000 photos a day.

So the question:

How can I most effectively continue to shoot while still editing, selecting, exporting, and publishing/sharing my photos?

Some thoughts:

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Your task and duty:

To create, shape, and form yourself — whether philosophically, artistically, entrepreneurially, physical (muscular, body composition).

You are the end product!

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Beyond the “decisive moment” in photography. What we are actually searching for are *significant* moments in photography — moments which are personally meaningful and significant to us!

For example, the smile and laugh of your child or loved one. Even in street photography, we are trying to capture certain moments which we find beautiful and significant to us, not just “decisive”.

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The best design is the design you don’t need to think about, or the design you no longer notice.

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We certainly know we care about certain things x, y, z, but we never ask ourselves how it matters — how this decision or taste of ours will actually practically manifest and affect our everyday lives and lived realities.

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What is the meaning of our predilection towards the visual arts, whether photography, film, cinema, sculpture, fashion, art design etc?

Visual delight! Delight in the contrasting shapes and forms, movements, colors, hues, textures, patterns and compositions!

We talk much on how to shoot photos, and I’ve also covered a lot of thoughts on *why* shoot photos. But something we haven’t explored as much:

When should we make photos?

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