A question I’ve been grappling with a long time:

Is there an ideal lifestyle for myself?

Dear friend,

Question:

What is it you truly desire in life?

I have this new notion of photography:

What if we saw photography as a tool of empowerment, instead of just making photos?

I call this notion ‘power photography’.

A realization:

If the purpose of photography isn’t to become a better photographer, perhaps we shouldn’t make photography the ultimate aim of our lives.

Instead, we should be seeking to live a better life. And how do we improve our lives and live a better life? By adapting our photography to our life, not adapting our life to our photography.

Some personal thoughts on how to discover ‘true’ happiness:

Always put yourself first. Obey your personal needs, desires, and “musts” in life before trying to help others:

As a modern photographer in this brave new digital world, to succeed you must create your own personal brand into yourself:

Dear friend,

I think following your passion in life is the ONLY way to live!

“Nil sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus.” (Life grants nothing to us mortals without hard work) – Horace

To be audacious means to love taking risks, being bold, to dare, and to venture for the uncertain, even though it might mean you will be hated, ridiculed, insulted, ignored, or fail.

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ERIC KIM STOCK PHOTOS [Dropbox Download Link]: A collection of free, open-source photographs for you to use for any purpose:

In praise of street photography:

Stack up the zeroes and commas in your bank account as a fun game.

Everyone tells you that you “should” blog more– but why?

A tip from my buddy Heraclitus: We are constantly in a state of becoming; an endless state of flux in which we are constantly changing, evolving, and becoming more (and less) at the same time.

If you want to become the most epic entrepreneur or you in life, don’t ask for permission.

In praise of a magnanimous, great, and anti-humble personal philosophy and mindset:

If you desire full control over yourself and your life, you must build equity in yourself.

Anti-statis in life; we must always be “onto the next one” if we hope to continue to evolve, change, and move forward!

The best way to market yourself is to create things of substance:

A practical primer on how to get discovered as a photographer, how to promote yourself, and how to gain more notoriety and fame as a photographer:

In Praise of Self-Promotion:

Pessimism — this little troll. Where does this ugly demon come from?

Dear friend,

A realization:

Life should be about OPTIONS and CHOICES, not ‘obligations’ or a sense of ‘duty’.

Is photography improving your life?

Fame is good:

Practical workflow tips for Lightroom:

How to become the most epic you:

In praise of an ascetic lifestyle:

Life isn’t fair — but how can we profit from our modern capitalist system? The secret: become self-employed.

Simple and practical tips on making better photos:

The best camera is the simplest “stand alone” camera.

My personal commandments for myself in photography (you don’t need to follow these):

You have 100% control over yourself and your own willpower:

Dear streettogs, I am very proud to announce the launch of HAPTIC MAGAZINE #1: Our Story [Free PDF Download]

I think I’m one of the greatest photography bloggers of all-time. Here is some practical advice I would give you on how to blog:

What is the worst malady in the modern world? Nihilism (the pathetic philosophy that says life isn’t worth living).

Some practical thoughts and tips on how to be ‘happier’ in life, using photography as the tool:

You got no limits, the only person stopping you is you:

Dear friend,

A philosophical idea:

What is good for others isn’t good for you.

Thus, you are safe ignoring everyone else and their advice.

I love going to the mall and shooting street photography there!

RAW is useful and good, but frankly speaking — overrated.

I like the idea of having a NOT to do New Year’s Resolution–much more robust than a ‘to do’ New Year’s Resolution:

A lot of us seek ‘location independence’ — but is this something that will bring us happiness?

Dear friend,

If you’re a photography entrepreneur, here is some practical tips and guidance I will give you on getting ‘discovered’.

Goodfellas: another classic film you must watch:

Practical photography tips:

In life, let us seek to “satisfice” (80% good enough) with our possessions, tools, and lifestyle. Let us instead focus on maximizing our self-development and pushing our personal limits!

I’m a huge fan of processing and editing photos on iPad. Here are some simple tips which work well for me:

To live a better life, only pursue your “true preferences”.

I’m testing the SR+ Mode on the Fujifilm XF10 and I dig it! Some of my real thoughts:

When we say we want ‘financial independence’, what do we really mean to say?

There is no one “right” or “wrong” way to live your life. Ignore all “lifestyle” experts, and dictate for yourself how you want to live your own life.

Dear friend,

A realization:

Entrepreneurship is about attempting; trying, testing your limits– less about the results.

An entrepreneur is a daring individual, who seeks to first please themselves, and hopes to also share his/her personal findings with others.

To innovate, you must be stubborn on your own artistic vision!

Pick up the specially designed Fukubukuro Box or Haptic Bundles to get you ready for 2019! Only a few exclusive offers remaining. All orders will be gift personally gift wrapped by Cindy.

The best state to be in when you’re shooting is a “flow” state, when you’re shooting intelligently, without having to think!

In the spirit of my best friend Nietzche, perhaps the secret to living the best life is to extract the maximum amount of joy in every moment, every day; as if we were to live our lives for eternity!

Don’t quantify yourself, or your “progress” in your life.

Learn to love the resistance. To seek a fun challenge for yourself.

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Should you measure “success” in your photography, business, entrepreneurial efforts, and life?

Simple and practical tips on your road of becoming a photography entrepreneur:

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Only strive to be yourself:

A revolutionary new idea of success:

I’ve been vlogging since 2010; some practical tips I’ve learned the last 8 years:

The simplest lifestyle is the best lifestyle:

Photography is only fun when we challenge ourselves and push ourselves outside of our comfort zone. Here is a fun challenge in photography: experiment by shooting all of your photos with a flash for a week.

You cannot have the sweet in life without the bitter.