One of the practical tips I have about composition is to establish a strong ‘figure-to-ground.’ Pretty much that means to have a good contrast between your subject and background:

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Why do I blog?

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How much could we achieve in our life, and how much more of our potential could we reach, if we never lacked self-confidence in ourselves?

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I’m currently inspired by a lot of painting, and trying to figure out how I can improve my compositions in photography from the masters of art, starting off with Raphael:

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“It is courage, courage, courage, that raises the blood of life to crimson splendor. Live bravely and present a brave front to adversity” – Horace

Life is all about courage.

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Dear friend,

I wanted to write you a letter on why I photograph.

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I believe I am what I do, what I own, and how I live my life.

This is a personal breakdown of me, Eric Kim:

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I feel that mindset is the most important thing for photography.

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If you’re a newbie to Lightroom, don’t get overwhelmed. Here is an easy 10-minute start to Lightroom.

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Dear umma,

I want to write you this letter– thanking you for all the blessings, guidance, and love you have given in my life, and how you helped me become the man I am today:

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Here is a new lesson on “deep depth” in photography.

• Download Deep Depth PDF Examples

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Many of us are drawn to photography for the element of story-telling.

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Dear friend,

What kind of legacy do you want to leave in your photography after you pass?

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Dear friend,

I want to share some personal thoughts on the idea of ‘reinventing yourself’ — by casting away your past self, and starting afresh:

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I’ve been very interested in non-traditional compositions as of late, such as the ‘Dutch Angle’:

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Dear friend,

I wanted to share some of my personal thoughts on how to capture a soul in a photograph:

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Good spacing: another important part of good composition.

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Take your street photography to the next level this year:

• Apr 29-30: Bangkok Street Photography Workshop (Hosted by Monogram Asia)
• Sept 13-17: Tokyo Travel Photography Experience
• Oct 4-5: NYC Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography
• Oct 7-8: NYC Discover Your Unique Voice in Photography

Learn more about Workshops >

Dear friend,

I want to share with you why I only shoot with one camera, and one lens:

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Dear friend,

A lot of us are trying to find our own unique voice in photography, life, and our creative pursuits.

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Many of us labor to be ‘original’ in our photography— but realize, everything in photography and life is a remix:

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I think the biggest problem we face as photographers is that we don’t put enough soul in our photos.

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Dear friend,

I wanted to share you this article on leading lines:

Free PDF

• Free PDF: Leading Lines

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I know for myself, making photographs, writing, and doing creative work always requires me to overcome resistance.

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Dear friend,

Many of us are obsessed with “depth of field” in photography. But how few of us consider trying to capture “depth of soul” in our photography?

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Learn how to make more mysterious photographs with silhouettes.

• Download PDF Silhouette Examples

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Dear friend,

I want to share you practical tips, insights, and advice on how to be a more ‘artistic’ photographer.

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Dear friend,

One tip I have about photography is this: strive to make each of your photos a perfect pearl.

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I have a problem, I am easily envious of my contemporary peers.

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Dear friends,

Today (Feb 19th) is Cindy’s Birthday! Please wish her a happy birthday by buying a bunch of stuff on our Haptic Industries Store.

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I am not a master in street photography; yet I am striving to master my own street photography:

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I have a hard time motivating myself to take photos. This is what works for me:

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Honeydew eyes,
I follow you
Into the depths of the turqoise-blue.

Eternal sunshine
My soul and my muse
I wake up in the morning and spring blooms.

—

Your mind is divine, sweet and sublime
Let’s turn back the wings of time.

—

Walking with you by the shores of the sea
Feeling the warm breeze
Let’s sing, dance, eat more wine and cheese
Breathe in the new day; apply the new glaze.

—

Breathing through the smog and the haze
Let us praise
Each day as if it were our last
Sailing together, hands holding the mast.

You are my muse
The one I choose
To guide me with your light.

The might of your pen,
Helps renew me creatively, again.

Thank you for being my light,
My beautiful delight.

You are my only one,
Just like the rising sun

Let’s imagine like our life was done,
Then turn back the clock and press re-rerun.

—

Happy Birthday Cindy

I am inspired by the zen-like philosophy of Rick Rubin, who sees himself (not) as a music producer, but a music reducer:

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I’m really into the poet Horace– who mixed moral philosophy and poetry:

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If you’re a writer who has writer’s block, frustrations coming up with ideas, need practical tips, tools, and strategies— I hope this letter will benefit you:

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I’ve been inspired to shoot more abstract photos lately; perhaps this is a paradigm-shift for me:

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Dear friend,

One question I asked myself for a long time (when I had a full-time job) was this: “Should I quit my full-time job, and pursue my passion full-time?”

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Dear friend,

Every day, we face fears of exile, war, political unrest, and death.

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If you’re passionate about street photography, join me in Bangkok (April 29-30) for an epic street photography workshop experience (hosted by Monogram Asia).

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Dear friend,

I want to give you some practical photography composition tips:

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Dear friend,

A practical piece of advice I’ll give you in photography is this: don’t be too cautious:

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I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without these individuals— who have inspired me, helped me, or helped me develop in my personal vision.

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How do we predict the decisive moment in street photography?

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Dear friend,

A lot of us look down on selling ourselves— because we equate it with ‘selling out.’

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If you want to take your street photography to the next level, invest in an unforgettable experience in Tokyo or NYC:

• Sept 13-17: Tokyo Travel Street Photography Experience – New!
• Oct 4-5: NYC Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography – New!
• Oct 7-8: NYC Discover Your Unique Voice in Photography – New!

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Dear friend,

I want to write you this article on how to practically have more courage to shoot street photography:

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Dear friend,

I wanted to write you a letter on the art of street photography, based on my personal experiences, my personal passion, and things I’ve learned along the way:

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Check out all the student photos from my epic week-long Hanoi to Sapa street photography travel workshop with Neil Ta, Chu Viet Ha, and Cindy:

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Dear friend,

Why is that a lot of us procrastinate in our photography — procrastinate taking photos, procrastinate starting our projects, procrastinating printing our work, or perhaps procrastinating on sharing our work?

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Dear friend,

I think all of us has a unique voice in our photography.

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Dear friend,

What is your mission in photography and life?

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Dear friend,

I wanted to share with you some thoughts on personal liberation on photography— what it means to me, and how I achieved it for myself:

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Dear friend,

I want to give you some practical advice on how to re-inspire your photography; based on my life experiences:

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Dear friend,

Photograph your loved ones like they’re going to die, and photograph your dead lines like they’re still alive.

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Dear friend,

I wanted to write you a letter on how I found my passion in life:

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“A task once begun is (more than) half done”. – Seneca

Dear friend,

One of the hardest things to do in life is to start.

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How can we put on our courage like a suit of armor— and take on the world, without fear, trembling, or hesitation?

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Dear friend,

Street photography has taught me so much about living and how to become a better person.

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Dear friend,

I wanted to give you some practical ideas, and thoughts on how you can make money with your street photography:

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Dear friend,

I wanted to write you a letter on how to save time, the most precious commodity we have on earth.

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Dear friend,

I believe it is a good idea to shoot if each day were your last day.

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“Fortune favors the brave.”

Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on the importance of taking risks in life.

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Dear friend,

A lot of us hesitate before hitting the shutter.

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Dear friend,

As of early 2017, my only camera is the Ricoh GR II, which has a fixed-focal 28mm lens.

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I always thought that buying a Leica, I would become a much better street photographer.

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Update February 13, 2017: 

Thank you so much for your  purchases and donations! We have received over 100 orders and donations to send books as far as Lithuania, Israel, Italy, Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom. We have shipped out your books via USPS letter post. Please be patient as shipping times may vary based on each country (from 2 weeks to 4 weeks). Thank you so much again for your generosity and support.

As a way of saying thank you and happy new year, we wanted to offer for a limited time the gift of our newest Haptic book, Photo Journal: Personal Photography Reflections. Photo Journal retails for 19.95USD, but for a limited time we will offer a “Pay what you can” pricing model:

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Dear friend,

I want to share with you my personal American immigrant life story:

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Dear friend,

Today I turn 29 years old, and I wanted to use this opportunity to reflect about my life, and 29 lessons I’ve learned along the way:

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