The famous quote from Archimedes.
Basic idea:
(more…)Determine which city or location is optimal for your personal creativity, self-development, thriving, and strength — and stay there and leverage your strengths to maximize your impact on the world!
Thanksgiving passed, but this is what I am grateful for:
And the great idea:
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When in doubt, best to procrastinate, wait, hold back, and decide later.
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Don’t strive to ADD superfluous technology to your life. Instead, strive to REMOVE technology from your life. Keep subtracting until you only have the bare essentials necessary to your personal artistic and creative thriving.
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In terms of aesthetic, my favorite are abstract, simple, and open-ended images:
(more…)Probably one of the best ideas which have come out of Silicon Valley is the notion of the “MVP” (minimum viable product). I am not sure who first coined the phrase, but my guess it is Ryan from BackYard Brew in Palo Alto.
Anyways the extrapolation I have is this:
What if we applied a ‘minimum viable’ design philosophy, or thinking philosophy, or life philosophy to everything?
Some examples:
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This holiday season invest in experiences for yourself, your family, and others.
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This is the simple assignment:
Focus on photographing triangles, by shooting multiple-subject photos (three subjects), or just by connecting visual elements.
Then upload your best photos to arsbeta.com
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Fewer choices .. more happiness, focus, and productivity?
If your desire is to become the apex artist, you must CHANNEL your ego, and press your ego into your service, instead of striving to destroy your ego.
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Good failure:
The type of failure which REMOVES fear from your life and attempts.
For example:
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It seems one of the American dreams is to cultivate uniqueness. This is what fuels a lot of our consumerism:
The desire to purchase something which exhibits our personal vanity of our own personal uniqueness.
But the philosophical question:
Why be unique?
We all want to improve our lives. But in order for what?
Testing these turbo thoughts with ZEN OF ERIC:
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What is consumerism, and is it really as “bad” as people make it out to be?
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No judgements. No hesitation. No self-critique or self-judgement.
Pure unadulterated joy in photography.
The great joy of life:
(more…)Knowing that trillions of new fun, exciting, and great adventures and experiences await you!
It seems the reason why we want wealth and riches is to live a peaceful life.
But what if living a frugal and simple life were a more effective strategy?
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W. Eugene Smith was probably the greatest humanistic photographer thus far:
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Fujifilm makes great cameras— probably some of the best “bang for the buckâ€cameras. Imagine Fujifilm cameras being like a Lexus— truly nothing wrong with it! Great performance, good aesthetics, and a solid price point.
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A realization about photography:
(more…)It doesn’t matter how “good†or “bad†you are in photography. The point is to share YOUR personal perspective!
Perhaps the optimal human state is maximizing your “flow state” everyday, all day, for the most of everyday. Some practical ideas:
Maximize your flow!
ERIC
Is frugality a virtue? Is frugality something to be desired?
What is frugality for? For whom? Why be frugal?
These are some questions I will attempt to answer:
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Whenever I have followed my passion in life, I have succeeded in life. And so can you.
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A thought:
The question is:
(more…)Now what?
Don’t live life like Russian roulette. Texting and driving 99% safe… 1% death.
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Photographic nihilism means:
What is the point of making photos? They are insignificant anyways.
Nihilism: the (loser) philosophy that ‘nothing has meaning, thus I shall do nothing’ (Arthur Schopenhauer’s philosophy). Unfortunately this type of nihilistic thinking victimizes intelligent (atheist) individuals. If we live in a world without god, or a cosmic “reason” to life — why do anything?
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Success as a photographer means to never stop shooting new photos!
If we use this as our definition for photography and art, then perhaps Henri Cartier-Bresson wasn’t a successful photographer (he gave up photography), and we can consider Richard AVEDON (died while on assignment) and Josef Koudelka (in his 80s and still traveling and making new photos) as highly successful.
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When I start blogging, I have no idea how it will end
Similar thinking: treat blogging as “live-streamingâ€your mind! With all your “flawsâ€and “bad†grammar.
More important for it to be your own personal and genuine thoughts. To not simply rehash what others have said. To express YOUR OWN opinion on a matter!
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The eternal return — what would you want to practice forever, for fun?
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My only definition of failure:
Being a coward in [x].
What is success?
Courage.
Acting courageously, and not obtaining your desired consequences isn’t “failureâ€. It is just practical information you can use to tinker, improve, and trial-and-error yourself forward and upwards!
My definition of financial independence:
(more…)To no longer be a slave to money as a way to self-value yourself, your worth, or your progress in life.
An ethical thought:
When it comes to interacting with others — there are times in which your “selfless†actions are actually very self-interested. And other times when your “selfish†actions are actually quite selfless in benefitting others.
But when is one which, and when is it the other?
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Street photography gives me a reason to live! To thrive! To explore, to make art, and to share.
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I consider myself one of the greatest bloggers of all-time.
Why?
If Henri Cartier-Bresson started photography today, would he have shot with a digital Leica M10? Or a RICOH GR III?
I think he would have chosen the RICOH. Some thoughts:
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A new street photography lesson:
(more…)When shooting multiple subjects or even single subjects, put space between your subjects (or space between the subject and the background).
Note:
Also you can download at:
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Belief in travel, new experiences, new sights, freedom, art, joy, and love:
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With art, aesthetics and life:
(more…)Cultivate your own taste. Don’t let others superimpose their tastes upon you!
One of my current life goals:
Live to be 140 years old, in hyper-health.
How can we do this? Let me share some ideas:
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Richard Avedon— one of the masters of photography, and one of my personal favorites. Free PDF downloads below:
See all the photos below:
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Pursue a photography project of something you actually care about. There’s no right or wrong approaches or techniques in photo projects; only authentic or inauthentic.
Ignore what society or “experts” tell you “what is good for you”. Instead, focus on spending much time with yourself, your own thoughts, and to meditate to yourself:
What do I really want for myself? And what are my true tastes and preferences in life?
Do this for,
Don’t get suckered or milked by a system which tries to “educate” you on what ‘good taste’ is!
Let us not shame others, nor should we live in a way in which we feel ashamed of ourselves.
Heavy cameras are the WORST thing for your artistic thriving as a photographer.
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How important is ‘image quality’ (aesthetics) of a photograph to make it a great photo?
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