Tag: philosophy

  • Wu-Wei in Street Photography

    Wu-Wei in Street Photography

    Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter about “Wu-Wei”, a Taoist philosophy and concept that I learned from the “Tao Te Ching” (recommend the version by Stephen Mitchell). So let me pose you a question: have you ever been out shooting on the streets for an entire day, and you tried really hard…

  • Disregard Differences, Notice Similarities

    Disregard Differences, Notice Similarities

    I’m still afflicted with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I want new shit all the time. I’m always dissatisfied with the technology I have (smartphone, tablet, laptop, camera, espresso machine) as well as my car, clothes, standard of living, quality of my food, etc. What causes this constant treadmill of dissatisfaction? There is a disease that…

  • Cultivate Your Own Garden

    Cultivate Your Own Garden

    Dear friend, I want to share some meditations and thoughts that are currently on my mind– and perhaps tell some stories. Thank you for being a good friend and listening :) Okay, so I woke up today, lied in bed, and suddenly this thought came to my head: “Cultivate Your Own Garden” I woke up…

  • Having No Choices is the Ultimate Freedom

    Having No Choices is the Ultimate Freedom

    Dear friend, I want to tell you the exciting start of my day today. I want to share with you as vividly how it felt, and what is on my mind. I woke up, still feeling a bit drowsy, yet felt alert. I looked around my surroundings. I was in bed, lying next to the…

  • Don’t Be a Slave

    Don’t Be a Slave

    Read as a Google Doc (feel free to suggest edits), or download and print out the PDF. — I am a slave. I am a slave to others’ opinions of me. I am a slave to material things. I am a slave to my bank account and money. I am a slave of my wardrobe, of…

  • On Positivity and Street Photography

    On Positivity and Street Photography

    Read as a Google Doc or download as PDF. — There is so much negativity and bullshit out there in modern life. I always hear people bitching and moaning about the difficulties of their lives, how they want more money, how their camera isn’t good enough, how their significant others are horrible people, and how…

  • On the Shortness of Life

    On the Shortness of Life

    Read this article as a Google Doc (would love your comments/edits), download and print as a PDF, as an .epub (e-reader), or .mobi (for Kindle). I also recommend reading the original: “On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca (order the paperback on Amazon). — “What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day…

  • Small is Beautiful

    Small is Beautiful

    Read as a Google Doc or PDF. — Dear Friend, I wanted to share with you some thoughts that are on my mind: The first thing that came to mind: “small is beautiful.” So I have a problem; I am inflicted with this American obsession that “bigger is better.” We want bigger houses, we want…

  • On the Emptiness of Social Media Fame

    On the Emptiness of Social Media Fame

    Read as a Google Doc or download the PDF. — Dear friend and fellow streettog, I went to sleep last night, and woke up this morning in beautiful Leeds, England, and suddenly this story came to mind. I would like to share you this story if you don’t mind. I forgot where I first heard…

  • How to Be Happy in All Circumstances in Photography

    How to Be Happy in All Circumstances in Photography

    (You can also read this as a Google Doc, or PDF) Dear friend, I just finished reading a book by Roman philosopher Epictetus, titled “Of Human Freedom.” It got me thinking a lot about my own freedom in life, how to be happy in all situations, and how to treat some of the “diseases of…

  • “Letters from a Recovering Camera Addict” Step 2: The Pact

    “Letters from a Recovering Camera Addict” Step 2: The Pact

    This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;) Disclaimer: Sarcasm doesn’t always transfer into written word.  Well, “tomorrow” turned into a week. Thank you for those who worried that I…

  • Try it Out For Yourself

    Try it Out For Yourself

    Recently I got my laptop stolen in Paris from my backpack. It kinda sucked, but the “blessing in disguise” was that I was able to replace my (slightly) aging 11’’ Macbook air (2012 model). I started to consider a few options: the 13’’ Macbook Air, the 13’’ Macbook Pro, and the new Retina 12’’ Macbook.…

  • Free E-Book: Zen in the Art of Street Photography

    Free E-Book: Zen in the Art of Street Photography

    Dear streettogs, I hope you enjoy a new free ebook: “Zen in the Art of Street Photography.” This is a compilation of all of my favorite articles on Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, gratitude, and other random philosophical musings. There isn’t a “correct” order to read this book. You can skip around the chapters, and read the…

  • The Only Way to Become Indifferent to Criticism: Become Indifferent to Praise as Well

    The Only Way to Become Indifferent to Criticism: Become Indifferent to Praise as Well

    I love attention. I hate criticism and negativity. I want everybody to love me, to love my photography, and my writing. Contrary to popular belief, I actually have very thin skin when it comes to criticism. I pour my heart and soul into my work— whether that is my blogging, my photography, or teaching. But…

  • How to Have a Creative and Flexible Mind as an Artist and Photographer

    How to Have a Creative and Flexible Mind as an Artist and Photographer

    Continuing my series on “Akademie x Lessons in Art and Life”, I thoroughly enjoyed an essay titled: “Me and Marcuse” by Michelle Grabner. She exposed me to a lot of new ideas that I want to explore below on the following topics: what art is for, the importance of filtering images, undoing and re-doing your…

  • Seek Progress, Not Perfection in Your Photography

    Seek Progress, Not Perfection in Your Photography

    I just finished reading a new book titled: “Becoming Steve Jobs”, which is a new biography on the life of Steve Jobs. I also read the other (more famous) Walter Isaacson biography: “Steve Jobs”, and found this to be a great refresher to the life, work, and passion of Steve Jobs. In “Becoming Steve Jobs”,…

  • How Has This Negative Experience Made You Stronger as a Street Photographer?

    How Has This Negative Experience Made You Stronger as a Street Photographer?

    It is inevitable. Sooner or later, someone will give you shit for taking their photograph. No matter how good your intentions are, there will always be someone who will be offended. You can smile, be friendly, and use all the right techniques — but there are just some people who won’t respond positively. There will…

  • Measure Your Life as a Photographer in Decades, Not Years

    Measure Your Life as a Photographer in Decades, Not Years

    The other night here in Chicago, I woke up in the middle of the night. I was tossing and turning (put on the heater too hot at night). In a state of being half-asleep, I started to have all of these random ideas for blog posts. One of them was: “measure your life as a…

  • Play the Cards You Are Dealt in Life and Photography

    Play the Cards You Are Dealt in Life and Photography

    I have been re-reading a lot of stoic philosophy recently, especially “Letters from a Stoic” and “On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca, and “The Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius. One of the biggest things that I have re-learned is that for true happiness, we should focus on appreciating what we currently have, rather than what…

  • Being Mortal as a Street Photographer

    Being Mortal as a Street Photographer

    I recently finished “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande. It is one of the most touching books I have ever read this past year. Atul talks about the tension between living long (versus living a meaningful life). This made me think a lot about my personal mortality, and always how this relates to photography. Here are…

  • My Top 10 Sources of Discontentment in Street Photography

    My Top 10 Sources of Discontentment in Street Photography

    I ultimately want to be happy. But unfortunately there are a lot of sources of dissatisfaction in my life. There are a lot of things I want to change about my life, and my outlook in the world. In this article I want to share some of the 10 deepest sources of dissatisfaction I’ve had…

  • The Benefit of Having No Expectations in Street Photography

    The Benefit of Having No Expectations in Street Photography

    “I am content with few, content with one, content with none at all.” – Seneca, Letters from a Stoic I have a problem. I have really high expectations for myself. I want to become the best photographer I possibly can, the best teacher I possibly can, and also the best blogger that I possibly can.…

  • How to Overcome Self-Criticism in Street Photography

    How to Overcome Self-Criticism in Street Photography

    I think in photography it is good to have some self-criticism. If you want to be the best photographer you possibly can, you want to be more discerning about your images. You want to produce better work. You want to see the extent of your limits. But every once in a while we get a…

  • Just one more photo

    Just one more photo

    My mom recently came back from an epic backpacking trip through Nepal for about 28 days. She is an incredible woman. At the age of 59, she was able to withstand the freezing cold, the difficulty of breathing in high altitude, and the challenge of keeping her motivation up for nearly a month in which…

  • Free E-Book: Letters from a Street Photographer

    Free E-Book: Letters from a Street Photographer

    I am excited to announce that I finally put together my free ebook: “Letters from a Street Photographer“. This book is much more philosophical in nature– and combines the philosophy of stoicism and street photography. If you seek more purpose, happiness, and meaning in your photography, this book is for you. Here is a breakdown…

  • 27 Lessons I’ve Learned About Photography and Life

    27 Lessons I’ve Learned About Photography and Life

    Today I turn 27 years old, thank you for all the kind birthday wishes! I am currently in LA for the weekend, visiting some close friends and family for a quick birthday dinner, then heading back home to Berkeley early Sunday. I am generally not the person to reflect very much. I kind of like…

  • How to Be a More Mindful Street Photographer

    How to Be a More Mindful Street Photographer

    I just finished a book called “10% happier”, which preached the benefits of meditation and mindfulness in everyday life. There is a lot of pain and anxiety from everyday life, and one of the main causes of that is longing for something. Wanting something that we don’t have. By focusing too much on the future and…

  • Hunger Breeds Sophistication

    Hunger Breeds Sophistication

    In Vietnam I recently learned a saying, “Cai kho lo cai khon” which means: from difficulty, emerges the wise. (Note I didn’t include diacritics). Another saying in Vietnamese (can’t remember it) is “The resourceful man might go hungry, but won’t starve.” Even Steve Jobs said, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

  • A Near-Death Experience

    A Near-Death Experience

    (Originally written October 24th, 2014) I am being a little over-dramatic— but I recently had a near-death experience. It was another normal day. I was simply writing for my blog, drinking coffee, and just finished a workout. I was a bit hungry, so I went over to my kitchen, poured out a hand-few of cashew…

  • Keep Shooting or Die

    Keep Shooting or Die

    I recently was listening to a podcast interview with Tony Robbins (on the “Tim Ferris Show”) and was struck by something Tony said: progress is happiness. As you guys are probably well-aware of, I think a lot about happiness and progress in life. I want to live a happy and fulfilling life. I don’t want…

  • What You Can (and Can’t) Control in Street Photograpy

    What You Can (and Can’t) Control in Street Photograpy

    There isn’t a lot of things you can control in street photography. However these are the things you can control:

  • “Letters from a Street Photographer” #6: How to Live a Purposeful Life

    “Letters from a Street Photographer” #6: How to Live a Purposeful Life

    Tied into the previous chapter on how to live a happy life– I also encourage trying to live a purposeful life. What is the difference between a happy life and a purposeful life? I think simply a “happy” life is to be free of pain, to be overall joyful, and to be free of stress…

  • “Letters from a Street Photographer” #5: How to Be Happy

    “Letters from a Street Photographer” #5: How to Be Happy

    For this chapter I want to focus on a section which I think is important for everyone in life: learning how to be happy, fulfilled, and content with your street photography (and your personal life). Happiness is one of the most elusive things in the world– which we have always chased for millennia. However the…

  • “Letters from a Street Photographer” #4: Fuck Fame

    “Letters from a Street Photographer” #4: Fuck Fame

    I’ll admit it. I’m incredibly jealous. Whenever I see my close friends, other photographers, family, or anyone else doing “successful” things– I feel a tinge of jealousy. In the back of my head– I might think negative thoughts like, “That person didn’t deserve that recognition or success” – self-doubt myself “Why am I not as…

  • “Letters from a Street Photographer” #2: How to Deal with Negative Criticism (Part 1/2)

    “Letters from a Street Photographer” #2: How to Deal with Negative Criticism (Part 1/2)

    For this chapter in my on-going “Letters from a Street Photographer” book, I wanted to write a topic that I am very familiar with– how to deal with negative criticism (and thrive and benefit from it). For those of you who have followed me and my blog for a while– you will know that I…

  • “Letters from a Street Photographer” #1: How to Live and Shoot without Regrets

    “Letters from a Street Photographer” #1: How to Live and Shoot without Regrets

    This is Chapter 1 on a series of blog posts I will do on the philosophy of Stoicism, and how I relate it to street photography. I draw upon the book: “On the Shortness of Life” from Seneca. The title of this series is inspired by “Letters from a Stoic” (also by Seneca). I have…

  • 15 (More) Lessons Taoism Has Taught Me About Street Photography

    15 (More) Lessons Taoism Has Taught Me About Street Photography

    I have been a long-time admirer of the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and Stoicism. In-fact, I have gained more insights about photography from these philosophies (than I have from any book on photographic theory). I recently re-read a new english version of the “Tao Te Ching“– the classic manual on the art of living.…

  • On Opportunity Costs in Street Photography

    On Opportunity Costs in Street Photography

    Life is short and limited. We only have so many days to live. We only have so many zeroes in our bank accounts. We all want to live happy, productive lives. We want happiness in our photography. We want to creatively thrive, and live a life which we don’t have any regrets. I have lots…

  • On Purpose and Street Photography

    On Purpose and Street Photography

    I’m currently reading a book titled: “Happiness by Design: Change What You Do, Not How You Think”. In the book, the author defines happiness as being primarly composed of two things: pleasure and purpose. To find “optimal” happiness in life, the author encourages us to find a balance between pleasure and purpose in our life.…

  • On Excuses and Street Photography

    On Excuses and Street Photography

    We often have tons of excuses in life. We don’t have enough time. We don’t have enough money. We don’t have the opportunities to do what we love. I always make tons of excuses in my street photography. When I am traveling on the road, I have tons of opportunities to shoot and always feel…

  • Please Tell Me My Photos Suck (And How I Can Improve)

    Please Tell Me My Photos Suck (And How I Can Improve)

    We are insecure. We don’t want people to be brutally honest with us. We like feeling liked. We don’t want to hear the truth, or at least what people really think about us and our work. We like it when things are sugar coated (I know I do), and facing reality can be tough. I…

  • “Needing” versus “Wanting” to Make Photographs

    “Needing” versus “Wanting” to Make Photographs

    What motivates you in street photography? What is the fuel that keeps you going? Why do you decide to go out and shoot, even though you might be tired, exhausted, or frustrated?

  • Nobody Gives a Shit About Your Photos

    Nobody Gives a Shit About Your Photos

    Nobody gives a shit about your photos (except yourself). Sometimes I get frustrated and confused why I take photos. I think ultimately I take photos because I want my photos to influence, affect, and perhaps inspire my viewers (and other photographers). This sometimes gives me anxiety because it puts a lot of pressure on me…

  • Embracing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in Street Photography

    Embracing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in Street Photography

    I recently came across a funny phrase: “FOMO”. It stands for “fear of missing out”. Nowadays, “FOMO” is ubiquitous in digital life. We always feel like we are missing out– that someone is doing something more interesting than us.

  • Savoring the Moment

    I just checked out of my hotel in Seoul, and was on my way to the subway. I had a bunch of bags I had to carry, and ended up missing two potential street photos I would have liked to capture: One of the shots was a guy in a suit, with his suit jacket…

  • A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again

    A Letter to My 18 Year Old Self: If I Started Street Photography All Over Again

    Dear Eric, You are 18 years old. You just got a point and shoot digital camera from Mom as a high school graduation present. You are super excited, as you never had a camera before. A lot of exciting things will happen in your life surrounding photography. I wanted to write this letter to you…

  • How to Embrace “Stream-of-Consciousness” in Street Photography

    How to Embrace “Stream-of-Consciousness” in Street Photography

    One of the best pieces of advice I got on writing is the importance of writing without editing. Which means, turn off the inner-censor in your mind and write freely. What or who is the “inner censor”? Well, the inner-censor is the little voice in your head which tells you “Oh don’t do that, that’s…

  • Street Photography is a Journey, Not a Destination

    Street Photography is a Journey, Not a Destination

    I have often read that life is a journey, not a destination. Meaning that we all have goals in life. But the happiest moments aren’t when we reach our goals. Rather, life is a “beautiful struggle” in which we are happiest when we are pursuing our goals. When we are pursuing our happiness. I have…

  • 12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography

    12 Scientifically Proven Ways to Have More Happiness in Street Photography

    Photos in this article are from my on-going “Only in America” series. I’m currently reading a lovely book titled: “A Philosopher’s Notes: On optimal living, creating an authentically awesome life and other such goodness.” It is a easy and insightful read– and I have been savoring the book so far. In one of the chapters,…

  • Disregard Critics: Make More Art

    Disregard Critics: Make More Art

    “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” ― Andy Warhol As street photographers, I think we are all artists. We craft our version of reality from fragments from everyday life.…