Tag: philosophy

  • On Free Street Photography

    On Free Street Photography

    One question I am asked a lot is how I make a living in street photography, and questions about selling prints, and making money. To start off, I am blessed enough to make a living from my street photography in teaching workshops. I make about 95% of my living from workshops (and around 5% from…

  • On Bridging the Gap in Street Photography

    On Bridging the Gap in Street Photography

    I feel one of the most important traits to become a better street photographer is first identifying what makes great street photography. This means having good taste. A quote from Ira Glass from NPR comes to mind– in terms of having good taste: “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told…

  • On Polarization and Street Photography

    On Polarization and Street Photography

    I am a big fan of Nassim Taleb and his concept of the “barbell theory” which he derives from his book: “Antifragile” (one of my top 3 favorite books). The concept of the “barbell theory” is that you embrace two extremes in life– rather than going for the boring “middle” strategy. For example Nassim Taleb…

  • On Shooting For Your “Inner Scorecard”

    On Shooting For Your “Inner Scorecard”

    I recently finished reading “The Snowball“, a biography on the life of Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors of all time. One inspirational thing I got from the book was how Buffett always played by his “inner scorecard” — staying true to himself and his own standards. Seeking to please himself, and not…

  • On Fun and Street Photography

    On Fun and Street Photography

    Life is too short to do shit you don’t like doing. I know a lot of people who work in jobs they absolutely hate, stay in relationships they don’t enjoy, and force themselves to do hobbies that they aren’t that interested in. We all have relatively short lives while we are here on earth. Not…

  • On Happiness and Street Photography

    On Happiness and Street Photography

    I think I can speak on behalf of all of us that we all want to be happy. In some shape, way, or form. Over the years I have thought a lot about happiness. How to “optimize” my life to become “happier.” How to avoid unhappiness in my work, relationships, and my sense of purpose…

  • 26 Lessons Life Has Taught Me About Street Photography

    26 Lessons Life Has Taught Me About Street Photography

    Today I turn 26 years old. Life has been one hell of a ride so far. When I was a kid, I had no idea I would be where I am today– with the love of my life, phenomenal friends I have met all around the world, a supportive family, as well as the freedom…

  • On Status and Street Photography

    On Status and Street Photography

    Photos in this article are outtakes/shots I am considering from my on-going “Suits” project. One of the things I love most about street photography is how open and democratic it is. Anybody with any camera can shoot street photography. You don’t need anything fancy. Not only that, but street photography is accessible to everybody. You…

  • On Criticism and Street Photography

    On Criticism and Street Photography

    Photos in this article are from my Gallo Boxing Series in Michigan. You can see all the GoPro POV videos on YouTube here. “To try to please everybody is to please nobody” – Publilius Syrus For those of you who follow my blog (or even worse, my YouTube channel) know that I have a lot…

  • In Praise of Slowness in Street Photography

    In Praise of Slowness in Street Photography

    Photos in this article are from my road trip from Michigan to California. One thing I hate about the modern world is our addiction to speed. We want everything to be done faster, more efficiently, and better optimized. We are frustrated when we are loading up a website on our smartphones and it takes longer…

  • Why I Killed Street Photography

    Why I Killed Street Photography

    Eric’s Note: This guest article is written by A.G DeMesa— a street photographer based in Manila. A.G.: What is street photography for me? Surely it isn’t the mundane. Nothing gets more mundane than a 16 year old’s meal taken over Instagram. It’s not about capturing history or the little human acts because you will just…

  • On Jealousy and Street Photography

    On Jealousy and Street Photography

    The other night before I went to sleep, I was reading a book on my iPad and then wanted to post an inspirational quote onto Facebook. So I logged into Facebook, shared the quote– and suddenly got sucked into the news feed. I started scrolling through the activity of all my friends– and started to…

  • On Friendship and Street Photography

    On Friendship and Street Photography

    The last two weeks I have spent in Istanbul with my good friend Charlie Kirk. I first met Charlie around two years ago in Paris– and since then we have shot together, had good food and drinks together, critiqued each others’ photos, taught together, and met others together. During many of my other travels I…

  • My Vision of Open Source Photography

    My Vision of Open Source Photography

    When I first started this blog, I wrote about the idea of “open source photography.” To sum up the idea, I wanted to make a personal vow to always keep the information on this blog open and free for anyone to use, remix, or share. I remember when I was an undergraduate student at school, and…

  • Don’t Compete, Collaborate.

    Don’t Compete, Collaborate.

    “You don’t eat to be “the best” taster the world, don’t take a stroll to be “the best” stroller in the world, don’t push buttons in an elevator to be the best button pusher in the world.” – Nassim Taleb One question which has always bothered me is the following: “Why are photographers so competitive?”…

  • 5 Lessons for Living in Street Photography (and Life)

    5 Lessons for Living in Street Photography (and Life)

    One of the articles I read a while ago (and recently re-read) was the “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.” To sum up, a nurse who took care of the elderly and dying kept a record of her patients’ top regrets in life. The top regrets of the elderly were: I wish I’d had the…

  • Shoot Every Day As If It Were Your Last

    Shoot Every Day As If It Were Your Last

    I was sitting at home with my girlfriend Cindy, and I suddenly got a call from my cousin overseas. After two bouts of heart attacks while he was in the hospital, he passed away suddenly. My mom then called me and told me that I had to immediately get on the next plane to Korea…

  • 3 Stoic Techniques that Can Help You Gain Tranquility in Street Photography

    3 Stoic Techniques that Can Help You Gain Tranquility in Street Photography

    One book that has deeply influenced me the last few months is: “A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy.” The book is a great introduction to the philosophy of Stoicism: which can be summed up as being undisturbed by negative emotions and gaining tranquility and a peace of mind. I…

  • Serendipity – Street Photography 101

    Serendipity – Street Photography 101

    Serendipity. One of the most beautiful things about street photography. Stumbling upon something totally unexpected, but so intrinsically unique and beautiful it cannot be put into words. All of your sensations tingling, giving all of your sensory features a feast from a thing or a place that you have never known existed. Serendipity. A reward…