{"id":38606,"date":"2017-02-12T21:24:58","date_gmt":"2017-02-13T05:24:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?page_id=38606"},"modified":"2017-02-15T22:04:57","modified_gmt":"2017-02-16T06:04:57","slug":"all-of-photography-is-a-remix","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/all-of-photography-is-a-remix\/","title":{"rendered":"All of Photography is a Remix"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"38621\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/all-of-photography-is-a-remix\/erickim-laughing-ladies\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/erickim-laughing-ladies.jpg?fit=4005%2C3020&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"4005,3020\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"erickim-laughing-ladies\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/erickim-laughing-ladies.jpg?fit=4005%2C3020&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-38621\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/erickim-laughing-ladies.jpg?resize=4005%2C3020\" alt=\"erickim-laughing-ladies\" width=\"4005\" height=\"3020\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dear friend,<\/p>\n<p>A lot of us labor to be \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in our photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but realize, everything in photography and life is a remix:<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest benefits I had studying history was this \u00e2\u20ac\u201d understanding the root and origin of a lot of ideas which I once thought were \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/p>\n<p>For example, I remember when I started to shoot street photography, I imitated Henri Cartier-Bresson. But then a lot of people said I was \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccopying\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 him \u00e2\u20ac\u201d which made me feel unoriginal. But when I started to study the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, I realized that a lot of his inspirations came from the surrealists, as well as Matisse, and the image which inspired him to start photography was a black and white photo of three boys playing by the water. Even his idea of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcThe Decisive Moment\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 originated from a poem.<\/p>\n<p>Later on in my photography, I got inspired by the photography of Bruce Gilden. I started to shoot with a flash, and started to shoot really close. A lot of people criticized me for \u00e2\u20ac\u02dccopying\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Bruce Gilden. But upon researching the history of Gilden, I found he was greatly inspired by Lisette Model, one of the first photographers who shot up-close, and personal, with a wide-angle lens (often from low angles).<\/p>\n<p>Later on, I got inspired by other photographers like William Eggleston, for his mundane everyday life photos. Before Eggleston found his style, he imitated Henri Cartier-Bresson, trying to capture \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcdecisive moments\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in black and white.<\/p>\n<p>Another photographer who inspired me \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Alex Webb. Much of his early work was also similar to the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you study the masters of photography, you will see that their inspiration always comes from several definitive sources. And the root of all of these inspirations is never fixed. All these photographers have gotten inspiration from different arts.<\/p>\n<p>Lee Friedlander was deeply inspired by jazz music. Daido Moriyama discovered the gritty black and white aesthetic, out-of-focus, from William Klein.<\/p>\n<p>Going to different fields\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Steve Jobs got inspired for the Zen-like minimalism for Apple products from Zen Buddhism. He also was deeply inspired by \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcBauhuas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 German design. And the ancient saying: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All art imitates nature\u00e2\u20ac\u009d holds true.<\/p>\n<p>Even Shakespeare got a lot of his inspirations from ancient Stoic Philosophy.<\/p>\n<h2>Remix<\/h2>\n<p>So my practical advice for you is this: <strong>To be \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in your photography, find as many sources of inspiration as possible, then remix it. Create your own unique honey or nectar, by blending your inspirations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Sample everywhere<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"All Day (Live At The 2015 BRIT Awards) (Explicit)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_ABk7TmjnVk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In hip hop music, they \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsample\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 a lot of music. Which means, a lot of music producers listen to old vinyl records from the past, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsteal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 a piece they like, and re-mix it to make something new.<\/p>\n<p>Kanye West is the master of sampling. He finds old and obscure music, and finds a new combination \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to make \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 music.<\/p>\n<p>Even one Kanye West song (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153All Day\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) was inspired by Paul McCartney. And Paul McCartney was inspired to create the beat of the song by looking at an old Picasso painting (The Blue old man with guitar, who was playing a guitar, using only two fingers). Paul McCartney wondered \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcI wonder what song he could play with only 2 fingers??\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Then Paul McCartney made up a simple beat. Then Kanye collaborated with Paul McCartney, to make a new modern hip-hop beat.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Paul McCartney - The Two Fingers\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iu4ms_3Elyw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Great artists steal<\/h2>\n<p>\u00e2\u20ac\u02dcSteal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 as many sources of inspiration as possible. Then, try to re-mix it according to your own personal vision.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you tried to copy a photographer 100%, you could never achieve the same result.<\/p>\n<p>So don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worry so much about \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginality\u00e2\u20ac\u2122. Because you are original. You yourself are a combination of the DNA of your parents. And your parents are a combination of the DNA of their parents, and so forth.<\/p>\n<h2>What to study?<\/h2>\n<p>I recommend looking at lots of different forms of art to find inspiration. Some of my personal inspirations:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Aesthetics: Zen\/Taoism\/Minimalism\/Haiku Poetry\/Spare minimalist design<\/li>\n<li>Music: Hip hop music, Jazz, Funk, Classic<\/li>\n<li>Photography: Old-school photographers (Henri Cartier-Bresson, Josef Koudelka), and new-school photographers (Josh White, Junku Nishimura, Sean Lotman)<\/li>\n<li>Philosophy: Stoicism, Taoism, Christianity<\/li>\n<li>Products: Tesla, Apple, Rolls-Royce<\/li>\n<li>Art: Painting, sculpture, dance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There are a million, billion, different sources of inspiration you can gain. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be shy. All ideas are common property.<\/p>\n<p>What makes your work unique is your <em>interpretation<\/em> of your sources of inspiration. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid to share your opinion. Be bold, and assert yourself, and your unique perspective of the world.<\/p>\n<p>Never doubt yourself,<br \/>\nEric<\/p>\n<p>Learn more: <a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/creativity\">Creativity &gt;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear friend, A lot of us labor to be \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in our photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but realize, everything in photography and life is a remix: One of the biggest benefits I had studying history was this \u00e2\u20ac\u201d understanding the root and origin of a lot of ideas which I once thought were \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcoriginal.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 For example, I remember [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38621,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-38606","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/38606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}