{"id":105754,"date":"2018-07-25T21:28:58","date_gmt":"2018-07-26T04:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=105754"},"modified":"2018-07-25T21:30:58","modified_gmt":"2018-07-26T04:30:58","slug":"true-happiness-in-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/25\/true-happiness-in-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"True Happiness in Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

I believe it is self evident and obvious that all of us as photographers seek \u00e2\u20ac\u0153happiness\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in our photography. But what does that even mean? How can one achieve happiness in photography? Is happiness everlasting in photography? What role does money, fame, and external measures of success play into photography? Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s examine. #photolosophy<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Download PDF: True happiness in photography<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

First of all, let me share what I DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T think happiness is in photography.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having a lot of followers, likes, comments, or fans. <\/li>\n
  2. Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having fancy exhibitions, shows, books of yours published, etc. <\/li>\n
  3. Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t having others sing your praises, clap for you, or clap with their tongues (flattery). <\/li>\n
  4. Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t owning all the expensive cameras, lenses, and gear you desire.<\/li>\n
  5. Happiness isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t making a bunch of money from your photography, and happiness in photography isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even about making a living from your passion in photography. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How do I know this to be true? Well, I can speak for experience \u00e2\u20ac\u201d because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve achieved all of these external markers of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153success\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in photography, and it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make me truly happy, fulfilled, or joyous. The pleasures and the joys I got from these things listed above gave me momentary feelings of elation \u00e2\u20ac\u201d only to become depressed over time.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    So then\u00e2\u20ac\u201d what is truly happiness or success in photography?<\/p>\n

    \n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Based on my philosophical inquiries into myself, this is what has given me true happiness in photography:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Sharing what I know about photography with others \u00e2\u20ac\u201d especially those who are eager to learn!<\/li>\n
    2. The joy of being \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of shooting photos; especially this \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zen zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I get while I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m shooting street photography! In this state of mind I am calm, relaxed, energized, elated, confident, brazen, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hesitate, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m constantly smiling! To me, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the drunken Dionysian ecstasy of shooting photos!<\/li>\n
    3. Happiness is making photos that put a smile on your face. To me, if you look at your own photo, and it sparks joy in your soul, then it is a good photo!<\/strong> And yes, you can make many good photos! And just because you share a photo and it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get a lot of likes doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean that it is a bad photo. If you share a photo and it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get a lot of likes, you might have just uploaded it at an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unoptimized\u00e2\u20ac\u009d time, or it is a photo that won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t please the masses (like McDonald hamburgers, or sweet Starbucks drinks). However, you should be your own final judge and arbiter of your own photos; never outsource this to anybody else!<\/li>\n
    4. The joy of connecting with other photographers and people: I get the most joy from photography when teaching workshops, bringing other passionate photographers together, and also encouraging others. I also get a lot of joy when I learn from others, and share with others! Also I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m happiest when shooting on the streets, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone \u00e2\u20ac\u201d which allows me to interact and engage with strangers, and for me to open up my soul to them!<\/li>\n
    5. Happiness is the joy of putting together your photographic work into essays, projects, or mini sets. To me, the art of arranging and curating your own work is underutilized. To me, the joy of making a book (whether digital or print) of my photos is almost as much as the joy of making the photos themselves! So to extract the maximum happiness and joy from your photographic process, make it full stack! Enjoy the process of walking on the streets and talking with strangers, enjoy the process of shooting on the streets, enjoy the process of challenging yourself of making more ambitious compositions, enjoy the process of going home and looking through your photos and selecting and processing your favorites, and enjoy the process of sharing your photos and uploading them to your own website or blog!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n

      Do things to be happy!<\/h2>\n

      \"Selfie<\/p>\n

      Above all, I believe happiness to be an exercise \u00e2\u20ac\u201d an activity in photography. We cannot sit around and be happy in photography. We must act! We must shoot!<\/p>\n

      Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t put any pressure on yourself to make \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos others will like. It is enough to make photos that please you, then share these photos with others!<\/p>\n

      \"Singapore<\/p>\n

      Be bold, be brave, be you, and shoot whatever you want, green or blue, yellow or purple \u00e2\u20ac\u201d paint the world with your own photographic canvas and lens, and share your own unique perspective, again and again!<\/p>\n

      JUST SHOOT IT.
      \nERIC<\/p>\n

      \n

      Photolosophy<\/a><\/h1>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      Stay updated for our new course, ‘PHOTOLOSOPHY’ by subscribing to ERIC KIM NEWSLETTER<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n