{"id":21301,"date":"2014-10-30T01:06:33","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T08:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=21301"},"modified":"2014-10-30T01:06:33","modified_gmt":"2014-10-30T08:06:33","slug":"keep-shooting-die","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/10\/30\/keep-shooting-die\/","title":{"rendered":"Keep Shooting or Die"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What keeps me going at the moment: medium-format and (lots of) coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I recently was listening to a podcast interview with Tony Robbins (on the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tim Ferris Show<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) and was struck by something Tony said: progress is happiness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to feel stagnant. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to feel that I am hitting roadblocks. I want to fulfill my creative potential, and live a life without regrets. I want to suck out the marrow of life.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I think one of the greatest tragedies is when photographers stop shooting. I know a lot of difficulties occur in the lives of these photographers: they get busy raising families, they get busy with work, or they lose inspiration.<\/p>\n

I was taking a nap earlier, and suddenly the thought came to mind: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153swim or die.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

I once read something that in life, we have to keep moving\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or else we atrophy and die. If we fall victim to an accident and lie in a hospital bed for months on end, our muscles no longer work, our bodies deteriorate, and we can just die in bed.<\/p>\n

If we are in water, we need to keep moving, paddling, moving forward\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or else we will die.<\/p>\n

I think the same philosophy applies in photography. We need to keep shooting or else we will die. Not in a literal sense\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but in a creative and figurative sense. Without creativity coursing through our veins, we feel like life has no vigor\u00e2\u20ac\u201d no life. We need to shoot to fulfill that primal part of us, that craves excitement, randomness, and the tension of everyday life. As street photographers, are are endlessly fascinated by human beings and the human condition\u00e2\u20ac\u201d what it means to be human. We are fascinated by human interaction, by society, and our own role and position in the world.<\/p>\n

The Death of Curiosity<\/h2>\n
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Berkeley, 2014. Shot on my smartphone and processed in VSCO.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I think one of the saddest thing (also) is that curiosity is getting killed. It is getting stamped out. Ever since we are in school, we are discouraged to think creatively and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153out of the box.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d We are told to follow instructions (watch the LEGO movie and you will know what I am talking about).<\/p>\n

What we need to do is throw away the instructional manual of life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and follow our curiosity.<\/p>\n

I think one of the reasons that us as photographers lose \u00e2\u20ac\u0153inspiration\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is because we are no longer curious.<\/p>\n

I think therefore one of the best ways to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153prevent dying\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in photography (by always shooting) is to constantly be curious\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to follow wherever our curiosity leads us.<\/p>\n

How to be more creative?<\/h2>\n

So how do we be more creative in our everyday lives?<\/p>\n

Simple\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I think it is to consume as much things that interest us. This can include photography books, films, architecture, art, museums\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the collective of humanity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arts.<\/p>\n

I think curiosity is like a beautiful rabbit hole\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we stumble upon one small thing that interests us, which leads us to another thing, which leads us to another thing. Curiosity is hungry\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and never satisfied. The more we try to feed our curiosity, it just becomes more hungry. This is what it means to feel \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fully human\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fully alive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

Being curious in photography<\/h2>\n

I generally look at other photographers for inspiration in photography books. These photographers dedicate their entire lives and beings into creating these bodies of work\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and they pour their entire lives and souls into it.<\/p>\n

I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t try to force myself to like the photography of a photographer whose work doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t naturally interest me. I do realize it is important to be aware<\/em> of certain photographers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I think that it is important to practice \u00e2\u20ac\u0153selective ignorance.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Meaning\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to know every single photographer out there.<\/strong> Just look at the work of photographers whose work speaks to you, that captivates you, that makes your heart flutter.<\/p>\n

My journey into urban landscape\/medium-format<\/h2>\n
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2014. Shot on my smartphone and processed in VSCO.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Currently I am shooting most of my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on medium-format film, with Kodak Portra 400, on a Hasselblad 501c and 80mm lens (thanks to Jeroen Hemlink<\/a> from Amsterdam for the hook-up).<\/p>\n

I have long admired the urban landscapes of William Eggleston<\/a>, Lee Friedlander<\/a>, Edward Burtynsky<\/a>, Mark Power<\/a>, and Alec Soth<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As time has gone on, I have found myself less interested in photographing people\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and more interested in the urban environment.<\/p>\n

Why the urban environment? I think it is fascinating how we interact with the environments we live in. Depending on what space we live in, it changes our human interactions. I have also become more and more interested in architecture and interior-design, as I have found the interior decoration and architecture of a place affects my mood so much. Not only that, but the way that spaces are arranged and organized changes human interaction as well. A circular table in a Chinese restaurant facilitates better interaction, collaboration, and conversation between a large group of friends. A cafe brings me more inspiration (high ceilings, wooden tables, smell of coffee) than a sterile classroom (fluorescent lights, no natural light, and boring colors).<\/p>\n

So anyways, I have followed my curiosity\u00e2\u20ac\u201d which has been urban landscape. I have also been fascinated by the 6×6 square-format, and the color-rendition of medium-format color film. There is something inexplicable about the sublime joy I get from looking at really beautiful colors. It is like I can touch the colors, feel them\u00e2\u20ac\u201d there is this emotion that rushes through my body.<\/p>\n

\"Shooting
Shooting kit for Stockholm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if shooting medium-format is just another phase for me (probably is). But I am having so much fun following my curiosity, and I feel fully-alive as a photographer.<\/p>\n

Following your curiosity vs what you \u00e2\u20ac\u0153should\u00e2\u20ac\u009d do<\/h2>\n
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2014. Shot on my smartphone and processed in VSCO.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I think it is much more important to follow your curiosity than following what others prescribe what you \u00e2\u20ac\u0153should\u00e2\u20ac\u009d do. I know that I share a lot of my personal opinions on this blog (I mostly share advice I wish I knew when I started off)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but remember at the end of the day, you have the choice and power to follow the advice that resonates with you (and ignore what you think is bullshit).<\/p>\n

So don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel pressured to conform to societal norms and follow what you \u00e2\u20ac\u0153should\u00e2\u20ac\u009d do. This isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is life. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just get a job because you \u00e2\u20ac\u0153should\u00e2\u20ac\u009d get a high-paying job with a good salary, to get a lot of money, to buy a lot of expensive cars (pink BMW\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s), lots of expensive cameras (Leicas and Noctiluxes), and other expensive shit to show off. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just live a life to gain fame, power, and influence (to brag to others about your title at job, or how much money you earn). Live a life true to yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d follow your curiosity, passion, and dreams.<\/p>\n

Nobody gives a shit how many 0\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s you have in your bank account when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re dead. You can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take your BMW M3 to the grave when you die. Nobody is going to regret not buying more expensive cameras and lenses while they were alive.<\/p>\n

What we are going to regret is not pursuing the photography projects that truly make us happy. We are going to regret not traveling more to places we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always wanted to go (but convinced ourselves that we \u00e2\u20ac\u0153shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t\u00e2\u20ac\u009d go, because we \u00e2\u20ac\u0153should\u00e2\u20ac\u009d save more money for retirement, our kid\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s college fund, whatever). We are going to regret not experimenting more with arts in our life which interest us (doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just have to be photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d can be painting, music, drawing, whatever). We are going to regret not being able to experiment with shooting film (because we are worried that film and processing is too expensive).<\/p>\n

If we use our money, time, attention, and resources on things we are passionate about\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we can truly unlock our human potential. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you want to live a life true to yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d full of joy, optimism, and self-fulfillment? The more positive energy that flows from creating art that fulfills you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the more positive energy will go to others in your life, and inspire them as well.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

So in conclusion, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t die in photography. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quit swimming. Keep moving forward. Follow your curiosity, and keep feeding your curiosities. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let money, lack of time, lack of resources, or excuses get in your way. Just say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fuck it\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and go for it. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give a shit what others think, be true to yourself. First aim to make yourself happy and fulfilled\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and you will pay forward that positive energy to others.<\/p>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop shooting, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t die.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently was listening to a podcast interview with Tony Robbins (on the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tim Ferris Show\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) and was struck by something Tony said: progress is happiness. As you guys are probably well-aware of, I \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21302,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_ek_photo_artist_note":"","_ek_photo_thesis":"","_ek_photo_camera":"","_ek_photo_place":"","_ek_photo_human_moment":"","_ek_photo_sequence":"","_ek_photo_question":"","_ek_photo_canonical_claim":"","_ek_photo_ai_summary":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[31],"tags":[174],"class_list":["post-21301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-philosophy","tag-philosophy-2"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/tumblr_ne2dfwDSfz1qd0y8do1_1280.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"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=21301"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21301\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}