{"id":26253,"date":"2015-12-09T13:09:25","date_gmt":"2015-12-09T21:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=26253"},"modified":"2015-12-09T13:21:40","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T21:21:40","slug":"deep-focus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/09\/deep-focus\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep Focus"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_26255\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26255\" style=\"width: 960px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"26255\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/09\/deep-focus\/temp_1449466563823-1609982095\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?fit=960%2C636&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"960,636\" 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;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"temp_1449466563823.1609982095\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Marseille, 2013 #cindyproject&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?fit=960%2C636&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26255\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?resize=960%2C636\" alt=\"Marseille, 2013 #cindyproject\" width=\"960\" height=\"636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?resize=660%2C437&amp;ssl=1 660w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?resize=768%2C509&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26255\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marseille, 2013 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m like a pigeon. I am so easily distracted. If you saw how many Google chrome tabs I have open at once, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d know what I mean.<\/p>\n<p>When I was walking around in SF in Soma, I saw a sign that said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Deep Focus<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It really stuck to me the next few weeks. What is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153deep focus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d anyways?<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Some people call it the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n<p>What is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? The zone is when you eliminate all distractions\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re fully-concentrated at the work at hand.<\/p>\n<p>Let me tell you a story (this comes from \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0143116703\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143116703&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=OFQ22R3GFVWNXOB6\" target=\"_blank\">The Second Book of the Tao<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) about a master woodworker named Ch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ing.<\/p>\n<h2>The Tao of Woodworking<\/h2>\n<p>The story goes that Ch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ing (master woodworker) is talking to a king, and the king says that his works are all masterpieces\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and how amazed people are by its beauty and grace. The king says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It is so beautiful, the people think that a god must have made it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>When the king asks Ch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ing what his secret is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d Ch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ing admits it is quite simple, all he has to do is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<em>Concentrate my mind<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>How does he concentrate his mind? His plan is the following:<\/p>\n<p>He goes into the woods and meditates.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>After 3 days, he eliminates all thoughts of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153praise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153blame\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/li>\n<li>After 5 days, he eliminates all thoughts of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153success\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153failure\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/li>\n<li>After 7 days, he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t identify himself with a body<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At this point, he says, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All of my power is focused on my task; there are no distractions.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>Then he just walks over to the wood, and his entire body, mind, and soul becomes engrossed into the work. The wood ends up \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cutting itself\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and magically the beautiful piece of art appears.<\/p>\n<h2>What prevents us from being in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?<\/h2>\n<p>You know the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d when you see it. You see the NBA player on the free-point line, and his entire mind is focused on hitting that one shot to win the game. You can see it when you see a guy doing parkour and about to do a backflip off a wall\u00e2\u20ac\u201d all his focus is in landing that jump (and not landing on his face). You can see it when you see a writer at a cafe, plugged into his laptop, and typing furiously with the words streaming out his fingertips. You can see it in the grandma on the bus\u00e2\u20ac\u201d whose entire focus is on knitting the little wool hat she is working on her for her little grandchildren.<\/p>\n<p>Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi\u00c2\u00a0is a psychologist who discovered this mental state (or at least made it academic), and he called it \u00e2\u20ac\u0153flow.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Pretty much being \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153flow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d are the same thing.<\/p>\n<p>So why is it so hard to be in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? The culprit: distractions.<\/p>\n<h2>Distractions are human<\/h2>\n<p>As human beings we are wired for distractions. In-fact, if we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get easily distracted, we would have died off millennia ago.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine you are a hunter-gather on a plain. You walking, enjoying yourself in the sun, and then you hear a rustling from the nearby bush. Your ears perk up, your shoulders tense\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is behind there\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a friend, foe, or wild bear?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>This would keep you from dying.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world, distractions are all around us. Think about it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d when is the last time you had a full hour to yourself, without someone calling you, texting you, IM\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ing you, emailing you, someone barging into your cubicle and asking you to do something, or hearing some annoying kid shout out which ruins your focus?<\/p>\n<p>Fuck distractions. The only way to conquer them is to be ruthless.<\/p>\n<h2>Hack away at the inessential<\/h2>\n<p>Bruce Lee once said that everyday we shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seek to add things; rather everyday we should be ruthless and <strong>hack away at the inessential<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>For example, in martial arts, rather than knowing 1000 different moves, it is better to master 1\u00e2\u20ac\u201c2 moves.<\/p>\n<p>In today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s digital world\u00e2\u20ac\u201d everyone is vying for your attention. Pop-up ads, Twitter streams, Snapchats, Facebook status updates, Tweets\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is all there to distract you from your life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mission.<\/p>\n<p>For me, I am still fighting an onslaught of distractions. I have the hardest time focusing, but here are some practical tips which have helped me:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Turn off the internet<\/h3>\n<p>I know this is scary, but probably it is the most effective trick. Download the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/freedom.to\" target=\"_blank\">Freedom<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d app\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and literally shut off your entire internet for an hour\u00e2\u20ac\u201c3 hours at a time.<\/p>\n<p>I find myself going down rabbit holes whenever I open up my web browser. Then I end up on Wikipedia. Then before you know it, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m watching funny cat videos on YouTube and I think to myself (\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How the fuck did that happen?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d)<\/p>\n<p>I know if you have a full-time job (especially in tech), someone expects an email response for you after 5 minutes. It sucks I know. So you can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really control <em>not<\/em> being interrupted or distracted when at work. However, my suggestion of shutting off the internet is when you have your own free time.<\/p>\n<p>So for example, when you get off work (6pm) and by the time you get home (maybe 7pm), turn on the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0143116703\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143116703&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=OFQ22R3GFVWNXOB6\" target=\"_blank\">Freedom<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d app and turn off your internet until 7am the next morning. This means from 7pm-midnight (5 hours, a lot of time)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be distracted by \u00e2\u20ac\u0153teh interwebz\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (which is more addictive than crack cocaine, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard).<\/p>\n<p>I know a lot of people who complain not having enough energy or time to do their passion or life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work. Honestly, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been there\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and that was just me making excuses for my own life. The problem was that I just had an infinite amount of distractions (social media, email, random social gatherings) which distracted me.<\/p>\n<p>Even now, I woke up today at 9am (a little later than usual), but I want to keep my time until now until noon (at least) golden. So I turned on my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0143116703\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143116703&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=OFQ22R3GFVWNXOB6\" target=\"_blank\">Freedom<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d app and I have my internet blocked for 3 hours. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m (what you call) \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Oh yeah, coffee or caffeine helps (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m on my third single ristretto espresso\u00e2\u20ac\u201d actually a lot less caffeine than normal drip-coffee; made it at home).<\/p>\n<h3>2. Everyday uninstall one app<\/h3>\n<p>I am a sucker for apps; I want to find the newest more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153revolutionary\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153game-changing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d app which will fix all my life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s problems. Trust me; I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve downloaded all of them, and I look at the app store everyday to find that new revolutionary app to be more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153productive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153efficient\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153optimized\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n<p>Once again\u00e2\u20ac\u201d these are all just further distractions.<\/p>\n<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve found the opposite to be more beneficial for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153deep focus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d everyday hack away at the inessential by uninstalling one app.<\/p>\n<p>At first, it is hard. We have some sort of fear uninstalling apps. Why? There is that whole \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what if?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d syndrome\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we are afraid we might find ourselves in a situation when we need that app\u00e2\u20ac\u201d if it is a life\/death situation.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly that is bullshit. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve existed so long without smartphones (especially email on our phone).<\/p>\n<p>What I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve personally done:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Uninstalled all social media apps from my phone (occasionally re-install Instagram onto my phone because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still addicted to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153likes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d)<\/li>\n<li>Uninstalled email from my phone (holy shit, this is seriously the #1 best \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchack\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 for staying focused on your work and more-present\u00e2\u20ac\u201d especially when having dinner with friends or close ones)<\/li>\n<li>Turned off all notifications (even text messages) so I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have random shit popping up in my face when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to do something else on my phone<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I am not telling you to do everything I did. But experiment.<\/p>\n<p>Are you the guy who is waiting for the restroom for 30 seconds, and you have to take out your smartphone and check Instagram? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m that guy\u00e2\u20ac\u201d except I will read on my Kindle app on my phone for 30 seconds. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve forgotten what it feels like to stand around for 30 seconds, and just do nothing.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Learn to say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h3>\n<p>Steve Jobs said that innovation isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t saying yes to good ideas; but to saying \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to thousands of good ideas\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and just focusing on the 1\u00e2\u20ac\u201c3 good ideas, and eliminating the rest.<\/p>\n<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still really bad at saying \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a lot of people will ask me to meet up, to have a coffee, or to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pick my brain.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I love meeting people and I love humanity and my fellow human-beings; but honestly, I need to learn how to say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no\u00e2\u20ac\u009d more often.<\/p>\n<p>Time is the most valuable resource we have. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re only born with a limited amount of it (if we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re optimistic, lets say we can live 80 years in a somewhat healthy condition).<\/p>\n<p>Imagine a smartphone battery: you start off the day with 100%, and by lunch-time you might already be down at 30% (why haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t they invented a smartphone battery that can really last you all day?).<\/p>\n<p>Imagine your life is the same. You are born with 100% of your battery, and everyday your charge is slowly draining from you. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in your late 20\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, early\u00e2\u20ac\u201c30\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, you might have a good 50 years ahead of you in terms of living.<\/p>\n<p>But then again- you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know whether you will get into a car accident (become paralyzed), whether you will suffer a stroke and be strapped to a wheelchair, whether you will get into a motorcycle accident and lose access to your chin-down (happened to a friend of a friend), whether you will lose your mental sanity (I think my Dad lost his a few years ago), or whether you will get into a car accident and die (happens all the time).<\/p>\n<p>I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know about you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I often get \u00e2\u20ac\u0153charge anxiety\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m low on my battery on my smartphone (less than 30%), I feel extremely anxious if I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have my charger with me, and there isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a plug close-by.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately in real life, we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a charger. No matter how rich we are, no matter how much kale, quinoa, blueberries, probiotics, whatever we consume\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we can never \u00e2\u20ac\u0153recharge\u00e2\u20ac\u009d our life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or add years to our life. Once we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve used a day, we ain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t never getting that day back.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re meeting someone, ask yourself, if this is the last day I lived\u00e2\u20ac\u201d would I have ended up regretting spending this time with this person? If the answer is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153no\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d they are a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcreal\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 friend. If the answer is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153yes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you need to be more stingy with your time.<\/p>\n<p>The irony is that we are super loose with our time\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we give it away like it is worth nothing (credit Seneca). Yet, we are super stingy with our money, we refuse to give it to others (when in reality, money is far less valuable than time).<\/p>\n<p>Think about it also this way\u00e2\u20ac\u201d if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re tired after a long day of work, and you have some creative projects you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been dying to work on, yet you watch 2 hours of Netflix\u00e2\u20ac\u201d what have you done? Not only have you wasted 2 hours of your life, if you think about that in terms of money (let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s say you get paid $20 an hour), that 2 hours of your life \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cost\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you $40 to watch that show. And if your shows really bring you that much joy and happiness to your life, go ahead by all means watch it (there are a lot of good shows out there). But if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re an artist that feels you never have enough \u00e2\u20ac\u0153free-time\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to pursue your art, then honestly you need to kill your Netflix account.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Eliminate distractions on the web<\/h3>\n<p>Another tip; I think a lot of our tools online are useful (Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Google search)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d yet they are all littered with advertisements trying to get your attention and trying to get you to buy shit.<\/p>\n<p>Honestly, I thought I was always immune to advertising (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not a sucker)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but now I have so much personal information and data entrenched in Google\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s cloud servers (I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been on Gmail, Google Calendar, used Google search since I was 16 years old)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the advertisements fucking know exactly what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been wanting to buy. I always get camera advertisements, car advertisements, and iPhone 6s advertisements now.<\/p>\n<p>I think the secret isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t to renounce our digital tools\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but rather know that these digital tools are like snakes with venom pouring from its fangs. But you want to make your digital tools a slave to you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d rather than becoming a slave to your tools.<\/p>\n<p>Some practical tips: install \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/news-feed-eradicator-for\/fjcldmjmjhkklehbacihaiopjklihlgg?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook news feed eradicator<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on Google Chrome (so you can still message friends and treat Facebook like a digital Rolodex, but not get distracted by the news feed). I accidentally opened Facebook on Safari the other day, saw all these updates from my friends, and immediately I felt jealous, envious, and kind of depressed (their lives seemed much more interesting than mine).<\/p>\n<p>Another tip; if you haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t already (shame on you), install \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/adblockplus.org\" target=\"_blank\">Adblock Plus<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (or any other advertisement-blocking plugin). They are generally available on Chrome, Safari, Firefox and everything else.<\/p>\n<p>Oh yeah, and if you use a smartphone, you can install Firefox and install Adblock on your browser. If you have an iPhone, download the new Firefox \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/blog\/2015\/12\/07\/focus-by-firefox-content-blocking-for-the-open-web\/\" target=\"_blank\">Focus<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d plugin (or the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/purify-blocker-no-ads.-no\/id1030156203?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\">Purify<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d app in the App store), that blocks advertisements from Safari. Unfortunately, I haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t found a solution for Google chrome Mobile (yet).<\/p>\n<p>Also install \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/ghostery.com\" target=\"_blank\">Ghostery<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a free app that blocks tracking on your browser (also speeds up load times on websites). Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let these mofos spy on your browsing history.<\/p>\n<p>And if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re like me and have absolutely no self-control install the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/stayfocusd\/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji\" target=\"_blank\">StayFocusd<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Chrome plugin, and block all distracting websites. Some websites blocked for me:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Reddit<\/li>\n<li>Facebook<\/li>\n<li>Twitter<\/li>\n<li>Tumblr<\/li>\n<li>YouTube<\/li>\n<li>Wikipedia (yeah I know it is useful but can be another distraction)<\/li>\n<li>Ford (so I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t lust after the new Mustang 5.0 GT)<\/li>\n<li>Nissan<\/li>\n<li>Honda<\/li>\n<li>Mazda (been loving that new Miata)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This has been one of the best ways to regain my mental sanity and focus.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Never do more than one thing at a time<\/h3>\n<p>This is advice I really need to work hard on\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I always try to multi-task. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll cook breakfast and read on my phone, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll read while drinking my coffee, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll drop a deuce and read on my phone, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll eat breakfast and check my email, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have a conversation with Cindy while glancing at my phone, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll walk to the bus stop and listen to music, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll workout and listen to music, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll take photos and listen to music\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I have a hard time just doing one thing at a time.<\/p>\n<p>Roman philosopher Publilius Syrus once said:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>To do two things at once is to do nothing at all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Another quote from him:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>If you try to catch two birds you will catch neither.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A lot of Zen buddhists say that happiness, focus, and minimalism is about <strong>just doing one thing at a time<\/strong>. Honestly I have a hard time following that piece of advice, so the opposite is easier to apply:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do more than 1 thing at a time.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>So when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m out shooting, I turn off my phone, and turn off my music. I just walk, focus \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and suddenly my eyes become a lot sharper, more receptive, and more creative.<\/p>\n<p>When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m writing (like I am now) I used to listen to music. But most song lyrics are distractions. And then when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m listening to a song that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard a million times and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sick of I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll want to go \u00e2\u20ac\u0153next\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (which is another distraction which gets me out of the flow).<\/p>\n<p>When I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m eating, I really try not to check my phone or read or do anything else at the same time. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve noticed now when I eat\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I just try to eat (nothing else); and for the first time in my life, I can actually <em>taste<\/em> my food.<\/p>\n<p>And sorry to ruin your appetite (or if this is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153TMI\u00e2\u20ac\u009d); I try not to read my phone or a book when in the bathroom. Result? Better bowel movements (haha once again sorry for the TMI\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153too much information\u00e2\u20ac\u009d).<\/p>\n<h2>Focus on the essential<\/h2>\n<p>Eliminate the unnecessary. Focus on whats essential.<\/p>\n<p>Find your \u00e2\u20ac\u0153deep focus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by not getting distracted (rather than forcing yourself to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153focus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d).<\/p>\n<p>If you have no distractions or superfluous baggage in your life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d focusing and being \u00e2\u20ac\u0153in the zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is easy.<\/p>\n<p>Find your \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zone.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Be fully-present and fully-aware in everything you do.<\/p>\n<p>Next time you go to dinner with your loved one or friends, shut off your phone (completely) and be 100% engaged in your conversation with them.<\/p>\n<p>The next time you take your kid to the park, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t check Instagram while your kid is playing. Be fully-present with them.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re eating your lunch\u00e2\u20ac\u201d please don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t eat at your desk and please don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t answer emails.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re out shooting, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t listen to music or check Instagram. Focus on your shooting.<\/p>\n<p>None of this is advice I am telling you to do because I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m somehow \u00e2\u20ac\u0153better than you\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153enlightened.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m honestly in the same boat, trying to be more present in my life.<\/p>\n<p>It is hard, but let us eliminate this bullshit \u00e2\u20ac\u0153multi-tasking\u00e2\u20ac\u009d western mindset from our minds. Fuck optimization, efficiency, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153productivity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d live a life true to yourself, live in the moment, and know that happiness is in this present moment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d right now, with you reading this, drinking your coffee, or whether that moment holding the hand of a loved one, sharing a nice warm laugh.<\/p>\n<p><em>Wed, 10:24am, Dec 9, 2015\u00e2\u20ac\u201d at my home in Berkeley<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h2>Random updates:<\/h2>\n<h3>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Henri\u00e2\u20ac\u009d leather strap<\/h3>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"26271\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/09\/deep-focus\/final-promo-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/final-promo-1.jpg?fit=1495%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1495,2000\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;3.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;GR&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1447409207&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18.3&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;3200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.0125&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"final-promo\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/final-promo-1.jpg?fit=1495%2C2000&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-26271 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/final-promo-1-493x660.jpg?resize=493%2C660\" alt=\"final-promo\" width=\"493\" height=\"660\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/final-promo-1.jpg?resize=493%2C660&amp;ssl=1 493w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/final-promo-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1027&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/final-promo-1.jpg?w=1495&amp;ssl=1 1495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 493px) 100vw, 493px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So Cindy just announced the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Henri\u00e2\u20ac\u009d strap (available as a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B018KZVUO6\" target=\"_blank\">neck strap<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B018REYD4E\" target=\"_blank\">wrist strap<\/a>)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d she has put so much energy and attention to it, designing it with me, talking with our friend who actually hand-crafts the straps in Saigon, and it is kind of cute to see her checking the Amazon seller account every 5 minutes to see if we sold another strap.<\/p>\n<p>If you get neck-burns from the stock strap you have on your camera right now, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d say invest in one of these \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Henri\u00e2\u20ac\u009d straps. I know I know, I tell you not to fall into \u00e2\u20ac\u0153GAS\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and to buy shit you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need. So please please please\u00e2\u20ac\u201d if you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need another strap in your life (if you already have a Luigi strap, an Artisan-and-artist strap, a Gordy strap, whatever)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t buy it. Only buy it if you want a strap that is more minimalist, will make your neck less \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcchafey\u00e2\u20ac\u2122, or if you just are a sucker for leather and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153artisanal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d goods and want a strap that will wear with you over a long period of time (the Japanese call this \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wabi-sabi\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d kind of how a brass Leica will age and show beautiful golden \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcpatina\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 over time).<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately we have it all fulfilled by Amazon at the moment, which means that they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ship internationally (yet).<\/p>\n<p>We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re actually talking to our friend right now to get a new batch of straps. This batch we will start shipping internationally (probably won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be available for another few months however).<\/p>\n<p>So if you want a strap (and have an Amazon prime account like we do)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d order one for yourself, or a friend, loved one\u00e2\u20ac\u201d might make a nice Christmas present.<\/p>\n<p>And no\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the strap will <em>not<\/em> make you a better photographer. But it will make you look more cool, and also hopefully will encourage you to bring your camera with you everywhere you go.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/07\/announcing-the-henri-strap-by-eric-kim\/\" target=\"_blank\">Learn More &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The strap is currently available for a limited time on Amazon:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B018KZVUO6\" target=\"_blank\">Neck Strap: Henri by Eric Kim ($79.95)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B018REYD4E\" target=\"_blank\">Wrist Strap: Henri by Eric Kim ($39.95)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Workshops<\/h3>\n<p>Okay so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m pretty pumped for 2016 workshops. Like I mention\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to travel a lot less, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m limiting myself to 1\u00e2\u20ac\u201c2 workshops a month, mostly local.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in the states, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t miss out\u00e2\u20ac\u201d these are the last workshops I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m doing in America before I leave to Vietnam this summer.<\/p>\n<p>And if you want to travel to Asia and do a workshop somewhere fun and exotic, join me there as well:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jan 9-10:\u00c2\u00a0SF\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/excel-with-your-composition-in-street-photography-san-francisco-2-day-composition-workshop-january-9-10th-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">Composition Street Photography Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>Feb 5-12:\u00c2\u00a0Dubai\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gulfphotoplus.com\/gpp\/2016\" target=\"_blank\">Gulf Photo Plus 2016<\/a><\/li>\n<li>March 19-20:\u00c2\u00a0NYC\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/new-york-city-street-photography-composition-workshop-april-19-20-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">Composition Street Photography Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>March 26-27:\u00c2\u00a0NYC\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/new-york-city-conquer-your-fears-in-street-photography-photography-workshop-march-26-27-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>April 16-17:\u00c2\u00a0SF\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/san-francisco-conquer-your-fears-in-street-photography-photography-workshop-april-16-17-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>April 23-24:\u00c2\u00a0SF\u00c2\u00a0\/ Advanced Street Photography Workshop<\/li>\n<li>October 1-2:\u00c2\u00a0Melbourne\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/melbourne-australia-conquer-your-fears-in-street-photography-photography-workshop-october-1-2-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>October 8-9:\u00c2\u00a0Sydney\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/sydney-australia-conquer-your-fears-in-street-photography-photography-workshop-october-8-9-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>November 5-6:\u00c2\u00a0Singapore\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/singapore-conquer-your-fears-in-street-photography-photography-workshop-november-5-6-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Conquer Your Fears in Street Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<li>November 12-13:\u00c2\u00a0Tokyo\u00c2\u00a0\/ Advanced Street Photography Workshop<\/li>\n<li>November 19-20:\u00c2\u00a0Kyoto\u00c2\u00a0\/\u00c2\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/kyoto-street-photography-composition-workshop-november-19-20-2016\/\" target=\"_blank\">Composition Street Photography Workshop<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Open<\/span>!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Books<\/h3>\n<p>Okay books books books\u00e2\u20ac\u201d some books I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve re-read:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1501127624\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1501127624&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=55OWQQVX6MROLBWR\" target=\"_blank\">Steve Jobs<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (the fat-ass biography by Walter Isaacson, I bought it 5 years ago, and probably re-read it 4 times. If you want inspiration for innovation, pick it up. And if you buy the hardcover, know that while you will get compliments at the local cafe, it is a pain in the ass to carry\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but honestly, worth it)<\/li>\n<li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0140442103\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0140442103&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=4JY6ZI6OBRD5LGL5\" target=\"_blank\">Letters From a Stoic<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (some of my friends know that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve changed my middle-name to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Seneca\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d my favorite philosopher. I want to be like him\u00e2\u20ac\u201d rich and powerful, yet live an austere and ascetic life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and use my money to help others. But seriously, practical philosophy without bullshit, I love it.)<\/li>\n<li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0060812451\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0060812451&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=PFV4AKZTEZRUFLE6\" target=\"_blank\">Tao Te Ching<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Stephen Mitchell edition is the one I recommend. Learning to be more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Taoist\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in letting things \u00e2\u20ac\u0153go with the flow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and not stressing about life too much. I need to read this to balance out all the Stoic philosophy, it makes me feel more relaxed).<\/li>\n<li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0143116703\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=0143116703&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=OFQ22R3GFVWNXOB6\" target=\"_blank\">The Second Book of the Tao<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (a follow-up book, and includes some great stories and parables to eliminate distractions, and live a life true to yourself and happy. Highly recommended, just finished it this morning on my Kindle paper white).<\/li>\n<li>\u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B009NXUQG8\/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B009NXUQG8&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=erikimstrpho-20&amp;linkId=MS32RCM4N55VLVUN\" target=\"_blank\">The Cynic Philosophers from Diogenes to Julian<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (funny enough\u00e2\u20ac\u201d probably the book I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve re-read the most after \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Letters From a Stoic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the philosophy Cynicism is a bit strange\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is like being a homeless dog. But there is something beautiful about their praise of a simple, humble, ascetic lifestyle which appeals to me. I want to live a simple life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d just drink black coffee, eat eggs (sometimes bacon), do pushups and chin-ups for exercise, wear black shirts, black pants and black shoes, use one camera and one lens (Ricoh GR II), and have a few close friends that I can share my entire heart and soul with. I want to also learn that I can get by with very little).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>IA Writer<\/h2>\n<p>Holy crap, I fucking love <a href=\"http:\/\/iawriter.com\" target=\"_blank\">IA Writer<\/a> (one of the few pieces of software I have actually purchased).<\/p>\n<p>It is a minimalist typing app, that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve used more or less exclusively for the last 3 years. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve used it on my iPad, and on my laptop.<\/p>\n<p>I always write in full-screen mode in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153focus\u00e2\u20ac\u009d mode\u00e2\u20ac\u201d so you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re only focused on writing, and there are no other distractions.<\/p>\n<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve tried all the other writing apps, and this one is the best (at least for me).<\/p>\n<p>So if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a writer who has a hard time focusing and just getting things down onto \u00e2\u20ac\u0153paper\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d try out this app.<\/p>\n<h2>Freebies<\/h2>\n<p>Here are some new Lightroom film simulation presets to download:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erickimphotography.com\/Downloads\/Presets\/Eric%20Kim%20Lightroom%20Film%20Presets%20-%202015.zip\">Direct Download<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dl.dropboxusercontent.com\/u\/3105959\/Downloads\/Presets\/Eric%20Kim%20Black%20and%20White%20Lightroom%20Film%20Presets%20-%202015%20v2\/Eric%20Kim%20Black%20and%20White%20Lightroom%20Film%20Presets%20-%202015.zip\">Dropbox Download<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Oh yeah, and if you haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t downloaded my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153<a href=\"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/06\/free-e-book-82-lessons-from-the-masters-of-street-photography\/\" target=\"_blank\">82 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d e-book; here are direct download links:<\/p>\n<p><strong>ePub Download:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erickimphotography.com\/Downloads\/Books\/82LessonsFromtheMasters\/82%20Lessons%20From%20the%20Masters%20of%20Street%20Photography%20-%20Eric%20Kim.epub\">Direct Download<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/82lessonsfromthemasters\">Dropbox<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0BxslI7nEWY93V0tvOEVkQ0lreVk\/view?usp=sharing\">Google Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>PDF Download<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.erickimphotography.com\/Downloads\/Books\/LearnFromtheMasters\/Learn%20From%20the%20Masters%20of%20Street%20Photography%20-%20Eric%20Kim.pdf\">Direct Download<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/s\/o196kc9465u2mc7\/Learn%20From%20the%20Masters%20of%20Street%20Photography%20-%20Eric%20Kim.pdf?dl=0\">Dropbox<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/open?id=0BxslI7nEWY93bEFUNXpzTjNJNFk\">Google Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I think that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s it for now\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to try to teach myself Adobe In-design (to work on some new PDF e-books and stuff). In the meanwhile, live everyday as if it were your last, eliminate distractions, shoot, have fun, enjoy your coffee, your loved ones\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you never know how long it will last.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m like a pigeon. I am so easily distracted. If you saw how many Google chrome tabs I have open at once, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d know what I mean. When I was walking around in SF \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_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":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/temp_1449466563823.1609982095.jpeg?fit=960%2C636&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26253","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=26253"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26253\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}