{"id":26583,"date":"2016-01-21T14:13:07","date_gmt":"2016-01-21T22:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=26583"},"modified":"2016-01-22T10:59:46","modified_gmt":"2016-01-22T18:59:46","slug":"find-out-what-to-photograph-not-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/01\/21\/find-out-what-to-photograph-not-how\/","title":{"rendered":"Find out What to Photograph, Not How"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Garden
Garden Grove, 2016 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Find out what<\/em> to write, not how<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – Seneca (Letters to Lucilius)\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I wanted to write you this letter on the importance of knowing what<\/em> to photograph, rather than how<\/em> to photograph.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As photographers we often get caught up in the gear, the lenses, post-processing methods, and technical approaches. We wonder whether we are better off using a rangefinder, a compact camera, what focal length to use, whether to use black and white or color\u00e2\u20ac\u201d yet we forget the central question: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is important in our life, and what should we photograph?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

What is a \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcphotographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122?<\/h2>\n

As a photographer, you are nothing but a subject-selector<\/strong>. You are a filter. You take in reality through your eyes, and you determine what you find interesting enough (or important enough) to photograph.<\/p>\n

Technical details\u00e2\u20ac\u201d like aperture, shutter-speed, ISO, etc are all (mostly) done by the camera. Eventually we will reach a day when we will never have to worry about any technical details. However what will still be important 2,000 years from now? What<\/em> to photograph.<\/p>\n

What is meaningful to you?<\/h2>\n

I think most of us started off photography quite simply. We might have started taking photos on our smartphones to document family gatherings, or snapshots during travel. We might have picked up photography as a way to express ourselves, and to photograph our loved ones. We might have started to photograph because we were interested in architecture and the man-made environment; and photography was a way for us to document whatever we found interesting.<\/p>\n

There is a lot of stuff out there in the world. There are an infinite amount of subjects to photograph: flowers, trees, houses, cars, people, animals, architecture, etc.<\/p>\n

But what is important or interesting to you? What are you so passionate about that you just need<\/em> to go out and document it?<\/p>\n

Why I do what I do<\/h2>\n

Personally, I love human beings. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m that annoying guy at the cafe who speaks far too much to the baristas. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m that guy who is always asking you questions, learning more about you and your life, and asking \u00e2\u20ac\u0153why\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you do what you do.<\/p>\n

Why do I do this? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I am drawn to my fellow human beings. As an extrovert, I enjoy \u00e2\u20ac\u0153small talk\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (especially with uber drivers, bus drivers, grocery store clerks, baristas, servers, or anyone else I encounter on the streets). I think I learn this from my mom\u00e2\u20ac\u201d she has always taught me (through example) that everyone in the world is your friend, you shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be afraid of anybody (even though they may look frightening on the outside), and you can learn a lot of wisdom from others.<\/p>\n

In the pursuit of wisdom, love, and human-understanding; I love talking to people. And for me honestly\u00e2\u20ac\u201d photography comes second. I remember the first taste I got for street photography was the fact that I had a fascinating, deep, meaningful conversation with a stranger\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and I wanted to take a photograph to document and remember that interaction. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care so much about the camera I used, my technical settings, my lens, how sharp the image was, or how the photograph turned out. I just wanted to make the most faithful depiction of what I experienced\u00e2\u20ac\u201d for myself, and perhaps to show to some other people as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153proof\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of the experience that I had.<\/p>\n

Even nowadays I feel that photography isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t my #1 interest in life. Rather, it is the pursuit of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wisdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (I love to read philosophy books), the pursuit to be less shitty of a person and more compassionate towards my family, friends, and loved ones, and also the chance to share a few of the things which I find personally helpful with others.<\/p>\n

I have a lot to thank \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the chance for me to build up my courage to talk (more) with strangers, the chance for me to wander the world, and enjoy the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beauty in the mundane.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Street photography has taught me that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to be in some exotic country\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but rather, I can find as much beauty within a square-block from my house, and photographing a stranger can be much more meaningful than photographing some African villager in a developing country.<\/p>\n

To make it more general\u00e2\u20ac\u201d photography has given me the opportunity to be more perceptive of the world around me. And what I want to photograph is what I personally feel emotionally connected to.<\/p>\n

The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cindy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d project<\/h2>\n

At the moment, my #1 subject (or \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcwhat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 to photograph) is my partner Cindy. She is my better half, she is the reason I wake up in the morning (literally, I have to tempt her out of bed with the smell of freshly-ground coffee in the morning, throw off the blankets, and sometimes drag her out of bed), and she is the person who has always believed in me from the beginning\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and daily pushes me to achieve my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal maximum.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Sure, there are a lot of rough-edges in our relationship. I often get petty about small little jabs she attacks me with. No relationship is perfect; and I know my relationship with Cindy will never be perfect. But it is the imperfection of our relationship which I find the beauty\u00e2\u20ac\u201d how can I truly love Cindy if I never get angry at her, how can I learn to be compassionate with her if I am not insensitive, how can I learn how to be more mindful of others if I always put myself first?<\/p>\n

Anyways\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the reason why<\/em> I photograph Cindy is because she is beauty to me. She is the reason humanity exists\u00e2\u20ac\u201d she reminds me that love is about a connection between two human beings. To take it further, love is what holds humanity together, in community, friends, and families.<\/p>\n

So why do I photograph her? Because to me, it is the way I can show my love for her, and I hope to share that love with others\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and with you.<\/p>\n

I know you have a lot of loved ones in your life. It might be your best friend, your child, your parents, your spouse, your girlfriend\/boyfriend. Whoever. Why not treat them as your #1 subject to photograph?<\/p>\n

And if you find something you are passionate of photographing (it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to be human beings, it can be nature, the city, etc) you won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really care \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to photograph it. I mean, if you know \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to photograph and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153why\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you photograph it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of photographing is very unimportant. Just get a small compact camera, and shoot in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153P\u00e2\u20ac\u009d mode. It is far more important to document what you are passionate about, to capture the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153decisive moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d rather than worrying about what camera to use, what lens to use, and what technical settings to use.<\/p>\n

Capturing what you feel<\/h2>\n

Often I get trapped in thinking too much about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to photograph. I obsess endlessly on whether I should shoot digital or film, whether color or black and white, whether JPEG or RAW, what focal length to use, or whether to use flash or not. But I need to remind myself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d this is the wrong question to ask.<\/p>\n

If my primary concern is what<\/em> to photograph \u00e2\u20ac\u201d why should I obsess so much over how<\/em> to photograph?<\/p>\n

What do I want to photograph? Cindy. Why do I want to photograph her? Because I want to capture my love for her, and share that with others. How do I photograph that? Well it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really matter so much\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a camera that is always with me, easy to carry around, as long as I can capture the moment and the feeling<\/em> I have towards her.<\/p>\n

This is why lately I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been shooting more black and white and adding a lot of grain\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I feel it is a timeless look which truly conveys how<\/em> I feel about Cindy (nostalgic, soft, and tender). What I do not<\/em> want is super-sharp, high-resolution, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bokeh\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos that look like commercial shots. The irony of photography is nowadays the cameras are a little \u00e2\u20ac\u0153too perfect\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and the downside is that aesthetically it is uglier. Rather than the image showing the emotion and feeling of the moment, it is rather to get everything technically perfect. This is why watching Blu-Ray movies look horrible (it is too perfect); I prefer the imperfections and the soft glow of movies shot on film.<\/p>\n

Aesthetics<\/h2>\n

To a certain degree\u00e2\u20ac\u201d what camera and the technical settings you use is important. After all, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you photograph will change the aesthetic and what the image finally looks like.<\/p>\n

To clarify what I am trying to say: the camera, lens, processing-method, and technical settings are important, but far less<\/em> important than deciding \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to photograph.<\/p>\n

Start off by deciding what subject to photograph, what kind of project to photograph\u00e2\u20ac\u201d by determine what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re passionate about, and what subject you love. Then afterwards figure out how<\/em> to shoot it (rather than starting off with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153how\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to shoot, and then figuring out \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to shoot).<\/p>\n

Photography 2,000 years from now<\/h2>\n

I just finished reading Seneca\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Letters to Lucilius\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in an edition that was printed in the 1920\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. First of all Seneca\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s original letters were written to his buddy Lucilius around 2,000 years ago (around the time of Christ). And funny enough\u00e2\u20ac\u201d what Seneca wrote is still super-relevant to today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s society (how to deal with death, wealth, and how to live a virtuous life). The technologies have changed (instead of having chariots today we have cars, and instead of worrying about wearing purple robes we worry today about wearing the latest designer label clothes).<\/p>\n

Which has me thinking\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I would hope to write things about photography that will be relevant 2,000 years from now. Not to say that what I say will exist in 2,000 years (I will be dead, my kid\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s kids will be dead, who knows if the internet will still be around, nobody is going to pay for the hosting for my blog, it will all evaporate into digital dust). But at the same time\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I want to write things which will have \u00e2\u20ac\u0153timeless value.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

In the past, I have wasted too much time writing about cameras, technical settings, equipment, etc. Every year a new digital camera comes out, which is always slightly better. And 2,000 years from now\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I can guarantee you that cameras and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153still photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d will still be around. But what kind of devices will people use? Nobody knows, but I know that 2,000 years from now, people are still going to be concerned about what<\/em> to photograph. In the future, we will no longer need to think about any of the technical settings (computers will calculate this all for us).<\/p>\n

Therefore I feel like it is my task and life\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mission to contemplate these questions, on what to photograph, asking why<\/em> should we photograph, and how to live a happy life.<\/p>\n

These are some personal \u00e2\u20ac\u0153truths\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I have discovered about photography which has made me a lot happier (and less miserable) in my life:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Buy books, not gear<\/a><\/strong> (I regret spending a ton of money on cameras, I wish I invested that into photography books and education instead)<\/li>\n
  2. Buy experiences, not stuff<\/strong> (similar to the prior point\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but investing in \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcexperiences\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 like traveling is a far better \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcbang-for-the-buck\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 than buying stuff, which will eventually lose its novelty)<\/li>\n
  3. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to travel to enjoy your life<\/strong> (after traveling to 30+ international cities, I have discovered that the world is a lot more similar than dissimilar. Travel is fantastic to open up your mind, but ultimately my lesson was \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchome is where the heart is.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Ironically enough, traveling away from home has taught me how much I love and value home. Therefore I can honestly say if I went for the rest of my life and never traveled again, I would know that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmissing out\u00e2\u20ac\u2122).<\/li>\n
  4. You need a purpose<\/a><\/strong> (having a sense of purpose of photographing and living is what drives us forward. Trust me, buying a new camera won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcinspire\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 you to shoot more. The only way to stay inspired is to have a burning sense of passion and mission\u00e2\u20ac\u201d a purpose to photograph. Or else you will die both creatively, mentally, and spiritually)<\/li>\n
  5. Enjoy the process<\/strong> (we cannot control whether or not we make good photos, but we can control how much effort we put in, how much passion we put in, and the enthusiasm we put in. If we enjoy the process, we detach ourself from the results, and therefore we will be a lot less stressed and happier in life).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Personal conundrums: Film vs digital<\/h2>\n

    As of right now, I am still debating between shooting film and digital for my personal work.<\/p>\n

    The benefit of shooting film is a lot\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I enjoy the process more, the end-result more (I think photos shot on film look aesthetically more pleasing than my digital shots), I like the idea that the negatives will last a lot longer than my digital RAW files, and how I get less \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Gear Acquisition Syndrome\u00e2\u20ac\u009d because I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel the need to \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcupgrade\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 my film camera.<\/p>\n

    What I hate about shooting film is how it makes me dependent and a slave to others. Meaning, if I have no more money, I can no longer develop it (I pay labs to develop for me). Sure I can develop myself, but honestly I hate developing and scanning my own stuff \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I would rather use that time to read, write, and meditate. Furthermore, I hate the physical baggage that comes with film\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I have so many rolls of developed film hanging around in boxes and luggage bags which physically weigh me down. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to be abroad for the next 2 years or so\u00e2\u20ac\u201d do I really want to drag around film? I want to be light, and free.<\/p>\n

    Digital is fantastic in a lot of regards\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in a sense it is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153free\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, but the downside is that digital technology is still very fragile. I know the JPEG standard will probably stick around for a while, but accessing RAW files can be a pain in the ass. I have everything sync\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d on Dropbox, but how long will the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153cloud\u00e2\u20ac\u009d technology be around, and if a computer hacker got into Dropbox and deleted everybody\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s digital data, we would all be fucked.<\/p>\n

    I know that physical things will last longer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d that is why I am (at the moment) thinking of just sticking with digital (Ricoh GR II) and continuing to tweak my Lightroom presets to make it look as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153film-like\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as I can (Because I still pretty the gritty black-and-white aesthetic– download my new Tri-X 1600 preset for free<\/a>). Not only that, but I want to print more of my photos (either in books, as prints, or in magazines).<\/p>\n

    I am still amazed that I can borrow a book from the library that is over 100 years old, and still use it just fine. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t imagine my Kindle still working 100 years from now.<\/p>\n

    Anyways, I am still personally trying to figure out things for me, but I will keep you updated with my findings.<\/p>\n

    Forever grateful<\/h2>\n

    Thank you for always being here for me, lending an ear to the words that I write, and supporting me always.<\/p>\n

    I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do what I do if it weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t for you. So thank you.<\/p>\n

    Always be strong, faithful, and know that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re on the right track in your photography. Know that questioning why<\/em> you shoot<\/a> is the first step in discovering your unique voice in photography<\/a>, and know that at the end of the day, as long as you photograph what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re passionate about, you will be fully-satisfied and content in what you do<\/a>. Oh yeah, and spend less time on social media\u00e2\u20ac\u201d trust me, you will have a lot more peace of mind.<\/p>\n

    Now go forth and make beautiful images,
    \nEric<\/p>\n

    Thursday, Jan 21, 2016, Emeryville @ \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Scarlet City Espresso\u00e2\u20ac\u009d 1:58pm<\/em> with a lovely ristretto espresso.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Find out what to write, not how.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d – Seneca (Letters to Lucilius) Dear friend, I wanted to write you this letter on the importance of knowing what to photograph, rather than how to photograph.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","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,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26583","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\/2016\/01\/R0002393.jpg?fit=994%2C1500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26583","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=26583"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26583\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}