{"id":28329,"date":"2016-04-05T09:42:43","date_gmt":"2016-04-05T16:42:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=28329"},"modified":"2016-04-05T09:42:43","modified_gmt":"2016-04-05T16:42:43","slug":"what-motivates-you-to-make-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/05\/what-motivates-you-to-make-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"What Motivates You to Make Photos?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"88920007\"<\/p>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I want to write you a letter about motivation, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153inspiration\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and the drive that compels you to make photos.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Shooting for the sake of it?<\/h2>\n

365 day projects. Weekly projects. Instagram #hashtags. These are all the gimmicks we put forth to stay \u00e2\u20ac\u0153motivated\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in our photography.<\/p>\n

But this is the big problem: we make photos for the sake of making photos, rather than making photos that are meaningful<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153motivation\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?<\/h2>\n
\"Melbourne,
Melbourne, 2013 #portra400<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you are a procrastinator (like me); congratulations\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you are a normal human being. While a lot of modern society tries to tell you that procrastination is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153disease\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that you need to counter\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is just our mind\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s built-in algorithm that helps us stay focused on what is important, and ignore<\/em> what isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t important.<\/p>\n

Therefore if you aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t motivated to do something\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it honestly probably isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t very important. But if you are<\/em> motivated to do something, it is either intrinsically-rewarding, urgent, or important to do.<\/p>\n

A lot of people think that procrastination is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153illogical\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153irrational\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I see it as our God-given gift to help filter the B.S. of daily life.<\/p>\n

As with photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think you should take photos for the sake of taking photos. You should only take photos because there is some deeper personal meaning for you.<\/p>\n

Whenever I see something that is truly important to me, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153force\u00e2\u20ac\u009d myself to take a photograph. The camera naturally floats towards my hand, and I take the photograph. There is no effort necessary\u00e2\u20ac\u201d similar to the Taoist concept of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wu-wei\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (action without action). I think this is what the kung-fu masters meant when the body-mind is connected as one, and you \u00e2\u20ac\u0153disappear into the act.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t photograph what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not motivated to shoot<\/h2>\n
\"London,
London, 2013 #portra400<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I think to find your style in photography is all about knowing what not<\/em> to photograph.<\/p>\n

For example, I am not motivated to take photos of landscapes. It isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appreciate or love nature (I used to be a Boy Scout); but there isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t anything personally meaningful to me in a beautiful sunset. I can still appreciate the sunset or landscape for what it is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need<\/em> to make a photograph of it.<\/p>\n

However when it comes to meeting fascinating strangers with unique faces, I feel compelled and intrinsically-motivated to make a photograph of them. I have this spirit within my gut which tells me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Eric, you must<\/em> make this photograph\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or you are going to deeply regret it later.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

I think we need to follow our gut more when it comes to making photos. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give too much credence to the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rational\u00e2\u20ac\u009d part of your mind.<\/p>\n

I also am intrinsically-motivated to document my loved ones, especially Cindy and my close friends and family. I also have tried to cultivate a sense of appreciation of the beauty of the moment, and I think to myself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is a wonderful moment. I might want to reflect and appreciate this moment in the future.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Then I take a photograph.<\/p>\n

The 3-step process of photography:<\/h2>\n
\"Singapore,
Singapore, 2013 #portra400<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Which brings me to my three-step process of photography:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Notice<\/li>\n
  2. Appreciate<\/li>\n
  3. Document<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    To notice<\/em> something is getting harder and harder in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s society (we are constantly distracted with social media, our devices, blogs, text messages, emails, music, games).<\/p>\n

    To appreciate<\/em> something is also getting more difficult\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s society where we are becoming so affluent. It is hard to appreciate the fact that we have a super-computer that fits in our palm and fits in our back pocket, that has access to the sum of all of human knowledge. It is hard for us to appreciate the loved ones in our lives, until we lose them. It is hard for us to appreciate all these wonderful strangers in society (it is easier to complain, than appreciate\u00e2\u20ac\u201da natural human bias).<\/p>\n

    To document<\/em> is to record, capture, and make that impression immortal. To \u00e2\u20ac\u0153document\u00e2\u20ac\u009d we can use a camera, we can write down a note, we can make a sketch. There are many different ways to document a moment\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but for us as photographers, to document is to make a photograph.<\/p>\n

    I feel the documenting<\/em> part of photography is easy. To just click the shutter.<\/p>\n

    I feel the noticing<\/em> part is a little more difficult\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we are constantly distracted, and trust me; we are only going to get more<\/em> distracted, as smartphones and technology becomes more ubiquitous.<\/p>\n

    I feel the appreciating<\/em> part of life (and photography) is the most difficult\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to me, appreciation is happiness<\/strong>. Even if we had a billion dollars, if we didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appreciate it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d would it really bring us happiness? Similarly, we could have all of our close and loved ones in our life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but without appreciation, could we ever really be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153happy\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?<\/p>\n

    Only shoot what motivates you<\/h2>\n
    \"Tokyo,
    Tokyo, 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get trapped in any photographic dogma, genre, or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153style.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Sometimes I am motivated to shoot a photo of my beautiful cappuccino. Sometimes I want to do a selfie with a cute dog I see on the streets (and send it to Cindy and her younger sister). Sometimes I like photographing buildings, sometimes I like photographing my own shadow, sometimes I like to photograph my loved ones, and sometimes I like to photograph strangers.<\/p>\n

    I feel that true liberation and freedom in photography is to be free of any sort of labels or genres. You are a unique, idiosyncratic, and one-of-a-kind human being. The way you see the world is unlike anything else.<\/p>\n

    So why photograph what doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t motivate you? Follow your gut\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and photograph what is personally-meaningful to you.<\/p>\n

    Away with these assignments which force<\/em> you to make photos for the sake of it. At the end of a year, you might have 365 photos\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but photos that are shot without intrinsic motivation won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any soul to them. And your viewer will tell that there isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t any soul in the photos.<\/p>\n

    Do what makes you happy<\/h2>\n

    But once again; there are no \u00e2\u20ac\u0153right\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wrong\u00e2\u20ac\u009d opinions in photography. If you find these \u00e2\u20ac\u0153shoot a photo a day\u00e2\u20ac\u009d projects help inspire and motivate you (in a positive way)\u00e2\u20ac\u201d go for it. But if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re like me, and feel trapped by these lame assignments, then just \u00e2\u20ac\u0153do you<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and live the artistic and creative life that makes your soul fly.<\/p>\n

    Always,
    \nEric<\/p>\n

    Tuesday, April 5, 2016 @ Free Speech Movement Cafe at UC Berkeley \u00e2\u20ac\u201d feeling tired as shit (haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t slept well in a while, but feeling appreciative of my life, and have some good ideas brewing\u00e2\u20ac\u201d sorry for the bad coffee pun, I need more espresso<\/em>).<\/p>\n

    Random updates<\/h2>\n
    \"Downtown
    Downtown LA, 2013 #portra400<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    After a brief hiatus from social media, I went back on Crackstagram (Instagram), and while I see a lot of value to that platform\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I overall find it too restrictive. Can you really show your artistic creativity and vision in just a 5\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 screen?<\/p>\n

    I have personally found more creative meaningful activities in writing, and specifically putting together more free PDF e-books on photography.<\/p>\n

    I hope you enjoy my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Street Photography 102<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (intermediate\/advanced street photography book), and I am currently re-working my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Street Photography 101\u00e2\u20ac\u009d book. I also hope on putting together a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d book. Lots of fun projects to keep me motivated, and drinking (lots) of coffee. I have terrible dark-rings and bags under my eyes at the moment (not enough sleep), but I love this shit\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and I love doing this work for you.<\/p>\n

    Special thanks to Fan from my NYC workshop for hooking it up with some espresso beans (Gregory Coffee \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Night Vision\u00e2\u20ac\u009d blend). Good shit.<\/p>\n

    Also currently jamming to “The Life of Pablo” by Kanye West– sonically a fantastic album, I’ve had it on loop (while writing all my e-books).<\/p>\n

    I also have a few spots open for my last workshops in America (for possibly the next 2-3 years) — so don’t miss out, and invest in an experience that will help take your street photography to the next level:<\/p>\n