{"id":34416,"date":"2016-11-30T02:00:12","date_gmt":"2016-11-30T10:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=34416"},"modified":"2016-12-08T19:50:48","modified_gmt":"2016-12-09T03:50:48","slug":"how-to-be-a-zen-street-photographer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/30\/how-to-be-a-zen-street-photographer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become a Zen Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"kyoto-car-old-school-2015-film-trix-1600-eric-kim-street-photograpy-black-and-white-monochrome-19\"<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a big fan of Zen\/Taoist, Eastern philosophy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Even though I am very pro-American at heart (in terms of our love for risk-taking, for individuality, and for freedom), I see a lot of negatives of the American\/Western line of thinking. There is too much focus on \u00e2\u20ac\u0153profit\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153success\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and externalizing your self-worth in terms of material markers (having a lot of money, a big house, a nice car, etc).<\/p>\n

I discovered \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Zen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\/Taoism by chance. I was mostly stressed out, fed up with the bullshit of life, and wanted more peace, tranquility, and happiness in my life.<\/p>\n

Zen\/Taoism was the solution for me. It helped me loosen up, walk slower, worry less, and mellow out.<\/p>\n

Why do I use Zen\/Taoism interchangeably? To me, there are far more similar than dissimilar. Honestly, I am not the expert in Zen\/Taoism (I only know it from a pop-culture perspective), but my practical learnings is that they preach the same philosophy.<\/p>\n

To move on, the more practical question \u00e2\u20ac\u201d how can we learn how to be more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153zen\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in our street photography and life? Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n

1. Street photography is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153walking meditation\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n

\"seoul-2009-umbrella-eric-kim-street-photograpy-black-and-white-monochrome-1\"<\/p>\n

I used to think that street photography was all about getting that one good shot, and getting a lot of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153likes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d on social media.<\/p>\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n

Street photography is about cleansing and easing your mind. Street photography is about enjoying your walks (slowly) with your camera in your hand. Street photography is all about finding the beauty in the natural world. Street photography is about the common, plain, and rugged.<\/p>\n

I used to think of street photography like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153hunting\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (such an American\/Western way of thinking). Now I see street photography as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153walking meditation\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d an opportunity for me to walk slowly, ease my mind, and empty my thoughts. I take each step with consideration, with calm, peace, and quiet.<\/p>\n

I focus on my breathing, I enjoy the sights around me. I look up, down, left, and right. I smile at the people I walk by, wave hello to kids, and take photos whenever my gut tells me it is right.<\/p>\n

2. There are no \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos<\/h2>\n

\"sf-eric-kim-street-photograpy-black-and-white-monochrome-24\"<\/p>\n

I also don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t judge my photos as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d I just see them for what they are; images of what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen and experienced.<\/p>\n

In Zen\/Taoism \u00e2\u20ac\u201d they talk a lot of not classifying things as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d they are just what they are. Would you call a spider \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153evil\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for catching a fly? Would you call a human being \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153evil\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for picking a fruit off a tree, and doing it to feed their family?<\/p>\n

Whenever we judge a photo as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, we are using our pre-conceived notions, and our experiences to color our perception.<\/p>\n

Ultimately there are no \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153bad\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photos. But there are photos which are more personal to us, and certain photos which are less personal to us.<\/p>\n

So don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t outsource your own self-esteem to your photos, and how many \u00e2\u20ac\u0153likes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you get on social media. Rather, make photos that bring you personal satisfaction and happiness, and rest assured that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re truly shooting for yourself.<\/p>\n

3. Find beauty in everything<\/h2>\n
\"Kyoto,
Kyoto, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another point I want to bring to you is to find beauty in everything \u00e2\u20ac\u201d whether it be a dilapidated building, the wrinkles in someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face, or the smile of a child.<\/p>\n

Street photography is all about appreciating the beauty in the mundane. Not to look for the fantastical, crazy, or insane. But to find unadorned beauty in the world \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and using your camera to identify, document, and share it.<\/p>\n

I know that street photography has helped me be more appreciative of my surroundings, and my child-like sense of curiosity and awe.<\/p>\n

Now whenever I walk the streets, and wander aimlessly, I love pointing at stuff and thinking to myself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wow\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (just like a child).<\/p>\n

4. Embrace \u00e2\u20ac\u0153child\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beginner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
\"Kyoto,
Kyoto, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another thing which has stuck with me regarding Zen philosophy is this concept of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153child\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beginner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The idea is that children are the wisest out of all. They are curious, playful, and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any restrictions on their creativity. They experiment, tinker, and try out new things. They aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like \u00e2\u20ac\u0153experts\u00e2\u20ac\u009d who become fossilized in thinking a certain way. They just have fun.<\/p>\n

I feel we can apply the same to our street photography. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worry about composition, rules, or theories when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting on the streets. Just have fun. Be like a kid; play on the streets. Photograph anything that interests you \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worry what others might think.<\/p>\n

5. Unlearn<\/h2>\n

Not only that, but one of the things I learned from Zen\/Taoism is to empty your mind. To \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unlearn\u00e2\u20ac\u009d rather than to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153learn\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in photography.<\/p>\n

My personal problem is that in studying so many masters of street photography, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve accumulated too much<\/em> information, knowledge, and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wisdom\u00e2\u20ac\u009d from these master photographers. Now when I shoot, I become blocked. I over-think shooting, and end up shooting nothing.<\/p>\n

Now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m trying to unlearn<\/em> everything I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and to re-embrace my \u00e2\u20ac\u0153beginner\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. When I was a beginner, everything was possible. When I became an expert, everything was off-limits.<\/p>\n

What are some myths that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned in photography, and wish to unlearn? Rather than learning one new thing a day, seek to unlearn<\/em> one thing a day.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n
\"Kyoto,
Kyoto, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Why do we take life (and ourselves) so seriously? Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s embrace our inner-child and learn to have fun again in the streets.<\/p>\n

Street photography is about playing on the streets. To reduce stress and anxiety. Street photography is walking meditation, self-therapy, and a way for us to find more ease, calm, and peace in life.<\/p>\n

If street photography is adding<\/em> stress, anxiety, or fear to your life \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re doing something wrong.<\/p>\n

Enjoy the simplicity of street photography and life. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t take yourself too seriously, and never stop exploring on the streets.<\/p>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

Learn more:\u00c2\u00a0Zen ><\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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