{"id":52832,"date":"2017-06-13T02:15:21","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T09:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=52832"},"modified":"2017-06-13T02:15:21","modified_gmt":"2017-06-13T09:15:21","slug":"photography-flux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/13\/photography-flux\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOGRAPHY FLUX."},"content":{"rendered":"

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Your photography is always in a state of flux, and so are you.<\/p>\n

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I. Growth comes from change.<\/h2>\n
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Santa Monica, 2009<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heraclitus once said that all of life is in a state of flux.<\/p>\n

Flux: constant chance and movement.<\/p>\n

For example, your atoms and molecules are totally different today than when you were 5 years old. However, you would still identify your 5-year old self as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u009d–why? Because a sense of continuity, and personal memory.<\/p>\n

However, to grow develop, and be a human– we need to be in a state of constant change and flux.<\/p>\n

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Tokyo, 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We are in flux between hungry and satiated.<\/p>\n

We in in flux between movement and stillness.<\/p>\n

In your photography, your style is gonna always be changing, in a state of flux.<\/p>\n

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Provincetown, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, when you started photography, you’re certainly a different photographer and human being than who you are now.<\/p>\n

If your photography style never changes, it means you’re dying as a photographer and artist.<\/strong><\/p>\n

II. I love changing my photography style<\/h2>\n
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Downtown LA, 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, when I was 18, my photography style was different than it is now at age 29.<\/p>\n

When I started off, I liked landscapes. Now it bores me to death.<\/p>\n

When I started street photography, I liked black and white \u00e2\u20ac\u0153decisive moments” in the spirit of Henri Cartier-Bresson. Now that bores me silly. I’m more of a Josef Koudelka meets Richard Avedon– I love gritty photos, with soul, and portraits of humans, and photos of myself.<\/p>\n

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Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’m always in a state of flux. I changed from street photography, to personal photography, to urban landscapes, black and white, color, film, digital, smartphone, Medium format, self portraiture.<\/p>\n

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Berkeley, 2015 #cindyproject #ricohgrii<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Philosophically, from technologist, to Stoic, to zen, to Taoism, to Nietzsche, to poetry, to art, to modern design, to classic Greek philosophy, to Socrates, to pre-Socrates, and post-Socrates, Jesus, Seneca, Nassim Taleb, and now Eric Kim.<\/p>\n

III. Change is good.<\/h2>\n
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Seoul, 2009<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For some reason, we have shame in change. In American politics, to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153flip flop\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is seen as negative.<\/p>\n

To change your opinion is also seen as bad.<\/p>\n

To not be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153consistent\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is bad.<\/p>\n

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SF, 2015. Shot on a Ricoh GR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But it makes no sense. If you are the same person you were 10 years ago, wouldn’t that be depressing?<\/p>\n

If you never changed your mind, would you ever grow, develop, and evolve?<\/p>\n

IV. Never stop changing as a photographer.<\/h2>\n
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Photo by Johnny Lu. Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lesson is this:<\/p>\n

\n Your photography style is always in a state of flux, or change. Don’t be embarrassed, relish in it.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So be like a mad photography scientist: never stop experimenting, and having fun. Blow shit up, explore, wander, and tinker.<\/p>\n

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Paris, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

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Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Downtown LA, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Photography 101<\/a><\/p>\n

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If you’re new to photography, start here:<\/p>\n