{"id":625799,"date":"2024-07-28T12:09:35","date_gmt":"2024-07-28T16:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=625799"},"modified":"2024-07-28T13:25:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-28T17:25:28","slug":"king-of-the-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/28\/king-of-the-streets\/","title":{"rendered":"KING OF THE STREETS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasters.spotify.com\/pod\/show\/erickim\/episodes\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-e2mi04k\">PODCAST VIDEO<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-anchor-fm-inc wp-block-embed-anchor-fm-inc\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/podcasters.spotify.com\/pod\/show\/erickim\/episodes\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-e2mi04k\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-2.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of KING OF THE STREETS 2.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-a64a046e-56c6-437f-9595-e538304350aa\" href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-2.pdf\">KING OF THE STREETS 2<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-2.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-a64a046e-56c6-437f-9595-e538304350aa\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"KING OF THE STREETS\" width=\"1180\" height=\"664\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dvErrDUrxvI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/KING-OF-THE-STREETS-1.m4a\">Audio<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The other day, I was with Seneca, and went on a big adventure. We stopped by the central library in downtown LA, quite magnificent! Pro tip; if you drive to downtown LA, just park at the central public library, and as long as you have a valid Los Angeles public library card, it only costs one dollar with validation at the information desk for about two or three hours!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyways, what we ended up doing was exploring downtown LA a bit, visiting the Apple theater (great public bathrooms in the Apple building, in the Apple Store on the bottom level)\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc, walking by my old stomping grounds far before Seneca was born, a bit on Hope Street and on Broadway in front of ilcafe &#8212; tried to carry him and take him to santee alley in the fashion district, but it was a bit too hot, and there was another event happening at the library, so we decided to go next time. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyways, I ended up shooting a street photo that I was quite proud of; why? A dude covered in tattoos, smoking a cigarette hanging out by the curb in front of a muscle car, very cool scene! I put down Seneca for a second, grabbed my camera, picked up Seneca, looped around in front to get a better angle, shoot a few photos, And continued on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, walking along Broadway, actually saw about four or five street furs all hanging out and shooting together! On Fujifilm X 100 cameras, and I think I saw a guy with the film Hasselblad X panoramic camera, and actually think he shot a photo of me and Seneca walking by! I thought to myself; he will be shocked, when he develops the film, to see that he shot a street photo of ERIC KIM and his kid in the wild! (I had a very very low brim on baseball cap covering my face).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyways, it was a very happy sight, seeing street photography alive great and well! \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bcAnd also made me quite happy and proud of the seeds that I planted for a lot of street photographers of today. Certainly not every single practicing street photographer of today will not know exactly who I am; but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure that the influential street photographers who are spreading the gospel of street photography today, have probably encountered my blog my work my YouTube videos, or my e-books one way or another. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The death of Slim Shady<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1180\" height=\"788\" data-attachment-id=\"625770\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/28\/why-you-must-photograph-what-scares-you\/p2592840\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?fit=1280%2C855&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1280,855\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;DC-G9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1722128162&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;14&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"ERIC KIM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY DOWNTOWN LA\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?fit=1280%2C855&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?resize=1180%2C788&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"ERIC KIM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY DOWNTOWN LA\" class=\"wp-image-625770\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?resize=920%2C615&amp;ssl=1 920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"894\" height=\"1280\" data-attachment-id=\"625771\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/28\/why-you-must-photograph-what-scares-you\/img_4560-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_4560.png?fit=894%2C1280&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"894,1280\" 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=\"IMG_4560\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_4560.png?fit=894%2C1280&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_4560.png?resize=894%2C1280&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-625771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_4560.png?w=894&amp;ssl=1 894w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/IMG_4560.png?resize=768%2C1100&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 894px) 100vw, 894px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1180\" height=\"788\" data-attachment-id=\"625772\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2024\/07\/28\/why-you-must-photograph-what-scares-you\/p2592838\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592838.jpeg?fit=1280%2C855&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1280,855\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;7.1&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;DC-G9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1722128162&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;14&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.001&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"P2592838\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592838.jpeg?fit=1280%2C855&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592838.jpeg?resize=1180%2C788&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-625772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592838.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592838.jpeg?resize=768%2C513&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592838.jpeg?resize=920%2C615&amp;ssl=1 920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1180px) 100vw, 1180px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was talking to a guy, who is also into rap and hip-hop music like me, and he told me that Eminem just put out a new album! I was quite shocked; and also very impressed because after all these years, ever since even I was a kid; I recall when I was a kid was by far the most popular musician, Eminem is still alive and well and making new music and albums! The best way to write who the greatest rapper is, the greatest of all time, the goat is simple;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The greatest of all time is the most durable of all time, who will last the longest. Or whose name will live on the longest.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After all is said and done, what remains? Names. First names and last names, or maybe even the last name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even quite funny, I took Seneca to public library event, close to the Otis school of design, and I met a mom and her two kids, and Elsa her husband who is also there\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I told them that Seneca\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s name was Seneca, \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc and the man lit up and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the Roman stoic philosopher?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I was shocked that he knew exactly who Seneca was, and we started chatting, and I later found out that he was actually a professor of ethics at Loyola Marymount University &#8212; names last!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make a good name for your kid \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I think this is where names are so critical for your kid; \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bca name signals a lot. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think the simple strategy is to consider an individual of the past, or maybe still alive, preferably dead, who has had a major impact on your life. And as a consequence, name your kid in honor of that individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if and when I have a second kid, I like Marcus Aurelius after Seneca, but there is too many Marcus, so maybe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll just name the second kid Aurelius; weather boy or girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you know you know!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d &#8211; PUSHA T<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The path forward \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think to perpetually and always restart, fresh slate, carte blanche is the way. What this means is never let your past self dominate or tyranny over your present self, or even your potential future self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What that means is let us say in the context of photography, and life in general\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be constrained to an old style, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just be trying to slap the same old horse to do the same old tricks, do something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, when I see certain, simply imitating their own style, for their entire career\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 It becomes a bit boring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, whenever I look at the work search photographers, and that their technique approach hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t evolved at all in over 30 years, I find it pretty boring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much more interesting for artists who have allowed themselves to change and evolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, do you want to be a Charmander for your entire life? No! Ideally you want to evolve, find the fire stone, become the Charmeleon, then the Charizard!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or do you want to be a magic car for your whole life? You want to evolve and become the Gyrados! \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bcAnd a random stoic thought; when others engage in annoying behavior, think of it like they are a Magikarp with splash; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It had no effect!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And you are a Golem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">random Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re born in 1988, plus or -15 years, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re probably played Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon or watch the show at least once in your life. I am impressed; even today\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Kids of two days still know what and who Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe the best strategy is to think of yourself as the level 255 Snorlax; with the missing no hack &#8212; your HP is 100,000, and when these annoying digits, try to attack you, they do damage, but it is only like 10 damage or something. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make a big deal out of it. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And also, whenever I meet people who look kind of my age, maybe a little bit older or younger, what I like to do is to ask him \u00e2\u20ac\u0153who is your favorite Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon? Or who is your spirit Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Funny enough, this shows you a lot about somebody\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s personality their character, and their ethos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll never forget this moment; Ryan from backyard brew in Palo Alto asking me what my favorite animal was? And I responded \u00e2\u20ac\u0153does it have to be real or not?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d he then said no. And I told him Gyrados. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc and he knew exactly what that was, and then printed me a free bag of coffee beans with Gyarados on front! \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bcHe will forever have my favor. And I also am quite certain that he is the person who actually coined and invented the notion of minimum viable product, MVP. I think one of his customers might\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve stole the idea from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyways, let us take it back to economics, economic theory, business, capitalism in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">being the number one person in your niche on the planet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is something I believe in the past; best to become number one in a small niche, a very specific niche, then even to be number two or three in a more general field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, in photography, the sea is too big. I remember once, in the past, when I was living in East Lansing Michigan, and I just wanted to meet some random guitar, I attended a random photography meet up maybe somewhere in Lansing or Detroit or something, And there was about 15 photographers, and it was a very unpleasant experience. The guys were just into HDR, and we just talk about gear and processing and all this boring stuff that I was not interested in. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had the realization that having my personal interest in street photography specific\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Even though we are off our first, we are like different beasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, even for car enthusiast, there is a lot of difference between somebody who is into trucks versus somebody who is into Lamborghinis. Or probably a huge difference between somebody who is into over landing somebody who is into drifting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">the planet is big enough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reason why I think thinking about niches is interesting is that honestly now that we have over 8 billion people on the planet, what that means is even for a small niche. It is quite a huge impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if you think, about the whole pie\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 The whole field of photography is actually still quite small. Certainly everybody has an iPhone now, which means that everybody\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interested in photography, but the field of people with standalone cameras or standalone digital cameras or standalone film cameras or whatever is still quite small. Does it matter? Not really. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, most people do not own a Lamborghini or a McLaren or even a cyber truck. But, being part of a small exclusive club, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t this what people desire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, whenever I meet people who are really into or film or whatever\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 And they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m actually a photographer, or they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m ERIC KIM\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 And I hear them opine about all this random films stuff, and they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know that I have a black paint film like MP\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I feel like I have a secret weapon or a secret power. It is almost like if you were talking to a car enthusiast, and they had no idea that you secretly had Lamborghini in your garage. Or if you need to Tesla dealership and the workers there had no idea that you already had a cyber truck. Or if you own $10 million worth of Tesla stock, or if you were on the board of directors at Tesla or whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m starting to think; best to just lie. The next time I step into a Tesla dealership, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m just going to fly beneath the radar, and pretend like I am secretly on the board of directors, or a major partner etc. Same thing when going to an Apple Store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u00ef\u00bf\u00bcPick a fight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do you remember that one scene in fight club, in which Tyler Durden gives assignments, and one of them is actually to pick a fight with a random person? Maybe I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll start doing this more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think the thing that is insanely annoying is that people always try to punk on you, bully you, or have some sort of weird power trip complex, and they try to make you feel small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps moving forward, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m ain\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Finna let nobody ever bully me or my kid ever again, and even if I have a .01% inkling that the person is trying to bully me, troll me, or push me around\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to react Like a bad bull. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think this is the annoying thing about service; that I suppose that end the day, I desire or I expect to be treated with great respect, maybe it is a result of my massive ego or whatever, and also I do fine\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Because I am such a friendly jovial happy person, also because I am Asian American\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 People often treat me with less respect, when compared with others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Throw out the race card or the sexiest card \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you were Elon Musk, but maybe you had on a mask or you had on the disguise, and you stepped into a Tesla dealership, and let us say that your kid X was playing around on the Tesla cars, shoes on, touching stuff making a mess etc.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 do you think that the employee would have the nerve to tell Elon to have his kids stop that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Or, let us say that in fact, you built a library, or at least, you put $100 million grant to find the library renovation, and then some bad employee comes up to you, and tell you that you and your kid \u00e2\u20ac\u0153must go\u00e2\u20ac\u009d because he is crying?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A simple way of dealing with bad actors; I think it is a good idea to make a big fuss! Even if you are the bully, the bad guy, whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I actually find a really really in raging, especially when I am inside a store and some minimum wage worker tries to size me up, like at the Lululemon store, not treating me with proper respect because I pull up dressed like a poor person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I will still never forget when I pulled up to a Lululemon, complaining about one of my products which got ruined my shorts, and I was just wearing some sort of random military Campbell jacket, etc.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 And the lady working there treated me with disrespect, assuming that I was the scammer or something because I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t pull up looking like a rich person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps then, the best response is to speak up, knee-jerk response, loud, take up space, make a big fuss, even if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in the wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When in doubt, make a big fuss, even if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re wrong.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">America is very bizarre; we are a bunch of passive aggressive wimps. For example, everyone always likes to complain about bad behavior, etc.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Yeah what will you all do is to complain about it in private, and we will never stand up for ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think this is what people don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand; people like to point the finger at \u00e2\u20ac\u0153white people\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, peoples XYZ whatever\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 But, truth be told, everyone is low-key insecure somewhere, and actually in fact, everyone is being bullied somewhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">no more complaining victim mentality \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, whenever I visit a new public library, and I have a good experience, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to give it a five star review. For example the town public library is fantastic, they have a brand new maker space, and also a massive Epson printer, and you could print one huge 20 x 30 poster print once a week?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyways, I read a random review that one patron, suspected racism because the person had a Jewish American last name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And then I thought to myself; truth be told\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I think the average American doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really know what a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jewish\u00e2\u20ac\u009d last name is. But, it was only once I became 34 years old that I started to learn that certain last names were Jewish?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vanity objects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00ef\u00bf\u00bcEven though \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc I have not touched my film Leica MP camera \u00ef\u00bf\u00bcfor about five years, it is still a great vanity option that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so happy that I have, which I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll own forever, and pass down to Seneca, and have Seneca pass it down to his son, as infinitum. The film let go will be like the new family Rolex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I said this in the past, but my personal thought is the only camera I could ever imagine lasting 300 years might be a film Leica mechanical camera. Either the film Leica MP, or even the film Leica MA, which has no mechanical things at all. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Should you buy a digital Leica? Probably not. In the year 2024; it is more of a vanity object rather than a practical one. Better to get the new Lumix S9 with the pancake lens, and just put your money into bitcoin. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hats off to Ricoh Pentax for making that new film camera! Even in the year 2024!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bitcoin &amp; street photography \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone wants to make money, make money from their art their Fatar you whatever\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 But the old method of selling prints or whatever, is a very 19th-century idea. We live in the year 2024; shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we think about the 22nd century and beyond?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first thought, maybe the best way to just make money is just to put into bitcoin! One bitcoin hits $1.3 million a coin, what that means is that your minimum wage job of today, will at least 10 X or 100 X from now. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore from a simple monetary perspective, the very simple idea is just make money from bitcoin! And in terms of your photography and screw photography, just do it free; giveaway your photos for free as full resolution JPEG images, give away your information your e-books and your ideas for free, no need to monetize it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I think monetization is simply a means of people who desire some sort of legitimacy from doing something, rather than thinking critically about their own self-worth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, we tend to have this very very silly notion that somehow if you make money from something, and make a lot of money from something, you could essentially metricate your self-worth. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it is true; the simplest way to judge somebody else is how many ones and zeros they got behind them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this becomes funny because how much of that is actually real money versus this fake notion of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153net worth\u00e2\u20ac\u009d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, let us say that you meet the guy in the Lamborghini with the scissor doors, or the guy in the McLaren, or whatever hyper sports car of your dream etc.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 What if that person is $10 million in debt? Then his net value and his net worth is -$10 million\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 Which means he is $10 million poorer than you. \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I fucking love this city!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Almost a year in living in Culver City, I fucking love this city! \u00ef\u00bf\u00bc\u00ef\u00bf\u00bc best city of all time, certainly within the context of Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no second best city after Culver City<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beverly Hills sucks, Holby Hills sucks, 99.9% of LA sucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">City is the only walkable city in LA, maybe even the whole West Coast? Even better than New York, because you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to take the subway everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Culver City is the best city in America?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Best weather, best people, best services, massively growing tech and entertainment industry, the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building your name<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your best asset is your first and last name. Make people remember it. Just be like James Bond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bond, James Bond.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kim, ERIC KIM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">KING OF THE STREETS<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recently, I embarked on an adventure with Seneca, my son. We visited the central library in downtown LA, a magnificent place. If you drive to downtown LA, park at the central public library, and with a valid Los Angeles public library card, parking costs just one dollar with validation for two or three hours at the information desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We explored downtown LA, including the Apple Theater (with great public bathrooms in the Apple Store on the bottom level). We walked by my old haunts on Hope Street and Broadway in front of ilcafe. We tried to visit Santee Alley in the fashion district, but it was too hot, and another event was happening at the library, so we decided to visit next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During our walk, I captured a street photo I was proud of\u00e2\u20ac\u201da tattooed man smoking a cigarette in front of a muscle car. I put down Seneca for a moment, grabbed my camera, took a few shots, and continued our walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While on Broadway, I saw a group of street photographers with Fujifilm X100 cameras and a film Hasselblad X panoramic camera. One of them might have even taken a photo of me and Seneca. I felt a sense of pride seeing street photography alive and well, knowing that I had contributed to its popularity through my blog, work, YouTube videos, and e-books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Death of Slim Shady<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A fellow rap and hip-hop enthusiast told me that Eminem released a new album. I was impressed by Eminem&#8217;s longevity in the music industry. The greatest of all time (GOAT) is the most durable of all time, the one whose name will live on the longest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At a public library event near the Otis School of Design, I met a man who recognized Seneca&#8217;s name from the Roman Stoic philosopher. It reminded me that names last. Choosing a meaningful name for your child can be significant, like naming them after someone who had a major impact on your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Path Forward<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perpetually restarting with a fresh slate is essential. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be constrained by your past self or old styles. In photography and life, evolve and try new things. Seeing artists who never change their style becomes boring. Aim to evolve like a Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon, from Charmander to Charmeleon to Charizard, or from Magikarp to Gyarados.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Random Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re born around 1988, you probably played or watched Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon. Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s kids still know what Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon is. Thinking of yourself as a high-level Snorlax can help you ignore annoying behaviors. Asking someone about their favorite or spirit Pok\u00c3\u00a9mon reveals a lot about their personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Being the Number One Person in Your Niche<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s better to be number one in a small, specific niche than to be number two or three in a broader field. For example, in photography, focusing on street photography rather than general photography helped me find my place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Planet is Big Enough<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With over 8 billion people, even a small niche can have a significant impact. In photography, although many have iPhones, the community of dedicated photographers is still relatively small. Being part of a small, exclusive club is desirable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pick a Fight<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Inspired by a scene in Fight Club, sometimes it&#8217;s beneficial to stand up for yourself and make a fuss. If you suspect someone is trying to bully or disrespect you, react strongly. This applies to various situations, such as when employees treat you poorly based on appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vanity Objects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite not using my film Leica MP camera for years, it&#8217;s a valuable vanity object I plan to pass down to Seneca. Film Leica cameras, like the MP or MA, might be the only cameras that can last 300 years. In contrast, digital Leica cameras are more vanity objects today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bitcoin and Street Photography<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the modern era, making money from art through traditional methods like selling prints is outdated. Instead, invest in Bitcoin. As its value rises, your earnings from a minimum-wage job can multiply significantly. Give away your photos, information, e-books, and ideas for free, focusing on your passion rather than monetization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I Love This City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After nearly a year in Culver City, I believe it&#8217;s the best city within Los Angeles, possibly the entire West Coast. Culver City is walkable, unlike most of LA, and has the best weather, people, and services. It&#8217;s a growing tech and entertainment hub, representing the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building Your Name<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your first and last name are your best assets. Make people remember them, like James Bond: &#8220;Bond, James Bond.&#8221; Or in my case: &#8220;Kim, ERIC KIM.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PODCAST VIDEO Audio The other day, I was with Seneca, and went on a big adventure. We stopped by the central library in downtown LA, quite magnificent! Pro tip; if you drive to downtown \u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":625770,"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,"_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-625799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/P2592840.jpeg?fit=1280%2C855&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625799","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=625799"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":625828,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625799\/revisions\/625828"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/625770"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}