Here it is — copy/paste ready:
Photo New Year Resolutions 2026
So… a beautiful 2026 is ahead of us.
Now what?
Insane Optimism
Moving forward, I’m insanely optimistic about 2026.
Momentum is real.
Erickimworkshops.com — I just added the new dates to the calendar:
🔥 PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — JUNE 26 / 27 / 28
🔥 HONG KONG — JULY 25 / 26
🔥 TOKYO — AUGUST 8 / 9
And here’s something wild: I used ChatGPT Pro (the $200/month version) to create a workshop sizzle reel — and it looks insanely good.
Video sizzle reel:
This is the future.
The Future of AI (For Photographers)
AI is not a replacement.
AI is photography on steroids.
Imagine this:
Your mother-in-law asks you to dig up a massive tree root… but hands you a tiny kid’s shovel.
Or instead, you get:
- A real stainless steel shovel
- Or a mini Caterpillar excavator
Which would you choose?
That’s AI.
Same goal. Radically different leverage.
Another example:
I want you to go from Los Angeles to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
You can either paddle a boat… or take a $450 one-way flight with noise-canceling Bose headphones.
AI is the airplane.
And yes — stay tuned. I’m planning an online Zoom AI Photography Workshop this February.
AI Over Equipment
Marc Andreessen famously said software is eating the world.
Update that thought:
AI is eating the world.
Here’s the irony:
Photographers will gladly spend $8,000 on an overpriced Leica Q (basically a Panasonic with a luxury shell)… but hesitate to spend $200/month to create 100 versions of themselves?
If you use ChatGPT Pro daily, that’s about $7 a day to augment yourself 1000x.
That math is insane.
Practical AI Ideas for Photographers
Here are concrete ways to use AI right now:
- AI Image Culling
Screenshot your contact sheet and ask AI which image is strongest and why.
I made one called Photo Picker:
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68659b61dd7081919c19d1f054301daa-photo-picker
Example:
https://erickimphotography.com/photo-picker-which-best/ - AI Composition Feedback
I built a Composition Checker — upload a photo and get instant critique:
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-yATeJUVxp-composition-checker - AI Photo Expeditions & Shooting Lists
Use AI to design creative assignments, photo walks, and long-term projects. - Animate Your Photos
Use Grok Premium. Upload a street photo and ask it to animate the scene.
Surprisingly powerful. - Re-imagine the Masters
What happens if you animate classic Henri Cartier-Bresson images?
Or any iconic photograph?
We’re just scratching the surface.
AI Is the Edge
Everyone wants an unfair advantage.
AI is the rare advantage that’s actually ethical, accessible, and fair.
The edge is no longer gear.
The edge is how you think.
More Incoming
ERIC KIM BLOG
ERIC KIM WORKSHOPS
ERIC KIM FREE BOOKS
2026 is wide open.
Go all in. 🔥