Zen. Stoicism. Street photography. Bitcoin. Strength. Reality.
No, becoming enlightened is not becoming some Buddhist monk, and meditating on a rock in the middle of the ocean. 1. Enlightenment is simple To become ‘enlightened’ is just to turn on the lights in your mind. To …
Anyone can be a philosopher — you just need to have a love for wisdom. Philosopher definition A philosopher isn’t having a white beard, discarded all your material things, and meditating in a cave. It just means “lover …
Pericles: Greek Statesmen, Orator, and General (~400BC). Also called ‘the first citizen of Athens’ by Thucydides 1. Embed myself in the souls of men The whole earth is the graveyard of famous men; and their story is graven …
Life lessons from the Greek Historian, Thucydides — who actually fought in the Peloponesian war (between the Athenians and Spartans) then wrote a history on it.
Dear friend, You might live in a shitty state of circumstances; but I want to encourage you — you can control your future and your fate.
“To be happy means to be free. To be free means to be brave.” – Thucydides The lesson is this: If we are courageous, we gain freedom If we gain freedom, we gain happiness So if you want …
Simple and practical photography tips for you: 1. Photograph with one eye open Make photos with one eye closed, to better understand perspective, and to see the world like your camera. 2. Small thumbnail test A simple concept …
Simple photo tips: 7 Simple Photo Tips 70 Street Photography Tips For Beginners 10 Tips to Unlock Your Inner-Genius 100 Photography Tips by Eric Kim 50 Photography Composition Tips See all articles >
To me, Jay-Z is the epitome of the American dream: started off in the projects, and now is a self-made (almost) billionaire. He is deeper than he seems If you don’t know much about Jay-Z, I recommend reading …
Dr. Dre — the pioneer of ‘gangsta rap’, and currently worth close to $700 million dollars, after his sale of ‘Beats’ to Apple, certainly knows a thing or two about hustling. Why Dr. Dre? I am drawn to …
Hustle, hard: 15 Lessons Jay-Z Has Taught Me About Hustling 11 Lessons From Dr. Dre on Hustling How to Hustle Hard 5 Lessons From Hesiod on Hustling
The mind is like the universe. It constantly expands, infinitely. So be like the universe; keep creating. Keep opening the minds of others. Keep expanding your mind. Your mind, creativity, and abilities are infinite. Have the ambition to …
Dear friend, I want to write you a letter on how you can unlock your inner-genius. 1. We are all born with an inner-genius First of all, in the Greek/Roman times— a ‘genius’ was seen as this inner-spirit …
Articles on equipment: How to Make Good Photos on a Shitty Camera Why I Shoot With One Camera and One Lens My Travel Equipment, Winter 2017 What is the Perfect Camera For You? What to Consider When Buying …
Some life lessons I learned from Martin Luther, from his “95 theses: Disputation on the power and efficacy of indulgences (1517) — close to 500 years ago. The reason I’m writing this is because I’m inspired — those who put …
Some life lessons I learned from Martin Luther, from his “95 theses: Disputation on the power and efficacy of indulgences (1517) — close to 500 years ago. The reason I’m writing this is because I’m inspired — those who put …
We kill each other for these little pieces of paper:
Take your composition to the next level: Center Eye Low-Angle Dutch Angle Deep Depth Spacing Silhouette Leading Lines Figure to Ground Fibonacci Spiral Cropping Emotion Composition by Eric Kim
I just read Hesiod’s Work and Days; and found lots of great practical wisdom on working hard and hustling. Funny enough, Hesiod was a Greek philosopher from around 700BC, over 2,700 years ago. His words still ring true …
Just read (some) of Edward Gibbon’s “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” via passages. Here are some takeaway points, and life lessons I learned: 1. Active valor Have disciplined valor; active valor. Valor, to be strong. 2. …
When I first started street photography, I used a bulky DSLR (Canon 5D). I always thought that buying a Leica, I would become a much better street photographer. I fantasized about the look of the camera, the lightness …
How Leica Can Become Great Again When Did Leica Become So Un-Cool? Dear friends, I just made a new free PDF ebook: “Leica Manual” — a culmination of everything I’ve learned shooting with a Leica/rangefinder. Download The book …
JPEG: Dropbox 450MB Zip File (of JPEG images) > Google Drive Download > ONLY IN AMERICA: My culmination of my visual street sociology from 2011-2016:
The Photography Manual The Art of Street Photography 100 Lessons From the Masters of Street Photography The Art of Photography Zen Photography Photography by Eric Kim Street Photography by Eric Kim Personal Photography Manual Street Photography Contact Sheets …
FILM NOTES MOBILE x PRINT EDITION FILM NOTES: Mobile and Printable Version > Learn more > Film Photography Articles Kodak Portra 400 Film Review Why Do Film Photos Look Better than Digital Photos? Film Street Photography Tips Take …
JUST BUY RICOH GRIIIX RICOH GRIIIX IS INSANELY GOOD. THE BEST RICOH GR III/RICOH GR IIIX TECHNICAL SETTINGS ERIC KIM RICOH GR IIIX REVIEW Ricoh GR III is the Best. I have spoken. RICOH IS KING. The best …
DUNE by Alejandro Jodorowsky IMDB
Dear friend, You were given a gift as a child. But when you were raised by your parents, by society, and by your teachers— you had your beliefs and artistry beaten out of you. But you have the …
Close your eyes and imagine, what you are capable of. You work tight like an ivory glove Put your hot ideas into the stove let that shit bake let it grow. If you don’t believe in yourself, who …
Dear friend, Be like King Midas— turn the shit of life into gold. 1. Let me tell you my life story Life hits us with shit all the time. What if we could live a life where we …
We currently live in Elysium — the heaven on earth. 1. We are privileged Think about it. If you are a Westerner, from Europe, from America, or much of the developed world, you are living in heaven. You …
Dear friend, I want to share some practical tips on how I photograph: 1. Don’t listen to me First of all, I am a pretty lazy photographer. I spend most of my time in coffee shops. More time …
Dear friend, There is nobody more important to photograph than our loved ones. 1. Why travel to photograph? Why is it that we always try to photograph the exotic? For example, it is more interesting to photograph a …
Is immortality desired? I think not. 1. Death makes life sweet Death is what makes life sweet. If we never got hungry; would we savor the taste of food? If we never felt pain; could we feel pleasure? …
‘Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. …
Find your passion in life: How I Found My Passion in Life How to Find Your Passion in Photography Why You Shouldn’t Follow Your Passion in Photography Should I Quit My Job and Pursue My Passion?
Dear friend, If your dream is to make a living from your passion; I will try to give you the tools necessary to accomplish it. Step 1: Define your passion What is your passion in life? What sets …
Be like Nike — just shoot it. The biggest mistake we make in our photography is that we overcomplicate things. We read too many books and theories on photography. We look up to our idols on Instagram. We …
Memento mori, what is gonna be my life story? Chasing wealth and power? Or grasping each tender hour I don’t want to waste my life Or partake in bullshit and strife I want to show love to my …
Dear friend, What if you lived a life where you knew in your heart that success was your only option? 1. Failure is not an option Failure is not an option – Apollo Mission Imagine your back is …
Failure is not an option.
Pixel-peeping is an interesting phenomenon. Something that I used to be a victim of. 1. What is pixel-peeping? Pixel-peeping is looking at your photos at 100%, and peeping (looking closely) at the pixels (little dots) in your photos. …
Follow as many other people you can, hoping that they will ‘follow back’ If someone doesn’t follow you back, unfollow them. After all, you don’t want your follower/following ratio to look unbalanced. #Hashtag the shit out of your …
Fuck racism. 1. Thank you Umma True story from me and my mom (umma). I remember when I was a kid, my first lesson against racism was from my mom. We were driving around, lost somewhere in a …
Ricoh GR
DESIGN THOUGHTS
Limitless, Full-on creative bliss What if you took a limitless pill, How can you take your life and make it trill? — Can you hustle smarter, not harder? Imagine how much farther you can go in life. — …
What is love, and why is it important? 1. Love, according to me: To me, love is everything. Love is what gets us up on the morning. Love is the glue which holds human society together. Love is …
Big Sean: Bounce Back. Some inspirational color-palette and combinations in the music video: Peach + Royal Purple Sea Green, crimson red, pastel pink Hot pink Black Madonna Sea Green + Pastel Gold Screenshots from Bounce Back Some screen …
You’re living in that 21st century, futuristic fly shit You got a NASA computer in your back pocket
Dear friend, I want to write you a letter with some personal thoughts on love. 1. Why love? First of all, I think love is the most important thing in the world. Love is what makes us human. …
Dear friend, A philosophy I have in photography and life is to strip away the superfluous. 1. What is perfection? “Perfection isn’t when there is nothing left to add; it is when you have nothing left to take …
Dear friend, I think what we should aim for in our photos is to evoke a feeling— a mood. What is on our minds. How we feel. How can you make photos the mood of your soul? 1. …
How to Take More Risks in Life How to Take More Risks in Your Photography
Dear friend, My idols growing up were people who hustled. People who pulled themselves up from their bootstraps. People who didn’t have much, but were able to empower themselves, with their own resourcefulness. 1. Poverty makes experiences I …
You’re living in that 21st century, futuristic fly shit You got a NASA computer in your back pocket
How to Conquer Envy How to Be Patient How to Conquer Anger How to Bounce Back in Life How to Overcome Resistance
Dear friend, The problem with today’s world with social media— we quantify our self-worth with others. This is easy for us to turn victim to envy. To jealousy — wishing that we were someone else. 1. Life isn’t …
Lessons photographers can learn from Edward Hopper Inspiration:
Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on how to make your dreams come true. 1. What dream did you have as a kid? First of all, what is your dream in life? I think we …
Dear friend, What if we conquered all of our fears in life? What if we had no fear? What if we had no fear in our lives? How much more could we achieve? How much more could we …
Paintings:
I think to make better photos; seek to make more simple photos.
Simple is best: Simple Luxuries in Life My Simple Joys in Life In Praise of Simple Photography 10 Simple and Practical Photography Assignment Ideas 7 Simple Photography Project Ideas Keep it Simple, Stupid (KISS) 7 Simple Photography Composition …
Less is Better Utilize What You Already Got MINIMALISM & MAXIMALISM. True Luxury is Less. Easier to Subtract than Add Minimalism is the New Elitism Minimalism as Consumerism 2.0 Why Simplify Your Life? Minimum Viable Technology Why I …
On Photographing Your Loved Ones How to Photograph Death
Dear friend, I’ve gained a lot of inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman Mythology. Life and death In ancient Greek/Roman Mythology — they talk a lot about the underworld, ruled by Hades (hell). To me, I don’t believe …
Source: http://www.theoi.com/Text/SenecaHerculesFurens.html SENECA, HERCULES FURENS . > Seneca the Younger, Hercules Furens SENECA THE YOUNGER was a Latin playwright and philosopher who flourished in Rome in the late C1st A.D. during the reigns of the emperors Claudius and …
Some notes I’ve learned from Seneca’s play: ‘Thyestes’: Tantalus We are like tantalus— forever thirsty for water. Enough food, but not enough water. Sisyphus The slippery stone of Sisyphus to be borne upon my shoulders — keep having …
Lessons from Seneca, from ‘Thyestes‘ Some notes I’ve learned from Seneca’s play: ‘Thyestes‘: Tantalus We are like tantalus— forever thirsty for water. Enough food, but not enough water. Sisyphus The slippery stone of Sisyphus to be borne upon …
Dear friend, I want to write you a letter on how to be patient. First of all, I am actually a quite patient person. I’m not sure where I learned it from, maybe my mom. But regardless, I …
How to conquer your fears: On Fear How I Conquered Fear HOW DOES FEAR PERSONALLY AFFECT ME? HOW TO CURE FEAR. The Future Belongs to the Fearless THE WILL TO POWER, OR THE WILL TO FEAR? How to …
When I need inspiration, I look to Muhammad Ali — the great fighter and champion of human rights: 1. Take risks He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. No risk, no …
I talked to my buddy Grace, and she gave me an idea about talking about street photography and eye contact: 1. What is so scary with eye contact? First of all, why is it so scary to make …
With the crop and gestures: Tilted head Coy look
What makes a compelling, powerful, emotional, soulful, and timeless portrait? Portrait composition How do you make better portraits? Focus on the eyes Have your subject tilt their head Leonardo da Vinci: Inspirations from Leonardo da Vinci: Personal portraits …
To make a more engaging portrait; have your subject tilt their head: John the Baptist Tilt Head Note the tilt of his head: Madonna con Bambino by Carlo Crivelli The full composition of John the Baptist by Leonardo …
Dynamic lines: Leonardo da Vinci: The virgin and child with Saint Anne: Note the strong diagonal dynamic lines:
Center Eye Eye Contact Eyes Are Windows to the Soul Eye Up Eye Down Eye Side Sayings on the eye ‘Eyes are more accurate witnesses than ears.’ – Heraclitus (~500 BC) From women’s eyes this doctrine I derive: …
An easy way to make better portraits: center the eye of your subject in the middle of the frame. I will explore this idea of a centered eye: 1. Eric Kim Examples Some of my photos where I …
How to be a better painter Based on the notes in his notebook: What is the function of the eye? Painting is concerned with the 10 attributes of sight: Darkness light solidity color form and position distance and …
Great compositions from Leonardo da Vinci: John the Baptist Great dynamism in this portrait of John the Baptist by Leonardo– I love the gesture of the finger in the air, and the coy look of John the Baptist: …
One way to make better photos: add more emotions in your photos. 1. What is the purpose of art? Today I learned the word ‘aesthetic’ comes from a combination of ancient greek words— one referring to ‘sense perception’ …
Monochrome sublime:
One of the way to make better, more emotional photographs, is to capture gestures. Hand gestures, body gestures, facial gestures. Hand Gestures Let us examine hand gestures first: Leonardo da Vinci Gestures Gestures from John the Baptist: Great …
How to Capture Hand Gestures
As of 2017, I think the best camera for photography is the Ricoh GR II. First of all; this is just my opinion. Now that we have that out of the way, let us continue: 1. Why I …
How to make good photos: Hand Gestures Hands Gestures Surrealism Low-Angle
Some inspirational quotes from Leonardo da Vinci: Painting x poetry ‘Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.’ Start with a black canvas ‘A painter should begin …
“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.” – Leonardo da Vinci When I started to make portraits, I was inspired by …
Photography means painting with light.
Based on ideas of Leonardo: First of all, what is ‘perspective’? Leonardo da Vinci defines it for us in his ‘Notebook‘: “Drawing is based on perspective, which is nothing else than a thorough knowledge of the function of …
Provincetown, 2015, from a Magnum Workshop I attended with David Alan Harvey: My teacher
Dear friend, I want to give you reasons why you should (and more important, should not attend a workshop by me): 1. Do you love to learn? First of all, if you are not interested in learning, …
Some of my favorite compositions: Improve your photography composition Take your composition to the next level: Dutch Angle Deep Depth Spacing Silhouette Leading Lines Figure to Ground Fibonacci Spiral Cropping Emotion Street Photography Composition 101 For distilled lessons …