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Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on how I found my passion in life: 1. Define ‘passion’ for yourself First of all, many of us are trying to find our passion in life. But the …

Dear friend, I wanted to write you an essay on how I come up with ideas. 1. Read old books As a blogger, I’m always trying to come up with new ideas. Let me share some personal techniques, …

Dear friend, I was really inspired by this notion of ‘techno-zen’ that I read in Steve Job’s biography by Walter Isaacson. Pretty much the concept was this — Steve Jobs studied Zen Buddhism, and tried to apply his …

The philosophy of technology: Life in Airplane Mode How to Achieve Techno-Zen Don’t Be Suckered by New Technology The Best Technology Subtracts

Dear friend, I know a lot of fellow writers who are struggling. If you’re a writer who has writer’s block, frustrations coming up with ideas, need practical tips, tools, and strategies— I hope this letter will benefit you: …

Tips on how to become a more prolific writer: Nobody Has Talker’s Block How to Be a More Prolific Writer 10 Tips How to Overcome Writer’s Block How to Start Your Own Photography Blog A Photographer’s Guide to …

Here is my current mood-board as of 2017. You can see and download all the photos on Google Drive.    

‘A soldier’s skill is not at fault if he receives the death-blow through his armor.’ – Seneca Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter emphasizing the importance of you to focus on your actions — not …

Dear friend, Every day, we face fears of exile, war, political unrest, and death. But no matter how bad shit may seem, know that everything will be alright. I know this sounds all rosy, but I want to …

Dear friend, Unfortunately — I’ve met a lot of people who lack self-esteem. Many of us lack self-esteem because of our upbringing. Some of us had our dreams crushed when we were kids. Some of us had abusive …

Dear friend, All of us lack confidence in ourselves— how can we learn to have more confidence, and belief in ourselves?

Dear friend, The world can sometimes be a really fucking scary place. How can we put on our courage like a suit of armor— and take on the world, without fear, trembling, or hesitation? All this advice are …

Dear friend, I am glad to learn in order that I may share. “Nothing will ever please me, no matter how excellent or beneficial, if I must retain the knowledge of it to myself. And if wisdom were …

Dear friend, Photograph your loved ones like they’re going to die, and photograph your dead lines like they’re still alive. The gist of this letter is that I want to share my personal experiences photographing my grandfather’s funeral, …

Dear friend, Why is it that we only celebrate on holidays and new years— and not on ’normal’ days? Everyday is a holiday For the new years, we use the chance to drop our bad habits, and pick …

Dear friend, One thing I’ve been wondering a lot is whether we should review our photos everyday (or not) when we are traveling. Below are some personal reflections of my experiences shooting photography on the road: What traveling …

Dear friend, I think all of us has a unique voice in our photography. But the difficult thing is this: “How can we make our photos stand out in a world that is over-saturated with images?” Nobody cares …

Dear friend, I used to be the biggest addict to social media. Now I can proudly say, I have (mostly) overcome my addiction to social media. Does social media bring us closer together, or further apart? To start …

Dear friend, I am a slave of my devices. I am always on the elusive search for the ‘perfect’ device that will solve all of my life’s problems. For example, I used to suffer from writer’s block, and …

“A task once begun is (more than) half done”. – Seneca Dear friend, One of the hardest things to do in life is to start.

Dear friend, I wanted to share some “writing hacks” with you: 1. Email technique Do you spend a lot of time writing emails, either on your laptop or phone? Try this out: write blog posts by writing emails …

Dear friend, No matter what your situation in life is, there is no better time for you to be a photographer than now. It doesn’t matter if you have a 9-5 job, a family, little free time, whether …

One of the best tips I have when it comes to traveling and photography is this: move as little as you can.

I just finished (part) of a brief family trip and wanted to share some of my personal reflections on how to travel as a photographer (with family).

Often it is hard to inspire ourselves to make photos. A thought that came to mind: photograph because it is your duty. When something is our duty, we don’t complain, or make excuses. We just do it. If …

Many of us lack inspiration to go out and make photos. Why? If we lack the inspiration to shoot, should we shoot? Why should we force ourselves to be “inspired”? Follow your natural drive If you don’t have …

In life, photography, and our personal self-growth; let us seek forward progress. When we are climbing up a hill, we need to learn forward. If we are a world-class skier, we need to lean forward. Agile animals lean …

Never buy the first generation (anything) technology (no matter how innovative or life changing it may seem). As humans we have a bias to the new. We love new things, products, ideas, and innovations. But the problem is …

INNOVATION THOUGHTS Breathe new life into yourself!

Dear friend, I want to use this opportunity to reflect on 2016— and share some of my personal experiences this year, my learning points, and my joys: Events My 2016 schedule looked something like this: GPP in Dubai …

What do we crave in life? I feel most of us crave the following: freedom from worry. We are all slaves to fear. We buy things because we think it will protect us. We network with higher-ups, because …

Dear friend, Most of us always complain that we are always too busy. We all strive to have more leisure, relaxation, and peace in our lives. But why do we always let others barge into our free time, …

As humans, we are curious creatures. We follow what rouses our curiosity. For example, if you were a hunter-gatherer in the past, and you heard a rustle or noise in a bush, you would be curious what that …

No matter how rich we are, we can never inhabit more than one room at a time, or sleep in more than one bed at a time. Which made me also realize— the beauty of the “1 camera, …

One thing I realize that we are lacking today is imagination. We always think that we will be more creative if we buy a new camera, a new lens, or a new gadget. But in reality, the limit …

Dear friend, I want to write you this letter on the importance of living — not just photographing. What isn’t the point of life? First of all, we make the common mistake that thinking that photography is the …

“Let us say what we feel, and feel what we say; let speech harmonize with life.” – Seneca For me, photography is all about self-expression, and shooting with your soul. Often we photograph what we think others might …

Learn how to take better photos: The 25% Rule in Photography and Life How to Take Better Photos How to Capture Emotion in Your Photos How to Create a “Curiosity Gap” in Your Photos What is the Focus …

Find a personal philosophy that works for you: You Are the Light of the World Your Soul is a Diamond in the Rough Why Live? How to Make Forward Progress What Do You Want Out of Life? How …

If your life were a smartphone battery (without a charger), would you let anyone drain it? We all know those people — people who just want a little bit of your time, who want to “pick your brain”, …

In life, we only have a limited “bandwidth” for doing things. We have a limited bandwidth in terms of our time, energy, and focus. Once we are “maxed out” — we can’t do anything. Our activities halt to …

‘Know your faults and keep to your wits’ – Horace Everyone has a different style in photography and life. There is no “right” or “wrong” style to have in photography. Your style can be how you shoot, what …

A lot of people think that “happiness” is always feeling pleasure. For me, I think the “supreme blessedness” (as the Stoic philosophers say) is about not having pain (mental or physical). We can’t always control whether we are …

Each photo you shoot doesn’t need to be a masterpiece. Each photo you take is simply an “attempt” — a swing at bat. The more you swing the bat, the more likely you are to hit a home …

Dear friend, I wanted to write you a letter on the benefit of doing — rather than “thinking.” Don’t theorize I see a lot of arm-chair philosophers, thinkers, and academics— who simply analyze, theorize, and think. But many …

I have been testing the Olympus Pen F and 17mm f/1.8 lens in Dalat, Vietnam for the last few days, and I am blown away.

I love things which are timeless. Timeless design. Timeless philosophy. Timeless friendships. Things that don’t change over time — or if anything, get better with time. Classics never die. Avoid the new Generally what is new and trendy …

Dear friend, we often make life more complicated than it needs to be. Why make things more complicated and complex? It just adds stress, frustration, and “friction” to our lives. What we should seek to do is to …

“To own nothing is the beginning of happiness” – Diogenes Freedom is owning nothing. Not having anything to worry about. The more things you own, the more things you need to maintain, and stress out about. Everything is …

We often think that more information is better. In reality, more information can be toxic. The more information you have, the more misinformation you often have. The problem is that information consumes our attention. Most information is noise, …

Nobody knows how to live— but we know exactly how we shouldn’t live. When are we most not living? I think we are not living when we are being passive. When we are being entertained. When we are …

Dear friend, If you’re a diamond, you can only be cut by other diamonds — aka, materials that are as strong as you (if not stronger than you). In life, many will try to hurt and harm you. …

“What physician is angry with a crazy patient?” – Seneca If you were a doctor, and you had a patient that was sick, would you be angry at your patient? In life, imagine yourself as a doctor. And …

Be adamant about what is important to you. The word ‘adamant’ comes from this fictional material called ‘adamantine’ — which was seen in ancient times as untamable, and indestructible, and invincible. That means in life, don’t compromise what …

“The beginning is the end.” – Heraclitus I started as a beginner photographer, gained experience, and now I’m going in reverse— trying to become a beginner photographer again.

Dear friend, If you’re new, start here: Photography 101 » Street Photography 101 » The Art of Photography » Entrepreneurship 101 » Personal Photography » All Photography Articles » Motivation » Composition » Cinematography » Soul Photography » Smartphone Photography » Equipment » Philosophy Articles » Stoicism » …

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Entrepreneurship by KIM Become the change which you desire to see manifested in the world! Become you. Think for Yourself. FREEDOM Never stop innovating. Entrepreneurship Mindset Put a Dent in the Universe.

Dear friend, I’m one of the very few blessed people in the world who does what they love for a living. For my entire life, I’ve always believed in the idea that if you followed your passion, you …

‘Why for so short a life tease ourselves with so many projects?’ — Horace In photography and life — less is more, when it comes to your projects.

Dear friend, It is hard to figure out who to photograph for. Are you photographing for others, or are you photographing for yourself? Are you photographing to get a lot of ‘likes’ on social media — or are …

One of the most challenging things in photography is to choose our best photos. It is easy to click the shutter. But to “edit” (select our best work) is heart-wrenching. We often need to learn how to “kill …

Dear friend, There is no other generation or time to be alive to be a photographer. Everything is free We live in a photo utopia. Consider this — almost everything we do now in photography is free. Most …

Nowadays, I care less about pretty photos. I care more about personal photos. Photos where I can see the soul of the photographer in their images. Are you the only one who could have photographed that? Do you …

What is “true pleasure” in life?

Unfortunately, there is a lot of necessary work we need to do in life in order to stay alive. We need to put in the 9-5 to pay the rent. We need to fulfill (some) family and social …

If you want to grow, you need to prune yourself. Help the tree grow Consider a tree. The superfluous branches it has is holding it back. The superfluous branches are sucking away precious energy and nutrients. These extra …

Designer watches, bags, and cars — is this true luxury? No. These are just false luxuries. The only real luxury is time. The only real luxury is freedom. The only real luxury is your attention. Avoid false luxury …

As an American, I’ve been taught to become a hoarder. I hate throwing things away. I always feel a sense of loss. I know how much money I spent on something, so throwing it away is like throwing …

I was born with a thin skin, and it took me nearly a decade to grow thick skin. What was my secret? What helped me? I care too much about what others think of me The biggest problem …

Dear friend, I think that most of us lack confidence in ourselves. We lack confidence in our artistic abilities. We lack confidence in our ability to take risks. We lack confidence in following our own dreams, and our …

‘**When I shall die, let it be doing that I had designed**.’ — Ovid (‘Quum moriar, medium solvar et inter opus.’) You never know when you will die — why risk the chance of dying when you’re doing …

You are the most important person to invest in. Don’t invest too much time to social media networks. Don’t spend too much money investing in the stock market or real estate. Don’t invest in others. Invest in yourself. …

Most of us live in fear— fear of not being able to pay the rent, fear of not feeding ourselves, or fear of not providing for our families. Over 2,000 years ago — Jesus told us to not …

Dear friend, I want to write you a letter on the importance of dreaming big, and failing big. Life is too short for you to think small. One of the greatest things about being a human being is …

One of the biggest inspirations I have gotten from Silicon Valley is this concept of an “MVP” (minimum viable product). What is an “MVP”? In normal words, an MVP is the smallest product, program, or idea that you …

Don’t just take 1 photo of the scene: ‘Work the scene’! Articles on Contact Sheets How to Choose Your Best Photo Lingering Technique: How to Work the Scene in Street Photography The Future of Photography is Editing The …

Dear friend, In order to share how I get my most meaningful photos, here are my behind-the-scenes contact sheets of the #cindyproject: Fort Bragg, 2016 ### Contact sheet Berlin staircase, 2015 ### Contact sheet Tegel airport, 2015 Contact sheet Hanoi, 2016 Contact …

Cindy Project Monochrome Cindy Project Chroma Cindy Contact Sheets See all Cindy Contact Sheets >

We always make the wrong assumption that by buying new gadgets, phones, and devices— we will somehow “upgrade” our lives. But what if the opposite were true — that by buying these new devices and tech, you are …

I remember when I started off in photography, I would be marveled by all these great photographers, with their fancy cameras, and their fancy lifestyles. Don’t marvel at famous photographers But the more I researched them, the less …

One of the best ways to help a plant grow is to prune it. By pruning away the excess stems, branches, and leaves— you help it grow. Let us consider the same thing with our photography. What excess …

Dear friend, I’ve been recently inspired by the Roman poet— Horace, who gave a lot of practical advice to other poets in “Ars Poetica” (the art of poetry): What can we learn from poetry? One of the practical …

Dear friend, don’t worry about the voices of the critics out there— rather, listen to the voice of your own inner-critic. I know, I know — a lot of modern psychology says to ignore your inner-critic. A lot …

Dear friend, I wanted to share an idea with you — the importance of provoking people with your photography. The worst thing you can do as a photographer There is no “right” and “wrong” in photography — but …

One of the first things I learned as a blogger is to write “evergreen content” — blog posts that will be relevant forever. Avoiding what is trendy I used to write a lot of camera reviews, because it …

I feel the ultimate power is conquering yourself— not in conquering others. Seek self-liberation If you conquer yourself, you can truly liberate yourself. You can strive to conquer your greed, your fears, your regrets, your anxieties, and your …

“We started from the bottom now we’re here” – Drake Dear friend, you’ve accomplished great things in life— yet you want more. My suggestion: never forget where you’re come from. Life is hard We’ve all lived a life …

We all know the feeling— when we haven’t done something for a while, we become “rusty.” How do we prevent ourselves from rusting, from staying fresh, and new? Keep greasing the wheel If you don’t continue to grease …

Why is it that many of us hoard? We hoard our material possessions, our money, our knowledge, our contacts, and our wisdom. I think the reason a lot of us hoard is a sense of fear. We fear …

Economy: the art of avoiding unnecessary expenditure. I see economy as the art of using your income wisely, and with moderation (credit to Seneca for the idea). Economy can be applied to many different ways in our life: …

Dear friend, This short handbook on how to make a living with blogging is my gift to you. If blogging is your passion, consider this your personal handbook. I will share all my personal secrets how I’ve been …

Dear friend, “Color Manual” is a brief (19-page) guide, to get you started off in color photography.

I see negative space as a fascinating concept— both photographically and philosophically.