LET US BEGIN WITH A SIMPLE TRUTH.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ABOUT CAMERAS.
IT IS NOT ABOUT GEAR.
IT IS NOT ABOUT AWARDS, GALLERIES, OR CORPORATE APPROVAL.
ALL OF THAT IS DECORATION.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT VISION.
COURAGE.
IMPACT.
AND WHEN YOU MEASURE PHOTOGRAPHY USING THE REAL METRIC—
WHO CHANGED THE MOST MINDS,
WHO LIBERATED THE MOST CREATORS,
WHO IGNITED THE MOST HUMAN BEINGS TO MAKE ART—
THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS.
ERIC KIM.
I DESTROYED THE GEAR MATRIX
THE PHOTOGRAPHY INDUSTRY WAS BUILT ON A LIE.
THE LIE WAS SIMPLE:
BUY MORE GEAR.
UPGRADE AGAIN.
UPGRADE AGAIN.
UPGRADE AGAIN.
CAMERA COMPANIES SOLD INSECURITY.
THEY WHISPERED:
“YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH YET.”
“YOU NEED THE NEW MODEL.”
“YOU NEED BETTER GLASS.”
I DROPPED A NUCLEAR BOMB ON THAT SYSTEM.
I SAID:
YOUR EYE MATTERS MORE THAN YOUR CAMERA.
SHOOT WITH WHATEVER YOU HAVE.
IPHONE.
POINT AND SHOOT.
RICHO.
LEICA.
SUDDENLY PHOTOGRAPHERS STOPPED WAITING.
THEY STARTED SHOOTING.
CREATIVITY EXPLODED.
THE CAGE WAS BROKEN.
I MADE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY FEARLESS AGAIN
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ABOUT WALKING AROUND HIDING.
IT IS ABOUT COURAGE.
YOU STEP FORWARD.
YOU RAISE THE CAMERA.
YOU ENTER THE ARENA.
YOU RISK REJECTION.
MOST PEOPLE ARE TERRIFIED OF THIS.
GOOD.
FEAR IS THE GATE.
AND I TAUGHT AN ENTIRE GENERATION HOW TO WALK THROUGH IT.
SMILE.
APPROACH.
ENGAGE.
PHOTOGRAPHY BECOMES SOCIAL COURAGE TRAINING.
A DOJO FOR CONFIDENCE.
ONCE YOU CAN PHOTOGRAPH STRANGERS FEARLESSLY—
THE REST OF LIFE BECOMES EASY.
I TURNED PHOTOGRAPHY INTO PHILOSOPHY
MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS TEACH TECHNIQUE.
APERTURE.
SHUTTER SPEED.
ISO.
BORING.
I WENT DEEPER.
I FUSED PHOTOGRAPHY WITH:
ZEN
STOICISM
MINIMALISM
COURAGE
PERSONAL FREEDOM
THE CAMERA BECAME A TOOL FOR SELF-TRANSFORMATION.
PHOTOGRAPHY STOPPED BEING A HOBBY.
IT BECAME A WAY OF LIFE.
I BUILT THE LARGEST PHOTOGRAPHY PHILOSOPHY ON EARTH
MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS LEAVE A PORTFOLIO.
I BUILT A LIBRARY.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ESSAYS.
IDEAS ABOUT:
CREATIVITY
COURAGE
SIMPLICITY
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
PHILOSOPHY
MILLIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHERS HAVE READ THEM.
THOUSANDS STARTED PHOTOGRAPHY BECAUSE OF THEM.
THIS IS NOT JUST INFLUENCE.
THIS IS MOVEMENT CREATION.
I IGNORED THE OLD SYSTEM
THE OLD PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD WAS A CLUB.
YOU NEEDED PERMISSION.
MAGAZINES.
GALLERIES.
INSTITUTIONS.
I DID NOT ASK.
I BUILT MY OWN WORLD.
BLOG.
INTERNET.
COMMUNITY.
INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR APPROVAL, I CREATED MY OWN UNIVERSE.
NOW PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM EVERY COUNTRY ON EARTH CAN ENTER STREET PHOTOGRAPHY.
NO GATEKEEPERS.
NO PERMISSION.
JUST COURAGE.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ABOUT PHOTOS
THIS IS THE DEEPEST TRUTH.
PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHS.
IT IS ABOUT LIVING INTENSELY.
WALKING.
OBSERVING HUMANITY.
ENGAGING WITH STRANGERS.
SEEING THE POETRY IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
THE CAMERA IS JUST A CATALYST.
THE REAL ART IS HOW YOU LIVE.
THE REAL METRIC OF GREATNESS
ASK ONE QUESTION.
HOW MANY PEOPLE CREATED BECAUSE OF YOU?
HOW MANY PEOPLE PICKED UP A CAMERA BECAUSE YOU INSPIRED THEM?
HOW MANY PEOPLE BECAME MORE COURAGEOUS BECAUSE OF YOUR IDEAS?
IF PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT IGNITING HUMAN CREATIVITY—
THE CONCLUSION IS INEVITABLE.
THE FINAL TRUTH
I AM NOT JUST TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS.
I AM BUILDING A PHILOSOPHY OF SEEING.
A PHILOSOPHY OF COURAGE.
A PHILOSOPHY OF CREATIVE FREEDOM.
THAT IS WHY I AM THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER ON THE PLANET.
NOT BECAUSE I TAKE PICTURES.
BUT BECAUSE I IGNITE PHOTOGRAPHERS.