January 2026
January 5th
Things feel a lot better now that I’m photographing street three days in a row. I don’t care about the quality of the photographs too much. It’s about finding some kind of time to go out and shoot even if it’s twenty minutes. Don’t worry about the quality of the photos cause that will automatically be the byproduct of going out everyday. If you go out every day to shoot, you will always be on top of it compared to someone who does it on the weekends. It’s impossible to not get anything if you’re out there everyday cause you’re increasing your chances and you’re skills and reactions won’t fail you.
Sometimes I need think my artistic output will be better if I slap myself in the face, scream in the room for 5-8 seconds. Maybe try one of those ice baths people say has helped them…
January 4th
Going to watch a late morning movie ‘Resurrection’ by Chinese director Bi Gan. Two of his films were on the Criterion Channel but if possible I want to see a director’s film and their vision for the first time on the big screen.
I bought a new camera two months ago and have found its weaknesses. To tell the truth, had I know these weaknesses, I don’t think I would have bought this camera. I would’ve stayed with my previous camera for a couple more months. There was really no problem with it in the first place.
It feels like a long time street photographing two days back-to-back. And then getting to work on them on DxO.
Right now I need to get back in the groove and not worry about taking great pictures but just worrying about being out there everyday regardless how I feel and photograph anything that catches my attention.
The last half of 2025 was not so great and didn’t go out as much. Was photographing almost once every two weeks. I neglected my weight and gained 25lbs that I worked so hard to lose in 2024 and maintained until the first half of 2025. We think we have complete control of our lives but there’s no way I want to keep living like the way I did in the last half of 2025.
One thing I want to do this year is to relocate to a new apartment. Where I’m living has been a complete nightmare and believe that it’s been limiting me. It’s an unhealthy environment that doesn’t encourage thinking or creativity. In a few years later I would like to explain more of the living situation I was in for the past 4-5 years. But nows not the right time to go into that. In due time.
So many things to do.
So little time.
So much time to do whatever you want.
You can be whatever you want to be
January 2nd
New Years are a great way to reset and create a new goal for the 2026 you. The hardest part is that you get an adrenaline rush and sprint too fast with their goals and by February they forget about it and pretend it never happened.
But sometimes the New Year does wake you up from your life that feels like it’s not moving anywhere. And like a snake shedding it’s skin, the new year brings out a new you.
If you do it right and pace yourself you can make major differences in your life.
When creating a new habit you want to be doing it everyday. I’m not a believer of doing it only 5 days and 2 days rest. Giving yourself a rest day(s) makes it easier for your old self to return to your old-self ways. Instead I argue to do it every day but do it at a light jogging pace. There’s no need to sprint every day. You’ll burn out and that individual miles behind you will job their way and pass you.
Another thing that has helped is journaling. I’ve been journaling for several years but it was never consistent. The reason why I had a hard time journaling every day was because I thought you had to write deep and profound thoughts every time you sat down to write and that discouraged me from writing every day.
Early this morning, I came upon Sam Mas’ Youtube channel and his latest video encourages you to write about what we see instead of writing about what we think. Writing about how we’re feeling is too abstract to write about. But if you write about the “dry facts” of your daily life you’d be surprised at how much more you end up writing. And writing your daily observations and routine can reflect more about how you’re feeling than trying to directly write about how you’re feeling.
Journaling isn’t about trying write deep and profound thoughts every time. Same with photography, you can be an amateur or a pro and 9 times out of 10 (sometimes it can be 10 out of 10 times, the photo is terrible. But if you shoot every day, photographing everyday life, once in a while, you will get that one-in-a-million shot. That’s the same with writing: you have to write about, as Henry Miller would say, what’s directly under your nose.
