Youngjae Lim Says Seek “New Eyes”

I came across today’s quote in an article by Chris Gampat for The Phoblographer, “13 Motivational Tips from the NYC Street Photography Collective.” There’s plenty of gold to mine from the tips included, but one quote stuck out particularly from Youngjae Lim:

“The real journey of discovery in street photography consists not in seeking new streets but in having new eyes.”

The reason I picked this one from the rest is that I think the temptation, especially for beginning shooters, is to think the key to better photos is a new something else, whether that’s a new location, or perhaps more commonly, new gear. Nope!

Deceptively simpler, yet much more difficult and time-consuming than purchasing a new doodad or traveling to a new locale, is transforming how you see what is already where you’re at. The stuff of better photos is currently circulating around you! The game of getting better is simply waking up to it — with “new eyes.”