What Do Your Photos Say About You?

Paris, 2014
Paris, 2014

Dear friend,

One question I think is always good to meditate upon is this: “What do my photos say about me?”

There is no such thing as being a “good” or “bad” photographer. The only thing we should aim for is to be an authentic photographer. A photographer who is authentic to him/herself.

I admire the photographers who when you see their photos— you can look into their souls. By looking at their photos, you get a sense of who they are as a human being. You see their world perspective; what they love and what they hate. You can feel their emotion in their photos.

So think to yourself— what do your photos say about you? Do your photos show you being an optimist on life? Or a pessimist? Do they show that you studied graphic design in school? Do they show that you are a quiet introvert? Do they show that you are a social extrovert?

For me, I think this is what my photography says about myself:

Lansing, 2014
Lansing, 2014

  • I am an extrovert (many of my photos are shot with permission, where I need to engage and interact with my subject).
  • While I am an optimist on society, I am still pessimistic (a lot of my photos are quite depressing, drab, and show a sense of alienation in my subjects).
  • Cindy is the love of my life (I hope to convey my feeling of love and appreciation for Cindy, through the personal photos I shoot of her for the ‘Cindy Project’)
  • I am a minimalist (I aim to make simple photos, rather than complicated or complex photos)

So what do your photos say about you, and can your viewer get to understand your soul through your images?