Photolosophy 101: Life and Death in Photography

I see photography as a meditation on life and death: gratitude on being alive, but also a reminder — that I (and my loved ones) will all eventually die.

Memento mori:

Memento mori is the concept that we must remember that we will (and must) die.

Therefore, you should never waste your life. We must be grateful for being born and being alive — and best leverage our strengths to empower all of humanity!

What gives you meaning and purpose in photography and life?

In photography, we must also think about death to live a more purposeful and meaningful life. This means:

Assuming you’re going to die at age 90, what do you want to dedicate your life to photographing?

And also,

What kind of philosophical statement are you trying to say through your photography — about yourself, and about the world and humanity in general?

To me, I see photography as a duality of life and death.

We photograph while we’re alive, generally of stuff that’s alive. But soon, we will die, and so will the subjects in our photos. But the photos are immortal and will live on!

After we die, our living descendants will carry on our legacy, perhaps by preserving our photos (like the Philip Jones Griffith foundation), or even as Magnum does with their deceased forefathers.

I personally love life, and I’m so so so grateful I’m alive. I want my photos to acknowledge my happiness and gratitude towards life!

Yet, I also want to remind all of us, that the grim reaper is tapping us on our shoulder. Let us use death as a positive motivator for us to live life.