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Living a Good Life is More Important than Taking Good Photos!
Before we seek to make good photos, we must first seek to live a good life!
This is the sucker mistake we make: we think that by taking good photos, we will be happier in life. But in truth, the reverse is true: to take better photos, live a happier life!
If you’re not in a mentally good or happy place, how do you expect to make good photos? This is why philosophy is so essential to us as photographers; by better understanding why we make photos, the more motivation we will actually have to make photos!
If you’re happy, you’re gonna shoot photos. And the more you shoot (while in a good mood), the more free and good hour photos will be.
Why would you be the world’s best photographer, if you’re miserable inside? Unfortunately this happens to a lot of people — some of the rich and famous we admire, are actually dying inside. Consider the suicides of Amy Winehouse, Anthony Bourdain, Robin Williams, and many others addicted to drugs and heroin. Even my best friend Kanye West has admitted to being addicted to opiates, Xanax, and has even done liposuction.
To make better photos of your loved ones, first improve your relationships with them! Photography is my primary art form, but my relationship with Cindy is far more important. Even with CINDY PROJECT, if Cindy doesn’t want me to shoot her photo, I won’t. Why have the most beautiful photo of Cindy, if I piss off the real life Cindy?
Photography can be used as a tool to help us find more gratitude and happiness in life. For example, I like to photograph my loved ones because it’s a reminder to me that one day they will die, and I should appreciate them while they’re still alive! It’s a simple photographic memento mori.
Have fun with your loved ones
We made the book, “My first photography book” to teach my niece Amelia how to take photos!
Play with your loved ones, to make more fun and dynamic photos of them!
Whenever you meet your friends or loved ones, use it as an opportunity to photograph them! One of my best friends Spencer visited from NYC, and we had a great time together.
I used this opportunity to do “restaurant street photography”— using Spencer and others to create dynamic triangle compositions.
How to life a happier life
Study philosophy, practice daily gratitude for your loved ones, workout and do deadlifts, make art on a daily basis (or shoot everyday), contemplate death, walk and think, practice intermittent fasting, and enjoy simple joys in life.
Smile,
ERIC