Why You Must Photograph Your Loved Ones

Dear friend,

I think the most important people you must photograph are your loved ones.

Why photograph your loved ones?

Morning avocado with Cindy

Well, this is my idea:

1. When we photograph our loved ones, we are essentially affirming our love for them.

Silhouette of Cindy in our kitchen. Los Angeles, 2018

When we look at our loved ones, and feel a great sense of gratitude and love towards them, that is when we see a “photo opportunity” and we grab the camera and take a photo. And in photographing our loved ones, we are more cognizant of our present love for them.

2. Your loved ones (and yourself) will die.

Cindy with morning coffee. Los Angeles, 2018 #cindyproject

By photographing our loved ones while they are still alive, we are more grateful to have them in our lives.

3. They are always accessible:

Portrait of my sister Annette Kim. Los Angeles, 2014. Shot on a Galaxy Note 4 and processed in VSCO.

Sometimes we want to make photos but we aren’t sure what to photograph. My suggestion: photograph your loved ones as much as possible! Photograph your grandparents, your parents, your uncles and aunts, your nephews and nieces, your partner, or kids. Photograph your friends, colleagues, or work mates. And if you don’t have anyone else to photograph, you can always photograph yourself! #honorthyselfie

The three steps of photography

Portrait of my sister in Los Angeles, 2014. Shot on a Hasselblad 501c on Kodak Portra 400.

You recognize a precious moment or person
You make a photograph of it
You share the photo with people you care about

That’s it.

How to make better photos of your loved ones

My mom. Busan, 2013

1. Talk to them while shooting them.

Selfie of me and my mom. Lisbon, 2018

Get them to laugh, smile, and joke around. To make them relax, have them jump up and down a few times, and tell them bad jokes to make them crack up!

2. Photograph your loved ones against a simple background (grey, white, or black).

Cindy, my mom, Cindy’s mom huddled around laptop. Lisbon, 2018

They will “pop out” of the background more. Study the work of Richard Avedon to see his masterful work with a simple white backdrop.

3. Photograph your loves ones while they’re living their life:

Teaching my mom how to blog. Lisbon, 2018

While they’re drinking their morning coffee, at work on their laptop, or when you’re eating dinner with them. Any moment and every moment is precious.

Memento mori,

ERIC

Why do you make photos? Pick up a copy of Photo Journal and discover more personal meaning and fulfillment in your photography.

Also find more meaning in your photography with Personal Photography 101