If you want to make more meaningful photos of your life, photograph your partner, your best friend; perhaps your wife.
The other day I witnessed a very nasty car accident, where some of the people (“should have”) died. But fortunately they survived.
I thought: if I died today in a car accident, what kind of legacy do I want to leave behind in my photography? What ultimate message do I want to share with my photos?
I would want my magnum opus to be ‘Cindy Project’: documentation of my love for Cindy, in the hope that these photos will inspire others to start their own Cindy project; for photographers to pursue their own photographic projects (making photos of their loved ones). I ultimately think that photographing your loved ones is far more important than photographing strangers, or people who aren’t close to you.
Document personally-meaningful moments to you
Always be ready before the decisive moment happens in photography. Have your camera always around your neck (HENRI SHOULDER STRAP or OG HENRI Neck Strap), and click when you see a moment which makes you smile.
I also think the beauty of photography is to document the fullest-gamut of human emotions with you and your loved one: from stress and anxiety, to joy and thanksgiving.
What is the purpose of photography? To me, it means living a more engaging, fulfilling, and meaningful life. I make photos to remind myself to be grateful for my loved ones. I sometimes get angry/petty with Cindy over stupid shit; but whenever I MEMENTO MORI and remember the shortness and unpredictability of life/death, I make photos of Cindy with the fullest extent of my soul.
Never stop shooting!
Photography projects can always be in flux; and a photography project is something you can pursue your entire life. You can constantly add photos to your project, remove photos from your project, or switch things up. Keep pursuing your photography projects your entire life, and treat it like a stream of images. Your life is a stream of experiences; shouldn’t photography be the same?
MEMENTO MORI,
ERIC