{"id":28516,"date":"2016-04-14T02:00:56","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T09:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=28516"},"modified":"2016-04-14T14:50:18","modified_gmt":"2016-04-14T21:50:18","slug":"the-3-step-process-of-personal-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/14\/the-3-step-process-of-personal-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3-Step Process of Personal Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"East
East Lansing, 2013 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever wanted to find more meaning, purpose, and direction in your photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I recommend you to pursue \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d What exactly is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? To me, it is a genre of photography that focuses on yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d focuses on your personal life experiences, focuses on photographing your loved ones, and the other elements of your \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and everyday life.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why personal photography?<\/h2>\n
\"Amsterdam,
Amsterdam, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Many of us have jobs that we aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t crazy about, we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a lot of time to go out and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153shoot photos\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like we live in an exotic place.<\/p>\n

The liberating thing about \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is that you can literally do it anywhere\u00e2\u20ac\u201d in your house, at your office, or when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re with your family.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d only has one requirement: that it is personal<\/em> \u00e2\u20ac\u201d personal to you, your life experiences, and what makes you unique as a human being.<\/p>\n

Getting started<\/h2>\n
\"Portugal,
Portugal, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To get started in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d consider what you find meaningful in your life. Who are your close loved ones, and how do your photos reflect those relationships?<\/p>\n

Death is something that hangs over all of us, like a dagger, suspended in the air, and we aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t sure when that string is going to snap. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had friends who died suddenly (age 27), friends-of-friends who passed away in car accidents, and other friends or acquaintances who suddenly got cancer or some other rare disease.<\/p>\n

We never know when we are going to pass.<\/p>\n

So the point of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is to truly make photos for ourselves\u00e2\u20ac\u201d not for others. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d seeks for you to make personal memories\u00e2\u20ac\u201d for yourself, your close friends, and for your family. According to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you want to create personal documents that generations-to-come (in your family) can appreciate. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is documenting the happy moments in your life, the tough times, and to document how you were able to persevere.<\/p>\n

In terms of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the camera or documenting tool doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really matter. My suggestion is to use the easiest, least-obtrusive, smallest, and lightest camera\u00e2\u20ac\u201d something that is easy for you to carry with you. That can be your smartphone camera, a small compact camera, or anything else that can slip into your bag, and constantly be with you.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Notice<\/h3>\n
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s society, we are constantly being distracted by flashing notifications, emails, text messages, social media updates, blogs, games, apps, and advertisements vying for our attention.<\/p>\n

Personally I have found that most of modern technology prevents us from noticing the beauty in life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d especially within our lives.<\/p>\n

To \u00e2\u20ac\u0153notice\u00e2\u20ac\u009d more is to turn off your technology. So for example when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re at home, turn off your phone. Appreciate the company of your loved ones\u00e2\u20ac\u201d your children, your partner, or friends. Be fully-engaged in conversation with them, and know how to focus<\/em> in your inter-personal communications.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re out walking in the streets, walk slowly<\/em>, and look all around you. Specifically\u00e2\u20ac\u201d look down<\/em>, and look up<\/em>. Take a 360 degree view of the world around you\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and just notice<\/em> all of these interesting things around you.<\/p>\n

A lot of photographers complain that their hometowns are too \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to photograph and that their lives are too \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

I think it is all about perspective\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I have friends in NYC who find it \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, friends in Paris who find it \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, and friends in Tokyo who think the city and their lives are \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boring.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Boring\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is just a state of mind\u00e2\u20ac\u201d if you are like a child, everything is interesting. A child is constantly curious, always wanting to learn more, and notices every little thing.<\/p>\n

Another way to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153notice\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d unplug your headphones, and learn how to listen to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153quiet.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel the need to constantly stimulate yourself with audio-visual information. Just stop, breathe, and enjoy the peace.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Appreciate<\/h3>\n
\"Amsterdam,
Amsterdam, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another part of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is to appreciate the beauty all around you. Sure you can notice<\/em> the beauty, but can you really appreciate<\/em> it?<\/p>\n

For me, I take a lot of things for granted. I take the amazing public transportation system for granted, I take my loving partner Cindy for granted, I take my family for granted, I take my smartphone for granted, I take my camera for granted, and I take the internet for granted. I become \u00e2\u20ac\u0153used to\u00e2\u20ac\u009d all these great marvels in my life\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and the beauty that God and the world has given me in nature, human relationships, and my friendships.<\/p>\n

To appreciate something is quite difficult. A simple exercise to better appreciate things: vividly imagine as if you lost it<\/strong>. For example, to better appreciate your loved ones, imagine hearing if they got hit by a drunk driver\u00e2\u20ac\u201d how would you feel? What would you regret not<\/em> saying or not<\/em> doing? And furthermore, are there certain moments you had together that you would regret not<\/em> photographing?<\/p>\n

Everything in life is fleeting, including photographs. But I feel that through \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d documenting your personal moments helps you better appreciate the moments. By being able to identify, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is a wonderful moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d you are able to not only photograph it, but to relish in the moment.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Document<\/h3>\n
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As photographers, we are documenters. We document history, we document those around us, and we document society around us. Not only that, but we are creative; we make art, we interpret, and we analyze.<\/p>\n

To document is the last step of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Generally if you want to document a moment faithfully\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is to compose and frame the scene well.<\/p>\n

For example, decide what not<\/em> to include in the frame. Decide what is not<\/em> interesting\u00e2\u20ac\u201d only focus on the essential in the frame.<\/p>\n

I feel that photography is more about subtraction, rather than addition. So always ask to yourself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is this really an essential part of the frame? Can I remove this subject, element, or distraction from the background?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

By eliminating distractions and noise, you can focus on what is important in your photograph\u00e2\u20ac\u201d your main subject. What is essential, and truly important to you.<\/p>\n

Documenting emotion<\/h2>\n
\"Berlin,
Berlin, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to documenting your personal life and personally-meaningful moments, think about the emotion<\/em> you see when you identify or appreciate a scene.<\/p>\n

This means following your gut.<\/p>\n

Often times in photography we try to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153rationalize\u00e2\u20ac\u009d everything that we see. We treat ourselves more like robots; rather than emotional human beings. Sometimes we think that our emotions get in the way of making decisions\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but actually it is our emotions which are the driving force behind making decisions.<\/p>\n

There was a scientific study in which the subjects no longer felt \u00e2\u20ac\u0153emotions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d in the traditional sense. However their \u00e2\u20ac\u0153analytic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d mind was still intact. But the problem was when faced with simple decisions (whether to stay indoors or go for a walk) they couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make any decisions on their own. They didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have emotions or a gut-feeling to guide their lives.<\/p>\n

In personal photography, we should let our emotions guide our picture-taking process. Not only that, but we should also strive to capture emotions in our photographs. After all, emotions is what sticks with us. Emotions are what embed themselves into our soul. Photographs with emotion are more personal, and burn themselves into our minds.<\/p>\n

Shooting for yourself or for others?<\/h2>\n
\"Marseille,
Marseille, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the genre of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the first person to always satisfy or impress is yourself. You are the main character in this play. Everyone else is just watching.<\/p>\n

But of course, as human beings we are also social beings. As photographers, we like to share our work with others, and feel a sense of appreciation for our work.<\/p>\n

In order to balance taking photos for yourself, and for others\u00e2\u20ac\u201d my suggestion is this: photograph photos that you<\/em> like and simply let others naturally find and discover and appreciate your work. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seek to make photos to satisfy your audience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Many artists lose their sense of integrity, vision, or principles when they start to follow the whims of the masses. A true artist has his or her own vision\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and is unwavering. Take for example Steve Jobs, someone who would create a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153reality distortion field\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and project his vision onto others\u00e2\u20ac\u201d rather than letting reality dictate its rules to him. This is what helped him create so many innovative products, by refusing to add a stylus or keyboard to the iPad. But now, the modern Apple is starting to lose its creative vision\u00e2\u20ac\u201d by creating a slew of products to simply satisfy the masses.<\/p>\n

As for you, if you upload any of your personal photos to social media\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you might get distracted by the amount of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153likes\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or comments you get on a photograph. Trust me, it has happened to me.<\/p>\n

One of the things that helped me re-focus on taking photos for myself is to not<\/em> share my photos on social media. I took a brief hiatus from uploading images to social media for about 2-3 months, and I started to ask myself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do I like my own photos?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d rather than always wondering whether others would like my photos.<\/p>\n

If I made a photograph that I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like, but others loved\u00e2\u20ac\u201d would I truly be happy? On the other hand, if I made a photograph that I loved but others didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t\u00e2\u20ac\u201d would I be happy?<\/p>\n

Ultimately this is a decision you<\/em> need to make\u00e2\u20ac\u201d nobody else can make that decision for you. But always keep this in mind, and always be mindful that your own opinion of your own photos matters the most.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Cindy Project\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2015 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of my main frustrations in photography is that I am not always able to shoot \u00e2\u20ac\u0153street photography.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Street photography is my first passion\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but often when I am living in boring residential areas, there aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t any people walking in the streets.<\/p>\n

I still wanted to be creative, and to photograph, and to create art. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t realize it\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but Cindy was the best subject that I always overlooked.<\/p>\n

My main inspiration to start documenting Cindy was from my friend Josh White, who passionately documents those who he loves and is close with. He made an interesting point to me, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why is it that we take photos of strangers with cameras that cost thousands of dollars, and only take photos of our loved ones with iPhones?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

It is true. We travel to foreign or exotic places and take expensive DSLR\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and lenses, and try to create \u00e2\u20ac\u0153art\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of strangers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d people we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know. But when it comes to documenting personally meaningful moments, we take mindless snapshots or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153selfies\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d without consideration of composition, and making the photograph look beautiful.<\/p>\n

So flip the equation\u00e2\u20ac\u201d perhaps you should take more haphazard photos of strangers or people who aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t as meaningful to you, and to take more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153artistic\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153considered\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photographs of your loved ones.<\/p>\n

How does Cindy feel about it?<\/h3>\n
\"Hayward,
Berkeley, 2016 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One question I get a lot when it comes to documenting Cindy is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How does Cindy feel about it?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Cindy has told me that sometimes she feels that she has no control\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because I am controlling her image and deciding which moments to document, how to present her, and I am indeed creating a certain image of her.<\/p>\n

However what has helped tremendously is making her a collaborative partner<\/em>. When I ask to take certain photos of her, she knows how to pose in a certain way to present herself in a way which she feels is faithful to herself. Not only that, but I will always ask her if I could publish a certain photograph of her. If she isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t comfortable with me uploading a photo of her online, that is fine\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I keep it for myself on my hard drive. Not only that, but I ask Cindy which of her photos she likes the most\u00e2\u20ac\u201d so she is a collaborative partner in terms of the editing (selection) process as well.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately not everyone out there has partners who are willing to being photographed. Your partner might be beautiful to you, but your partner might feel uncomfortable being photographed. In this case, you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to force it. Furthermore, you can also tell them that you will not upload any of the photos to the internet without their permission. Or you can just take the photos for yourself, print them out, and put them into family albums.<\/p>\n

Remember: you never want to let your photography or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153art\u00e2\u20ac\u009d supersede the dignity, respect, and feelings of your loved ones.<\/p>\n

Every moment is precious<\/h2>\n
\"Berkeley,
Berkeley, 2016 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another aspect of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is to realize that every moment is precious. There are not certain moments which are more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153valuable\u00e2\u20ac\u009d than other moments.<\/p>\n

For example, the smallest moments are precious. The moment having your morning coffee, having lunch with your friend, or cuddling up on the couch with your partner in the evening.<\/p>\n

When you are fully in-the-moment; is there anywhere else you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d rather be?<\/p>\n

Personal Photography\u00c2\u00a0Manifesto<\/h2>\n

\"Personal-Photography-Cover\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m currently putting together a new book: “Personal Photography Manifesto<\/a><\/strong>“\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>(19MB Direct Download)<\/em>. I will continue to update this blog with new excerpts from the book and keep you in the loop.<\/p>\n

Below are some articles to get you started in “Personal Photography”:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Personal Photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Manifesto<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. A Photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Search For Meaning<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. How to Find Your Passion in Photography<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Find out What to Photograph, Not How<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Why Do You Take Photos?<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t Be So Hard On Yourself<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Do You Like Your Own Photos?<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Simple Contentment<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. The Cindy Project<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. The Things That Matter Most<\/a><\/li>\n
  11. The Point Isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t to Be a Good Photographer, But to Enjoy Life<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. How to Make More Interesting Photos<\/a><\/li>\n
  13. Social Media 4.0<\/a><\/li>\n
  14. Express Yourself<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Dear friend, If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve ever wanted to find more meaning, purpose, and direction in your photography\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I recommend you to pursue \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d What exactly is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal photography\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? To me, it is a genre of photography that focuses on yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d focuses on your personal life experiences, focuses on photographing your loved ones, and the other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28516"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28516\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}