{"id":73550,"date":"2017-12-16T12:20:14","date_gmt":"2017-12-16T20:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=73550"},"modified":"2017-12-16T12:20:14","modified_gmt":"2017-12-16T20:20:14","slug":"how-to-find-more-meaning-in-your-life-with-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/12\/16\/how-to-find-more-meaning-in-your-life-with-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find More Meaning in Your Life With Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

If you’re feeling a bit lost with your photography or life– here are some heart-to-heart advice:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Why is photography useful?<\/h2>\n
\"ERIC
ERIC KIM EYE by Cindy Nguyen \/ Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I think one of the best benefits of photography:<\/p>\n

\n Using photography as a tool to appreciate your life more, and to find more joy in the small things of your everyday life.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example, I’ve been making a lot of photo diaries — and while they aren’t probably the world’s ‘best’ photos– they are personally meaningful to me.<\/p>\n

Looking at my personal diary photos, I re-live the good moments of my day-to-day life. Snapshots of me with Cindy, photos of my food, or my environment.<\/p>\n

2. Why I love photography<\/h2>\n
\"Hanoi
Hanoi rooftop bar \/ black and white street photograph, 2016<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I think true joy in life is a combination of adventures, achievement, reflection, and appreciation.<\/p>\n

\n Photography helps me appreciate the things I have done, the things I have experienced, and helps me do it in an artistic way.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

3. Life without photography would be a mistake.<\/h2>\n
\"Diagonal
Diagonal composition, Cindy minimalism \/\/ Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The problem that a lot of us as photographers face is:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. We don’t shoot enough personal photos<\/a> of our everyday life<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. We don’t photograph enough pictures of our loved ones.<\/li>\n
  3. We take our photography too seriously — we forget to just enjoy the process and joy of photography; shooting like a child.<\/li>\n
  4. We don’t review our old photos enough.<\/li>\n
  5. We care more about the likes we get from our photos, rather than the aesthetic joy our photos bring ourselves<\/li>\n
  6. We care too much about what others think of our photos, rather than what we think of our own photos.<\/li>\n
  7. We use ‘likes’ as a measure whether our photos are any good or not.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    4. You can photograph anything.<\/h2>\n
    \"Spiral.
    Spiral. Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Nothing is too small to photograph.<\/p>\n

    Find beauty in the small and ordinary. Nothing is too ordinary or ‘normal’ to photograph.<\/p>\n

    \"Tree.
    Tree. Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Don’t get ‘suckered by the exotic’ — or thinking that you can only make good photos while traveling. Instead, realize that you can make personally meaningful photos of your everyday life — right now, today, and forever.<\/p>\n

    5. Photograph your own life<\/h2>\n
    \"Cindy
    Cindy in our apartment. Hanoi, 2017 #cindyproject<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Photograph your loved ones, photograph selfies<\/a> of yourself, shoot your food, shoot your home, photograph moments which put a smile on your face.<\/p>\n

    The formula:<\/p>\n

    \n Photograph what is personally-meaningful to you, and review the photos, and re-live that joy afterwards.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Smile,
    \nERIC<\/p>\n

    \n

    PHOTOGRAPHY THERAPY<\/a><\/h1>\n
    \"Low
    Low angle silhouette photo of Cindy. Hanoi, 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    How to find more joy in your life with photography:<\/p>\n