Taking Photos for the Inclusive Taekwondo Manual
Taking high-quality, colored reference images were an integral part of my father’s inclusive Taekwondo manual for students with mental and physical disabilities. Knowing that some of these students may learn better through visuals than text, we aimed to ensure that the materials we provided would be as inclusive as the Taekwondo techniques themselves. With this goal in mind, we set up an iPhone and tripod one Sunday afternoon in my father’s studio, hanging a colorful curtain as a backdrop to make the images more engaging than the plain gray mats on the floor. The process, however, quickly proved to be much more challenging than we had anticipated.
While going through each page of the manual, capturing pose after pose, we realized the painstaking attention to detail required to create clear, easy-to-follow images. My father, the model for each move, needed to perform each kick, punch, and stance with exaggerated precision, which required multiple shots for many techniques. It was exhausting for him to hold each position perfectly as we attempted to capture the best possible photo. Despite hours of effort, the initial images we produced were unsatisfactory; they lacked the clarity and quality we wanted, and both of us felt a bit discouraged by the progress.
At this point, I considered using generative art to create stylized reference images that would visually represent the moves while preserving my father’s proportions. After two weeks of experimentation, we decided that full-color images of my father would be more effective for the instructional nature of the manual. Determined to achieve a professional look, we arranged another session, this time with the help of my cousin, a photographer. We rented a studio and spent four hours shooting hundreds of photos, capturing each move in better lighting and a more visually appealing space.
After reviewing the new photos, however, my father found several poses he wanted to retake. We realized that to communicate each movement accurately, we’d need even more refined shots. The following weekend, we returned for another four-hour session. This time, I also participated in a few images for techniques that required two people, working with my father to show these moves more effectively. Taking photos became a greater challenge than we had ever expected, but it was a necessary part of ensuring that the final manual would truly meet the needs of its audience.
In the end, after twelve hours of shooting and thousands of photos, we finally had the high-quality images we needed. Without these visuals, the manual felt incomplete—just another educational text. However, the personal dedication we poured into creating these images brought the manual to life, making it both functional and meaningful for our students. This experience taught me not only the value of visual aids in educational resources but also how challenging yet rewarding it is to create something together as a family. Although we don’t plan to make another workbook soon, we now fully appreciate how impactful visuals can be in reaching students of all learning styles. Through this effort, we’ve strengthened our connection to our community and deepened the bond within our family.
