The Goal to Transcend

At this point, I could never make another “good” photo again and feel completely satisfied with the images I’ve created on my journey so far. But this satisfaction brings a new question: what’s next? How do we push the future of photography into a more thrilling, boundary-breaking direction?

Go Beyond

To transcend means to go beyond—to surpass the limits of what’s known. The etymology of “transcend” points to rising above or surpassing something. In art, this is the ultimate challenge: breaking free from conventions, defying the familiar boundaries that confine so much of our craft.

“Transcend” means to go beyond the limits of something, to rise above or surpass. It often refers to achieving a level of performance, understanding, or existence that is superior to or beyond normal limits.

This is what I seek with photography. We should aim to move beyond conventional notions of a “good” photograph, and beyond the romanticized lessons left by the masters of the past. One of my greatest frustrations in street photography is this obsessive nostalgia for what’s been done. I say, crush the masters and move forward.

Embrace the New

Why is film photography making a comeback? Today, photographers don their flannels, beanies, and old cameras around their necks for a “look.” But why is the work itself often uninteresting? It feels tied to old-school, outdated notions of being an artist with a capital “A”—taking everything too seriously and refusing to evolve.

Just Fuck Shit Up

Moving forward, let’s just fuck shit up. Work at lightning speed, faster than any mode of photography that’s come before. Uplift the human experience in the rawest, most candid way possible, and let the results fall where they may. Enough of boring artists, slow processes, and predictable photos.

Think Carte Blanche

To transcend, we need a blank slate—a carte blanche approach. Starting from scratch, we can see how the conventions of the past are actually holding us back. Even the way we view photography in galleries feels outdated. Walking through the galleries in New York, I see so much work hijacked by shallow, trendy themes. Social justice and woke aesthetics dominate, reducing photography to tiresome displays. Where’s the thrill, the vision, the freedom?

So, What Can We Do?

Disconnect from the noise, from galleries, projects, zines, books, and just carve your own path forward. Photograph for yourself, for your own vision, and abandon the constraints of projects and external expectations. Let’s strive to create work that’s free from all conventions. The real question to solve is: how can we make photography less boring?