Anybody can tightrope walk
Have you ever walked along a curb and seen how far you can go without falling to the left or the right? Anybody can tightrope walk; you just let go and move onward with courage.
Finding God in the earth
I find that I feel closest to God when I’m lowest in the earth. I recognize that I am a gravity-bound creature, with the laws of physics holding me down. When I was at the lowest elevated city in the world, Jericho, I found myself closest to God. When I put my head down on the floor of a mosque, it was the first time I felt the presence of God. Now, when I attend church on Sunday, and kneel in a Catholic Church, that is where I feel closest to God. It’s on your knees, on the floor, close to the earth and the ground itself. When I’m pulling weeds, clearing land, and planting flowers into the soil of the earth, holding worms in my hand, I feel most connected to God.
Observe the details
I believe a critical trait every street photographer must possess is pattern recognition. Through our intuition, we recognize the patterns that exist in both nature and human behavior, whether in light, gestures, or fleeting moments. Look closely at life, with sharp visual acuity. Observe the textures and patterns that exist all around you. In nature, there is so much beauty to look at within the details. For example, the veins in a leaf, the peeling bark of a tree, the patterns and intricacies of flowers. All of the beauty and detail, whether in nature or man-made creations such as architecture, infrastructure, and concrete structures—perhaps there is a touch of godliness within it. God is in the details.
Sit alone in silence
My favorite part of my day has been sitting alone in my treehouse symposium that I found within Fairmount Park. I simply go for a nature hike every day, alone, surrounded by beautiful things: the sounds of insects humming, the tripping songs of birds, and the rustling of leaves as things fall from trees. In silence, we increase our connection to God. I find that we can only be connected to something higher or greater than ourselves when we are alone, in silence, away from the chaos of urban life.
Green spaces
While I absolutely thrive in the chaos of the city streets as a photographer, nothing truly beats being alone in nature. When you’re surrounded by green spaces, it is inevitable that you will feel good, healthy, and full of vitality. The fresh air, open spaces, and the sun kissing your skin is such a blissful sensation and place to be. The greatest aspect of the city of Philadelphia is the numerous green spaces and tree canopies that cover the city streets. We have various parks, and even a gigantic forest in the Wissahickon, where I spent my childhood. These places are sacred, and certainly worth visiting on a daily basis if you live in Philadelphia.
The most walkable city
Philadelphia is paradise because you do not need to own a car. It’s actually quite amazing, but I have hardly ever driven a car in my life, which may seem strange, as I’m 28 years old, and I can count maybe five times that I’ve ever driven before. I’ve lived in the city all my life, and never needed an automobile. I can simply walk everywhere, as the city is the perfect size, where everything is within reach from my two feet. This is why I believe city life is supreme: because you do not need a vehicle, and can simply treat your body as such. Also, public transportation using SEPTA buses is fantastic—they arrive on time, basically every 20 minutes, and are always there when I need it in a pinch or to commute to the park. As street photographers in Philadelphia, we should recognize how lucky we are. This truly is the most walkable city in the country, and because of that, perhaps it is the new Mecca of street photography? We are in the birthplace, baby.
Vitality and photography
The more I photograph, the more I realize how important vitality and strength are in the realm of photography. If you feel low in vitality or strength, I believe that this will impact your will to press the shutter. The more strength and power I have within my legs and my physical body, the more will I have to make more photographs. This is a very simple and practical suggestion: hone in on sleep, weightlifting, and the foods that you eat. The more that you are filled with vitality, the more power within your legs, the more you will photograph and find success in your daily street photography practice. He who walks the most shall win. The more that you walk, the more that you see, and the more that you see, the more that you photograph. Do you have the will to press the shutter? Do you have the will to power? We must walk endlessly throughout our journey and always be filled with vitality as photographers.
Keep it simple
Lately, I’ve been wearing all black clothing. I just feel most comfortable with fewer decisions. I’ve always had lots of black clothes in my wardrobe, and find that eliminating all of your choices makes my life more simple.
Also, I’ve been carrying a black bag with me and my iPad Pro everywhere I go. The iPad Pro provides me with the simplest solution when it comes to importing and reviewing my photographs. Not to mention, using the application Procreate gives me more opportunities to create visual art by mixing my images with collages. I think that we should hone in more on the idea of becoming a visual artist, rather than a photographer. Pick up an iPad Pro, forget about all of the traditional ways of working, whether as a film photographer in a darkroom or even a digital photographer using Lightroom and RAW files. Shoot JPEG, shoot small JPEG, bake in the color or black-and-white simulation, and stop doing any processing. Simply import your photos to the Photos app that’s built into the iPad, and keep your process as lightweight, minimal, and simple as possible.
What is a photograph?
A photograph is more than just light on a surface, a moment, or a story. A photograph is a reflection of the photographer’s lust for life.
He who loves life the most shall win.
A photographer requires two key traits: courage and curiosity.
You must possess the courage to put yourself out there onto the front lines of life, close to life itself, both physically and emotionally. Also, we must remain curious, like a child, to photograph, tinker, and experiment with our photography practice each day.
The ultimate goal of a photographer is to increase our curiosity by one percent each day.
A photograph is a reflection of the photographer’s soul.
A photograph is a reflection of the photographer’s courage or heart.
Photography is physical
The more you love life, the better your photographs will be. I believe this to be an inevitability as he who has lust for life within him will be walking more, seeing more, and photographing more. The world is our canvas, and the physicality of photography is most critical to hone in on.
As much as photography is a visual game of solving visual puzzles—putting the foreground, middle ground, and background together in a fleeting decisive moment—photography is also a physical pleasure. This means a stronger photographer will make stronger photographs. How is this possible?
The physical strength within a photographer’s legs and body will determine the output of their photographs. I believe the best compositions are made through movement. Through movement, we can tap into our intuition and respond to life through our gut.
Shoot from your heart
Street photography does not require your brain.
Shoot from your heart, not from your brain.
Forget about everything you think you know about what makes or breaks a good or bad photograph. Detach from the outcome, and embrace the process of photographing more, not less.
The motivation you are looking for derives from your legs, through moving your body onto the front lines of life. Do not seek any external praise or reason for making photographs. We must detach from the outcome of the photographs we make entirely and simply march onwards with the will to press the shutter more. Delete your Instagram account, and make your own website blog using wordpress.org, and host it using your first name and last name on bluehost.com.
Photography is a superpower
Photography is a superpower and gives you the ability to create a new world in a fraction of a second. The world is so open and endless to explore. The photographer thrives by stepping outside their door and embracing the spontaneous now, more. We thrive in chaos by articulating the unknown.
Our camera is the passport, the excuse for us to go out there and see the world.
Our camera is the key that unlocks the door to the multifaceted complexities of life through all of the experiences that we have along our journey.
However,
I wield my camera as a sword, striking through the heart of chaos, revealing the soul of the street, creating visual order and harmony through the spontaneity of everyday life.