Flux Archive 010 — Finding Beauty in the Mundane
What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.
Welcome to Flux Archive Session Number 10, where I look through another collection of photographs from my black and white photography journey.
These photographs were made throughout October 2023, and every image in this zine was created using my Flux Generator. Upload 36 photographs, and they’ll automatically be sequenced chronologically and timestamped into your own printable Flux zine. You can even submit it directly to me for a chance to have your work reviewed here on the channel.
Today I want to talk about something that’s become foundational to my photography.
The mundane is the name of the game.
Stop Hunting for the Perfect Moment
I think a lot of photographers spend too much time hunting.
We’re waiting for the decisive moment.
We’re waiting for something extraordinary.
We’re waiting for someone interesting to walk into the frame.
Meanwhile…
People are reading on park benches.
Walking to work.
Waiting for buses.
Looking at their phones.
The complaint I hear most often is:
“Nothing is happening.”
But that’s exactly where the photographs are.
Beauty Already Exists
The mundane isn’t boring.
It’s simply waiting for your attention.
A man reading during his lunch break.
Light falling across a stairwell.
A shadow wrapping itself around a tower.
A construction worker unloading equipment.
Someone passing a chalk drawing on the sidewalk.
These moments exist everywhere.
The only thing missing is your curiosity.
Disconnect From the Noise
I think the first step toward seeing the ordinary is becoming less distracted.
We’re constantly consuming.
Phones.
Television.
Music.
Notifications.
AirPods.
We’re overstimulated.
To photograph the mundane, you have to disconnect from all of that.
Turn inward.
Pay attention.
Suddenly the way light falls across your hand becomes fascinating.
A simple gesture becomes extraordinary.
The ordinary hasn’t changed.
You have.
Go Limitless
If you keep asking yourself whether something is “interesting enough” to photograph…
You’re going to limit yourself.
Instead…
Photograph everything.
The cars.
The posters.
The textures.
The walls.
The signs.
The people waiting.
The small gestures.
Approach every scene with openness.
You won’t discover extraordinary photographs by filtering out ordinary life.
Trust Your Instinct
The biggest obstacle isn’t the scene.
It’s hesitation.
The moment you begin debating whether a photograph is worth making…
You’ve already slowed yourself down.
Instead…
When something catches your attention—
Shoot.
Trust your instincts.
The photograph can only exist if you allow yourself to make it.
Create Your Own World
Many of these photographs were made while newspaper headlines filled the streets with news from around the world.
Those stories existed around me.
I photographed them.
I became aware of them.
But photography also became something else.
It became a way to create my own world.
Instead of becoming overwhelmed by the noise surrounding me, photography lets me interpret reality through my own eyes.
That’s incredibly empowering.
Photography isn’t only about documenting facts.
It’s about creating your own interpretation of life.
Presence Is the Goal
When you begin embracing the mundane, something changes.
Photography becomes effortless.
A plastic bag rolling through the wind suddenly becomes interesting.
Someone wiping down a window becomes worth photographing.
The world becomes your canvas.
Everything carries possibility.
And that possibility creates joy.
Composition Creates Mystery
One photograph shows nothing more than a man cleaning a window.
That’s all that’s happening.
But by lowering my camera…
Looking upward…
Removing unnecessary details…
The gesture becomes mysterious.
The ordinary transforms into something else.
Nothing changed except my position.
Composition gives ordinary moments a new life.
Joy Comes From Curiosity
Once you begin seeing beauty in everyday life, photography becomes incredibly rewarding.
Every walk has potential.
Every street contains possibility.
Every ordinary moment offers something new.
That curiosity creates joy.
And that joy keeps you coming back with your camera every day.
Practical Advice
Whenever I don’t know what to photograph, I simplify everything.
I look up.
I photograph the clouds.
The horizon.
The changing light.
Then I look down.
I notice textures beneath my feet.
Patterns.
Shadows.
Details.
Finally, I look all around me.
Curiosity isn’t something you wait for.
It’s something you practice.
The Mundane Is Infinite
Photography has taught me that extraordinary photographs aren’t hidden somewhere else.
They’re already here.
They’re waiting in ordinary moments.
Waiting in familiar streets.
Waiting in everyday life.
The only thing required is your willingness to pay attention.
Look up. Look down. Look all around you. The mundane is where photography begins.
Those are my thoughts for Flux Archive 010.
If you’d like to create your own Flux zine, upload 36 photographs using the Flux Generator linked below.
If I enjoy the work, I may review it here on the YouTube channel.
Otherwise, if you’d like to join the Flux Discord community, click Join on the YouTube channel.
Thanks for watching.
I’ll see you soon.
Peace.