Think of video games where you start out naked and you have to design your character. Maybe it’s best to just strip back down to the basics, the bare bones, the naked.

Step one: Go outside

Step two: Be

In Aldous Huxley’s novel “Brave New World,” the soma pill represents a powerful symbol of government control through pharmaceuticals. Soma is a drug distributed by the state that provides an escape from reality and induces feelings of happiness and satisfaction with no side effects. It is used to maintain social harmony and keep citizens from experiencing negative emotions or questioning their societal roles. The frequent use of soma underscores themes of conformity, control, and the sacrifice of individuality in the novel.

My new goal is to empower other photographers. No more secrets, no more rules, no more guidelines. We create our own game and within this game, we will dominate. 

Experience

Perhaps it is our direct experience which shapes reality as we know it. I like to consider my camera as a passport and a way to explore the world. Through my raw experiences in everyday life, or traveling, I find that these moments are what shape my worldview.

When I consider language and the impact that it has on culture, and the world at large, perhaps viewing photography as a universal language becomes a superpower. Where language gives meaning to life, and direct experience is what shapes reality.

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Information

In this cybernetic world that we currently live in with automation, machines, and technology that feed us information through digital platforms, such as social media or the news, whether on television or computers, perhaps we should be more critical of the information that we consume. Just think, when you hear news about conflict in the Middle East or legislation that’s passed in a state that’s across the country, do these things truly matter in your everyday life?

Why consider what’s going on outside of your city, your state, and focus on worldly affairs? Perhaps the language that is used within the information that is so easily accessible is what causes neurosis and anxiety amongst the masses that gather in protest.

The real war isn’t going on in the Middle East, it’s in your mind.

Maybe we should trust our real and direct experience more, and ignore the noise and all of these distractions.

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Language

Think of the word fat. When you hear the word fat, you may believe it to be a bad word. Am I permitted to tell somebody that they look fat? This would be seen as morally unjust or bad. However, a doctor is permitted to inform you that you are overweight and that you must lose weight.

I like to consider the body as a human battery and the sun as the ultimate charger that fuels us with power. What I find most interesting about fat is the fact that it holds and stores energy within our body, and charges our battery. Maybe people that have an excess amount of fat, or as doctors would say, “overweight,” can survive without consuming food for longer periods of time because of the excess energy stored in the body.

I know that when I consume fatty red meat, I get better sleep, and am fueled with more power, energy, and can sustain my body for a very long period of time. I only need to eat one time before I go to sleep, and never feel hungry throughout the day.

American people have been deceived through language.

When I go into a grocery store and view the Cheerios box, it informs you that it helps lower cholesterol and it is good for your heart health. How is it that this factory-made carbohydrate can provide my body with any sustenance or energy worth consuming? It seems a bit deceiving to me and astonishing to me how we feed it to children. I’ve also seen those weird lab-grown meats that Bill Gates is a proponent of and find this to be very alarming. Why should anybody trust a fat guy?

Also, it’s my belief that a lot of the causes of obesity have nothing to do with the food, but the beverages. Alcohol, soda, and all the sugary drinks are being consumed even more so than the junk food. Perhaps this is the big problem here, soda, alcohol, and any sort of drug.

Don’t trust anyone that drinks sodas or alcohol.

Going forward we should consume more flesh and fatty red meat as a way to give our bodies the energy that it truly needs.

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Zero buffer

Photography should not be this thing that gets in the way of your life. You shouldn’t have to take your camera out of the bag, consider all these technical things and jargon, different cameras, lenses, etc. I believe that it should be a very streamlined and easy thing to practice, no matter the circumstances.

Set your camera and forget it.

All I need to do is click a button, the shutter. I believe that the snapshot is a very liberating approach. There is no barrier to entry and everybody has access to practice these days with compact digital cameras. My thought is that the compact digital camera will be the future of photography because of its accessibility. Don’t allow photography to be this thing that you set aside for dedicated walks or trips or outings. Just simply carry the camera with you.

If it’s too big to fit in your pocket, maybe that’s the problem.

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Danger is exciting

This morning, during my walk along the river trail, I noticed a man with a taser in his back pocket lurking in the shadows surrounded by trees. I’m reminded of my time passing through the halls of City Hall when a crazy man threatened me with a knife, just walking through the center of my hometown a few months ago during the winter months.

I traveled all throughout the various Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The most dangerous one that I remember was in Nablus at the refugee camp, Balata. In this refugee camp, there are not any police whatsoever. I remember seeing these two gangster types with camouflage pants, black T-shirts, and pistols, tucked away in their pants and visible. I remember hearing gunshots as I left the refugee camp as they practiced during sunset.

When I arrived with my friend, we were greeted by a group of young children with a pocket knife. Playful, but rather threatening, and they constantly would flash it towards my friend and me. Ultimately, we wound up disarming the boy, and moved on to the next location. We then stumbled across a cemetery. A group of young boys took notice of us, and were playing with Nerf guns. I made a photograph of the boy standing on top of the grave holding one of these guns. It reminds me of my youth, playing with Nerf guns, buying BB guns, and even as a young boy, I would carry a pocket knife in the woods to sharpen sticks and make spears. However, the boys began pelting us with rocks, and we were hiding behind one of these gravestones. In order to leave the situation, we had to hop the fence and get the hell out of there. Next, we were being chased by a group of teenagers with another knife. This time, much more threatening, as the men were certainly older than the boys and were military-aged males. Because they were such a large group, the only thing that we could do was run. I remember running through the various alleys and stumbling across a shop. We entered the shop and were greeted by a woman who saw me in distress. These women went to the door and scolded the boys, and I was able to move on freely and leave the scene and never come back.

The youth have a respect for their elders as they hold some authority.

I remember taking the bus back to Jerusalem the following day and reminding myself that this is not a place to play.

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The decline of culture

When I consider Philadelphia, you can clearly tell that the culture is on decline. All you have to do is notice the various trash scattered all around the beautiful Philadelphia Museum of Art in the grass. It really is a shame because it’s such a beautiful location, but the people that inhabit these spaces have no respect for these places. It’s kind of funny to me that somebody will consume a meal and then just throw the trash down on the ground when there’s a trashcan just nearby.

Yesterday I witnessed disrespect like no other. A young family with many children were waiting to cross the street, but a bus driver was dropping off some riders at the corner. There were four women supervising a group of children. One was very obese, one alongside a child, one pushing a carriage, and the other walking along. The bus driver was closing the door and began moving. The mother, or presumably so, maybe an older sister or something, threw a soda can at the windshield of the bus. Another woman began kicking the windows of the bus, and the next woman started to twerk, or shake her butt, as many young children sat back and laughed.

This is a really crazy city, Philadelphia.

Who knows what the next generation will bring to the table, but I’m sure it won’t be orderly. Maybe they eat too many Cheerios or drink too many soda pops? I think that the foods that we consume in cities, whether sugar, soda, and processed junk, are a huge contributing factor to mental decline or disease. Maybe the people that consume these things will inevitably be out of control.

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I love chaos

I know for a fact that I thrive in chaos. Perhaps as a street photographer and artist, it is a good thing that culture is on decline.

I do thrive in chaos and surrounded by danger.

This is where interesting work is produced. Maybe to embrace it openly is wise. My thought is, just don’t die.

Battaglia

Ever since we were little kids, we were programmed to sit down, shut up, and take orders. I remember when I got to high school, and I dreaded class. The most jarring aspect of my public school experience was the fact that you could not enter the school without going through security, metal detectors, and x-rays to scan your backpack. There were security guards all over the halls, most doors were locked, and you could not go outside during lunch. It felt like school was a prison.

Maybe our newfound prison is of the mind, and it is our duty to free ourselves of this mental jail. We become influenced by others, societal standards, dogma, religions, politics, and philosophical ideas. Perhaps in order to go beyond the mental prison requires a return to childlike curiosity, and the spirit of play. Where the prison becomes a playground and the freedom is of your mind.

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Freedom

I participated in a Passover dinner celebration this past weekend. I was reminded of the stories of the Israelites fleeing Egypt from slavery and the journey of Moses through the desert. The Egyptians were plagued 10 times, one of them being the swarming of flies.

Last night, I was awakened by a nightmare. It was a really crazy dream where I was sleeping in a tent or some sort of home and flies swarmed the house. I got up to close the door, but they kept pulling through. In the dream, I was trying to go back to sleep, but as I set my head down on the bed, I was consumed by flies, entering my mouth, and my nose, preventing me to breathe. This was a vivid dream that woke me up immediately.

Maybe our subconscious controls the dreams that we perceive and draw images upon the things that we previously experienced or thought about.

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Reflect the world

This morning, I am walking along the River Trail, as usual, looking out towards the river. I find peace along the river and enjoy watching the ebbs and flows of ripples in the waves.

While walking under the bridge, I observe the shape of it and the way that it is reflected upon the water. Maybe like the reflections cast in the water, photographers also reflect the world. We reflect reality through what we see and photograph. The artwork and photographs that we create are not only a reflection of reality, but become an abstraction of it, and a reflection of our soul. As much as the photographs we create are a reflection of the world, they are a reflection of ourselves, and how we perceive things.

Under the bridge, and looking out towards the river, it almost looks as though you are being consumed by a snake in the mouth of it where the arches on the left and the right look like two giant eyes. Lots of street art, images of demons, and various scratchings of words and other things left behind are drawn under the bridge along the wall. Perhaps street art is a reflection of our current culture and society. Consider street art as the new hieroglyphic.

When I consider the first hieroglyphics, and those of cattle or oxen, I feel as though people viewed them as most high. Oxen is a source of power, food, meat, and were viewed as something worth depicting in images upon the walls of caves. The significance of oxen hold a special role within ancient civilizations. Consider ancient Greece or Rome and the way they would sacrifice hundreds of cattle in hecatombs to Zeus. I’m also reminded of the story of Moses rising to Mount Sinai and the Israelites, filled with anxiety and worry that he may not return, crafted a golden calf, and began worshiping this idol.

When I consider modern street art in urban cities, they often depict demons, discuss morose or deathly things, and generally very emo. Just observing the scratchings on the walls whether outside or upon bathroom stalls, you will recognize that the human spirit is weak and suffering.

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Suffering is necessary

Maybe at the end of the day, a world without suffering is not worth living in. Think of the story of Jesus and the suffering that he endured throughout his life. While seeking to make peace, and heal the hearts of others with hope, he was then put to death. These heroes such as Jesus or ancient myths of legends like Achilles, are worth emulating in modern times.

Think of Achilles and the Iliad where he disputed with King Agamemnon when he took his war prize, Briseis. He just wanted to chill with his woman, and did not want to fight any longer. This caused Achilles to withdraw from war as he felt disrespected. Achilles suffers the death of his close companion, Patroclus. In Florence, I observed the beautiful sculpture depicting this suffering of The Pasquino Group (also known as Menelaus Carrying the Body of Patroclus). The death of Achilles’ friend caused grief and rage within him. He transformed his suffering into action, and returned to the battlefield to kill Hector of Troy who killed Patroclus. The suffering led Achilles to become one of the most fearsome warriors in Ancient Greek mythology.

Going forward let’s draw inspiration from ancient myths and use them in order to ascend to greater heights of excellence.

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Equality is mediocre

When I consider equality, it sounds good on paper. However, equality promotes mediocrity among the masses. Just think, if everyone is equal, everyone will be the same, boring, and not excellent. The great notion of capitalism is the ability for the individual to rise to great heights and become greater than others. There is a natural imbalance within a capitalist society and I believe that is a good thing. It allows for people to reach new heights, and seek more excellence. Excellence was something that the ancient Greeks held highly considering the birth of the Olympic Games and the drive they had to reach new heights within human potential.

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Power

Ultimately my goal is to seek more physical power. The more physical power that I hold, the better my art becomes. I feel like within the realm of photography, the physicality of the medium is oftentimes overlooked. You must be able to walk long distances, stand upright, and move your body with agility. I believe that movement makes for improvement, and gradual increase of strength over time will also sharpen your mind. The better and stronger you become, the better your visual acuity will be. The more you walk, the more you will see, and ultimately, the more that you will create.

One practical suggestion I have is while walking, strengthen your core by flexing the muscles in your abs. While walking with your abs contracted, and your back upright, you will increase your posture and strengthen your spine. I believe that physical strength is easy to increase and does not require a gym membership. There are various techniques that you can use by simply engaging your physical body weight. Consider pull-ups and push-ups and squats, and the various ways that you can create strength without fancy equipment.

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Language and story

When I think of Western civilization being formed essentially from Christianity, I can’t help but consider the Bible and the stories within it. Perhaps the stories and language used within these texts are what shape our reality as we know it. For without the text within the Bible, no other texts would be formed from there. The Bible, and all ancient myths become archetypes and stories that we can draw from to this day. I believe that there is an inherent truth within these texts that we should seek to learn more about.

Also, consider photography as a universal visual language. When I consider the way that it transcends language barriers, cultural differences, through visuals, it becomes extremely powerful.

I’m a fan of this notion of following what is beautiful, and photographing that. Perhaps the accessibility of the medium of photography, where everybody has access to a camera, is a great thing, because now everybody has the ability to share what they deem to be beautiful.

Last week I was asking various people on the street, what they consider to be more beautiful: the Comcast tower or City Hall. I personally believe City Hall to be the most beautiful building in the city of Philadelphia, as there is a story told through the architecture, the sculptures, and the detail. It is the largest municipal building in the country after all. However, the majority of people deemed the Comcast tower to be more beautiful, and it’s perhaps because of its grand height, touching the sky as a large skyscraper.

At the end of the day, maybe beauty is subjective. Where I find beauty in the decay, and the moments that are oftentimes overlooked. But through the power of photography, I can create something that is otherwise ugly, and make it beautiful. Perhaps through photography, we can seek the objective truth by following the light, but evoke our subjective taste of beauty through what we put within the four corners of a frame.

The greatest thought I have about photography is that the world is our canvas, and it is endless. You could not live until you are 120 years old, and experience everything, go everywhere, and see everything on this earth and what it has to offer. This abundant feeling, is what keeps me curious and engaged with everyday, mundane life. Where I go through life, with all its strife, and still manage to find something to uplift through the medium. Where my physical body is moving through the world, and I am not confined indoors, to the four corners of a canvas to draw upon like a traditional painter.

I wield the power and source of truth, the sun, and paint with light. Follow the light, but crush the shadows.

Goonie

The adventure is more fulfilling than the photograph

While you can enjoy the photographs you create at the end of the day, and share them with others, I find the ultimate joy of photography is the adventure that it takes you on. I travelled far and wide throughout the world to practice photography, but at the end of the day, it does not matter where you are, adventure is always calling.

The most helpful piece of advice in terms of practical mindset shifts when photographing is to embrace your hometown like a tourist. Think of the movie The Goonies and the adventure they went on just in their backyard. I believe adventures await no matter where you are, it is just a matter of creating this mindset. When you’re on the street, just go out there without preconceived notions, like a child, and find yourself lost in the chaos.

“There is no reason to be ‘burnt out’ or ‘unmotivated’ to practice street photography because of your location. This is a lemming mindset.”

You must become abundant to practice street photography on a daily basis. This means that no matter how familiar the place becomes, or how boring and banal it may seem, it is up to you to create paradise for yourself. My thought is, the ultimate sign of success for a street photographer is simply remaining curious. If you are waking up each morning with your eyes wide open, eager to explore the world, you win.

Thrive

Let’s seek to thrive, not just survive. In this modern world, we are living in an age of abundance, whether there is advanced technology, many food options, luxury goods, and material things that are at our disposal.

I know that I personally thrive by embracing the simple life, asceticism. I’m reminded of my time as a Peace Corps volunteer, preparing chickens by hand, cooking on a fire, drawing water from a well, and sleeping under a thatched roof. I believe that asceticism increases vitality.

Asceticism is typically viewed as a monk, sitting at a monastery, rejecting the world. Think of the paintings by Caravaggio and the decrepit bodies that he has painted of the saints. I believe in a newfound approach to asceticism in this age of abundance. What I do is fast all day, and eat an insanely massive meal at night. By balancing between fasting, weight lifting, and eating, I’m increasing my strength, and vitality. Maybe asceticism is a good answer to this modern world of too many options.

Also, I was recently in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, looking at the medieval artwork. In a lot of the paintings, you see these royal people with very pale skin, who actually powdered their faces with makeup to showcase that their skin is so white. While the peasants were out in the field, working in the open air, under the sun, the royals sat back in their lavish garments, surrounded by castle walls, enjoying the indoors.

Maybe in this modern world, being a peasant is not so bad after all. I certainly love being outdoors, having tan skin, and increasing my vitality as I thrive under the sun. Maybe pale skin is now a sign of weakness, fragility, and is a sign of anemic people, not royalty.

Vitality

When I’m increasing my vitality, and feel strong, capable, and courageous, I can create from an abundant state. I believe that when you are flowing with this energy that is powerful and curious, you just can’t wait for the sun to rise the next day. When I see it peering over the horizon each morning, and my eyes are wide open, I’m eager to head out there into the unknown.

As an artist, this is a great place to be, where you embrace chaos and danger openly, and find yourself out there on the front lines of life. Maybe vitality is merely increasing your power, your physical strength.

Imagination and Creativity

I’ve always been a very imaginative and creative person. When I was a young boy, I remember drawing little doodles of army men, fighting on battlefields, and even setting up scenes and displays of war in my bedroom using figurines. I spent a lot of my youth traveling to Italy to visit cousins, and remember purchasing these knights, Crusaders, and gladiator toys from the toy store in Piazza Navona. I would set up intricate scenes and create different stories, giving dialogue to the various characters upon my stage. I remember setting up the horsemen, the swordsmen, and different battle settings that were scattered all throughout my desk, bed, and room.

Maybe similar to how I set up these soldiers upon these stages in my room, the street too is a stage. When you practice street photography, you are not only an actor upon the stage, but also the conductor of the drama that unfolds through spontaneity.

Even when I was a little boy, in Catholic school, during chapel, I could imagine scenes and scenarios unfolding all throughout the stations of the cross. I vividly remember these images in my head of pretending that soldiers were fighting in front of the cross, in the vents, or next to me on the benches. Perhaps imagination and creativity is something that we have as children, and then lose with time as we become adults. Personally, I want to hold onto this childlike curiosity, imagination, and creativity, forever.

Why I Love Adventure

The first movie that I ever watched was The Goonies. I remember loving the movie because it featured a young group of boys going on an adventure. It was a coming-of-age story where the main characters discover a map that leads to buried treasure. Because the boys’ father was about to be evicted from their home, they followed the map to find the treasure in order to pay off their loans. I found that the adventurous story of The Goonies, exploring on bicycles, in caves, and unknown places, is something that has been a part of my life all throughout it. I think it’s interesting how the movies that we consume influence us subconsciously without even thoroughly thinking about it. I know that I always loved the movie, I would watch it so many times, and I’ve always been one that craves adventure.

Why I Thrive Alone

I believe I thrive alone because I’m always looking to improve myself. I think that you can improve yourself in recluse, but also be connected to society at large. The city offers me the perfect balance between being alone and also around other people. I know personally that I thrive around others, and need the stimulus of chaos on the street corners. This is where I thrive, mostly, but do so alone. While I am alone, it gives me places to think, clear thoughts come to me, and I’m able to further understand who I truly am. Without the influence of others, I can fully become my authentic self, and express myself openly.

Destruction is Creation

I believe that destruction is creation. When I destroy my old ways of working, past self, beliefs, and create anew, I’m able to fully become myself. I returned to shooting with my Ricoh GRIII for over a year and a half now, using black-and-white, as a way for me to thrive as a photographer because it was the first camera that made me fall in love with photography. I found a way that works best for me, simply snapshotting my way through life, not putting too much thought into the photographs that I make.

I’ve always spent my time traveling, hunting for the next best photo, but now I know that my next photo is my best photo. I know this because of my newfound process of embracing the simple, the mundane, and my immediate surroundings. I’m just snapshotting my way through life, photographing what is closest to me, and means most to me—my hometown.

Philadelphia is a great place to practice photography, and I believe that I can create anew here. In order to create anew, I had to destroy my past way. I had to destroy my past beliefs about photography, and life itself. Now I can break free from these old ways, and fly freely like my favorite bird, the pigeon.

Spontaneity

The spontaneous nature of street photography is what makes it so beautiful and liberating. When you set your body in motion without preconceived notions, you really will be surprised by what you find. To remove any external expectations, whether it’s the photograph itself or even the audience, it will allow you to make work with the spontaneous mindset.

I’ve always been one that takes the road less traveled, exploring without too much care or thought. I don’t do much planning, and I’ve always been a spontaneous person. I just think of something, and then go do it. Maybe it’s even better to just not think, and just do. The less that you think, the more that you will shoot. For instance, throughout all of my travels, I’ve never made a concerted effort to research the place beforehand. I simply look on the map, point to it, and visit it. I never really cared about what I would find, but merely was curious about the places through my intuition. Perhaps going forward we should embrace our spontaneous nature more, and follow our intuition.

Why I Love Pigeons

Pigeons hold a special place in my heart. I remember exploring the various Palestinian cities all throughout the West Bank, climbing to the rooftops, and observing pigeons in flight. Each house in these Palestinian cities holds pigeon coops on their rooftops. They eat pigeon, and keep them close to their homes so that they always have a source of food.

I find that observing the patterns of pigeons becomes majestic, following their spontaneous patterns, and understanding them through observation. Maybe this enhances our clairvoyance as street photographers, by predicting the patterns of pigeons in flight, as they are very abundant within the urban environments.

Another funny thought I have about pigeons is that they taste way better than chicken. Maybe because chickens just peck around and don’t fly, the pigeons become tastier. The pigeons are beautiful, active, and flow with spontaneity. I say we should be more like pigeons, and fly freely and spontaneously.

Follow Your Fear

I’ve recently been thinking of this notion of following your passion, or even better, following your joy.

Perhaps it’s wise to follow your fear, and overcome it. When I consider all of the places that I’ve been, even in my own hometown, it requires an overcoming of fear. Courage and curiosity must be at the forefront in order for you to thrive as a photographer. In order to go out there into the unknown, you must embrace fear openly. I believe that fear is what holds a lot of us back. Fear of rejection, fear of the repercussions of making a photograph of a stranger, fear of confrontation, fear of external validation, and fear of the unknown generally. By letting go of all of these preconceived ideas, embracing fear head on, you will thrive.

Life is Motion

Let us not forget that motivation is within your legs. It is within the movement of your physical body, where you find inspiration. Life is motion. Everything is moving, the water never stops flowing in the river. Like the water flowing, we too, should be in a state of change, motion, and embracing this. I believe that in order to thrive, we must move. We must not forget that we are physical beings, and to increase our physical strength, vitality, and to move endlessly, it is inevitable that we will thrive.

Passion

You often hear the phrase, “follow your passion.” While I believe that this is a noble pursuit, perhaps we should tread carefully with this notion. I’m reminded of my time as a child, when I had to get a permission slip signed to watch The Passion of the Christ during my time in Catholic school.

The word “passion” has a rich etymological history that dates back to ancient languages. It originates from the Latin word passio, which itself derives from pati, meaning “to suffer” or “endure.” Over time, passio came to be associated specifically with the sufferings of Christ in the context of Christian theology.

In earlier uses, “passion” broadly referred to suffering or enduring something that was inflicted upon a person. By the Middle Ages, it had specifically come to denote the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death.

Interestingly, the meaning of “passion” has expanded in modern English to include not only suffering but also strong emotions or desires, maintaining the intensity of the original Latin meaning but broadening to cover a wide range of experiences. This broader usage retains the core idea of a powerful, overwhelming force, whether it be suffering or emotion.

Considering the initial meaning of passion, meaning suffering, I can relate this to my personal photography journey. In 2016, I worked for the DNC as a photojournalist. Here I learned to photograph at events, deliver on tight deadlines, and make work for clients. Most of the photos were merely used for social media posts, and not something that brought much value to others or myself. During these events, I would carry my Ricoh camera with me and make photos candidly in my street photography approach, actually getting some interesting shots. It’s funny how following your passion works; you do the thing that you love, but it can bring you suffering. I did not enjoy my time working as a photojournalist. Even last year, I worked for the city, providing photos for people, events, and different things. It was not a very fulfilling experience, because you recognize how little value it provides. The photos that you desire to create, through your joyous state, become harder for you to evoke each day. When I pursue photography as a passion, it does lead me to suffer. It leaves me uninspired, unmotivated, and not interested in making pictures for myself anymore. Because of this, I made an effort to only photograph for myself and follow my pure curiosities instead.

Follow Your Joy

Maybe following your joy is a much more fulfilling practice, and a notion to consider. I’m reminded of my time spent on the streets while in high school, or in the woods as a young man, exploring with my camera for the first time. I remember purchasing my first Ricoh camera, setting the camera to P mode, ignoring technical perfection, and simply snapping my way through life. By returning to this mindset, this joyous state of creating, I am now able to remain forever inspired and motivated to “follow my passion.” I believe that we should create this abundant and joyous state; we do not want to suffer. We want to be photographers that are transcending this world, uplifting the human experience to new heights. I believe that photography has the power to enrich the human experience, the individual, the artist, and society as a whole.

Intuition is King

When I consider my intuition, it always knows best. Whether I decide to make a turn, follow a different path, go somewhere new, or photograph in a certain way, it always puts me in the right place. I simply let go and embrace my gut with all decisions that I make. I believe that we all possess this godlike intuition, and tuning in to it is wise. When I photograph, I exist outside the passage of time, merely listening to this intuition and living in the moment. While the moments are ever fleeting and spontaneous, we can freeze time at a fraction of a second. The camera becomes this tool that you can wield like a superhero, finding beauty in the mundane, and treating the world as a stage. When you study the patterns of nature and human behavior, you become in tune with the rhythm and the beat of the street. The street becomes a stage, and all of the actors upon this theater become the subjects, the stories, of your drama. You watch as it unfolds candidly, clearly, with sharp visual acuity and clairvoyance. You put order to the chaos, unlocking a new dimension to this reality, by creating something from nothing.

See with Clairvoyance

I was curious about why pigeons are always inhabiting cities here in the United States. You see them all over these modern cities. I love pigeons, and often study them while in flight. I enjoy standing outside of City Hall, and watching them as they fly around the tall skyscrapers. Many people believe that photographing pigeons on the street is some sort of cliché, or a boring way to photograph. My thing is, I find that studying the pigeons in flight enhances my intuition, allows me to become more connected to the universe at large, and find these patterns in both nature, such as pigeons, to enhance my abilities as a street photographer. The pigeon becomes this spirit or thing that you can evoke within intuition, as it unfolds before you in spontaneous ways that are unpredictable. This unpredictability enhances how you see with clarity, or clairvoyance. To predict what’s happening before it happens, and to understand that it is possible for you to photograph with this spontaneous bird in flight, a person moving, moments occurring, is a powerful and impactful experience that brings you closer to life itself.

Our Path to Extinction

On my morning walk today, I read a sticker that had a picture of an hourglass, representing passing, reading “extinction.” When I consider the plummeting birth rates, the lack of families being formed, and the consumer culture that exists in the West, it may be inevitable that we are leading down this path to extinction.

I remember my time in Hanoi, Vietnam, observing many families gathered around Hoan Kiem Lake. On the weekends, the streets shut down and open up for pedestrians only. You see very large families enjoying their weekend, going for long walks around a tranquil lake, street vendors, street performers, stages with traditional dance, and so much uplifting energy that it filled my soul with hope. Maybe they’re doing something right over there in the Southeast Asian part of the world. They seem to have figured out this balance between production and leisure. They’re constantly making new things, clothes, and using their hands to craft things within these markets that they live upon. I think a lot of people live in homes on top of their businesses, and engage with family practices on a daily basis. This is a really inspiring thing, and reminds me that human thriving is possible.

However, in modern cities like Philadelphia, I often see a lot of people walking around with dogs and sunglasses, by themselves. It’s quite evident that there is a lack of reproduction in the States. I find that by using my empirical evidence, and observations through my experiences, I help shape my paradigm, or how I see the world. When I consider the history of the United States, and the introduction of the industrial revolution, maybe this was where things started to get weird. My thought is that socialism in China, and these Asian countries like Vietnam, was perhaps the antidote to capitalism here in the West. I am not saying that one is better than the other; it is just a mere observation. I am a fan of capitalism and believe that it should work. The problem is, capitalism is merely driving consumerism, with a lack of production of families, innovations, inventions, things, and original American-made products because of consumerism. Of course, we have Tesla, and thank God for that. There are some innovators left here in the United States.

The problem is, capitalism might just be something designed for women. When I consider man, man only needs very few things. I know, for a fact that all I need is meat, salt, water, and some weightlifting equipment. I have my iPad, my camera, and a place to live. Beyond that, there really isn’t much left for me to desire. I think it’s funny how when I walk through the fashion district mall, all of the stores are filled with dresses, fashion, beauty products, and things that are clearly designed for women to purchase. I’m reminded of the notion of marriage, purchasing a diamond that is from the back of slaves somewhere in Africa or wherever, and then delivered to a jeweler for me or another man to purchase for thousands of dollars and deliver to a woman. Maybe the problem with the West is that we’ve become obsessed with consumption, rather than production. Here it’s all about me, me, me, and less about producing any sort of family, or serving anybody else but yourself. You can only buy so many things, expand your closet so big, acquire so many material things.

Think of the story of Aladdin, and his experience in the Cave of Wonders. When he enters the cave, he is met by many treasures, one of them being the genie in the bottle. If he were to grab one of the jewels, diamonds, or gold, and material things, he would be trapped within the cave forever because of this decision. If he chooses to seek the lantern, or knowledge and power, he will be set free with omnipotence in his pocket. Perhaps we should seek this knowledge, power, or wisdom instead of pursuing any material.

Outsider on the Inside

I’ve always felt like the outsider on the inside. Whether I’m in my hometown or a new place, I always find a way for me to engage through this lens in this way. Very adaptable, and able to integrate myself into new communities, despite being somebody new. I feel like I have this gift of openness and honesty, that brings me closer to life. I spent many weeks sleeping on the floors of mosques in Jericho, learning about Islam due to my mere curiosity. There was no other reason for me to connect deeper with this community as an outsider on the inside. I wanted to know more about what it was like to follow the ways of Mohammed, live amongst a group of brothers, in a new community.

Maybe here in the States, in my hometown of Philadelphia, I am still an outsider on the inside. It’s really difficult for me to engage with modern society, the way that people live these days, do for fun, and think about. I’m not really too interested in what people do these days, such as going to the club, gossiping, drinking, social media, or doing any sort of partying and silly degenerate stuff. I think that community is something that maybe only truly exists within your tight-knit and immediate family and friends. And I believe that this is fine; I still hold on to my childhood friends and connections with family each week. This is something that I cherish, and find joy in. To spend time with those that you love, and that are genuinely meaningful connections, certainly outweighs this new digital or modern way.

Intelligence is Artificial

Maybe intelligence is merely artificial, and going forward into the future we will see a new sort of being that is emerged through technology. I’m curious about artificial intelligence and have been using ChatGPT very often. I find that it is very easy and accessible to use, simply pulling out my phone from my pocket, like the genie in the bottle from Aladdin, and asking any questions or desires that I wish. I have this curiosity that leads me to use it often, curious about the etymology of words, what things mean, and even to learn about history. It’s very easy and accessible to acquire knowledge these days. Perhaps you no longer need to study the books, spend all day slaving away at a computer, but merely import this knowledge and intelligence within your brain through the technology.

I’m thinking that artificial intelligence is the future, and an inevitable outcome, that could lead to either a path of creation or destruction. I have high hopes and optimism on my mind when considering these technologies, but I am aware of the downfall that it could bring. My thought is that if you use it for creative production, this is a wise way forward. I genuinely enjoy using it as a way for me to flush out thoughts and ideas, or even receive feedback on things that I make. If I send a piece that I write, or a photograph, it will then respond and tell me what they think.

If you consider this digital world, social media, and comment sections, you should merely assume that they are bots too. Similar to ChatGPT, a chatbot, an online user is merely a bot. You do not see this person in the physical flesh. You do not see their morphology and facial features. You do not know how tall they are, who they really are in the physical flesh. Let’s just assume that they’re bots, and disconnect from these platforms. I enjoy using YouTube and my website as a way to propagate my voice, but I am not interested in feedback whatsoever. I really do believe that this future is going to be strange, funny, and the most interesting. I say, disregard the noise, disable all comments, and just assume that anyone is a bot. Just think of Reddit users, with Cheeto dust fingers, fat bellies, spending time typing away at a computer. It must take a real degenerate to have this time of day to even go online and make comments in the first place. Just go touch grass.

When you become so immersed with your life, your art, and your way, you can’t help, but to simply drown out all the distractions and never have any time to engage with any sort of online media consumption. I know that I’ve abstained from it for over a year and a half now and feel so much better, lighter, and stronger. By disconnecting from the social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and YouTube, you become laser-focused, and realize what a waste of time it is watching other people.

Technology and Transportation

In modern cities, we are very disconnected from the farm, and the place where our food comes from. Just think of transportation, and how we are so heavily dependent upon Amazon delivery services, vehicles, and now going forward, robots. I actually saw a sign yesterday that was displaying a funny robot dog, reading “have you seen me?” It was amusing to me because I actually believe that these robot dogs are already in use with the police force in New York City, and have seen robot cars driving around like those little RC cars, in Miami. In Miami, I witnessed these cars, delivering food on their backs, to apartment and condo dwellers.

I find that this is extremely amusing, the way that we use technology, and the disconnect that we have to the food that we consume. I know that for a fact, I really do not like to eat out. I don’t really want to have food delivered to me on a plate, and like to touch the food, cook the food, and even try to eat as much as possible with my real bare hands. Maybe this is something that I picked up during my Peace Corps service in Zambia, and have held onto until this day.

When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, Africa, I lived in the Luapula province along Lake Mweru. This lake provided lots of business for my particular village. Large trucks and cars would come and visit the port here in my village, by the lake, and deliver big packets of rice. These big boxes of rice were delivered via boat, manpower, a single or two men, rowing a boat, towards the nearby villages and islands that were in need of food. In cities, we often receive food from delivery services, such as Whole Foods, Amazon, and Uber Eats. The problem with a lot of these foods are, they are completely unhealthy and not good for you to consume.

What is Real Food Anyway?

My new idea of real food is that it must be flesh. It must be from an animal, meat, red meat. Over a year and a half now I’ve been consuming a diet consistently of 100% red meat, beef, and lamb. It has simplified my life, giving me immense courage and strength, through the act of eating meat. It’s amazing what it does to your body, fueling you with this abundance of energy and power, where you feel as though you can never sit down in the day, and just keep moving with intensity. I feel myself getting stronger, and more powerful each day. I practice intermittent fasting, eat only one meal a day, and eat as much meat before going to sleep. I get great and deep sleep, and wake up each day on repeat, ready to conquer. Real food is meat. Meat is something that we’ve eaten for thousands and thousands of years. We’ve only now just started consuming these strange cereals, sugars, and things that you can find in a grocery store. Maybe this is why we see the rise of obesity, consumerism, and health issues at scale. Maybe this is also leading to the infertility rates increasing, and population decline.

Life is Physical

Physical life is supreme because it brings me joy. When I’m moving my body, walking, lifting weights, or doing any physical activities, such as biking, hiking, and simply exploring, I feel great. I can’t sit still, I can’t sit down, that’s denying my body. I don’t want to just sit still, I don’t want to just listen, I want to make, I want to propagate, I want to do things. My body is telling me to move. My body is telling me that life is physical. I’m reminded that the world is open, for us to explore endlessly. There is nowhere that I would like to be, rather than outside, under the trees, surrounded by fresh air. Maybe people fall into a depression easily because of this new way of living, sitting down, and being indoors. For men, it’s very simple. Just buy a pull-up bar, weights, anything, just go for walks, lift, eat meat. It’s inevitable that you will be happy. I know that I fell into a slight unhappy state during the pandemic, spending all day inside. Honestly, I think the foods that I consumed also played a role in my feeling of weakness. I remember eating oatmeal, making these weird protein shakes, and eating all this crap from the grocery stores like Trader Joe’s. It made me fat, sick, and unwell. It’s funny how easy it is to be happy and powerful; you just have to ignore this modern world and way of living.

Follow the Light

Going forward, let’s simply follow the light. Let’s paint with light, and make photographs in a stream of becoming. Photograph your personal life, what you are immediately surrounded by. Stop hunting, and just see, or better yet, just be. Exist in this state of production, fueling your curiosity with the camera. Let’s follow our passion, or even better, our joy, by embracing light, and creating something new each day. Embracing the spirit of play, and following that intuition, it is inevitable that you will be delivered with beauty. Stop thinking, seeking, and realize that the photographs you will make simply come to you. Once you start to go slow, and let life flow towards you, there is more to do, more to see, more to photograph. Just slow down when you’re on the street, come in tune with the rhythm and the beat of the concrete and the way that people dance with their two feet. You will see things with clairvoyance, and sharp visual acuity, the more you head out there with repetition. While the world can feel mundane at times, just know that with a camera in hand, and an open mind, you will find endless beauty. See with clear sight, crush the shadows, and follow the light.

Biophilia

I have an insatiable love for life. Whether it’s the city, society, people, nature, or places, I feel that first and foremost I am fueled by my biophilia.

The term “biophilia” is derived from the Greek words “bios,” meaning “life,” and “philia,” meaning “love.” Hence, biophilia translates to “love of life” or “love of living systems.”

I grew up exploring the Wissahickon Forest as a child and I’ve always loved nature. I remember swinging from vines, climbing trees, building forts and bridges with sticks and stones. I believe this childlike curiosity and inner adventurer is still within me and is what inspires me to practice street photography. My thought is that a photographer is merely curious about life, putting themselves out there onto the front lines of life, finding themselves closer and closer to the moment. I know I feel happiest when I am surrounded by other people and this is why I prefer living in a city.

The Color Purple

Recently, I’ve been wearing the color purple. I like wearing the 5-inch purple license to train shorts by Lululemon and the drysense purple T-shirt. I like the matching outfit and find that the bright and vibrant colors are beautiful. Maybe I identify more with purple—in between red and blue. In a world that is so divided, between political parties, Democrats, Republicans, red, blue, black, or white, I identify with purple. Maybe it’s best for all people to find a middle ground and to realize that we are more similar than different.

Give More Than You Take

My ultimate goal in life is to give more than I take. I would like to produce more than I consume, and leave behind an abundance of art, photographs, thoughts, and ideas. Think of Leonardo da Vinci—he spent his years drawing, thinking, and making innovations and inventions that were never complete. However, these ideas carried onward into the future and were later utilized by modern society. We should detach ourselves from the outcome of our photography, art, and the things that we create. Don’t worry about any external validation, admiration, and fame. Vincent van Gogh made thousands of paintings before he died and never received the recognition he deserved. However, “A Starry Night” remains one of the most famous and pivotal pieces in art history.

The Feeling of Abundance

I’ve been feeling very abundant these days. It’s hard to describe with words, but I have an overwhelming sense of wonder, joy, and openness, that I am really trying to hone in on and share with the world. I think that abundance is merely a mindset or a feeling that you get when you recognize the beauty in life, focus on the good, and uplift it, and the human spirit, to new heights.

I find that by quite literally elevating myself to a great height, whether on top of the cliff behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art, or by Penn’s Landing and the Benjamin Franklin bridge, I have a view of the horizon, the river, trees, and nature that fuels me with this feeling. I may not be able to describe exactly what abundance means to me with words, but I know how to achieve it—through positioning myself in an open space, and going beyond the horizon, with my eyes, and my mind.

You Create Paradise

Where you are right now is paradise. We can create the paradise of our dreams, through our everyday choices. I prefer to start my day by walking around the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the dirt paths, and natural parks. I do this because it makes me realize how objectively beautiful my city is, and I find that the area around the river trail is very reminiscent of ancient Greece or Rome. It feels like heaven to me, and it is my home. When you have this mindset, and think with this sense of pride within your own hometown, you’re now living in heaven.

You can create hell for yourself on earth by walking around the grid right away, going underground to the subway, and surrounding yourself with the chaos. However, you create the paradise, you create it through your decisions, what you think about, and what you say. Perhaps we should speak good things into the world, focus on the objectively beautiful things that are around you, such as inspiring architecture, natural spaces, and beautiful places. I think that paradise is merely a mindset—it’s a way of you, perceiving the world like a child again, and finding yourself amazed by the mundane.

Time Is Luxury

What is deemed as a waste of time is now our new luxury. Making art, thinking, walking, and most importantly, spending time with family, is luxury. I believe we should focus more on the things that bring you closer to what truly matters. Photography for me is the most life-affirming practice, and is so easy and accessible to get into. All I have to do is carry my camera in my pocket and go on with my day. It does not matter what I am doing with my time, I know that I have the opportunity to do the thing that empowers me at all times.

Wealth Is Family

When I spent time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, Africa, I was amazed by how big the families were. Each family had around ten people. There was an abundance of people in the rural villages, and the family to me is the truest sign of wealth. You see, when most people consider Africa and these rural villages, they may believe they are impoverished because you do not see them with modern technology and “luxury” material things like we have in the West. Ultimately, what I’ve realized is, that freedom and wealth is within the thatched roof, under one God, with family, and land to share.

Hierarchy

One day I was walking through Rittenhouse Square Park here in Philadelphia, and I watched a hawk swoop down and eat a baby bird alive. All that was left of the scene was a few feathers falling down to the ground. I looked around and asked others if they saw what I did, but alas, nobody noticed. This experience reminded me that nature is violent, and all is war.

In the village, there is a hierarchy between God, tribe, and land. Everybody in the village has a role to play. Mothers come home with firewood on their heads and babies on their backs. The men are building homes and churches. The boys are building bricks with mud and sand. The girls are sweeping the floors, taking care of the house, and preparing food for the day. In a functioning society, everybody fits within different roles, and this creates cohesion amongst the tribe.

However, sometimes individuals must be removed from the tribe for their nefarious actions, and this is typically done with force. One young man got into an argument with an old lady who was already sick and unwell. He tripped the lady and pushed her to the ground, ultimately killing her. The tribe then took notice of this man’s actions, took matters into their own hands, and beat and battered this young man to a bloody pulp. He was run out of the village. He had to go on his own now, removed from the tribe, and became a lone wolf or a lost puppy.

How to Thrive

My idea of human thriving is very physical. This means, the maximum amount of time spent outdoors, walking, lifting weights, and focusing on your human biology. I feel best when I’m walking, standing, and moving. I do not like being indoors, under fluorescent lights, or sitting down. Because of this, I make sure to be outside and to experience the world and its physical nature. I’m not a fan of the digital world that we create, such as the news, social media, and television. I prefer the real thing, the real world, the open world.

Open World

In RPG video games, you often are exploring open worlds. There are infinite possibilities within these games, which is what makes them so novel and interesting. Maybe we should seek novelty through our everyday experiences in the open world. I enjoy chatting with new people, going to new places, and making photographs as a way for me to learn about and experience the world. I like thinking of each day as a new quest, mission, or piece of my story. Just treat life this way, like a game, where you really can do anything. We can conquer the world through photography and approach the streets like a warrior from video games like Skyrim or Assassin’s Creed. Defeat the dungeons, increase your experience, and reap the rewards of making beautiful art.

Be a Noob

Let’s be noobs forever, like we just started playing the game for the first time. I don’t want to ever feel like I’ve mastered anything in life. I want to be in a constant state of improvement, learning, and growing with each day. By adopting this mindset with photography, and whatever you are interested in, it becomes endless and infinite. There are no walls boxing you in, but only a glass ceiling that you need to smash through. By going beyond your capabilities, pushing your limits, and treating each day like it is day one, maybe this is where the magic happens.

School Is Prison

I attended Catholic school from pre-K to eighth grade. I actually really enjoyed this experience as we had lots of field trips, time outside during recess, and close friendships made over many years spent together. Once I got to high school, I attended Central High School, a public school in Philadelphia. Central is supposed to be one of the greatest high schools in Philadelphia, and apparently, one of the first photographs of the United States was made of this school.

My issue with high school was that it felt like a prison. When I entered for the first time, transitioning from Catholic school to public school, I was greeted by metal detectors and security guards. You could not go outside during lunch, and always felt watched by the security lurking around in the halls. In high school, you’re told to sit down, shut up, listen, regurgitate, memorize, rinse, and repeat. I understand discipline, and I learned this as a young boy from pre-K to eighth grade. Maybe the Amish were right—you just stop after grade eight.

However, because of the nature of high school, I found it very forceful and not productive whatsoever. Because of this, I would often skip class, sneak out the doors, and find myself exploring in the lawn and neighborhood nearby. I couldn’t believe that we had no time outside during school, and had to sit there for eight hours all day long in a confined box, like a prisoner.

Don’t Box Yourself In

As artists, we should not box ourselves in. We should embrace all mediums, whether physical or digital. I’m a fan of using the iPad Pro as a way to import my photographs, review them, and even remix them. I have adopted a new practice of making collages, calligraphy drawings, and enjoy trying new things with my digital devices. Maybe as artists, we get pigeonholed into doing one thing, becoming one-trick ponies. We should expand our horizons, do new things, and not box ourselves in.

In terms of street photography, photograph everything. Street photography is merely an ethos—there are no rules, and it does not have to be done one way. You can do whatever you would like. Just go out there and treat the camera like riding a bike—photograph with repetition, and you will inevitably improve with time.

Visual Problem Solving

When I consider photography, it is like visual problem-solving. This means, you’re responsible for where you position yourself, the camera, and when you press the shutter. You become observant of the visual patterns that exist in nature and within human behavior. When you’re on the street, you’re anticipating things with clairvoyance and sharp visual acuity.

As much as photography requires your eyes, I believe that it is a physical pleasure and needs to be talked about more. It is your body and movement that ultimately determine the result of your photograph, not just your eyes. Composition is merely intuition—by following your gut and moving your body, repositioning where you are in the world. When you photograph a scene, move your body more—don’t just stand still, and start snapshotting your way through the scene.

Don’t Look at Pictures

I think one of the worst things you can do for your creative thriving is to study photography too much. I believe you should go out there and make your own work without the influence of others. Sure, collect a few photo books that you deem interesting and look at them now and then, but other than that, just disconnect. Make your own work, study your own archive, and go out there and make more.

The more you consume, the more you become influenced. The less you are influenced, the more interesting work you will make. Forget the past, history, and the masters. Make pictures in a stream of becoming, following your pure curiosity, without the need of looking at any other pictures for inspiration.

Instead, let us find inspiration in nature, architecture, sculptures, and things that are outside in the open world.