Author name: n.dantesisofo

1. JPEG Only
2. High Contrast Black and White
3. Minimalism over complexity

Martin Parr discussing my first successful layered photograph at the MSPF Photo Contest in 2016. I like how he described the gestures of the hands in the photo as a “windmill.” I remember taking his observation seriously after this and have always been on the hunt for more interesting hand gestures on the streets since then. Winning first place sparked a lot of motivation for me early on. Nowadays I am not interested in contests, but I want to highlight this moment for my blog to store as a nice memory.

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Like any game, practice makes perfect. How do you think Kobe Bryant got so good at basketball? He outworked everybody else that touched the court. You have to play the game harder than anybody else to get good at it. Practice is so important in street photography. There’s no excuse not to have a camera with you at all times. The street is the court and your camera is the ball. Now go slam dunk!

Every second, every moment is beautiful.

My workflow is much faster since using a Ricoh GR and iPad. No need for Lightroom or processing photos anymore. I come home and import my files to the “Photos” app right away. Culling is simple and straight forward viewing small thumbnails. Uploading files and videos to WordPress and google photos from my desktop. Simple point and shoot that gives me an artistic photograph straight out of camera.

All photos are available for download here.

From Middle English pryde, pride, from Old English prȳde, prȳte (“pride”) (compare Old Norse prýði (“bravery, pomp”)), derivative of Old English prūd (“proud”).

1. The quality or state of being proud; an unreasonable overestimation of one’s own superiority in terms of talents, looks, wealth, importance etc., which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve and often contempt of others.
2. A sense of one’s own worth, and scorn for what is beneath or unworthy of oneself; lofty self-respect; noble self-esteem; elevation of character; dignified bearing; rejection of shame
3. Proud or disdainful behavior or treatment; insolence or arrogance of demeanor; haughty bearing and conduct; insolent exultation.
4. That of which one is proud; that which excites boasting or self-congratulation; the occasion or ground of self-esteem, or of arrogant and presumptuous confidence, as beauty, ornament, noble character, children, etc.
5. Show; ostentation; glory.
6. Highest pitch; elevation reached; loftiness; prime; glory. 
7. Consciousness of power; fullness of animal spirits; mettle; wantonness.
8. Lust; sexual desire; especially, excitement of sexual appetite in a female animal.
9. A company of lions or other large felines.
10. “festival for LGBT people”

Who will you meet today? What is out there? Where will you go? The old saying, “take the road less travelled” is something I firmly believe in. There’s an unlimited amount of experiences and situations that you can find yourself in at any given time. Don’t take the easy route in life. If you follow a basic travel guide for photography, you will come home with cookie cutter photos and it will be obvious that you took the familiar route. My favorite road I travelled ironically enough is the the familiar path of Jesus, from Jerusalem to Jericho. Just take the leap and see what you find! Don’t forget to bring a camera.

Jericho. The most incredible city that I have experienced living in. The lowest elevated city in the world. There is something about the history, the biblical stories, and the environment that make me feel so connected to the place. Water is flowing from the east side of the temple.

“The deepest valley rift in the world is the Arabah in the Holy Land. The waters of the river will flow east through the Arabah into the Dead Sea.” – Ezekiel 47

I made this photograph within the valley rift, hiking through the Arabah desert.

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Lately I’ve been adopting minimalism from the way I live my life to the way I make my photographs. Asceticism is a practice that I can get behind and relate to. I’m glad that I have started fasting and removing unnecessary things from my life. I will also apply this to my art and photography. I see the world differently now in black and white. I am looking to make an instant sketch of life from here on out. From the camera and settings I use, the removal of color, the way I observe, to the culling of the photos is changing for the better. Longevity and curiosity is the goal. Adopting minimalism in my approach to life and photography will give me the power to keep pushing forward and move on headstrong.