Why I Don’t Need a Photography Project

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

I’m currently walking along Penn’s Landing here in Philadelphia, looking out towards the Benjamin Franklin Bridge right now—the beautiful horizon, the water flowing, the sun is out. Just basking in it. It feels good.

And today I’m thinking about photography… and essentially why I don’t need a project.

The Problem With Projects

I think the idea of working towards something—whether it’s a book, a theme, or a gallery outcome—is extremely limiting.

For myself personally, I’ve never adopted that mindset.

Instead, I believe in surrendering to the medium of photography.

Letting go. Embracing play. Letting the chips fall as they may.

Photographing openly. Spontaneously. Instinctively.

You don’t think—you respond.

And there’s something special about that.

Your Life Is the Project

I believe in trusting the passage of time. Trusting the process.

And treating my everyday life as the ultimate project.

This is the project.

I am the theme.

When we make photographs, our internal state reflects externally. And to me, that’s way more powerful than trying to force a concept or impose structure.

Especially now—when we live in a world flooded with images.

You can generate photos with AI. You can shoot razor-sharp images on any modern camera.

So what actually matters?

Your perspective.

Why I Shoot Without a Theme

I like to move through life without a theme.

Not because I’m lazy. Not because I lack direction.

But because I don’t seek a destination.

I just want to keep moving forward.

Keep following the light.

Keep waking up and photographing.

My ultimate project is to never miss a day of photography.

To stay in that perpetual flow state of living, practicing, doing.

Because the moment I start overthinking…

I stagnate.

The Danger of Overthinking

Anytime I spend too much time analyzing or planning, I feel it immediately.

My energy drops. My soul starts to fade.

So instead, I move.

I get out.

I create.

I exist in embodied reality.

Even after a decade of shooting, I still don’t feel the need to define a project.

If anything, I feel more committed to staying in that instinctual, authentic state.

Creativity Without Constraints

When you walk around with a preconceived idea of what you’re trying to make…

You limit yourself.

You close off access to your subconscious.

But when you remove that box?

Now you can explore.

Now all your life experiences flow into the frame.

That irrational pull—the thing that makes you click the shutter—that’s where the real work lives.

Photography as a Visual Diary

I don’t see photography as something separate from life.

It is life.

A visual diary.

A record of being.

I’m photographing today because it’s beautiful outside.

The sun is out. The air is crisp. I’m alive.

I can walk. I can see. I can feel.

That’s enough.

No Outcome Needed

I don’t need a book.

I don’t need a gallery.

I don’t need a theme.

To stay motivated.

To keep shooting.

My only goal is to be out in the world, making photographs.

Not planning.

Not forcing.

Just responding.

Trust the Process

Over time, with consistency, things will come together.

You’ll find connections.

You’ll build something naturally.

But the foundation?

Doing the thing for the sake of doing the thing.

That’s the real goal.

That’s where the fulfillment is.

Not in the outcome.

But in the act itself.

Final Thoughts

Maybe what the world needs right now is more of that.

More honest photography.

More lived experience.

Less structure. Less performance.

More flow.

Right now, I’m just out here at Penn’s Landing, taking it all in.

Philadelphia is home. I thrive here.

This place—it’s like our beach.

And I’m just walking, observing, responding.

That’s it.

See you on the street.

Peace.

Sometimes it’s the first shot, sometimes it’s the last. The real key and secret to working a scene is to simply never leave the scene until the scene leaves you.

real street photographers walk barefoot

Treat Photography Like a Visual Diary (This Will Change Everything)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Today I want to talk about treating photography as a visual diary and how this has transformed my practice entirely.

So essentially, a diary is simply a daily record of life. It’s what you saw today, what happened today, how you felt today—and recording that through photography.

And I find that by making this kind of imagery that is personal to my everyday life, I find rich meaning in the mundane nature of life.

Finding Meaning in the Everyday

Here we have a photograph I made of my brother. He came back from his massage thingy and had those suction cup marks on his back.

As he was looking at his back in the mirror, I made a quick snapshot of him while we were waiting for the elevator.

It’s a very simple, elegant frame. Strong composition, strong lighting—but the moment itself wasn’t something I was seeking.

It simply presented itself to me.

The moment wasn’t something I chased. It revealed itself.

Surrendering to Photography

I believe in this idea of surrendering to the medium of photography.

Where the external circumstances—whether you see something interesting or make a great photograph—are out of your control.

But what is in your control?

• Being curious about life
• Being engaged in the present moment
• Being out in the world with your camera

Because of that, I just embrace the present moment.

Photography becomes a way to enter that flow state—that zen zone—where you’re fully immersed.

The Meditative State of Shooting

It’s a very meditative process.

Yeah, I think about the past and the future—but those things aren’t my concern.

My concern is simple:

• Making new pictures
• Entering the stream of becoming every single day
• Engaging with life through the camera

I’m responsible for:

• Walking
• Noticing
• Observing
• Feeling deeply
• Responding to instinct

That’s it.

Stop Chasing “Great” Photos

If you go out trying to make a specific kind of image…

If you’re chasing your “next best frame”…

You’re actually blocking your ability to see authentically.

The more you try to force great images, the further you get from your true way of seeing.

Instead, use photography as a vehicle to be present in your daily life.

Living Like It Matters

I treat each day like it could be my last.

I wake up like I’m born again.
I go to sleep like it could be my final breath.

That mindset changes everything.

• I feel more present
• More engaged
• More alive in my practice

And I treat each photo like it could be my last.

Beyond Identity and Ego

This goes beyond being a “photographer” or an “artist.”

All of that is noise.

This is about something deeper:

Recognizing that you are human.
That you will die.

And because of that…

You choose to pay attention.

You choose to care.

You choose to see.

What Your Photos Really Are

When you treat photography as a visual diary, you’re doing something powerful.

Within the four corners of the frame, you’re capturing:

• What life means to you
• How you see the world
• How you feel about things

Subjectively. Personally. Honestly.

Because any moment could be your last.

If You Can’t Live Forever…

If you can’t live forever, at least we can make photographs.

So while we’re here—walking through space and time—

Why not let our photos reflect who we are?

Why not let them show:

• Our perspective
• Our emotions
• Our presence

A More Joyful Way to Shoot

When you approach photography this way, something shifts.

You start to:

• Feel more joy in the process
• Let go of pressure
• Stop performing

Every day becomes a new opportunity.

Not to make a “great” photo…

But to simply be there.

The Practice Becomes Life

By treating photography as a visual diary:

• Your work becomes more interesting
• Your experience becomes more meaningful
• Your curiosity deepens

There’s no burden.

No expectations.

Just living, seeing, feeling—and responding.

And honestly…

That’s my favorite way to approach photography going forward.

Final Thought

I just wanted to share this openly.

Hopefully, it inspires you to do the same.

Treat photography as a visual diary.

• Record what you saw today
• Record what happened today
• Record what you felt today

And let that show up in your images.

Because that’s where the real work is.

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Thanks for watching.

I’ll see you in the next one.

Peace.

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Ricoh GR Hip Shooting Technique (Stealth Street Photography Tip)

A very stealthy way to shoot

What’s popping, people? It’s Dante.

Today I have a very stealthy street photography tip with the Ricoh GR.

I’ve been shooting by basically holding the camera at my hip — just letting my arm hang naturally by my side, with the camera sitting near my thigh. And from there, I’m shooting vertically without really bringing the camera up to my eye.

It’s simple. You’re just walking, and when something happens, you turn your body slightly into the scene and click.

Shooting blindly — but not really

You’re not fully blind.

You develop this intuitive sense of when to press the shutter.

Like if I’m walking past a pole, I know exactly when my body aligns with it. I don’t need to look — I just feel it and click at that moment.

You start to understand timing through your body, not your eyes.

Sometimes I’ll glance quickly at the LCD just to get a rough sense, but it’s fast. It’s instinctive.

Physical position is the composition

Photography isn’t just about framing and rules.

It’s about where you stand. Where your body is in space.

Your position determines everything.

You’re not thinking about leading lines or rules of thirds in the moment — you’re responding physically.

The composition comes from your body’s relationship to the scene.

Using the Ricoh as an extension of your body

The Ricoh GR makes this super easy.

You can treat it like an extension of your arm, your eye, your movement.

You can shoot:

• From the hip
• From above your head
• From low angles

There’s so much freedom in just throwing the camera around and experimenting.

A real example

I shot a guy walking past me — full stride, perfectly framed — without even really looking.

Feet visible, head visible, everything aligned.

That didn’t come from thinking.

It came from instinct + positioning.

Why this is so liberating

This way of shooting removes friction.

You’re not overthinking.

You’re not hesitating.

You’re just moving, reacting, shooting.

It turns photography into something physical and intuitive.

And that’s where it becomes fun again.

Frictionless photography system

I actually built an entire system around this idea.

“Living with the Ricoh GR” is a 30-day approach to shooting daily, building a visual diary, and removing all the friction from photography.

It’s:

• Black & white focused
• Simple and repeatable
• Designed to get you out shooting every day

The goal is to make photography effortless so you can actually do the thing.

Because all the overthinking — gear, settings, decisions — just gets in the way.

Final thought

Try this.

Hold your camera at your hip. Walk. Feel the moment.

Click without overthinking.

See what happens.

I’ll see you on the streets of Philadelphia.

Was spending two years working in a garden, laboring, creating zen gardens, reading, studying. thinking, writing, photographing, and spending all my days in solitude in nature surrounding by gods most divine pure creations.

Honestly it’s shit like this that I’m gonna look back at years from now and realize how genius this was for me to do

Once you’re fully awake and full of vitality and unconditional love… nothing will break your spirit or your love for life

The ultimate secret to becoming a more interesting artist is to be both the producer and the consumer. For instance, I love carrying my new flux books around with me everywhere I go, and flipping through my own work. And also, listening to my old videos and old thoughts, from two years ago, one year ago, four months ago when I was in Tokyo, and just listening to my stream of consciousness and the way that I think about things, or even just watching funny ass random videos that I’ve made and just genuinely enjoying the shit that I create.

Create your own world.

Let’s Redefine What Success Looks Like

Who decided that making money is the ultimate metric of success? Honestly, having a physical body that is able to move, walk, talk, photograph, and do the things that you want to do with your day is the ultimate luxury. Health is true wealth—the ultimate sign of success, and the only thing worth considering.

Time is also interesting. We always use the notion of “spending time.” But what if we reframe this idea and start investing our time? Investing in walks, creating art for the simple sake of it—where the outcome and the goal do not need monetary gain or fame.

The outcome we seek and strive for is simply to be awake. To be receptive. To have senses that allow us to feel deeply and see clearly.

When you wake up with this insatiable love for life and enthusiasm for the day, when you’re full of an abundance of curiosity and gratitude for the simplest pleasures in life—like the sun on your skin, or the crisp, cool breeze by the riverside, or water in your cup—you begin to realize that this is what ultimate looks like.

Ricoh GR Monochrome Glitch (Real User Experience After 17,000 Shots)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Today I want to share with you this glitch that’s been occurring on my Ricoh GR for monochrome.

So unfortunately, I was in New York City recently, and I was trying to challenge myself to produce a full book in 12 hours. I was pounding the pavement — walked 18 miles, photographed from sunrise to sunset — and my camera started to glitch.

The Issue

I started to get this weird glitch where the lens would lock up.

The aperture doesn’t really open properly — it kind of opens halfway, gets stuck, and then locks.

At that point, I have to:

• Take the battery out
• Restart the camera
• Go through this whole rigmarole

And it’s becoming unreliable.

“I really do practice. I shoot every single day from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep.”

Real Usage (Not a Gear Review)

I want to be clear — I’m not sponsored by Ricoh.

This is just my real-world experience as someone who actually uses their camera.

Over the past 3.5 years:

• ~400,000 photos on GR III and IIIx
• ~17,000–18,000 frames on the GR Monochrome in about a month or two

I don’t baby my cameras.

• Never dropped it
• No physical damage
• Still — hardware issue

So yeah… something’s wrong.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about a glitch.

It’s about reliability.

When you’re out every day shooting, you need a camera that works. Period.

And right now?

“I don’t feel like I can trust it to go back out and do the kind of photography that I do.”

So I’m sending it in for repair.

Still Shooting (No Excuses)

But here’s the thing — I’m not stopping.

I’ve got my GR III and GR IIIx.

I was already back out the next day shooting.

Because at the end of the day:

“I’m a practitioner. I’m not a gear guy.”

The Work Continues

Even with the glitch, I still:

• Shot the full video
• Made a full photo book in 12 hours
• Kept pushing through

And honestly, the workflow is still unmatched.

“This is the fastest, most streamlined workflow I’ve ever had.”

Gear Breaks — It Happens

This isn’t new for me.

• Fujifilm X-Pro3 broke after a month
• Leica M3 has issues sitting on the shelf

Because I actually use my cameras.

Hard.

“I click the shutter tens of thousands of times in a week or two.”

So yeah — things break.

Back to the GR IIIx (And New Curiosity)

This situation actually pushed me back toward the GR IIIx.

Specifically:

• 40mm focal length
• 71mm crop mode

Something I was exploring in Tokyo.

And honestly?

I’m excited about it again.

What I’m Chasing Now

There’s something I’m curious about:

• Light wrapping around faces
• Shooting close with snap focus (1 meter)
• That subtle tension in portraits

One photo I made yesterday…

There’s something strange about it.

“It feels like a portal into another world.”

That’s what I’m chasing.

Why Ricoh Still Wins (For Me)

Despite everything…

I still believe this is the best camera for street photography.

Because of:

• Size
• Speed
• Discretion
• Workflow

You can move like a tourist.

Like a kid.

Just wandering, observing, reacting.

“There really isn’t another match for the kind of work that I do.”

Final Thoughts

Yeah — the camera failed.

Yeah — it’s frustrating.

But this is part of the practice.

“These are the hiccups that occur when you actually go out and shoot.”

So we keep going.

We adapt.

We pivot.

And we stay out there.

Shooting.

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