There’s something really profound about finding yourself thriving in the mundane. Like just genuinely looking at a leaf or something that is extremely overlooked generally, but finding infinite joy within that very simple and mundane object, location, or daily walk.
For instance, I’ve gotten to this point now where I can basically walk the same way every single day, literally repeating the same day on loop infinitely, but still feel this abundance of joy and energy and vitality for life despite that fact.
And so I think that this is the superpower of photography. It’s all about the way that it increases your genuine curiosity. That childlike curiosity is ultimately what puts me there in this state of being, kind of like Nirvana or bliss or paradise or whatever you want to call it, that kind of just effortlessly flows through me when I have my camera and I’m just noticing things.
And so this way of operating on a day-to-day basis, just waking up, grabbing the camera, and walking, is the ultimate way to experience life. I feel like when I’m outside and I’m walking and I’m moving and I’m feeling and I’m looking and I’m photographing, I simply exist outside of the passage of time.
And so despite the fact that life may be short, each day feels like an eternity. And that feeling of eternity in each day derives from play, from not taking things seriously, from not being attached to the outcomes of the things that I’m doing, but just being so radically hyper-present through life-affirming acts of noticing, through photography, that it puts me in this perpetual enthusiastic state of eagerness to wake up each day.
It’s like each night before I go to sleep, I’m yearning for the next day, with this insanely optimistic spirit that’s just ready to wake up again.
And so with this, I find that time and the shortness of life no longer disturb me. Because when you find yourself in the present moment, you discover eternity.
Check it out, this is the exact spot that I used to play when I was a little kid here in the Wissahickon Forest. When I was a boy, my friends and I would come out here with some rocks and we line them up and create a bridge and cross this exact stream. So you could actually cross the stream when you place rocks down and go over to that other rock there and the formations over there.
So this is like the exact spot that I used to play as when I was a little kid.
And it’s reminding me of this idea of following your inner child, right?
When you’re practicing your photography, I believe that, you know, photography has nothing to do with photography, you know, your ability to create a strong photograph, you know, your ability to synthesize the content with the formalities of composition, you know, your ability to understand lighting and timing and all the superfluous technical aspects of photography, I believe are very base level.
But what I seek to achieve through my imagery is to hopefully evoke an emotional quality through the photography, you know, to go beyond reality through my own subjective personal interpretation of the world, where I seek to create a new world through, through photography.
And so that world I believe we can achieve through tapping into our inner child, that childlike state of being that derives from our spiritedness.
So I believe that Photography has more so to do with how you engage with humanity, how you feel about life. You know, it’s that kind of quality that carries me out onto the street. It’s the curiosity, the courage, right? The thumos within me, that sort of inner child that wants to come back out into the forest, climbing the trees, exploring the unknown, building bridges with stones, you know, sharpening spears, attempting to hunt deer, riding my bike.
You know, I think that there is something powerful about the childlike spirit within us as artists that we should really tap into in order to achieve our own authentic expression in photography.
And so treating photography as a visual diary, I believe, is a radical approach forward in this modern contemporary street photography scene where you see lots of contests, you see lots of photographs and imagery that’s essentially just seeking to make great frames and to make great photography.
But I say stop trying, you know, stop trying to make great photography.
Just embrace your inner childlike curiosity and allow that to guide you on the street. I let that to guide you into the world and disregard anything that’s being done in contemporary photography, what’s been done in the history, and really just tap into your own personal subjective approach to the world through photography.
And I believe that we can achieve our own authentic way of photographing through tapping into the inner child, that inner spiritedness that carries you into the world.
It goes beyond our basic abilities as photographers with compositional decisions, with our ability to tell a story. But I believe that almost to cultivate the instinct, to cultivate that state of being as a photographer where you’re simply following your curiosity without thinking, without really rationalizing anything— to me, that’s the peak experience as a photographer, is to almost just let the chips fall as they may, kind of just embracing that spirit of play as a big kid with a camera and, you know, just kind of recognizing the infinite possibilities in life and in the world through the medium.
You know, as much as I can look at this landscape and click the button and say, wow, this scene, this is a beautiful vista, this is a beautiful view, you know, I can also get really close and down on my knees and find myself photographing different details and things.
And looking at all these different intricacies and patterns and qualities, you know, reminds me of when I was a kid, you know, picking up the stones, you know, looking underneath them, like inspecting things down low.
As much as I can look up high and look at the clouds in the sky, you know, I can also look low beneath the weeds, you know.
And when you look beneath the weeds and you pick between these different things, you know, you can find some nuggets in there, you can find some secrets in there, you can find the gold, you can find that sort of thing you were looking for, maybe.
You know, I think you gotta kind of dig.
And you know, that digging kind of just reminds me of like human nature.
You know, we as humans seek to, you know, build tall skyscrapers, to go higher, to travel to Mars with spaceships, and to touch the stars.
But I find that actually when I’m closest to the ground, when I’m surrounded by nature, when I’m picking up the rocks and the leaves and all these natural things, you know, this to me is where I feel like I’m at peace.
This to me is where I feel like I seek to be.
It’s actually closer to the ground, reminding myself that I am bound by gravity, that I am just this flesh thing, that I am actually just a big child in this world.
That I find God.
And I find that to be the most beautiful way to spend my day, is in the spirit of play with my camera, not taking my life so seriously, not taking my photography so seriously, but almost just finding myself on my knees, kind of just bound by gravity, because I ultimately, I don’t really know anything.
I’m just stumbling my way through the world with my camera and photographing the fragments that I find.
And I think that to me is what it means to treat photography as a personal diary.
It’s recognizing that you can’t live forever, but at least you can make a photograph.
And while you’re here in this moment, in this world, maybe this is the best way to approach things, is to just express ourselves authentically and openly from our pure instinct through photography.
And so that’s my thought of the day.
Gonna get back to my little exploration here in the forest and continue on my journey.
Today we’re gonna be looking at photographs I made with the Ricoh GR IIIx, as I wanna discuss the difference between shooting with the 40mm versus the 28mm — and really highlight the key takeaways I’ve had after 3.5 years of using both.
The Difference Is Smaller Than You Think
There’s a very small — but very important — difference between these two focal lengths.
And that difference shows up in micro adjustments.
It’s your physical positioning. It’s your timing. It’s the exact moment you click the shutter.
When you’re out in the street and life is moving toward you — people walking, running, passing — that timing shifts depending on the focal length.
And that instinct?
It only comes from time spent consistently using one focal length.
Focal Length Doesn’t Matter Like You Think
Here’s the radical idea:
Focal length doesn’t matter as much as people think.
It becomes an extension of how you see.
When I’m shooting 40mm vs 28mm, I’m not thinking:
“I need to get closer”
“I need to frame wider”
I’m just recognizing:
The distance between me and the subject.
That’s it.
Yes — 40mm is tighter. Yes — there’s more compression.
But at the end of the day:
Photography is physical.
It’s where your body is in relation to the moment.
40mm vs 28mm — How They Feel
40mm (GR IIIx)
More intentional
More precision required
Naturally pulls you into details
Stronger compression
More structured compositions
You start noticing:
Hands
Feet
Textures
Cropped relationships
You’re not shooting the whole scene — you’re honing in.
28mm (GR III)
More open
More forgiving
More environmental context
Looser edges in the frame
It lets you breathe more.
Which One Is Harder?
You could argue both sides:
28mm is harder because you have to get closer and control the edges
40mm is harder because it demands precision
But honestly?
Neither is harder.
It just changes how you move your body.
Instinct Over Everything
When I’m out shooting, I’m not thinking about settings.
I’m reacting.
For example — a moment on the beach:
A boy looking up
A grandmother coming out of the water
I don’t think.
I just respond.
My Setup
Snap Focus: 3.5 meters
Aperture: f/9
Mode: AV (Aperture Priority)
This lets me shoot without thinking.
Pro Tip: Snap Focus + Autofocus
Here’s something I use all the time:
I assign the Fn button to switch between:
Snap Focus
Single Point Autofocus
Why?
Because sometimes the subject gets really close.
And in those moments:
Snap Focus won’t cut it
I need precise autofocus
So I tap Fn → switch → shoot.
Fast. Intuitive. No friction.
Most of the time I’m in Snap Focus — but I switch when I need to.
With 28mm, you can pretty much stay in Snap Focus all day.
With 40mm, there’s more nuance.
The Real Takeaway
Consistency builds instinct.
You don’t learn this stuff by thinking — you learn it by doing.
Going out. Shooting. Repeating.
That’s how the timing locks in.
Using Both Focal Lengths
Even though I talk about “one camera, one lens”…
I do use both.
And honestly — with the Ricoh system — it’s seamless.
I don’t feel like I leave the flow state switching between them.
Still, when I choose one:
I commit to it for a season.
Final Thoughts
40mm gives you:
Precision
Detail
Intentional framing
28mm gives you:
Freedom
Context
Flow
But again:
It’s not about the lens — it’s about how you move.
If you’re curious, I’ve uploaded over 13,000 photos from the past 3 years using both cameras.
You can now toggle between GR III and GR IIIx on the archive.
Members only — access your books at production cost.
The second volume of Flux, a photographic diary by Dante Sisofo.
A collection of 55 photographs across 100 pages.
Photographed in Philadelphia between November 2022 and May 2023, this book marks the beginning of a transformation — the first months of working in black and white, and the initial step into a new way of seeing.
If Flux Vol. I represents the moment when vision came together, this volume represents the origin — the entry point into the stream of becoming. These photographs trace the early stages of a chronological visual diary, where the act of photographing becomes inseparable from the act of living.
Shot in Philadelphia, these images mark the foundation of an evolving practice rooted in daily observation, instinct, and repetition.
At the heart of Flux is a simple idea: you cannot make the same photograph twice. Light is always shifting — across bodies, streets, and time — reshaping the world moment by moment.
Members only — access your books at production cost.
The first volume of Flux, a photographic diary by Dante Sisofo.
A collection of 57 photographs across 100 pages.
Photographed in Tokyo in November 2025 — wandering the streets of Shinjuku, Harajuku, and Shibuya over thirteen days — this book marks the moment when a decade of photographing the world, and the past three years of working in monochrome, came together into a unified vision.
At the heart of Flux is a simple idea: you cannot make the same photograph twice.
The way light casts upon the world is always changing — across people, surfaces, streets, and shadows — transforming reality from one moment to the next.
Shot with a Ricoh GR in high-contrast black and white, these photographs embrace instinct, motion, and the fleeting rhythm of everyday life.
What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante getting my morning started here along the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia, photographing with the Ricoh GR IV monochrome.
Got the high contrast black and white small JPEG files cranked to the max so that I can embrace my instinct.
So why photograph this way?
Why shoot small JPEGs, high contrast black and white?
It’s for speed and simplicity.
I want to strip away everything from the medium of photography and return to pure instinct. Not trying to impose a visual style — I’m trying to remove everything until all that’s left is a black box with a shutter button.
Just point and shoot.
No technical noise.
Photography Is Physical
Photography isn’t just visual — it’s physical.
Your eyes connect to your brain, sure. You can recognize leading lines, composition, all that.
But what actually makes the photograph?
Your body.
You are responsible for positioning your physical body in relationship to the subject.
If you don’t move, you don’t make the photo.
You can see everything perfectly in your head — but if you don’t physically step into position, nothing happens.
Photography is psychological, yes.
But it’s ultimately physical positioning that determines the result.
Why the Ricoh GR
The reason I use the Ricoh GR — especially this monochrome setup — is because it’s always with me.
It lives in my pocket.
Hidden.
No one even knows I’m photographing.
And because of that, I’m always in a flow state.
When I have to wear a camera around my neck, clean the lens, “be a photographer” — I limit myself.
That friction kills the moment.
The lack of a viewfinder?
That’s not a limitation.
That’s freedom.
Constraints = Freedom
My theory:
The more constraints, the more creative freedom.
You might think freedom is having unlimited choices.
But that’s overwhelming.
If I step off this path, I fall into the river. If I go the other way, I get hit by a train.
So the only way is forward.
And in that constraint?
Endless possibility.
Staying in one lane unlocks infinity.
When I stop switching cameras, colors, lenses — I move forward.
That’s where the work happens.
No Good or Bad Photos
There’s no such thing as a good or bad photograph.
Only new photographs to make.
I’m chasing a perpetual flow state.
Not results.
Curiosity.
What does life look like photographed?
That’s it.
Returning to Light
Photography = drawing with light.
By stripping away color, I return to the essence.
Now I’m curious about light itself:
How it hits surfaces
How it renders in black and white
What it looks like when reduced to extremes
High contrast black and white?
It’s like a charcoal sketch of reality.
No Post-Processing, No Safety Net
There’s nothing to fix later.
No RAW files.
No editing.
No safety net.
I throw myself into the deep end.
And that’s liberating.
Now all I’m left with is play.
From Friction to Flow
I remember being in Hanoi in 2022.
RAW files. Hard drives. Backups.
It was slow. Tedious.
Felt like a burden.
When I got back, I sold everything.
Picked up the Ricoh GR.
Since then?
3+ years.
Around 370,000 frames.
I’ve never been more prolific.
And the quality?
It’s there — because of the quantity and the flow.
Infinite Novelty
I can walk the same path every day.
Still find new photos.
Because light is always changing.
Because life is always changing.
You cannot make the same photograph twice.
Now I photograph everything:
Family
Daily life
Self-portraits
Textures
Plants
Trash
Everything
Everything is photographable.
Beyond Style
I’m not trying to create a recognizable style.
I’m trying to become a vessel.
To just be.
To exist in the moment.
To feel deeply.
Say yes to life with every shutter click.
The Sublime
There’s something beyond words.
That feeling when you’re walking…
Sun on your skin. Birds. Cars. People.
And you click the shutter.
That moment?
It’s sublime.
Life is fleeting.
Flowers bloom, then decay.
That’s what makes it beautiful.
Destroy to Create
To create something new, you have to destroy.
If I made the same photos every day, I’d be bored.
To change is happiness.
To evolve.
To grow.
That’s the goal.
Don’t Blame Your Location
Your city isn’t the problem.
Your perception is.
Even in the same place, every day:
There’s infinite novelty.
You just have to see it.
Pure Instinct
Too many choices kill creativity.
Too many decisions.
Too many systems.
I want none of that.
Just instinct.
When photography becomes an extension of your body, it becomes effortless.
