My Daily iPad Workflow for Street Photography (Fast JPEG System)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

So I wanted to make this video for Dimmitri—you were talking about culling, editing, and all that kind of jazz. I wanted to show you how incredible the small JPEG workflow with the iPad Pro is.

Honestly, any iPad can do this.

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The Daily Import System

I make a folder for each day that I photograph.

Today is April 26th, 2026.

I already have the USB-C to SD reader plugged into the iPad, SD card loaded. I import everything directly into that day’s folder.

We’re talking about ~200 JPEGs importing fast. Like, no friction.

And once it’s done, the folder just pops up at the top of the albums. Everything is organized chronologically.

Simple.

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First Pass: Intuitive Culling

Now I go through the photos and make my initial favorites.

I don’t overthink this.

I tap the thumbnail → hit the favorite icon → move on.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about moving fast.

I’m not sitting there going back and forth between two images. I just pick one and keep it pushing.

You can usually tell which photo is stronger just from the thumbnail. You see the composition, the edges of the frame—it’s obvious.

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Shooting the Walk

These photos were made on a walk through Kensington and Center City in Philadelphia.

I wasn’t even “seriously” shooting—just on a call, talking, making snapshots.

Then I got on the train and went straight into chaos.

And yeah, I know people might ask why photograph gritty scenes like that—drug use, rough environments, all that.

But for me:

It’s my duty to document humanity in the entirety of the city.

Philadelphia has beauty—parks, nature—but also these intense, raw environments.

I don’t shy away from that.

Of course, I’m mindful—concealing identities when needed. But people were open. I even showed them my book Flux, and they were rocking with it.

So I made the photos.

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Second Pass: Monthly Selections

After the first pass, I go into the Favorites folder.

I already have a monthly folder ready—April 2026 selections.

Now I go through the favorites and drag anything that stands out into that monthly folder.

This is the second layer of filtering.

Still fast. Still intuitive.

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Using AI to Decide Faster

If I have multiple frames of the same scene, I don’t waste time.

I highlight them, send them to ChatGPT:

“Which photograph is the keeper? File name.”

And it tells me.

Nine times out of ten, it confirms what I already felt.

I believe in technology. I believe in speed.

Photography doesn’t need to be slow and painful.

This helps me move forward instead of getting stuck.

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Third Pass: Yearly Selections

Now I go into the monthly folder and make another round of selections.

From there, I drag the best images into a yearly folder (2026).

These are the photos I’ll:

• Upload to my website
• Share in Discord
• Use for daily publishing

But let’s be clear:

These are NOT final selections.

They’re just part of the daily rhythm.

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The Long-Term Game

The real selection happens later.

Months later. Years later.

When I’m making a book, that’s when I go deep—cutting it down to 50–60 images.

That’s a different mindset entirely.

Right now?

This is just practice. Daily movement. Staying in rhythm.

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Backup + Archive (Lightroom)

Once I have my final daily selects (usually around 10–15 photos), I bring them into Lightroom.

I keep a massive Ricoh GR black and white album—thousands of images.

Everything syncs to the cloud.

Everything backed up.

Everything organized.

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Publish + Move On

From there:

• Airdrop to my phone
• Upload to Discord
• Share the work

And then?

Move on to the next day.

No overthinking. No dragging it out.

Just shoot → select → publish → repeat.

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Final Thought

This is the system.

Fast JPEGs.
iPad workflow.
Minimal friction.

One camera. One aesthetic. One workflow. One rhythm.

That’s it.

Frictionless Photography Workflow: How to Enter Flow State Every Day

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Today I want to share with you some thoughts on how adopting a frictionless workflow has completely transformed my photography.

When you have a frictionless workflow, photography becomes effortless—and then inevitably, the flow state emerges.

And the flow state is one of the peak human experiences you can achieve.

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Photography as a Way of Being

Photography for me has become a way of being, more than just a way to express myself creatively.

It’s how I:

• feel deeply
• respond instinctively
• engage with the moment in front of me

So what I’ve done is remove all decisions from the ground up.

“I stay tried and true to one camera, one lens.”

I slip the Ricoh GR in my front right pocket, live my life, and photograph what I find.

No more hunting.

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Removing Decision Fatigue

I don’t make dedicated trips to go shoot.

I don’t block time.

Photography is now integrated into my everyday life.

The goal is simple: stay in a state where I’m always ready to notice.

Because the flow state emerges when you’re laser focused—and you can’t hesitate.

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The Technical Side of Effortlessness

On a practical level:

• I shoot automatic mode
• I use small JPEG files
• I max out contrast

So all I’m left with is:

light and shadow

This isn’t an aesthetic decision.

It’s a technical one that removes friction:

• fast culling
• instant uploads
• no hard drive backlog

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Black and White as a Philosophy

Black and white isn’t about style.

It’s about eliminating noise.

“Style arises when you no longer hesitate and cultivate instinct.”

When everything is stripped away, all that’s left is:

• instinct
• reaction
• presence

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The Identity Shift

There’s been a shift:

From:

• “photographer who goes out to shoot”

To:

• “person who is always photographing”

Because it’s so effortless now, I’m in a perpetual flow state.

Clicking the shutter becomes part of life.

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Playing the Long Game

I’ve been practicing for over a decade.

And I realized:

Photography can actually get in the way of living.

So I removed everything unnecessary.

Now I can:

• focus on the moment
• stay present
• notice deeply

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What Actually Matters

All the technical stuff?

Secondary.

What matters to me is:

• living
• noticing
• responding
• feeling

“The photographs you make from this state reflect your inner world.”

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Photography as a Visual Diary

This is a visual diary.

Something:

• personal
• subjective
• honest

The goal isn’t:

• a book
• a gallery
• Instagram validation

The goal is:

“Making something for the sake of making something.”

That’s the autotelic state.

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Infinite Meaning in the Everyday

This process has made photography joyful again.

It gives me:

• meaning
• purpose
• curiosity

I literally go to sleep excited to wake up and shoot again.

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Human First, Photographer Second

You’re a human first.

Photographer second.

So wake up with enthusiasm.

Go live your life.

Photography will follow.

Effortlessly.

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Final Thought

If you want to avoid burnout…

Remove more.

Strip everything down.

Stay with:

• light
• shadow
• instinct

And it becomes inevitable:

You will create.

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If this resonates with you, join me in this practice.

Otherwise…

I’ll be out on the streets.

In the spirit of play.

Every single day.

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https://ericdejesus.com

How I Publish Photography Daily (Own Your Website, Not Instagram)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Today I want to share my personal way of publishing photography on my own website. I don’t use Squarespace—I use my own WordPress.org blog where I create a stream of images. A stream of consciousness approach to sharing.

I just want to show you behind the scenes of what it looks like and how I publish daily.

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The Stream

I don’t believe you should use Instagram.

I believe you should own your own domain.

The way that I share is within a stream. As you scroll, you see images I’ve published for the day. You’ll also see the most recent YouTube video, blog posts, and then more photos.

Each day:

• I title the post with the date and place
• I publish consistently
• I keep the flow going

This workflow has given me discipline:

• Go out and photograph daily
• Stay on top of my archive
• Share every single day

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The Publishing Process

It’s simple.

I open Safari. I’ve got tabs ready:

• Posts
• Media library
• Pages

Everything I need is right there.

Let’s say I was at Hollywood Beach yesterday.

I create a post:
Hollywood Beach, 2026

Then:

• Upload photos
• Insert gallery
• Hit publish

That’s it.

The blog becomes:

a canvas, a diary, a notebook

You can share anything instantly.

Not dependent on gatekeepers.
Not dependent on platforms.

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Micro Posts → Full Essays

Sometimes I just write something simple:

people are more happy at the beach

Publish it.

Later?

• Click edit
• Expand it into an essay
• Add images, videos

It evolves over time.

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The Archive (13,000+ Photos)

On my site, I built a timeline archive.

Over 13,000 photographs from 2022 to 2025.

You can:

• Click any day
• View all images
• See metadata (f-stop, exposure, etc.)
• Download JPEGs

There’s even a verification feature:

• Each image has a computational hash
• Confirms it hasn’t been altered

It’s nerdy. But I did it anyway.

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Camera Filters + Simplicity

You can filter by camera:

• Ricoh GR IIIx (40mm)
• GR III (28mm)

There’s:

• Dark mode
• Expandable timeline
• Full chronological flow

I haven’t missed a day in 3.5 years.

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Why This Works

This approach is liberating.

Photography is:

an endless stream of becoming

By publishing daily:

• I stay consistent
• I stay organized
• I remove pressure

No:

• Likes
• Comments
• Algorithms

Just pure expression.

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Sequencing Into Books

Everything is chronological.

So I can go back and:

• Discover patterns
• Build visual diaries
• Sequence books

Each book:

• ~100 pages
• 50–60 images

I give myself room to:

• Experiment
• Include imperfect images

That’s where creativity happens.

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The Discipline Loop

Every day:

1. Go out and shoot
2. Come home
3. Publish

Repeat.

Consistency compounds.

The archive builds.

And because:

• No post-processing
• Small JPEGs

The process is effortless.

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Books + Integration

On my site:

• All books are cataloged
• Flip-through previews
• PDFs available
• Purchase links

Everything is integrated.

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The System

I built a full system called:

Living With the Ricoh GR

Inside:

• Workflow from shooting → editing → book
• 30-day structure
• Discord community
• Daily sharing

Members get:

• Books at production cost (~$8)
• Full website setup tutorial

You can literally:

plug and play your own platform

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Final Thoughts

Owning your platform changes everything.

No noise.
No pressure.
No algorithm.

Just:

• You
• Your camera
• Your archive

I encourage you:

• Delete Instagram
• Build your own space
• Publish daily

Join the Flux community.

Let’s build something real.

Peace.

The revolution is not in the street, nor on stickers plastered across the city.

The revolution exists in over 9,000 exahash of cryptographic hash power—

in digital sovereignty,
in pure autonomy,
in the silent force of a decentralized network that cannot be stopped.

Identity — etymology

The word identity traces back to the idea of “sameness.”

• From Latin idem → “the same”
• From Late Latin identitas → “sameness, oneness”
• From Medieval Latin / Old French identité → carried into English as identity

So at its root:

Identity = that which remains the same

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The tension (and why it’s interesting)

There’s a built-in paradox:

• Identity implies sameness, continuity, stability
• But real life (and your whole Flux philosophy) is constant change

So the deeper question becomes:

What is the “same” thing in a being that is always changing?

Is it:

• memory?
• pattern?
• behavior?
• perception?

Or is “identity” itself just a construct we impose to stabilize chaos?

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Tie-in to your “Hive Mind” piece

Your collage almost challenges the word itself:

• If identity = sameness
• Then a hive mind is identity taken to the extreme
  → everyone becoming “the same”

Which flips your earlier Bitcoin idea too:

• Hive mind → forced sameness
• Bitcoin (in your framing) → sovereign individuality within a shared protocol

That’s a much more interesting axis than just politics.

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If you wanted a one-line version for your style:

Identity comes from idem — “the same.”
But nothing stays the same.

That’s where it gets philosophical.

How to Take Great Photos Anywhere (Even in Boring Places)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

If you’re new to the channel, I’m here to share my ideas about photography—finding meaning in the practice and developing a consistent habit of photographing daily.

One of the biggest things that prevents us from shooting every day is depending on novelty. We think we need something interesting out there before we can make something meaningful.

But the truth is…

Curiosity > Location

What actually guides me is inner curiosity.

On a recent trip to Miami, I spent two weeks basically stuck around a golf course. There was a mall nearby. That’s it. Nothing “special.”

And yet—I made some of my favorite images.

Why?

Because I tapped into a childlike curiosity.

It’s not about the place. It’s about how you see.

I wasn’t just looking at landscapes or people. I got close—macro close. Insects. Textures. Light. Patterns. Everything.

The Real Problem

We think:

• “I need a better city”
• “I need better light”
• “I need something interesting”

But when you depend on external conditions, you stagnate.

When you cultivate curiosity, photography becomes inevitable.

Boring photographers make boring photos.

That sounds harsh—but it’s real.

If you wake up sluggish, disconnected, uninterested…
you’re not going to create anything meaningful.

Your Internal State Is Everything

Your energy, your curiosity, your willingness to engage with life—

That’s what creates photographs.

Not the location.

Not the gear.

Not the moment.

How you feel internally will always reflect in your photography.

So instead of chasing “good photos,” focus on:

• Being present
• Being curious
• Being open

Photography as Presence

For me, photography is about:

• Watching squirrels move through trees
• Seeing light shimmer on water
• Feeling the breeze
• Noticing small, quiet details

That’s the practice.

The photo is just the byproduct.

The Camera Is a Key

The camera isn’t just a tool.

It’s a key.

It unlocks:

• Conversations with strangers
• Exploration
• Adventure
• Awareness

It gives you a reason to go out and experience life now.

Thriving in the Mundane

The mall is “boring,” right?

But when I walk through it with curiosity:

• I see light hitting advertisements
• I see shapes forming
• I underexpose and capture contrast
• I find unexpected frames

And suddenly…

I’m creating something meaningful.

You don’t need an interesting place. You need an interesting perspective.

The Shift

Stop hunting for photos.

Start exploring.

Instead of asking:
“Where can I find something good?”

Ask:

What will the camera see today?

That question changes everything.

Because the camera doesn’t see what your eyes see.

It interprets:

• Light
• Contrast
• Movement
• Imperfection

And when you review your photos later—you’re surprised.

Let Go of Control

Stop trying to:

• Nail the shot
• Be perfect
• Control everything

Instead:

Embrace play. Embrace mistakes. Embrace randomness.

That’s where the magic is.

My Simple Method

I keep it minimal:

• Small Ricoh GR
• High contrast black & white JPEGs
• Crush the shadows
• Expose for highlights
• Shoot loosely, intuitively

I’m not overthinking composition.

I’m snapshotting my way through life.

And when I review the images?

I’m surprised.

That surprise fuels curiosity.

Curiosity fuels consistency.

Consistency builds the practice.

The Real Metric

Forget “good photos.”

Measure this instead:

Am I more curious today than yesterday?

That’s the game.

Final Thought

Go slow.

Let life come to you.

Be present. Be open. Be curious.

And just show up with your camera.

Every day.

Because when you do that…

Everyday life becomes your material.

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If you want to go deeper, join the 7-Day Photography Challenge.

I’ll see you in the next video.

Peace.

The word “firmament” has a really interesting lineage—it carries both linguistic and philosophical weight.

📜 Etymology of

Firmament

• Latin: firmamentum
  → meaning “support,” “strengthening,” or “foundation”
  → from firmare = “to make firm, strengthen”
• Latin root: firmus
  → meaning “strong,” “stable,” “solid”
• Greek (earlier influence): στερέωμα (stereōma)
  → meaning “solid structure,” “firm body”

🌌 How the Meaning Evolved

When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek (the Septuagint), the Hebrew word:

• רָקִיעַ (raqia) → “expanse” or “spread-out surface”

was translated as stereōma (a solid structure).

Later, in the Latin Bible (the Vulgate), this became firmamentum.

⚡ The Key Shift

• Original Hebrew idea → an expanse / sky / something stretched out
• Greek + Latin interpretation → a solid dome or structure holding up the heavens

This is why “firmament” in English often carries the sense of a solid sky or dome, especially in older cosmology.

🧠 Big Picture

Firmament = “that which has been made firm.”
A structure imagined to hold or support the heavens.