April 27, 2025 – Philadelphia























Now that I’m training intensely 7 days a week — with boxing, HIIT, Ashtanga yoga, and daily weight training — it’s time to tap into the ancestral nectars of the gods.

By mixing raw milk and raw honey into your carnivore diet, you’re giving yourself a powerful recovery drink that rebuilds glycogen, boosts minerals, heals the gut, supports testosterone, and fits naturally into a primal diet structure.
What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante.
Today I wanted to make a very simple video with a simple message:
Why you should photograph.
Ultimately, I believe we all have our own individual reasons why we photograph. But in particular, I want to speak to two types of photographers:
Because the truth is, asking the question why…
That unlocks something deep.
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
When you understand why you photograph, what it means to you, you can overcome so much—not just in your photo journey, but in life.

It could be anything:
Whatever it is, that reason becomes the fuel. The battery. The motor. It keeps you going even when the world feels dull.
I can walk the same lane every single day and still find something to uplift in a photograph.
Why? Because I walk out the door with no preconceived notions. Just motion. Just flow.
And that flow state?
That’s where the magic happens.

Every single day, I ask myself:
Why?
That’s the real heartbeat of photography for me.
I’m not just making pictures. I’m learning, observing, living. Through the lens.
You should photograph because it makes your life more meaningful.
You should photograph because you’re curious.

When I’m photographing:
“I exist outside this passage of time where the present moment is what truly matters.”
You enter a stream of becoming. Of transformation.
The world becomes your canvas.
The street. The park. The neighborhood.
All of it. Yours.

Let’s break it down:
Photo = Light
Graphy = Writing / Drawing
You’re literally writing with light.
And through that process, you’re giving yourself a voice—even if you feel like you don’t have one. The camera becomes your mouthpiece. Your language. Your expression.
We all have them—those days when curiosity feels like it ran out the back door.
But I’ve been thinking…
“The less curious you are, the less photographs you make.”
So how do we cultivate more curiosity?
“The more physically strong you become, the more curious you become.”
“And the more curious you become, the stronger your photographs will be.”

You’ve seen a lot in life.
Maybe you’re jaded. Numb.
But when you walk out the door with a camera—
Everything becomes meaningful again.
You slow down. You observe. You create. You frame.
That’s not just photography.
That’s living.
“You’re photographing what life could be for.”
Your photos are reflections of your soul.
You’re interpreting reality—your way.
And in doing so, you give life meaning and purpose.

And maybe the most important part…
Treat each day like it’s your last.
Treat each photograph like it’s your last.
Because one day, it will be.
That urgency?
That mortality?
It’s not depressing. It’s empowering.
“If it is your last day, don’t just go through the motions—stay present, aware, and engaged with life on the front lines of life.”
We’re not gonna live forever.
But at least…
We can make a photograph.
If you knew the system is broken, why would you still participate?
The material world lacks meaning because it is centered around horizontal and economic growth.

In the Old Testament (Numbers 21:4–9), the Israelites were wandering in the desert, complaining against God and Moses. As a punishment, God sent venomous snakes that bit the people, and many died. The people repented and asked Moses to pray for them. God told Moses:
“Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.”
Moses made a bronze serpent and lifted it up on a pole. Whoever looked at it would be healed and live.
In the Gospel of John 3:14–15, Jesus directly connects this moment to himself:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”
| Moses’ Bronze Serpent | Jesus on the Cross |
|---|---|
| Serpent is lifted up on a pole | Jesus is lifted up on the cross |
| Looking at the serpent brings physical healing | Believing in Jesus brings eternal healing (salvation) |
| Israelites were dying from snake bites (consequence of sin) | Humanity is dying from sin itself |
| God provided a visible remedy | God provides the ultimate remedy |
It’s paradoxical:
God takes what should mean death (serpent / cross) — and transforms it into a source of life.
The story of Moses and the bronze serpent is a powerful foreshadowing of Christ’s crucifixion. It reminds us that even through suffering and death, God brings healing and eternal life to those who believe.
The best way to thrive in monotony and the mundane rhythms of everyday life is simple: create your own world.
Use photography not to capture what life is, but what life could be. Abstract reality, and create something from nothing. That, to me, is the power of photography. It has the ability to give the individual meaning—to find purpose in life by moving forward and creating upon our canvas. That canvas is the world.
You can create a new world in a fraction of a second.
The point is: no matter where you are, no matter how things may seem, you have the ability to transform reality through the act of making a photograph.
Create your own world, and immerse yourself in that world. Find yourself in an imaginative state of being—in the spirit of play, like a child.
Create your own world, and live in that world.
I could live the same day on loop eternally and still have an insatiable lust for life. Travel becomes less desirable when you know yourself.
I could die tonight in my sleep and have absolutely no attachments to the world whatsoever. I don’t even care if I have a “legacy” anymore. I’ve lived the most full life you can possibly imagine. Grateful for another day- another mini birth! Each night a mini death.
I’m currently the most happy, handsome, confident, courageous, creative, wise, and strongest I’ve ever been!
What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante.
Getting my morning started here in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.
Welcome to the Centennial Arboretum.
Met this young man yesterday—Shaq.
Shout out to Shaq. Shaquille O’Neal.
What’s good, what’s good?
He told me how he always knew he was a photographer… but never really thought much about it. He’s been going out, enjoying everyday life in the city, and that’s been bringing him joy.
And this, to me, is the beauty of photography.
We both have eyes—me and you, the viewer here.
Two eyes, connected to a brain, allowing us to see and perceive with sharp visual acuity.
In a way… we already have a camera built into our bodies.
“We have a sort of panopticon view of our surroundings.”
We can look around, swivel our heads, and take it all in.
And life? It’s full of things worth seeing.
Full of beautiful things to photograph.
To see is one thing.
To photograph is another.
Photography is about putting order to chaos.
It’s about taking your perception and placing four corners around it.
It’s how we make sense of this crazy world.
Shaq told me he’s starting to tap into the mundane, finding beauty in the sunrise, in the people on the street, in fleeting moments. And now that he sees the world as a photographer…
everything’s different.
We all have phones. We all have cameras.
“Everybody can make a picture. But not everybody makes a photograph that shares a piece of their soul.”
That’s the difference.
A true photographer reflects their vision, their soul, their inner world.

Let’s go back to the roots:
Photography is writing with light.
Each photo is a line in your diary.
A visual journal of how you see and feel the world.
Cliché? Maybe.
But it’s powerful.
Walking through the world with a camera is like holding a superpower.
You’re not just watching life happen—you’re participating in it.
You’re putting something on the canvas.
The world around you becomes your painting.
“You have a camera connected to your brain.”
You now have a purpose, a way to find meaning in the mundane.
To see something beautiful is easy.
But to evoke the sublime?
That comes from the soul.
Photography, at its best, transcends logic.
It’s subconscious. It’s heart-driven. It’s intuitive.
“A photograph is a reflection of your courage—of your heart.”
It takes courage to move through the world and engage.
To press the shutter and say yes to life.
Don’t get trapped in the four corners of your frame.
Life is bigger than any single photo.
Recognize the infinite potential around you.
Get into that flow state where curiosity leads, and logic fades.
Forget what you think you know about photography.
Just go out and photograph what moves you.
No matter how mundane it gets—
press the shutter.
Ask why.
Stay in wonder.
“Wield your camera like a sword to strike through the heart of chaos.”
That’s how you reflect the soul of the street.
That’s how you find harmony in everyday spontaneity.

Don’t look for a story.
Your life is the story.
Each image is a:
Let photography be your vehicle.
Get on the front lines of life.
There’s a path ahead. You could go left. Or right.
But what if…
“What if you marched into the abyss—into the void?”
That’s where we thrive.
Through the chaos. Openly.
And when you come out the other side, with your photographs in hand?
You’ve championed the day.

In photography, time melts away.
There’s no past.
No future.
Just now.
With each click, you affirm life.
From dawn to dusk, you keep going.
Because the world is overflowing with moments.
You are a photographer.
“This is a very empowering thought.”
You can go out and explore endlessly.
Photograph your way through life.
Not for likes. Not for validation.
But because it’s who you are.
Time to start my day.
Out for my morning walk.
Camera in hand—as always.
Visit dantesisofo.com
Check the Start Here page for my camera settings.
Give it a try. It will liberate the way that you photograph.
And I believe—
it will bring more joy into your life.
Peace.
Nietzsche’s Three Metamorphoses: Camel, Lion, and Child
In Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche describes three stages the spirit must pass through to become fully free and self-actualized:
1. The Camel
Symbolizes: Burden-bearing, obedience, endurance
The camel says “I will carry.” This stage is about taking on weight — societal expectations, traditions, religious rules. The camel accepts suffering and discipline, kneels down in the desert, and says:
“Give me your heaviest burdens.”
But this is not the end. It’s only the beginning — the stage of strength-building.
2. The Lion
Symbolizes: Rebellion, independence, destruction of old values
The lion says “I will.” It seeks freedom and fights the great dragon called “Thou Shalt.”
This dragon represents the voice of tradition and morality imposed from outside. The lion’s task is to slay the dragon and say “No” to external rules.
However, the lion can only destroy. It cannot create new values.
3. The Child
Symbolizes: Creativity, innocence, play, rebirth
The child says “Yes.” It forgets, it plays, it creates. The child is a new beginning — a pure spirit who invents meaning from within.
“The child is innocence and forgetting, a new beginning, a game, a self-rolling wheel, a first movement, a sacred Yes.”
The child represents the final transformation — one who lives freely and creatively.
Summary Table
Stage Motto Symbolizes Action Camel “I will bear” Obedience, endurance, tradition Carries burdens, accepts norms Lion “I will” Rebellion, freedom, destruction Destroys old values (the dragon) Child “I create” Innocence, play, creation of new values Creates new meaning and life
Reflection Questions
- What burdens are you still carrying like a camel?
- What dragons are you slaying as a lion?
- What new dreams are you creating as a child?