Detach From the Outcome
What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.
Today I’m here to discuss why being detached from the outcome is enhancing my ability to fall in love with life through photography.
We have all of these goals, all of these outcomes that we strive for as photographers — a book, a zine, a gallery, a show, or even just making a great photo.
But practicing street photography in a detached state is liberating.
Photography Without a Box
When I’m detached, I’m no longer constrained by the idea of my photo being contained to a theme, somebody’s agenda, or the four corners of a room or a show.
My photos become a way for me to outwardly express:
- My love for life
- My vitality
- My clarity
- What I feel internally
I have no idea whether somebody’s going to like my photo or not.
I have no idea if I’ll even make something “interesting.”
The only thing I’m in control of is whether or not I go out there with curiosity.
The Distraction of Outcomes
Being attached to:
- Making a great frame
- Finding something interesting
- Having success or fame
- Making money
…it’s distracting from the act of going out there and practicing daily.
Falling in love with life is the reason I practice photography.
It gives me an excuse to:
- Feel deeply
- See clearly
- Engage with humanity
Whether I make a “great frame” is superfluous.
Meaning Is in the Process
When I’m immersed in daily practice — entering the flow state of production — I cultivate joy that only arises when I detach from the outcome.
The ultimate aim for me is cultivating my own authentic expression through photography.
If I’m caught up in validation or success, I’ll limit myself. I’ll start repeating frames because I know they produce a certain result.
But when I detach?
I find meaning in the process.
The process is where meaning is found.
The goal is to press the shutter.
To explore.
To walk.
Ignore the Noise
All the chatter — the contemporary art world, contests, events, stupid stuff online — it’s a distraction.
I have zero interest in it.
My interest is life.
My interest is:
- Experiencing humanity
- Going to new places
- The moment I press the shutter
Everything else is secondary.
Everything else is superfluous.
The Duty of the Photographer
I’m becoming more authentic by photographing for the sake of photographing.
I’m shooting more than ever.
Experimenting.
Tinkering.
Trying new things.
Pushing myself on the front lines of life every single day.
That’s the duty of the photographer.
Not sitting around wondering what photos mean.
Not trying to build a legacy.
We’re here for a finite amount of time.
The goal is to be under the sunshine.
I Don’t Care If You Like My Photography
I don’t give a shit whether you like my photography.
I don’t care if someone says, “That’s so great.”
I don’t even care if I come home with a great frame.
Because this practice is fulfilled internally.
Through:
- Curiosity
- Courage
- Intuition
These are the virtues I’m cultivating.
The Autotelic Mindset
Detach from the noise.
Embrace the autotelic mindset — where the goal is within the practice itself.
The outcome is fulfilled in the act of going out with curiosity.
Success, for me, is simple:
Can I walk the same mundane lane every day
and still find something new to say?
That’s success.
Success is noticing.
Feeling deeply.
Being there when you press the shutter.
The noise? Not in my control.
What is in my control is whether I fall in love with life today.
Whether I walk in the spirit of play.
You don’t have to take your photography so seriously.
Embrace play.
Spontaneity.
Childlike wonder.
That’s where fulfillment is.
Thank you for watching.
I’ll see you in the next one.
Peace.