One of the most inspiring thoughts I have is that photography is endless. When I wake up in the morning with my eyes wide open, I’m always ready to go out there and make new pictures despite how boring or banal life may seem on a day-to-day basis. I can walk anywhere in this world, and find something to uplift with a photograph because I know that I can articulate the unknown, making order from the chaos that is presented in front of me. The most liberating form of art is photography, because of the accessibility of cameras, and infinite opportunities to make something from nothing no matter where you are in the world.
I find that street photography is merely an ethos, it’s a way of seeing, and doing things. It does not matter where you are, you should be able to find something to photograph. This is the abundant mindset that a street photographer must possess. You must be able to put yourself out there on the frontlines of life, finding ways in which you can see the world anew each day. The camera becomes a superpower, an excuse, for you to go out there each day and embrace the spirit of play, like a kid again.
Maybe you will die, but at least you can make photographs
Another amazing thought I have about photography is that it has an immortal quality to it. The photograph itself is something that can outlive us as a human being. Perhaps the moments that are fleeting in front of us will pass and go by, and you will die, but you can make photographs and freeze time forever. Photography is a way to exist outside the passage of time.
When I’m moving my physical body through the world, recognizing the patterns in both nature and human behavior, I don’t exist.
I’m merely floating through life, without any strife, on a feather bed. I go through each day, with my head held high, knowing that I will die, but because I have my eyes open wide, I find, that this is bliss. Moving, observing, participating with the street. Where the street becomes a stage. Everybody upon the stage is an actor, and so am I! I watch the feet as they dance upon the concrete, the moments as they fleet, the people as they dance and groove, and move, as I do too, one with my camera, mind and body, my soul is evoked through the medium.
Intuition is composition
One thing that I hear a lot is notions of composition, filling the frame, leading lines, and all these basic thoughts about what makes or breaks a good picture. I say, let the chips fall as they may! Composition is merely derived through your intuition. I believe that everybody possesses a godlike intuition within your gut. Perhaps the physical gut is the source of this intuition. I personally practice eating one meal a day, which means I do not eat breakfast, and I do not eat lunch. I find that when I do not have food in my belly, the connection between my mind, and my body is insanely sharp. I move fluidly with my camera, looking in front of me, behind me, to the sides of me, and I’m always prepared to photograph whatever is thrown my way. I’m on my toes, moving slow, like a grooving dancer, ice, skater, ballerina, skateboarder, basketball player, and observer of life. There is a dance that you must partake in when operating a camera on the street. It’s not necessarily 123, ABC, let me line things up this way, layer things that way, put the middle ground and foreground there… You must have a clairvoyant vision. You must be able to perceive things before they even occur, and have a perceptive quality that is unlike a regular bystander on the street. When you become in tune with the rhythm and the beat of the street, it is inevitable that your compositions will become stronger and stronger as you increase your visual acuity.
Photography is supreme
When I consider photography, I consider it to be the greatest medium of art. Why?
It’s because of its physical nature, and the fact that it relies on reality, and real life. Photography is a way to uplift the human experience to new heights. We can create our own world through the medium, by abstracting the real world around us. The supreme nature of photography lies in its accessibility as well. Anybody and everybody can go out and make pictures. And I believe that this is what makes photography so great. It’s not like sculpting with marble where you need years and years of practice and technical capabilities to make these magnificent pieces. We’re not looking to go out there and make the next Mona Lisa, but to make photographs in a stream of becoming is the goal. What this means is, your next picture is your best picture. It doesn’t matter what pictures you made yesterday, last week, last year, just look forward and onward always. Make photographs in a way that allows you to be in this spirit of play and production. Set yourself in motion, and move your body endlessly. Go out there each day with curiosity and courage, and simply make pictures as a way for you to see the world, understand yourself, and how you see things. The reason photography is such a supreme art form, and I believe it to be the greatest medium of art has to do with the fact that it is so open, with so much more to see, so much more to do, and infinite and abundant possibilities with this medium. It’s still so very young, everybody has an iPhone, everybody has a camera, and this is a great thing. This means, we are participating in the most democratic form of art. Recognize that, and dominate.
Where can men conquer?
When I look outside my window, I see highways, Amazon delivery, traffic, signals, cars, computers, technology, machines, apartments, condos, sky rises, malls, etc. I don’t see anywhere for man to conquer in the physical realm. However, perhaps we can conquer within the realm of art. Use the camera as a way to conquer the streets. Use your photography as a way to conquer the world. When you travel to new places, dominate. I say, don’t just be a photographer, but become a warrior.
Wield the camera as a sword, strike through the heart of chaos, reveal the soul of the street, and create visual order and harmony through the spontaneity of everyday life.
When you go out there with your camera, you’re not just making pictures, you’re not just making art, you’re conquering the world, you’re conquering the streets, you’re dominating your domain. I say, we must conquer, we must dominate, we must make pictures in a way that affirms life, empowers us, and makes us feel uplifted, strong, and able to see more, go and do more, and transcend beyond the horizon and create our own worlds.