How to See the Extraordinary in the Ordinary (Street Photography & Light)

How to See the Extraordinary in the Ordinary (Street Photography & Light)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Currently photographing this palm here, looking at the beautiful light and these lines and the shapes that form in the center of this beautiful plant.

Walking around South Beach, thinking today about abstraction in photography and how we can use light and our cameras to basically create anything.

There’s something so powerful about wielding light—using it to lift ordinary, mundane moments to a new height.

It’s the way that light renders upon the camera sensor that creates the surprise.

My Current Workflow

I’m shooting with the Ricoh GR:

  • High contrast black and white JPEGs
  • Automatic settings
  • Everything baked into the file
  • No post-processing

I crank the contrast all the way up.

And what’s incredible about this workflow is that while I’m looking at life with my eyes, what arises in the frame is a surprise.

Maybe it’s a mistake.
Maybe it’s an imperfection.

But that’s the point.

Let Light Do the Work

By:

  • Crushing the shadows
  • Exposing for the highlights

You start to reveal ambiguity and mystery.

And honestly, that’s what keeps me curious.

It’s the surprise that arises in the frames that I’m making.

When I go home and look through my photos, I’m not judging them first—I’m curious.

What did the camera see today?

Curiosity Over Location

A big shift for me:

I’m no longer dependent on the external world to give me something interesting.

Because let’s be real—

Most places feel boring.

Most moments feel ordinary.

But my argument is:

Maybe you’re just not curious.

What we control as photographers is how we see and feel.

Not the location.
Not the subject.

Just our attention.

Stop Hunting for Photos

I’m no longer:

  • Chasing moments
  • Waiting for perfect alignment
  • Hoping something interesting happens

Instead:

I’m just there.

Prepared.

And whatever catches my eye—I respond intuitively, instinctively, quickly.

Just snapshots.

And over time?

You begin to discover how you actually see.

Abstraction as a Solution

Abstraction solved a big problem for me:

How do I integrate photography into everyday life?

Without needing:

  • A special place
  • A special subject
  • A perfect moment

When you abstract the world, you unlock infinite novelty.

There is something extraordinary within the ordinary way that light casts upon everything.

Chip Away at Life

That’s really what this is:

Chipping away.

  • A leaf blowing
  • A gesture
  • A glance
  • Light hitting a wall

Most of the time?

Nothing is happening.

People are just walking from point A to point B.

But if you stay open…

Something always emerges.

The Monkey Moment

And then—out of nowhere—

A guy rides down the street with a monkey on his bike.

I missed the shot.

Completely.

Because I was talking to the camera.

And honestly?

That’s the perfect lesson.

You never know. A fucking monkey might just appear.

But you have to be there.

Ready.

Not distracted.

Final Thought

Don’t wait for something interesting.

Don’t rely on your location.

Don’t chase the perfect moment.

Just:

  • Show up
  • Stay curious
  • Chip away at life

Because something is always happening.

A glance.
A gesture.
A shift in light.

And if you stay open—

you’ll see it.

Abstraction isn’t about removing reality.
It’s about seeing it differently.

Alright, get out there and start photographing.

And yeah—

look out for monkeys.

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