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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Final Thought
This is the system.
Fast JPEGs.
iPad workflow.
Minimal friction.
One camera. One aesthetic. One workflow. One rhythm.
That’s it.