Stop Chasing Great Photos
What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante, currently walking around Center City Philadelphia.
Today I’m thinking about goals—and why the goal of your creative practice, whether you’re making photographs, videos, drawings, paintings, or sculptures, should be fulfilled within the process itself.
I think this is one of the most important mindset shifts any creative person can make.
Too often we chase the outcome.
A great photograph.
An impactful moment.
Perfect light.
Perfect composition.
Perfect timing.
But those moments are rare.
That’s not to say you can’t create meaningful work. It’s simply recognizing that the only way to arrive at those moments is to stay fully engaged in the experience itself.
The photograph is never the goal. Presence is.
The Goal Is Movement
As photographers, I believe the ultimate goal is incredibly simple:
Move your body.
The more you walk, the more you see.
The more you see, the more you photograph.
The more you photograph, the more curious you become.
And ultimately, I think curiosity is the true orientation of photography.
The goal isn’t making a masterpiece.
The goal is fulfilled through:
- Walking.
- Exploring.
- Noticing.
- Making work.
Sometimes the greatest success isn’t the photograph you bring home.
Sometimes it’s simply that you went outside.
Curiosity Creates Longevity
It takes a long time spent in the world before something truly interesting reveals itself.
That’s why curiosity matters so much.
Curiosity gives you longevity.
It’s what allows you to return day after day without burning out.
That’s what I’ve tried to cultivate in my own practice:
A sustainable rhythm that I can repeat every single day.
Reduce Decisions
One practical suggestion is to create a routine.
Know where you’re walking.
Know your destination.
Give yourself a direction.
When you eliminate unnecessary decisions, something interesting happens.
You stop hesitating.
When you stop hesitating, you stop thinking.
When you stop thinking, you start doing.
Photography is instinct.
Photography Is Physical
I also think it’s important to recognize just how physical photography really is.
Every photograph is simply the result of:
- Your position relative to the subject.
- The moment you press the shutter.
That’s it.
The art isn’t only in seeing.
It’s in walking.
It’s in positioning yourself.
It’s in responding.
Recognizing this physical aspect of photography is incredibly important.
Play Instead of Performance
If you’re walking…
If you’re observing…
If you’re responding with your camera…
If you’re doing it every day with a spirit of play…
Then I think it’s inevitable that you’ll eventually create work with meaning.
Whether that meaning is visual or emotional doesn’t really matter.
It reveals itself over time.
I think movement itself is the artist’s true practice.
Whether that’s physically walking or slowly working away at a drawing, the important thing is simply that you’re engaged in the act.
Even if today’s work isn’t great.
Remove Good and Bad
The work I enjoy most isn’t necessarily the work that performs the best.
It’s simply the work that I genuinely enjoy looking at.
And that’s incredibly subjective.
When you stop labeling your work as good or bad, you create space for something authentic to emerge.
That’s where your own voice begins.
Return to Childhood
Photography should feel like play.
Every morning is another opportunity to become someone new.
To evolve.
To change.
To remain in flux.
I genuinely believe joy is found through movement.
Not through arriving.
You never want to feel like you’ve reached the peak.
Return to day one every day.
Remain a beginner forever.
Remain an amateur.
Interestingly enough, if you look at the word amateur, it simply means to love.
If you continue making work because you love it—not because of money, fame, or recognition—you’ll inevitably create something that feels authentically yours.
Show Up Every Day
If you’re trying to cultivate your own way of seeing…
Detach from the outcome.
Find meaning in showing up.
Walk.
Observe.
Respond.
Produce.
The act itself is enough.
The Greatest Gift
Personally, I find the greatest gift isn’t even the photographs.
It’s simply being outside.
Fresh air.
The sun on your skin.
Meeting strangers.
Seeing beautiful people.
Seeing beautiful light.
Remaining present.
From that state of presence, life occasionally offers you something extraordinary.
Your only job is to be there when it happens.
Camera in hand.
Ready to respond.
Photography Is an Excuse to Look Closely
Photography has become one of my favorite ways to experience life.
Not because of the photographs.
Because it gives me permission to look closely.
To notice.
To feel deeply.
The camera becomes a vessel.
Life delivers.
You respond.
That’s all there is.
The Autotelic Approach
Ultimately, I think the goal is presence.
Being aware.
Being ready.
Responding without hesitation.
Detach from the outcome.
Embrace an autotelic approach to photography—finding meaning, fulfillment, and purpose within the act itself.
Within the art of walking.
Within noticing.
Within photographing.
That’s the thought of the day.
If you’d like to submit work for a review, check out the link in the description to create your own zine.
Submit 36 images, and if I enjoy the work, I’ll print it and review it here on the YouTube channel.
Submitting also gives you access to the Flux Community Discord.
Otherwise, you can simply click Join next to the Subscribe button here on YouTube to become part of the community.
Thank you for watching.
I’ll see you in the next video.
Peace.