Why Curiosity Matters in Street Photography
What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante. Welcome to the Centennial Arboretum. Today, I want to talk about something fundamental to the art of photography: curiosity — and why it matters.
Increase Curiosity by 1% Each Day
The goal of the photographer is to increase curiosity by 1% every day.
Let that be your mission. Just 1%. Because curiosity, at its core, is about care. It comes from the Latin root cura, meaning to care, to investigate, to be drawn toward the unknown.
And I believe it’s the duty of the artist to articulate the unknown. To put order to the chaos of life. To make sense of it all. That starts with wonder.
Return to the Child’s Mind
Curiosity is cultivated through play.
Wake up each day with the eyes of a child.
Remember how it felt to squat down in the forest and inspect the moss, the insects, the little ecosystems. I used to build teepees from sticks, bridges from stones. That same wonder is what we bring to photography.
Macro Mode & the Beauty of Details
One practical way I reconnect with curiosity is through using the macro mode on the Ricoh GR III or GR IIIx.
- It forces you to slow down
- It forces you to pay attention
- It brings excitement to even the smallest elements
Look close. Then look up at the towering trees. Repeat.
Photography is the act of putting four corners around chaos.
Whether it’s the flux of nature or the behavior of humans, we’re documenting evolution in real time.
Photograph Like an Anthropologist
I approach street photography almost like an anthropologist — curious about:
- How people move
- How they gesture
- How they exist
Investigate humanity with the same respect and wonder you’d bring to a new species in the wild.
Forget What You Think You Know
Forget everything you know about photography. About life.
Be open. Be loose. Drop low, look high. Change your perspective physically and mentally. Let your mindset reframe your vision.
Born Again Every Morning
I treat each morning like a rebirth. Each night like a miniature death.
“Each day I’m born again. Each night may be my last breath.”
It fuels my vitality, my presence. I photograph with urgency and joy because this moment might be the only one I have.
When you’re present, you:
- See more
- Feel more
- Photograph more
And that’s where meaning lives.
Inside is Where Souls Go to Die
If you’re stagnant, if you’re living on standby:
You’re not alive. You’re just surviving.
But outside, with the wind, the birds, the flux of life — when you’re photographing, moving, observing — that’s where your soul comes alive. That’s where you affirm life. That’s where you say YES.
Some Practical Suggestions:
- Use macro mode to pay attention to details
- Change your body position: go low, climb high
- Photograph every day like it’s your first
- Forget your preconceptions about what makes a good photo
- Stay open and embrace randomness
Articulate the unknown. Let chaos become your canvas.
Curiosity Is the Answer
Let curiosity guide your photography. Let play guide your days. If you can just increase your curiosity by 1%, you’ll find yourself photographing with fresh eyes, with purpose, with joy.
Follow the inner child within you… and you may just find bliss.
Peace.