Why I Photograph Every Day (And Why You Should Too)
What’s poppin’, people?
It’s Dante. Coming to you live from the Centennial Arboretum. Just got a fresh cut — sides shaved down. Feels good. Real good. Summer’s blazing, but this morning’s got that cool breeze, cloudy skies, peace in the air. I’m just walking. Just flowing.
I turned the GoPro on like I usually do. No plan. No script. Just vibes. Stream of consciousness. Letting it out.
Photography Is My Sword
“I wield the camera like a sword to strike through the chaos and put order to it in my frames.”
When I’m out in the world with my camera, I don’t overthink it. I respond to what’s in front of me. Intuitively. Instinctively. I let the camera come along for the ride, like it’s strapped to my soul.
The street becomes a playground, a battlefield, an arena. Each scene is an invitation to create, to react, to conquer with presence.
Photography Is Presence
“We have a past, we have a future — but these things aren’t my concern.”
All I care about is right now.
Photography, for me, is meditative. It brings me into the moment. And when I’m in the moment, I feel like I’m outside of time. No stress. No fear. Just this eternal now. This is where I believe humans thrive — not survive.
Because if you’re lost in the past, that’s depression. If you’re stuck in the future, that’s anxiety. But when you move your body, when you walk with purpose, when you photograph with intention, you find that place in between. And that’s where the magic happens.
Why I Follow the Light
“Photography literally means drawing with light.”
The trees remind me: just reach for the sun.
That’s what I’m doing every time I lift my camera. Following the light. Chasing it. Drawing with it. Light on surface. That’s all it is. That’s all it needs to be.
Photography — phos (light) + graphe (writing) — is me writing poems with the sun.
Each Photo Could Be My Last
“We are flesh. We cut, we bleed. And that’s what makes us divine.”
I treat every photograph like it might be my last.
Why? Because one day, it will be.
That’s the gift of photography — the urgency it brings. It reminds me of my mortality. Of this sacred timeline. Of the fragility of being human. I let that awareness fill me with curiosity, joy, gratitude — and I let it guide my shutter finger.
Like a child playing in the woods, asking why at every leaf and shadow, I photograph as a way of questioning the world.
“Each night is a mini death. Each morning is a rebirth.”
And with every sunrise, I walk out with new eyes.
Gratitude Is the Foundation
Before I shoot anything, I give thanks.
- Meat in the fridge
- Water in the cup
- Air in my lungs
- Trees in my line of sight
- My legs work
- My eyes see
- My hands feel
- My ears hear
What more could I ask for?
When I’m overflowing with that kind of gratitude, I’m full of bliss. And when I’m full of bliss, I can’t help but chase joy. That’s when I photograph best — from that light, joyful place.
The Soul in Every Shutter
What’s my goal?
“To reflect my soul in the photographs I make.”
That’s it. That’s the game.
Not followers. Not likes. Not exhibitions. Just truth. Just essence. Just that raw, unfiltered, inner world made visible.
When I let go of plans and shoot in the spirit of play, when I lean into intuition, I start to reflect something real. And that’s where my best work comes from.
Evolution Means Destroying Yourself
Lately, I’ve been undergoing a metamorphosis.
“You gotta turn to goo before you become a butterfly.”
For seven years, I shot color. But for the last three, I’ve been in black and white — stripping things down. Simplifying. Rebuilding.
I’ve destroyed everything I thought I knew:
- What makes a good photo
- How I should shoot
- What photography means to me
- How I interact with the world
And I rebuilt. From the ground up.
Like a caterpillar in a chrysalis, I liquified my old ideas. And I came out the other side with wings. The transformation never ends. We’re always cycling. Always rebirthing. Always evolving.
The final form? The child. Always.
Curiosity, Courage, Intuition
“The three traits every photographer needs:”
- Curiosity
- Courage
- Intuition
That’s the holy trinity of photography. Forget gear. Forget technique. Cultivate these three and you’ll go far.
And the best part? You don’t need to grow 100% every day. Just 1% more curious each morning. That’s it. Small steps. Compound vision.
My Setup (And Why It Works)
I keep it simple:
Ricoh GR. Wrist strap. Small JPEGs. Fits in my pocket. Always on me.
This camera is my diary. It documents my life in real time — bus rides, self-portraits, window reflections, macro details. It lets me shoot without excuses.
“Just treat it like a visual diary. No pressure. No outcome. Just joy.”
That’s the way.
Play. Flow. Freedom. Joy.
At the end of the day, it’s not that deep. Or maybe it is. But either way, the point is this:
- Have fun
- Walk light
- Stay curious
- Shoot for you
Let the photos reflect that inner child. That joyful soul. That free mind.
That’s what I’m doing.
Now, back to the walk. Look at this park. Whoa.
Thanks for watching. Thanks for reading.
Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace.