Why You Should Stop Looking for “Good Photos” Every Day

Yo, what’s poppin’ people? It’s Dante.

Today we’re going to be discussing the question:

Should I look for anything specific when I’m practicing my daily photography?

And the short answer is no.

I don’t think that you should.

The reason being is that I believe in the act of surprising yourself with the frames that you make. I believe in the mystery of the mundane in photography and almost surrendering to the medium and whatever it is that life provides you.

At the end of the day, think about some simple things:

As a photographer, you’re not in control of what you see on the street.

You’re not in control of whether or not you come home with a powerful moment or make a great photograph today.

You’re not in control of the weather.
You’re not in control of the lighting.

But what you are in control of is cultivating curiosity and enthusiasm for life.

And that mindset shift matters because once you recognize that most outcomes are out of your control, then what remains is:

• where you walk
• how often you move your body
• your attentiveness
• your awareness
• your openness to the moment

Removing Control Unlocks Possibility

I find that whenever I become attached to a particular thing I want to photograph, I overwhelm myself.

But when I surrender to the surprise of the unknown — the way light and life interact at a street corner, or what I might find down an alleyway — photography becomes alive again.

“Removing control actually unlocks more possibility.”

And so while I don’t believe in going out with preconceived ideas, I do believe in routine.

I believe in discipline.
I believe in walking.
And I believe in following your joy.

Follow What Sparks You

Sometimes when I’m walking through the city streets, I feel overwhelmed.

Philadelphia is small enough for me to walk the same routes daily, but cities can become claustrophobic:

• tall buildings
• trash everywhere
• cars honking
• visual overload

But whenever I walk toward the rivers and I can see the sky open up, something changes in me.

I start looking at the clouds.
I see planes overhead.
I see beyond the city.

And I become inspired again.

There’s something deeply photographic about clouds.
They’re always changing.
Always moving.
Always becoming something else.

So one of the most practical things I can tell you is this:

Go toward the places that make you feel alive.

For me, sometimes that’s crowds and chaos.

Other days it’s the woods.
The river.
Silence.
Flowers.
Light through trees.

Whatever your intuition is tugging you toward today — follow that.

Don’t force yourself to photograph things you don’t care about.

Photography Shouldn’t Feel Like a Chore

If photography starts feeling like a scavenger hunt or a checklist, something has gone wrong.

There’s a place for challenges and exercises, but overall, whatever you’re going out there to do, you should genuinely want to do it.

The default for me is simply treating photography as a visual diary.

I’m trying to remember what happened that day.

Maybe I got a splinter in my hand and my mother helped me remove it.

Maybe I photographed her reflection in a mirror afterward.

Maybe I was walking to church and photographed the fountain outside.

Maybe I photographed the gospel during service.

Maybe I was working in the park and photographed plants all day.

None of it is forced.

It’s just life unfolding.

“I think there’s something so magical about the mundane.”

Let Your Themes Emerge Naturally

What’s interesting is that over time, you start noticing recurring themes in your work.

For me, clouds are a constant.

But these themes arise naturally through instinct — not through forcing concepts.

That’s why I think it’s important not to overthink photography.

Photography is embodied.

It’s walking.
Observing.
Feeling deeply.
Being engaged with your senses.

The best photographs often come from responding instinctively to the world around you.

I Don’t Want to “Conquer” Photography Anymore

Recently I had this thought:

I don’t want to make photographs from a state of victory anymore.

Like:

“Aha, I conquered the shot.”

I almost don’t want to nail the photo anymore.

I want things to go wrong.
I want surprises.
I want looseness.

And I think one of the beauties of the compact camera is that it encourages this way of working.

Why Compact Cameras Matter

The LCD screen liberates you creatively.

You can quickly:

• photograph a landscape
• make a candid photo
• shoot intuitively from the hip
• switch into macro mode
• photograph textures and surfaces up close

The compact camera makes photography feel effortless.

And because of that, it changes how you see life.

Not just the obvious things.

But details.

Textures.
Ground beneath your feet.
Reflections.
Flowers.
Blur.
Abstraction.

Don’t Box Yourself Into One Genre

As much as I love candid photography, I don’t think we should limit ourselves creatively.

There’s nothing wrong with:

• making portraits
• photographing flowers
• photographing your family
• experimenting with abstraction
• intentionally shooting out of focus

Once you release the pressure of what you think you should photograph, you become creatively liberated.

Now I photograph:

• people
• botanicals
• architecture
• daily family life
• abstractions
• textures
• landscapes
• random moments from buses and sidewalks

And it all feels connected because it’s coming from instinct.

Surprise Yourself

I think this is the most important point.

Photography can become overly controlled.

We can optimize everything:

• camera settings
• positioning
• composition
• timing
• locations

And yes, we can make technically great photographs.

But the real question is:

“Are you surprising yourself with the photographs you make?”

Are you discovering something new through the medium?

That’s what I’m after now.

The unknown.
The mystery.
The surprise.

And I find those things by letting go.

By photographing loosely.
By walking daily.
By remaining curious.

By simply chipping away at life one day at a time.

Flux Mini Zine Generator Update

Also — quick update.

If this video inspired you, check out the Dispatches tab on the Flux Archive.

At the top there’s now a mini zine generator where you can create tiny printable zines using 6 photographs.

And now you can officially submit them to me.

I updated the system so you can:

• batch upload photos
• drag images around easily on iOS
• download PDFs
• browse community submissions

Shout out to Igor and Brad for already submitting theirs.

If something catches my eye, maybe I’ll print it out and review it on the channel.

I kind of just throw ideas at the wall and build things as they come to me, but I’m excited to see what people make with it.

So yeah — go make something.

And other than that…

I’ll see you soon.

Peace.