Your Next Photograph Is Your Best Photograph
What’s poppin, people? It’s Dante. This morning, I’m thinking about a very simple idea—a mindset to adopt as a street photographer. The idea is this: your next photograph is your best photograph.
When I’m on the streets, I completely detach myself from the outcome, from the result of the photographs that I’m making. This way, I never get burnt out from practicing street photography.
The Challenge of a Great Photograph
It’s very difficult to achieve a photograph that cohesively describes your vision. By that, I mean a photograph that brings together so many elements:
- Composition
- Emotional impact
- Layering
- Timing
- Characters and subjects
- The story
These elements are incredibly hard to align every single day. Making a great photograph is rare, and if your goal is ultimately to create great photos, you need to recognize that it will take a lot of time.
A Process of Experimentation
For over two years now, I’ve been experimenting with a completely new process. To give you an idea, I’ve made 250,000 images in the past two years. That’s not an exaggeration. If I scroll through my photos app on my iPad, I can literally go all the way back to the beginning of this process.
In these two years, I haven’t missed a day of photographing. Maybe a few days here and there, but for the most part, I’ve been out there every single day, pushing forward and moving onward. It’s about momentum.
“The photographic process is about moving onwards, pressing the shutter more, making more photographs.”
The Reality of Great Photos
Here’s a crazy realization: out of those 250,000 photos, there might only be 10 that meet my standards of what I consider good. That’s it. Just 10.
A lot of photographers don’t realize this early on—you’re going to have to make a lot of photos. The odds are stacked, and the only way to beat them is through persistence.
Even now, I’ve barely scratched the surface of my new work. I haven’t made major selections yet. When I look at my catalog, I’m not thinking about the results or the “perfect” photo. I’m just in the process. And even though some photos randomly stand out—like the one with the gun in the background—they’re just steps along the way.
Immersion in the Process
“We want to be so immersed in the process, detached completely from the outcome, that we let go and simply enter this flow of production.”
It’s about entering a stream of becoming where every day is an opportunity to create. It’s about going out there into the world with your camera, making pictures in the spirit of play, and detaching from the results. That’s the shift.
Here’s the mindset I’ve adopted:
- Your next photograph is your best photograph.
- Don’t dwell on past photos or results.
- Every click of the shutter is another chance to make something great.
Why This Mindset Fuels Me
For over two years, I’ve gone out every single day without missing a beat. I’m not looking back because I know today is the day I’ll make my best photo.
“The next photograph you make is your lifeline. It’s the stream of you going out there and saying yes, chipping away at life, and getting closer and closer to those moments you deem the best.”
This mindset has fueled me, and hopefully, something here can fuel you too. When you’re on the streets, treat every moment as your next chance to create your best work.