Photo Journal #47

Over the past five months, I’ve trained at some of the best fighting gyms I’ve ever experienced. If there’s one lesson I’ve taken to heart, it’s that consistent effort and self-belief outweigh intensity and skill. You can have all the talent in the world, but without belief in yourself, success is out of reach.

I see it all the time in the gym. Someone dominates every sparring round, and you’d bet on them as the best fighter, only to watch them get knocked out in the first round of a real fight. The ones who succeed on fight night are those who keep showing up, day after day, regardless of yesterday’s losses. They believe in themselves enough to persevere, no matter the setback.

Photo Journal #46

Quiet moments that remind me of how New York feels in my mind.
I’m very excited to be back here even the garbage smell of this place brings back great memories.
Feels like a bit of a rebuilding period in my life and New York always fills me with so much hope for the future.

Photo Journal #45

I’d seen the ONX gym countless times on the UFC’s YouTube channel, and it always looked amazing. Being invited there to shoot these fighters was pretty surreal.

Grateful for these opportunities and the incredible people I’ve met along the way.

Photo Journal #41

Looking forward to the new year I’m looking to add some new habits as well as get rid of some of the things that aren’t really serving my creativity.
I find that I do much better focusing in the physical aspects of my work rather than in the digital.
I also feel more satisfaction from things like developing film and printing and making my blogs in a physical journal rather than online.
Although I love to share these the time it takes to make these and the skills im looking to work toward aren’t being sharpened by this blog.
Mainly I just having fun doing this but I think this might be it for the blog or I may reduce it’s consistency and just do it every so often.
Anyways to anyone that’s come here to view my photos thank you!
Your support means the world to me and I’ll continue to share my work on other platforms.

All the best,
Atticus

Photo Journal #38

If you’re looking for a simple daily shooter and deciding between the Fuji X100 series or the Ricoh GRIII, it really comes down to a few key factors.

Image Quality and Editing

First, are you editing on your phone or a desktop/laptop? Fujis are incredible cameras with their built-in presets, allowing you to send images to your phone super quickly. The images straight out of the camera are almost ready to post—you just need a few small tweaks in apps like VSCO or Tezza, and you’re good to go.

However, here’s what I didn’t like about my Fuji X-Pro 3: while the images are nearly perfect straight out of the camera, tweaking them to match my personal style on a computer was almost impossible. The images often had a noticeable magenta or green tint, which required extra effort to correct. Lastly, focusing at night was a major challenge.

That said, I’ve had much better experiences with the Fuji X100 series when it comes to focusing. If you’re the type of person who wants to shoot and edit on your phone, the Fuji X100 series is the best camera out there. It even comes with a built-in flash, which is a big plus.

The Ricoh GRIII Experience

I’ve had the Ricoh GRIII for about two weeks now and have used it a few times, mainly photographing my dog play in the mornings. Having previously owned Fujis and not being thrilled with their color profiles, I wasn’t in a rush to get another crop sensor point-and-shoot. Instead, I often opted to lug around my Canon.

Then I tried the Ricoh GRIII, and I was blown away by the sharpness and color quality of the image files. In good lighting, I can take a RAW photo, apply one of my custom presets, and the result is nearly indistinguishable from my Canon R5 photos. I was genuinely shocked, as I’d never seen this level of color range from a crop sensor point-and-shoot.

Aside from the colors, I love how tiny and user-friendly this camera is. As a desktop editor, I feel this camera is perfect for professional photographers who want to carry a camera everywhere for memory’s sake while still having the option to edit the photos to look like their professional work.

Fuji vs. Ricoh

The Fuji X100 series, on the other hand, feels more tailored to iPhone photographers who want to step up their photo game but prefer to keep their editing and sharing workflows primarily on their phones.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’d give the Ricoh GRIII a 7.8 out of 10. If it had a built-in flash and an articulating screen, it would easily score a 9 out of 10.

Below are photos I took of my dog on a walk with the Ricoh GrIII X HDF.

Lastly I have absolutely no ties to Ricoh or Fuji this is just my opinion.

Photo Journal #36

Crested Butte, Colorado
Four years ago, when Rowie was a puppy, we took her to the dog park and met another Vizsla owner. After talking, we realized just how similar we were—the youngest of three boys, the same age, both in long-term relationships. We decided to plan a double-date breakfast with the pups and our then-girlfriends (Now wife and fiance)

Fast forward four years, and we now spend holidays together, go on trips, and have become inseparable—us and our pups. I love this story because it wasn’t a friendship made on the internet but in real life. When I think about all my best friends—the ones I talk to nearly every week—they’re all people I’ve met in person. Real relationships happen face-to-face.

This year, we spent Thanksgiving in Colorado with 10 friends who have since left NYC and now live in different parts of the country. It’s a reminder that life moves on, people spread out, but when you have real friends no time passes when you get back together.

Photo Journal #35

A friend of mine shared a post this morning that said, “How lucky am I to pay vet bills, to fall into bed exhausted, to feel heartbreak, to struggle with decisions, to wake up sore, to miss someone deeply, to be lost in a new city, to be terrible at something new.”

And it hit me like a ton of bricks.

This year has been turbulent with the highest highs and the lowest lows. Huge clients, tiny clients, late payments, payments that came early, new trips, unexpected bills, and wedding planning. I won’t lie—at times, I’ve thought, Why me? What the fuck have I done to be screwed over by someone?

Today, I’m saying, How lucky am I?
How lucky am I to learn how to bulletproof my contracts before it happens on a bigger job or at a worse time?
How lucky am I to be self-employed?
How lucky am I to share what I love to do with the world?

It’s a job I’ve taken lightly at times, and I don’t think anyone should. What you do is as important as you make it.

I’m very lucky to have struggles to overcome because, without them, I don’t think the effort would feel worth it—and the world would be a boring place.

Below is the current world champion stick ball team out of the Bronx, New York.
I didn’t grow top with my dad but he left a bag full of baseball and stickball stuff and as a kid I always wondered how it was played.
Boy is it a fast paced game that requires a lot of hand eye coordination.
Luckily I was able to crank a double on my first try at bat!

Photo Journal #34

We arrived in Denver on Tuesday afternoon after an eventful journey filled with some unique stops along the way. This wasn’t my first cross-country drive—I’ve made the trip from Brooklyn to California and back three times—but one of the hardest lessons to learn on these drives is taking the time to venture off the highways. It’s tempting to power through the middle states, dismissing them as empty stretches of road. But when you take the time to explore, you find places and people full of unexpected depth and skill.

One of those discoveries was Pedigo Submission Fighting, a gym that’s been making waves in the Jiu Jitsu world. Nestled in the small mining town of Mount Vernon, Illinois, this unassuming spot is home to some of the best Jiu Jitsu talent anywhere. After training there, I was blown away by the simplicity and intensity of their workouts. Sure, I got my ass handed to me, but I walked away having learned a lot in a very short time.

One thing that stood out during this trip is how accessible the instruction has been at every gym I’ve visited, including Pedigo. I’m not great with short-term memory, so I usually struggle to retain detailed coaching. But here—and at other top gyms along the way—the coaching has been refreshingly straightforward. Instead of hyper-technical jargon, they focus on clear, practical teaching that trickles down from their best fighters to the beginners. It’s ironic, in a way—these are some of the best gyms in the world, yet their teaching style is anything but complicated.

The culture at these gyms is just as impressive. Walking into a room full of people training to fight, you’d think the vibe might be intimidating. Instead, it’s welcoming—like a collective effort to help each other grow. That sense of camaraderie was especially strong at Pedigo, and it’s rooted in the story of how the gym was built.

The gym’s founder, Heath Pedigo, started with little more than a dream and an old, rundown laundromat called Daisy Fresh. Fighters lived and trained there—literally. They slept in sleeping bags on the mats or in their cars parked outside. Out of those humble beginnings came a team that dominated the Jiu Jitsu scene and gained recognition through a YouTube series by FloGrappling.

Today, the gym looks nothing like the rough setup it once was. It’s a two-story facility with dedicated spaces for Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and strength training. The classes are packed, and the talent pool is global. During my visit, I met students from France, the UK, Italy, and Australia—all drawn to train under Heath. It’s no surprise that many of them leave as champions.

One standout athlete I had the chance to meet and photograph was Michael Pixley, who was recently sponsored by my friend’s company, VHTS. Pixley is a phenomenon. At 6’2” or 6’3” and around 220 pounds, he’s lean, powerful, and versatile—a multidisciplinary athlete with a background in judo and a three-time NCAA wrestling title to his name. And here’s the kicker: he’s only a purple belt, two levels below black belt. Yet, he’s beating black belts in competition.

Pixley’s schedule is grueling, but he still finds time to coach youth wrestling, which says a lot about his character. His success isn’t about secret moves or flashy techniques—it’s about mastery of the fundamentals across multiple disciplines. That philosophy seems to define Pedigo Submission Fighting as a whole.

What this trip—and my time at Pedigo—reminded me is that the best gyms don’t rely on gimmicks. Their strength lies in relentless discipline, a commitment to fundamentals, and a culture that fosters growth for everyone.

Below are photos from my experience with Michael Pixley and Pedigo Submission Fighting.

Photo Journal #33

On the road again, and it doesn’t come without its challenges. Unexpected expenses are something we planned for, but they seem to show up when you least expect it. This is especially important as a freelance photographer because some clients don’t care about paying on time. If that’s something you’re dealing with, I’m sorry—I’m trying to figure it out too. Once I find a way to bulletproof my contracts, the first thing I’ll do is share a blog on how to GET PAID ON TIME!

So far, we’ve driven from Brooklyn, made a quick stop in Jersey to go to one of our favorite fighting gyms (CULTR), and then spent the weekend in Richmond, Virginia, to visit some old friends. As you head south from New York City, the country seems to get less and less dog-friendly, with cities being the exception. Although they’re still not as dog-friendly as places like New York City or Mexico City.

From Richmond, we went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to check out the Great Smoky Mountains. They were stunning, and the views were amazing. If I were to go back to Gatlinburg, I’d stay in an Airbnb in the woods because the nature there is beautiful. We also drove through Pigeon Forge, which is the town next to Gatlinburg. If you like chain restaurants, this is your place—I didn’t know TGI Fridays or Red Lobster were still around, but in Pigeon Forge, they’re alive and well. The other surprise was that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park doesn’t allow dogs on any of the trails, except for service animals. This felt strange, as the only trail we did was a paved path about half a mile long. When I looked it up on the National Parks website, I found that none of the U.S. National Parks allow dogs on trails, to avoid them disrupting wildlife—which I understand completely. Luckily they allow dogs in the camping areas so if you’re going to bring your pup to a national park just don’t hike with them.

After the Smokies, we took off west through Tennessee to Nashville. After a long four-hour drive, we took Rowie to a park to play before dark. About 10 minutes in, she ran into a sharp stick, let out a yelp, and ran back to me with her eye closed. By far the scariest injury of her life—I thought her eye might have been impaired by the sharp stick. By the grace of God, we took her to the vet, and it turned out that her bloodied eye had been missed; the stick had gone above her eyeball, cutting only the inside of her eyelid. In the moment, I was pretty shaken, and afterward, I couldn’t help but think what it would be like to be a parent and have an actual child get injured. Luckily, kids can express their pain, either way it’s terrible to see something so innocent get hurt.

Since then, our luck has really turned around. As I write this, we’ve spent two days in Nashville. I got to visit an old friend and Muay Thai coach, P.J. McMahon, at the new Renzo Gracie gym in Nashville. I’ve been going to their early morning classes, and it’s amazing how much BJJ and Muay Thai can improve your mood, especially when you start at 5 a.m. The talent level of their competition team is something I’m not used to, so after two classes, I’m adapting as fast as I can. Meg and I have been working together on creating new photo shoots and videos just for ourselves, and that’s really the icing on the cake. Everyone’s healthy, happy, and we’re having fun together—and we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Photo Journal #31

When I was younger, I bought a lot of books. I'd read a few chapters, scribbling notes in the margins, only to lose interest and move on to newer books that seemed to offer better solutions. Recently, I picked up some of those older books with the intent of finishing them. The notes I left behind often reflected goals, like having 10 steady clients or owning a home by 25. Not unreasonable goals, but I think if I’d finished the books, my goals might have changed. It’s clear to me now at 20, I was focused on what I would have rather than what I would do.

What would 25-year-old me have done with a home other than sleep in it and make a mess? It would’ve been a burden. Reading these notes now, I see how some of my priorities were mixed up, like I was racing to accomplish things for appearances—as if they would make me successful in my unconventional career path. What I did get right back then was focusing on building skills, but if I had finished the books, I would’ve realized that doing is more important than having.

The pictures below are from some random days at jiu jitsu. I’ve been bringing my camera to classes occasionally, just to capture the memories. One thing I love about jiu jitsu is that most of us go just to go. Most don’t compete. Like many sports, it’s for the sake of doing—for the love of movement, overcoming struggle, and, most importantly, constant learning. Unlike books that inspire us to make plans, jiu jitsu is about action. It’s a constant practice of learning, doing, and improving. In that way, jiu jitsu, like life, is less about what you have and more about what you do.

Photo Journal #30

There’s a certain energy in NYC that constantly draws me back in. Opportunity, creativity, and collaboration seem to thrive here. For me, NYC is one of the quickest ways for an American to gain new perspectives. With so many niche cultures doing things differently than most of us have seen before, the city offers a fresh way of seeing the world. But the fast pace creates a constant push and pull.

A part of me loves the chaos. The other part of me misses writing in my journal first thing in the morning, listening to the birds. It makes you question—why does there need to be a choice between the two? Why not both?

Can’t I thrive in chaos and recharge in nature?

Photo Journal #29

Growing up my uncles all road bikes and some even built them.
I remember how excited I was to see them kick start their bikes and hear them rumble off into the distance or to ride on the back of them.
Also hearing about how legendary Indian Larry’s bikes were from my uncles made this event all the sweeter for me.


Unlike the metal scene I grew up in motorcycle events never felt like a fashion show or that the way you looked was ever being judged. Instead it feels like a place where anyone can fit in no matter what you look like.
I really enjoy that.

Secondly I had only a couple hours to visit this event due to prior plans so I was only able to shoot in full sunlight which I find to be the most challenging light to take photos in. Shooting photos especially on the fly doesn’t always pan out how you want it too but it was fun to do it anyways.
Hoping for many more Indian Larry Block parties in the future.