Doccano Daleca on Photography as a Form of Expression | iPhone 12 Pro | Knowledge #547

creators who love photography share the stories behind their cameras. The camera someone holds dear often reflects their outlook on life and what matters to them. In this instalment, we meet Doccano Daleca, who uses an iPhone 12 Pro.

It all began with a yellow gerbera photographed with a first smartphone. Over time, photography became a way to notice small, curious details in everyday life and communicate feelings that were hard to put into words. Rather than focusing on gear, Doccano Daleca follows whatever catches the eye and stirs an emotion. This is a story about imagination, empathy and a constant companion that is always close at hand.

Released in 2020, the iPhone 12 Pro is an Apple smartphone with three 12MP cameras: Ultra Wide, Wide and Telephoto. Features include Night mode on the Wide and Ultra Wide cameras, as well as Portrait mode for softly blurred backgrounds. Its LiDAR Scanner also enables Night mode portraits, making it a versatile everyday camera for everything from casual snapshots to low-light scenes.

Five years ago, my first smartphone was the iPhone 12 Pro I still use today.

When I opened the camera for the first time and took a photo, I was amazed by how good it looked. The results were better than anything I had taken with my old mobile phone or even the digital camera I had at home.
At first, I did not install apps like LINE or Instagram. For a while, I just played with the camera. I was not especially interested in photography back then, but I kept taking photos of whatever caught my eye.

I ended up with so many photos that I deleted most of the ones from that time. But I still have the very first photo I took, of a yellow gerbera.
It means a lot because it was my first photo, but whenever I look at it, I also think it came out beautifully.

At first, I photographed everything. But as I looked back through my photos, I gradually began to see what really held my attention.

I have never been deeply interested in cameras themselves. Part of that is simply not having the budget for expensive cameras and lenses, but I am also not someone who obsesses over gear to get the perfect shot or chooses one subject and keeps chasing it.

Interchangeable-lens cameras can produce images that only they can create. At the same time, the iPhone 12 Pro has several cameras and features such as Night mode that open up more ways to enjoy photography. Above all, because a smartphone is always with you, you can pull it out and shoot as soon as something catches your attention. A photo changes not only with the gear, but also with where you look and how you work with light and distance. I think you can find your own way of seeing even with the camera already in your pocket.

So what do I photograph? Things that catch my attention in everyday life.
I seem to be drawn to things that most people might pass by without noticing.

“How did it end up like this?”
“Why is something like this in a place like that?”

I naturally notice things that set my imagination going. When I think about it, I suppose that is because once I see them, I cannot stop imagining what happened or empathising.

I come across these curious things quite often, and sometimes they suddenly appear right in front of me.
It is difficult to keep taking out a camera and lens while I am working, and some moments are gone unless I react immediately.

With an iPhone always close by, I can photograph whatever catches my eye right then and there. It suits the way I work.

Words are a powerful way for people to communicate. But no matter how carefully we choose them, some things cannot be fully expressed.
I do not think it is possible to communicate an emotion completely. That does not mean a photo can tell someone everything, either. Photography is imperfect too.

Even so, a photo can help us begin to share something that cannot be put into words.

When I find something I want to photograph, perhaps the photo can convey a little of what I felt in that moment.
Even if someone interprets it in a completely different way, the photo still prompted them to try to connect with that feeling.

Something passes between the subject, the photographer and the person looking at the photo. It is almost like a conversation carried by the atmosphere, with imagination and empathy moving back and forth. That makes me very happy.

I may be guilty of this too, but I feel that many people remain detached even in situations where we really need to care.
Sometimes not getting involved can itself be an act of kindness, so I am not saying indifference is always wrong. But looking away when we should be paying attention does not feel right.

I am not going to make some grand claim that my photos can change the world. That would probably be difficult.
But if someone sees one of my photos and thinks, even for a moment, “It is important to imagine and empathise with others,” perhaps that small realisation can bring a little more kindness into the world.

I once heard a guitarist say something like, “My guitar expresses what I cannot put into words.”

I had always hoped I might find something like that for myself. Looking back, perhaps photography became that for me as soon as I picked up a smartphone.

I use photos taken on my smartphone, together with words, to share what I want to say.
Now, my iPhone 12 Pro is a companion I could not do without.