David Difuntorum. Photographer.

I've always been an artist.

I can see that in retrospect because I could never fully dial down my weirdness. Which might explain why I was hired and fired from 16 different jobs in the four years after graduating high school at the top of the bottom 25%. Good times! HAHAA!!!

Took a long time to realize the weirdness was connected to the artist thing. Who knew turning my teenage bedroom into an art installation wasn’t strictly weird but an art thing? Seriously, it was cool. I had this huge smiley face on one wall made from a ton of comic strips I’d stapled to the wall. It went up to the ceiling too.

I nailed shoes to my ceiling with a bunch of foot prints going up the wall and across the ceiling to end with the shoes. I also dressed like I ran through a thrift shop with adhesive on my arms and put on what stuck. Still working on that one.

Oh! And how did I do in college? AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!

Look, imagine a troop of hyperactive bonobo monkeys in the drivers seat of a medium sized truck stuffed with high explosives and with the words “Train Wreck” emblazoned on the side sitting at the top of a hill. Got the setup in your mind yet? Cool. Two things to realize here: (1) Something WILL (and DID) happen. (2) You’re going to see it from space.

Can you feel the tension?? That was college. Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhheh. heheh. heh.

Anyway.

So now I’m no longer weird but a professional photographer and artist. DOPE!

I get this huge thrill knowing that I can make a camera stand up and sing and make strangers at weddings feel like a million bucks. Life is short, you know?

What that all means is I live my life with my hair on fire while dumping NASA grade rocket fuel over a fire.

So if you want someone to throw gas on your fire, I'm your artist. You want everyone at your wedding or family session enjoying themselves and feeling great when I'm around? BOOM I'm your favorite hydrazine-powered artist.

But if my vibe annoys or irritates you then, oh goodness, don't hire me. Why? Why would you do that to yourself?

If you want to check out my in-the-moment stream-of-conscious work then below is my Instagram feed @TheDif.

It’s a mix of how I think and what I’m shooting. Its a low calorie look into my mind without the annoyance of unconsented brain surgery.

The feed shows a moment-by-moment sense of what's going on in my life both professional and personal. You'll see how I see my family, my friends, my work. It's some pretty dope stuff.

Have fun and thanks for coming to my TED talk!

You know how the taste of ice cream is wonderful but when it’s left your mouth all you have is the memory? . That’s what it’s like in a family shaped by love. . It’s ephemeral. It’s there and then the moment is gone. The experience is over and all you have left is the memory of tiny arms hugging you, kisses on cheeks, pancakes on a weekend morning. . Until you see the pictures and then you remember the taste of ice cream on a hot day and once again their laughter fills your ears and your heart swells until you feel your chest break. . For a heartbeat you’re there again and everything is right with the world.

Andrea was in the hospital when I took these shots. I was so full of fear and anxiety for her. I needed to do something the help me calm down. So my daughter and her friend decided to make helmets from a watermelon and I took their portrait. Made me smile and I felt better. . At the time of this writing (Friday 26JUN20) she’ll be coming home. . These images were a reminder of what’s important. Kindness, love and family.

It’s incredible how fleeting and how achingly sweet these moments are, you know? Like a fond memory of a sunrise or laughter with friends. Eventually those beautiful moments end and they become like tears in the rain. . But I have this moment as a photograph, I bottle lighting and stopped time and it’s so beautiful. Like staring at lightning bugs in a jar. . This moment will never happen again but I’ll be able to feel this moment every time I see this picture and I’ll be able to hear his laughter. . Let’s have a session, friend. Let’s do this before the distractions take away the moments.

Cosplayers like tattoo artist Rowan Starr inspire me. Imaging loving a character so much you decide to dress up as that character and hang out with other people who love their thing. I love that kinda passion because I’m a total nerd with photography and people. Geeks me out. Yeah Covid is a radio wet blanket but it’s also an opportunity to think about what’s important to you. Thanks Rowan! If the love of family and friends is what you think about to get you to smile let me know. I’ll wear a mask and bring my stupid huge lens to shoot you from a safe distance. Don’t sweat payment, just pay what you can by Venmo. Everyone is going through a tough time so don’t let budget stop you.

While it’s true that this reality’s version of The Boring Zombie Apocalypse is exactly the sort of uninteresting we desperately need, it’s also true that the vanilla flavored ennui you get from staying inside can be a bit wearing. 😑 So I went for a walk with my absurdity of a god lens and shot images of my neighbors who were also feeling a bit twitchy around the eyes. 📸 I have to tell you that I’m SO proud of these shots! It’s impossible to breach CDC safety protocols while shooting with this lens. And the shots look beautiful. 📸 📷 Book a family session with me and let’s take it outside! Don’t sweat the cost. Just pay what you can. Everyone is having a tough time. Don’t let budget stop you from getting images that remind you of a beautiful time with your family.

They grow up so fast and I’m so glad I was able to stop time so I can remember what it felt like.

Me too buddy. It’s weird, I know we’re in a global pandemic but I think I’m going to miss these moments of sweetness. So I’m trying to catch them before life moves on.

Yeah we’re in a global moment in history but I’ve become more attuned to my family and I’m actually joyful about spending this much time with them.

😊❤️😊❤️😊❤️

The house is filled with laughter even as the kids sometimes get a bit wonky because one is a tween and the other is a teen and my sleep is off. It also helps that I’m quick off the draw with apologies.

He’s not so much learning to play as much as being more “present in the moment”. 😶

Even in the middle of a global moment in history we’ll still laugh and it’s awesome.

Traditions are no longer just about something nice to do in our family. They’ve turned into a familly self care routine. Mom makes something reliably delicious on a predictable schedule. Everyone shares the experience together over a period of years. Interestingly that’s the working definition of intimacy: Measure of shared experiences and the intensity of the emotions they create over time. I’d love to know what you’re doing to create intimacy with your family and friends. Let me know in the comments.

They’re getting it done and its so cool to see. Even though I know we’re in the middle of a #pandemic I’m grateful to be around my family like this. It’s so nice. When this is done let’s do a family shoot to celebrate the triumph of love.

Went for a social distancing walk yesterday. It’s weird avoiding people and having people avoid us. I know its to avoid the whole death thing and I’m cool with that part. But still. The upside is being around these wonderful people all day. And no it’s not annoying being in murderously close proximity with cool people. They’re awesome. My son calls it being Maliciously Cheerful. Anyway, since you know I’m a small business person this post is also about asking you to hire me to shoot your families when the current Time Of Great Weirdness is over.

The kids say things are pretty chill but they’re a bit bored and they miss their friends. If that’s the worst that could happen then that’s not a bad thing at all. #quarantinelife #quarantine #familyphotography

I’m locked in with 3 of the coolest people I know. And two cats and a dog. So it’s not so bad. Just gotta remember you wash my hands. #stayhome #flattenthecurve #accidentalhomeschooler

Kids have their OWN energy! I don’t contain it during a family session, I let them be authentic and silly 😜

A favorite thing of mine is letting people be authentic. It’s harder then it sounds but fun to do.