







For the first part of 2016, my iPhone camera lens had a crack in it. This was a huge bummer, because it prevented me from creating iPhone Portraits. It was the first time in about 3 years I wasn’t creating spontaneous portraits with my iPhone. As someone who usually doesn’t create an image without some sort of production, creating a spontaneous portrait on a whim is an incredibly satisfying and exciting experience.
Not having a fully functioning iPhone camera for several months was a pivotal time for this project. A little part of me was feeling burnt out and tired. In the first three years, I had photographed over 300 iPhone portraits of family, friends, and strangers. I wondered if I would ever regain my excitement for this project if I stopped pushing myself to create.
Eventually in the Spring, I did get a new iPhone. The 6s. As soon as I picked up the phone, I couldn’t wait to make an iPhone Portrait. What I began to realize is the time away from this project gave me new energy and excitement to explore and push myself further. My pace has slowed a bit for several reasons, but my excitement and focus has only grown. The above images are a handful of the recent portraits I have made this Summer and Fall. I will continue to share more about this project as I move forward.
You can see a larger gallery of my iPhone Portraits here, and you can also follow @johnkeatley on Instagram to see the full project unfold.