In 2013, I challenged myself to take one or more good photos each day during the course of the year. I wanted to get back to the basics of telling stories with a camera, so I pared down my formidable photo arsenal to a simple instrument: the iPhone 5s. I made that choice because it is easy to use, always in my pocket, and simple. (I think of it more as a camera with a phone built in!). Shooting with its fixed 33mm lens forced me to sharpen my eye, get closer to and more observant of the little things around me, and ultimately made me a better photographer. To accomplish this I had to reach deep inside to see what I could really do, even on days where everything around me seemed extraordinarily ordinary. Days like that test my creative vision, but the trait that keeps me in the game is curiosity. I really do wonder about what's around the next corner, or in that shadow down at the end of the street. It's part of what keeps me fresh and excited about getting up everyday to see something new, even if it's only in my own backyard!
This photo of me taking a picture with an iPhone in Petra was by son James Kennerly using a Hasselblad and black & white film. It appears that not everyone is using digital these days, but he is definitely in the minority!
The result of my photographic adventure was not at all what I had initially intended. Although I drew from my picture-a-day concept for the book's illustrated material, what emerged was a very personal dive into understanding and articulating my own photographic process. "David Hume Kennerly On the iPhone" turned out to be a great way for me to share ideas about key elements of good photography with others.
More photographs have been taken in the last year than had ever been taken before in history. All of those people who are taking pictures are doing so for a reason; to remember something, to share an emotion or just to say, "I was there". "David Hume Kennerly On The iPhone" is filled with secrets and tips that can help others make those pictures more effective and memorable.
A women walks through the flowers in Palisades Park, Santa Monica. From "David Hume Kennerly On the iPhone."
Waves, Yachats, Oregon, from the book
Some of my best images are made right at home. Here's my son James working in his room. The hardest photographs to capture are of the things that we see all the time and don't notice. Overcoming familiarity is one of photography's biggest hurdles.
