Brendan Ó Sé

Last night I had the most enjoyable night in Madrid, delivering a photography workshop (in Spanish) for the @IrlEmbMadrid and their wonderful ‘Ireland in Frame’ exhibition that has run since early June as part of @photoespana. Big thanks to all who made it possible.

@photojack Thank you, Jack.

@fotopunctuation Congratulations my good friend. Proud of you.

I have been waiting a while to share this exciting news. I'm off to Hanoi next week for the opening of a solo exhibition of some of my Irish street photography as part of Photo Hanoi 2025. photohanoi.com/en/from-the-st… 1/3

@irlembvietnam Also, I have four images in a group exhibition which you can read about here - photohanoi.com/en/vertical-la…

I will be exhibiting a combination of images I have shot over the years here in Ireland and some photos which I have never shared. I am very grateful to the @irlembvietnam Irish Embassy in Vietnam who put me forward for this solo exhibition, in particular to Hannah McCarthy. 2/3

@IrishRail Why oh why does the wifi on Irish Rail never work?

@photojack Ya - it is the overthinking - maybe.

@fotopunctuation Not for me. I curate almost as quickly as I shoot. I rely on instincts, impulses, intuition. I never over think.

Photography friends: Is the hardest thing in photography sequencing of images for exhibitions and/or books?

@DublinAirport Improve the food options. At the moment, they are dreadful.

What would you like to see us do next to make Dublin Airport even better? 🤔 ✈️

@IrishRail Not sure who was alerted but nobody came to our carriage. Absolutely disgraceful that elderly passengers were without seats for such a long journey.

@fotopunctuation I shall alert the relevant department. -AD

@photojack @mcmillanmedia @brendajohima @mobiography @MarkStall @stalman @TheAppWhisperer @AlexStankie @ricksammon @jeffersongraham @normansavigar @iFilmmakers @ScanmyphotosC The strap attached to the case is always my favourite iPhone gear.

Got any pieces of special iPhone gear you are currently in love with? At least have a crush on? @mcmillanmedia @brendajohima @mobiography @MarkStall @stalman @fotopunctuation @TheAppWhisperer @AlexStankie @ricksammon @jeffersongraham @normansavigar @iFilmmakers @ScanmyphotosC @moment @neewerofficial @ulanzi_official @SmallRigGlobal @shiftlens @sandmarc @jlperez67 @ReeflexCamera @Freewell_Gear @lexarmemory @AnkerOfficial @Tiffentweets @manfrotto_tweet @jobyinc @bhphoto @adorama @samyscamerasf @GlenBMulcahy @MarcSettle

@mythicStallion @photojack Thank you, and thank you, Jack.

@photojack Thanks. I’ll pass this along to my peers

Open Letter to Apple: Give Us Control Over Our Highlights From a Photographer Who Knows What the Hell He’s Doing Dear Apple Camera Team, Let me start by saying this: I love the iPhone. I’ve built an entire career, brand, and legacy around mobile photography. I’ve shot over a million iPhone photos, across generations and geographies. I’ve spoken at conferences, published books, and taught workshops worldwide on iPhone photography. I’m all in. But I have one request—a plea, really—on behalf of myself and a growing chorus of photographers who are tired of fighting a battle we never signed up for: Please give us a toggle to bypass your automatic highlight preservation. Let me be clear. I understand computational photography. I know what Smart HDR is doing under the hood. I get the magic of semantic rendering, the fusion pipeline, deep learning tone mapping, and your noble efforts to balance dynamic range across varying conditions. But sometimes, we don’t want balance. Sometimes, we don’t want your algorithm’s idea of what’s “better.” Sometimes, we want control. We’re Not Asking for RAW Yes, I know that shooting in ProRAW disables much of the tone compression. And yes, I’m grateful for that option. But I’m not always working in ProRAW mode. I don’t want the overhead. I don’t want the workflow lag. I don’t want 25MB files for everyday shooting. I just want to shoot HEIF (or JPEG) and choose when to let my whites clip and my blacks fall off. But right now, that’s not an option. Here’s What’s Happening When I expose a bright scene—say, early morning sun streaming into a diner, or backlit silhouettes at the beach—I often want those highlights to blow out. I want clipped whites. I want that haloed glow. I want contrast. I want imperfection. I want emotion, not correction. But Smart HDR won’t let me. Even when I intentionally overexpose, the camera pulls the highlights back. Smooths them out. Suppresses the burn. And yes, that might help the average shooter keep sky detail in a midday landscape. But for us seasoned photographers who have spent decades learning how to shape light deliberately, it’s maddening. It makes our shots look “iPhone-y.” Not because they’re bad. But because they’re overprocessed, overprotected, and overly polite. The iPhone Has Become Too Smart In trying to save us from ourselves, you’ve handcuffed the very audience that cares the most. We’re not asking for a manual mode. We’re not asking for a full suite of knobs and dials. We’re not asking to become engineers. We’re just asking for one thing: A toggle. That’s it. Let us disable HDR processing when we want to. Let us opt out of tone mapping and shadow lifting and highlight smoothing. Let us deliberately blow out our highlights when the shot calls for it. You’ve already built the smartest camera system in the world. Now it’s time to build a smarter interface for the artistswho use it. Why It Matters Photographers don’t just document the world. We interpret it. We use light as language. Exposure as punctuation. Contrast as mood. When I want to create a high-key image that flares and glows—like a film negative washed in sunlight—I don’t want your algorithm stepping in with a safety net. I want the burn. I want the drama. I want the look that got me into this medium in the first place. Other smartphone makers already offer toggles for disabling HDR. So the tech is feasible. The precedent exists. But with Apple, the simplicity of the Camera app has become a prison for those who see photography as craft, not just convenience. In Closing This is not a rant. It’s a request. From one lifelong photographer to the world’s leading camera platform: Give us a way to bypass your automated highlight preservation in HEIF and JPEG formats. Give us back our creative agency. Trust that we know what we’re doing. You’ve built the most powerful photographic tool ever put in a pocket. Now please let us use it our way. Respectfully, Jack Hollingsworth (a.k.a. iPhoneJack) iPhone Photographer | Author | Educator jack@jackhollingsworth.com @Apple @stalman @mythicStallion @jeffersongraham @mobiography @fotopunctuation @mcmillanmedia @ricksammon @ScottKelby @fstoppers @petapixel

@photojack Love your writing as much as your shots, Jack.

The Jealous Partner Good gaaadhhh almighty, if there’s one thing in this strange, beautiful, broken human dance that makes me want to scream into the nearest lens, it’s the jealous partner. You know the type. You’ve seen them. Hell, maybe you’ve been them—though I sure as hell hope not. Here’s the scenario: I’m out doing what I do best. Being a photographer. Not just a button-pusher, but a moment-maker. And I spot someone—woman, man, doesn’t matter—someone with an undeniable spark. A magnetic presence. A face the light wants to kiss. A posture the lens begs to remember. “Hey,” I say kindly, respectfully, warmly, “you look beautiful. Mind if I take your picture?” Nine times out of ten, the subject smiles. Maybe they blush. Maybe they’re a little shy, maybe they’re flattered, maybe they’re glowing like the fucking sun just heard its own name. And for a flicker of time, it’s just us—me, the lens, and them—sharing a gentle, affirming human moment. But then it happens. The Jealous Partner. Stepping in like a bad stage actor who missed their cue and couldn’t read the room if it were written in bold neon lights. Suddenly the air tightens. The joy drains. The soft light goes cold. And I can feel it. That possessive tension. That silent snarl just below the surface. That absurd little performance of alpha insecurity that ruins what could have been magic. What the actual fuck? Listen, you green-eyed dipshit, let me say this loud enough for the fragile egos in the back row: you do not own another human being. Not her body. Not her face. Not her joy. Not her freedom to be seen, complimented, celebrated, or remembered by someone else—especially not in a goddamn photo. I’ve seen it again and again. The gentle hand suddenly clamped on the waist. The forced chuckle that doesn’t reach the eyes. The performative kiss, planted not out of love, but as a claim of territorial dominance. The dismissive “We’re fine, thanks.” The death-glare in my direction, as if I just threatened to steal their soul instead of take a portrait. Well let me tell you, my camera only steals what people willingly give. And if your partner was gracious enough to share their light with me for a heartbeat, you should be grateful—not grumpy. Let’s back up a second. When did admiration become a threat? When did the innocent act of noticing someone’s beauty become a battleground? And why, for the love of all things sacred and human, are we still acting like we’re in some medieval village where women are livestock and men are the ranchers holding the fucking rope? It’s 2025. Grow up. If someone compliments your partner in public—and I mean a real compliment, not catcalling or crude bullshit—take it as a win. It means they’re seen. It means they’re radiant. It means the universe took notice, and someone kind enough to say it out loud showed up in the moment. I can’t count the number of times someone noticed Shannon—my ex, my best friend, and mother of my daughters—and offered a compliment. Hell, even flirted a little. And every time, every damn time, I beamed with pride. Because I saw her, too. And it warmed my heart that others could see what I saw. I never once felt threatened. I felt lucky. Because love is not possession. Love is not a leash. Love is not shutting the world out to hoard someone’s light like a dragon guarding treasure. Love says: Shine, baby. Let them all see. I’m not talking about boundaryless chaos or relationship anarchy. I’m talking about respect, the kind that doesn’t quake at the sight of someone admiring your person. If you’re with someone and you’re constantly worried that a compliment will turn into an affair, I’ve got news for you: the problem isn’t the world. The problem is you. Because jealousy—real, corrosive jealousy—is not a form of love. It’s fear in drag. It’s control wearing cologne. It’s the wounded child inside you who hasn’t learned to believe they are enough. And I get it. Insecurity is real. We all carry it. But how you manage it makes all the difference. If your first instinct, when someone points a lens in your partner’s direction, is to get territorial, controlling, dismissive, or rude—check yourself. Ask what the hell you're so afraid of. Ask why admiration from a stranger sends you into a panic spiral. Because here's the truth most men don’t want to hear: your jealousy is not protecting your relationship. It's poisoning it. And worse, it’s embarrassing you. Especially when someone like me, a seasoned, gray-bearded, world-traveled photographer, is just trying to make a person feel beautiful for five seconds of their damn life. We need more beauty in this world. More yes. More openness. More of those blushy, radiant moments that remind people they matter. And you, jealous partner, are stomping around like a toddler throwing sand on the masterpiece. So here’s a challenge. Next time your partner is complimented, admired, or invited into a moment of creative celebration—say thank you. Smile. Appreciate. Hell, offer to jump in the photo with them. Because nothing says confidence like a man who knows the world can see his partner’s light… and isn’t the least bit afraid of it. Let them shine. Let them flirt a little with the world. Let the lens fall in love with them. Because if you’re lucky enough to love someone beautiful—inside and out—don’t be the guy who cages the songbird just to say it’s yours. Be the one who stands beside them, proud and amazed, as their music fills the air. And maybe, just maybe, shut the fuck up while I take the photo. Click. Jack.

@photojack That second one is just SO wonderful

Why I Keep Shooting These Damn Color Studies (Even If I Don’t Know Why) I shot another batch of them this morning. Twenty photos. Maybe more. I’ll probably post a handful to Facebook later today—just color studies. Graphic. Minimal. Clean. Mostly 1–3 dominant colors in each frame. No people. No stories. No captions. Just shape, rhythm, and hue. Honestly, I don’t know why I shoot these kinds of images. I just do. They’ve become part of my daily rhythm. My photographic DNA. My weird little obsession. I’ll be driving, walking, biking—and bam—something stops me in my tracks. A painted wall, a weathered sign, two tones meeting at a perfect 45-degree angle, a doorway framed in rust and teal. Most people wouldn’t even notice. I can’t not notice. What’s even weirder? These aren’t the kind of images most photographers chase. You won’t find many tutorials on YouTube called “How to Master the Art of Abstract Color Geometry.” And yet, here I am. Dozens, hundreds, thousands of these tucked away in my camera roll. I shoot them instinctively. Reflexively. Like scratching an itch I don’t fully understand. And I’ve given up trying to justify it. I just keep shooting them. They Don’t “Say” Much—And That’s the Point These photos don’t scream meaning. They don’t tug at the heartstrings. They aren’t “content,” whatever the hell that word even means anymore. They’re not selling anything. Not pushing a cause. Not part of a series or a project or a pitch. They just… are. They’re small acts of visual expression. Creative doodles with my iPhone. Little moments of graphic joy. And while they may not carry narrative weight, they’re full of design and energy and quiet satisfaction. I love them. And that, apparently, is enough. The Math Part of My Brain? Growing up, my Dad was a math teacher. He was sharp, no-nonsense, precise. Said I was good at math too. I’m not so sure I agree—I spent most of my time doodling or daydreaming—but maybe he saw something I didn’t. And now, all these years later, I wonder if the math part of my brain never really disappeared. Maybe it just morphed. Instead of crunching numbers or balancing equations, I started chasing patterns, symmetry, and spatial order through photography. There’s a geometry to these color studies. A balance. An unspoken formula. These images feel like my way of organizing a messy world into clean lines and bold forms. A way to bring order to chaos. To frame the unframeable. And to do it with nothing more than my eye, my phone, and a tiny dose of compulsive curiosity. They’re Not for Everyone—And That’s Fine I know most people scroll right past these images. They’re not flashy. They’re not sentimental. They don’t feature anyone’s grandbaby or dog. They don’t look like something you’d frame above your couch. But every once in a while, someone gets it. They’ll message me and say, “Jack, I don’t know why, but that yellow rectangle next to the blue door really hit me.” Or, “That rusted sign against that faded green wall—something about it just felt right.” And that’s enough. These photos may not be universal, but they’re honest. And they come from a real place. That’s all I’ve ever cared about. Structure in the Chaos The older I get, the more I realize how much I crave structure. Not just in life—but in my images. And I’m not talking about being rigid or boring. I’m talking about intentional. Controlled. Composed. These color studies give me that. They calm the noise. They make the world feel manageable for a few seconds. I can take a messy, complicated, unpredictable scene and extract one clean frame—balanced, bold, and mine. In some weird way, it’s like meditation. Like breathing. Like clearing the clutter in my brain by creating order with my eyes. Maybe It’s Just Fun? And maybe—just maybe—it’s also about fun. About play. About not taking this all so damn seriously. Not every photo has to move mountains. Not every shot needs a message. Sometimes, it’s okay to make something just because it pleases you. Because it feels good. Because it scratches that creative itch. That’s what these color studies are for me. They’re play. They’re joy. They’re creative freedom. Hell, maybe they’re even a little bit of rebellion. While the rest of the photography world is chasing epic landscapes or trendy portrait edits, I’m out here shooting stop signs against stucco walls like it’s my job. And I couldn’t be happier about it. I Don’t Plan on Stopping If I’m being honest, I think I’ll be shooting these kinds of images till the day I die. Maybe longer. They’ve become part of how I see the world. And more importantly, they’ve become part of how I see myself. They’re visual fingerprints. Little affirmations that I’m still curious. Still looking. Still framing. Still finding beauty in odd corners and forgotten spaces. And I don’t care if they ever go viral. I don’t care if they confuse people. I don’t care if no one understands why I post twenty of them at a time with no explanation. I understand. And for now, that’s enough. You Do You We’re all so wonderfully, weirdly unique in the way we see this world. Some of us are drawn to faces. Others to light. Some to drama. Others to stillness. Me? I’m drawn to color. To shape. To balance. To the beauty of a single clean line cutting through a sea of nothing. If that’s not your thing, that’s okay. But it’s mine. And I’m not letting go of it anytime soon. So here’s to the color-blocked, off-center, geometry-loving weirdos out there. Here’s to creating what calls to you, even if it doesn’t make sense. Here’s to sharing images that don’t say much, but somehow still feel like everything. And here’s to another twenty color studies hitting your feed today. No apologies. No explanations. Just one guy with an iPhone and a need to make order out of visual chaos. Click. Again. Still. Jack.

@photojack @Dave_CAYA @stalman @mobiography @mcmillanmedia too kind, my friend.

These are the folks I pay special attention to • @Dave_CAYA (Dave Addison) • @stalman (Tyler Stalman) • @fotopunctuation (Brenden O'Se') • @Mobiography (Andy Butler) • @mcmillanmedia (Greg McMillan)

In this thread, under comments, who do you think are the top 5 iPhone photography and filmmaking educators and influencers? I’m not looking for validation so you can not include my name. Your top 5? Who are they? Note their Twitter handle if they are active here.

@photojack Photography is as much about cameras as hairdressing is about scissors.

The Era of the DSLR Snob is Over I used to think that in this day and age—when nearly everyone has a powerful camera in their pocket—we might be at the tail end of the era of the DSLR snob. Nope. They’re still out there. Alive and well. I was recently teaching a week-long series of iPhone photography tips, tricks, and techniques to a group of enthusiastic cruise passengers. Each session, the audience grew in both size and excitement. People were eager to learn, and I was more than happy to share what I know. After all, we were all there for the same reason—to take better pictures. Or so I thought. Early on, I noticed a separate group of about a dozen DSLR-toting photographers. They were part of a private photo tour, traveling together with their big rigs in tow. As a representative of the ship, I did what any good host would do—I introduced myself and invited them to drop into any of my interactive presentations. Crickets. I tried again. More crickets. I even attempted striking up conversations with a few of them during the week, only to be met with polite but chilly nods before they turned back to their cameras, adjusting their dials like surgeons prepping for a major operation. It was clear: they wanted nothing to do with an iPhone photographer. What could an iPhone photographer teach them about photography? Now, I get it. A decade ago, I might have had the same reaction. But times have changed. The playing field has shifted. Smartphone cameras now sit at the same dinner table as DSLRs and mirrorless rigs. And yet, for some, the idea that a phone could be a "real" camera is still unthinkable. I could practically hear their thoughts: Again, "What could an iPhone photographer teach them about photography?" Oh, I don’t know… maybe the same things I’ve been teaching for four decades—composition, light, storytelling, timing, emotion, and all the other fundamental pillars of great photography. The irony? I probably have more traditional photography experience—film, digital, and mobile—than the combined sum of that group. But because my tool of choice fits in my pocket, I was dismissed. Look, I’m not here to wage war against DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. I respect them. I’ve used them for most of my career. But if we’re still clinging to the idea that the size of your camera dictates the legitimacy of your photography, I’ve got news for you: that era is over. This isn’t about which camera is “better.” It’s about accessibility, adaptability, and artistry. The best camera has always been the one you have with you. And now, more than ever, that camera just so happens to be a smartphone. So, to my DSLR purists out there—do your thing. I respect your craft. But the days of looking down on mobile photographers are gone. Whether you like it or not, smartphone cameras are here to stay, and they’re not just for snapshots. They’re legitimate tools in the hands of serious photographers. And if you don’t believe me, well… I’ll just be over here, quietly making great images with my iPhone. No crickets necessary. I did manage to sneak a peek at a few of their images. Their long-glass shots of birds were fantastic. I’ll admit—I was jealous. There’s no denying that when it comes to optical zoom, traditional lenses still have a distinct edge over smartphones. A 600mm prime lens will always outperform a digital crop or a computational trick. I get it. But still… I couldn’t help but wonder—how many moments did they miss while swapping lenses, digging through camera bags, or adjusting dials? How many spontaneous, serendipitous shots slipped through their fingers while they were locked into their viewfinders? Photography, at its core, isn’t just about gear—it’s about seeing. And while they were busy fine-tuning their settings, I was out there, capturing life as it unfolded—unfiltered, unscripted, and real. So yeah, their bird shots were incredible. But I walked away with my own collection of images—portraits, street scenes, landscapes—moments that didn’t require a telephoto lens to be meaningful. And maybe, just maybe, one of them will come across my work, pause for a second, and think, huh… maybe there’s more to this whole smartphone thing than I thought. One can hope. Click. Jack

Bring not only your smartphone photography but your ability to see & craft photographically to the next level with this series of 4 online workshops with me in conjunction with @PhotoMuseumIRL starting next Tues. All details here - tickettailor.com/events/photomu…

Ar fheabhas ar fad! Maith an buchail.

@photojack @OnTheSuperFly @mojofestival I have a workshop in Dublin on the Saturday - Sunday should be free.

@OnTheSuperFly @fotopunctuation You are going to @mojofestival Maybe we can carve a bit of time out and "upgrade" some of our joint course content? What do you think about that?

@photojack @OnTheSuperFly @mojofestival I would love to - but back to work on the Wednesday.

@OnTheSuperFly @fotopunctuation Also, are you joining the post Tour at @mojofestival

@OnTheSuperFly @rtenews @BBCNews Sold out.

@fotopunctuation Thanks Brendan… I think you’re probably right, but for those keen on broadcast quality (whatever that means these days) I’ve seen plenty of @rtenews and @BBCNews reports using the Rode kit. I’ve included links to both in the original thread… 🙏🙏