THREAD: About 5 years ago, I started a photography project limiting myself to my iPhone with no added attachments. The idea behind this project is that photography is more about how you see- not about the gear you own. Here are some favorites, #shotoniphone

As I sifted through the work of 5 years with the #iPhone, across 5 different models- 5-X, patterns began to emerge. I'm currently in the process of curating this down to a digestible amount of images. #shotoniphone

After a while, a sense of cohesion began to develop, a sort of nebulous set of rules that could contain this entire body of work. One might say that a thread began to run through the images, they either fit or they didn't. These painted vans to me fit the aesthetic #shotoniphone

Cars were fun subjects, but other narratives started to attract my eye as well. Harsh light in the city was a theme I gravitated towards, playing with the chiaroscuro contrast of the city. To me, it evokes a cinematic style. #shotoniphone

To me, this was a daily exercise for 5 years. I learned a tremendous amount about light with this constant studying, and it was an education in photography like nothing I've ever done. Those lessons were easily applied to my commercial work. #shotoniphone

Subjects and shadow, interesting characters, I began to combine my new tools, overlapping them to create compositions that intrigued me. It turned each commute into a visual game- what could I create with the variables the city threw at me? #shotoniphone

Inspired by old masters of #streetphotography, I sought to evoke a different era, focusing on newspaper readers and startling headlines. As the way we consume media changes, these scenes are ever-fading. Shooting with just a phone allowed me to be invisible. #shotoniphone

Should I keep sharing this body of work with my thoughts on the photographic process?

The #newyork skyline has been a muse for photographers for generations. With my phone acting as my visual sketchbook, I was able to explore different perspectives, putting my own twist on an iconic scene. Since I always have my phone with me, opportunities presented themselves.

It also helped to have a roof at my apartment with a stunning view. If the color looked good out the window, I'd grab my phone and run up to check on the view. Though these photos are pretty, I prefer the challenge of working in the street. #shotoniphone

All light that hits our eyes is reflected, unless you are staring at the sun. Don't do that. Instead, you can use your phone to observe how different layers interact with each other as you move around, what symbolism you can create, and how can you make a complex scene simple.

Any reflective surface, like a window or smooth stone, can be turned into a mirror at the right angle. The narrow phone lens allows for a near-perfect reflection. Lean into that symmetry and make some ART. #shotoniphone

Here's a few more ways I've been able to get creative with reflections while shooting on my mobile device. Again, many of these ideas I've used for my commercial work as well. #shotoniphone

The freedom of using my phone as a visual sketchbook allowed me to be less precious about the images I was making. I could be more abstract, more experimental, and share moments that I normally would just pass by. This helped me see the world in a whole new light. #shotoniphone

Here's a few more examples of that more abstract approach. What was cool about this project is that these were just everyday moments that took me barely any time to capture. But after 5 years, I have thousands of "keepers" that I can share as a fully formed project. #shotoniphone

For example, here was my "contact sheet" of just some of the cars I shot over 5 years. Interesting to see them all side by side! #shotoniphone. You can also see all this work chronologically on http://instagr.am/secretstreet 

Here's the contact sheet for a category I called street. It was more about the people in the city than the structure of the city, and the interplay in between the two. On mobile, tap and then pinch to zoom to get a closer look.

Some favorites:

A few more from my street section of this project #shotoniphone. See the top of thread for context here, and the full project here: http://instagr.am/secretstreet 

Add your best phone photographs to this thread!

From today:

A few more from my "street" section of my #shotoniphone project

Another motif began to emerge as this project evolved and continued- the abstraction of raindrops on window panes. The camera tends to find the background with the focus, but if you lock the focus on something close (I put my finger in front of the lens) you can catch the drops.

Transitions between day and night are always one of my favorite times to shoot. Since this project was #shotoniphone, any moment that struck me I could easily capture in mere seconds. See the thread for context here and see the full project on http://instagram.com/secretstreet 

This project turned every commute into a fun game where I would see how many frames I could get on my way to and from Manhattan. Over time, these little moments added up. Here are some frames from a category I called "subway." #shotoniphone