Chicago

iPhone Photowalk 2024 — Photographic Styles + SOOC by Adrian Galli

Gate M18

Traditionally, I’ve had my new iPhone photography up within a few days of receiving my device. My photo walks usually take me around the city, and September and October are particularly great for photography in Chicago. With some new and exciting photographer-centric features like Photographic Style and Camera Control, I wanted to take a bit more time to explore them. Since I had a trip to Italy coming up, it seemed like an obvious choice to share more than just the Chicago photos I captured in a few days. Enjoy a bit of Italy and Chicago in this annual series of iPhonography.

All Shot on iPhone 16 Pro, all SOOC (straight out of camera) using Photographic Styles and/or minor cropping/straightening.

Traveling to Italy

Train Window — Triptych, Italy

Chicago

Soft and Pointed — Tryptich

Shot on iPhone 16 Pro

A Year in Photographs 2023 — A Journey's End by Adrian Galli

A Year in Photographs

365 Days, 12 Themes, 1 Creative Journey

Museo Soumaya — Day 98

I started writing this entry with some grand idea that there was a lot to say, stories to tell, and great insight I learned. While I do have many stories, evolved creatively, pushed myself hard to achieve this tremendous goal, and want to share so much of my journey, I didn’t find that I could completely convey what #AYearinPhotographs has meant to me nor engage it all in just a few paragraphs.

Instead, I intend to keep this short because, perhaps, minimalism is a certain type of valor. A photograph every day for a year is an undertaking. One sets out, like every journey, with the first footstep and from there, the Universe leads one on. Simply put, it is a lot of work. Sometimes hours spent crafting one photo—it is easy, and it is hard. One is excited to do it and one will be tired.

Then it is all over and there is pride, sadness, love, and even bewilderment. And it is absolutely something that I recommend everyone should do—whether it be photography, writing, music, art, cooking, fitness, or whatever your passion may be. Do it. Journal it. Blog it. Share it.

It is a wave that washes over you and you’ll either ride it great distances or it will stay your feet, and you will be left behind. It is a commitment that if you hesitate for merely a day, you can never draw level. But when you reach the end of every day, every week, month, and the year, you have an accomplishment that only those who have traveled this path can truly appreciate.

Over 11,000 photos, 365 days, 12 themes, thousands of kilometers, two continents, four countries, and one singularly fantastic camera later, #AYearinPhotographs comes to close.

Here’s to the journey’s beginning, the path, the light, the shadow, and to the journey’s end.

Until next time.

A Year in Photographs 2023

 
Go out and shoot!
— Adrian’s Life Rule #56

 

Shot on FujiFilm X-T5

Annual iPhone Photowalk — iPhone 15 Pro by Adrian Galli

Those who know me have seen my iPhone photowalks every year since iPhone 5. While some might argue each iPhone is merely a “minor upgrade” from year to year, I beg to differ. Every year I find new and incredible changes to the camera in iPhone. Some years are bigger than others—one that comes to mind is iPhone 6.

iPhone 6 had such a great change in the quality of the camera, I still measure output of mobile device camera’s against it. Perhaps it was the lens, or the sensor, or a combination of both. Perhaps iOS and those hardware features serendipitously made for an outstanding union. Either way, iPhone 6, iPhone X, iPhone 12 Pro, were devices with cameras that stood out to me.

Grasshopper Portrait

No, Grasshopper Portrait is not from this year’s iPhone 15 Pro, or last year’s iPhone, or that of the year before. Grasshopper Portrait is from iPhone 6—approaching nine years ago on a “measly” 8 megapixel camera. No special processing, no AI generating-whatever, no machine learning super resolution—just a good camera (and a good photographer, I like to think).

 
A camera alone only captures light. Through skillful manipulation does that light become cinematography.
— Adrian’s Life Rule #69
 

There is no denying that technology has evolved since then. iPhone 15 Pro is no different in its evolution but with new lenses, new sensors, new processing, I’ve rarely been as impressed with what I’ve been able to achieve with a mobile device camera as with iPhone 15 Pro.

This isn’t a review or a sales pitch, but a sampling of photos I have created using my iPhone 15 Pro over the past few weeks. From Chicago to Italy, I’ll let the image stand on their own.

Italy: Lucca, Bologna, Firenze

Chicago, USA