Apple showcases Black photographers for latest Shot on iPhone campaign

Apple enlisted dozens of Black photographers to document their hometowns using iPhone 12 Pro, and the company showed off their handiwork Monday to kick off Black History Month.

“All across the US, these photographers set out to showcase the people and the pockets of their cities that embody their local culture,” Apple said in a press release about the Hometown project.

It’s a neat spin on the company’s ongoing “Shot on iPhone” campaign, and the results are pretty darn impressive. Check out some of the images below.

Apple celebrates Black History Month

The Apple webpage showing the images also features some of the photographers’ thought on what it means to be Black. Apple has also included more information on its Instagram page. It’s a very nice touch, and it’s something that would be great to see more of when Apple shows off crowdsourced images as part of its Shot on iPhone campaign in the future.

Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” has been running for more than half a decade. It’s a great way of showing off the democratizing effect of the iPhone, which puts an impressively pro-level camera in the pockets of millions of people from all over the world. In 2015, the jury president of the Outdoor Lions competition at Cannes praised the campaign as, “not just a great idea, [but] a game-changer.”

This isn’t the only thing Apple is doing to celebrate Black History Month. It’s also selling the Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity edition watch, along with Black Unity Sport Band. Both are available exclusively through February. There’s additionally a Black History Month-themed focus in the App Store, on Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, Apple News, and more.

In Monday’s press release, Apple also outlined other projects for Black History Month, including “virtual sessions and hands-on tutorials hosted by Today at Apple, in partnership with design and art publisher It’s Nice That … that will feature Black creators discussing how creativity can bring about change. Participants will learn how to shoot in Apple ProRAW, and explore the editing and curating features in the Photos app on iPhone. Photographer Bethany Mollenkof, who covered Los Angeles for ‘Hometown,’ will also host a session next month.”