This week, I talk with Jon McCormack, the leader behind the iPhone camera at Apple—the most widely used camera in human history. But Jon’s story goes far beyond technology. He grew up on a farm in rural Australia without full-time electricity, dropped out of a PhD to chase an unexpected opportunity in tech, helped build Kindle, and founded schools in Kenya that now serve thousands of children. Along the way, he developed a body of photographic work rooted not in spectacle, but in wonder. We talk about letting go of camera snobbery, building technology that empowers rather than exploits, and why beauty and awe make us more generous and connected. If you’ve ever wrestled with the tension between ambition and meaning—or wondered how to use your success in service of something deeper—this conversation is for you. Let’s get to it!
In this episode:
- (00:00) Intro
- (00:41) From camera snobbery to something deeper
- (03:34) When Jon realized photography isn’t about the gear
- (06:22) What a photograph means in the age of AI
- (13:11) The unseen work behind meaningful images
- (15:51) Beauty, stewardship, and why the environment matters
- (28:39) Returning to the same landscape—and learning to see
- (32:16) Growing up in Australia and the roots of Jon’s vision
- (34:38) How colorblindness shaped Jon’s sense of pattern and form
- (36:07) Dropping a PhD and stepping into tech
- (38:06) A one-way ticket to Seattle—and an unexpected path
- (40:10) Building products that connect people to what matters
- (47:45) The double helix of art and technology
- (52:46) Leading the iPhone camera and democratizing storytelling
- (59:56) From safari camp conversation to schools in Kenya
- (01:11:50) Why Jon stayed quiet about his philanthropy until now
- (01:15:49) Wonder as a daily practice
- (01:21:44) Where Jon has become world-class
- (01:23:11) Filling gaps and shaping a more beautiful future
- (01:26:53) Rewriting your algorithm with beauty
- (01:27:53) Who Jon is becoming
Key Takeaways
- The Tool Is Not the Point—Your Perspective Is: Early in his career, Jon believed better gear meant better work. Over time, he realized the camera is just a tool. What matters is having something to say. Whether you’re using a medium-format camera or an iPhone, your voice—not your equipment—is what makes the work meaningful. Stop obsessing over tools and start clarifying your perspective.
- Wonder Is a Discipline, Not a Personality Trait: Jon argues that awe and wonder aren’t rare emotional accidents—they’re daily practices. When you slow down enough to truly notice beauty, your ego shrinks and your sense of connection grows. That shift—from self-focus to shared humanity—is transformative. If you want to care more about the world, start by paying closer attention to it.
- Build With, Not For: The Kilgore Project began as a well-intentioned effort to build schools in Kenya. It only became sustainable when Jon shifted from “rescuer” to partner. Real impact happens when you collaborate with communities rather than impose solutions on them. Whether in business, art, or philanthropy, humility multiplies effectiveness.
- Success Is About Filling Gaps, Not Taking Spotlight: Across technology, photography, and nonprofit work, Jon’s throughline isn’t personal recognition—it’s closing distance. Making books more accessible through Kindle. Making storytelling universal through the iPhone camera. Making education reachable for children who live miles from a classroom. Look for the gaps in the systems around you. That’s often where your most meaningful work lives.
- You Don’t Need Permission to Begin: Jon didn’t grow up with privilege in photography, tech, or philanthropy. He started with what he had—often clumsily—and learned publicly. Early photographs were train wrecks. The first schools were inefficient. Early tech products were laughable. The common thread? He began anyway. If something feels important, don’t wait until you’re qualified. Start. Adjust. Stay in it.
Quotes
”The thing that means a lot to me is that there are hundreds of millions of people in the world who can now tell better stories about themselves and can document their lives.” ~ Jon McCormack
”The thing that I’m trying to do is speak into this world with beauty and light. And if I can get somebody to just stop and look at one of my images and go, ‘what on earth is that?’ then that’s a win because wondering is the start of caring, and that is 100% what my photography is about.” ~ Jon McCormack
“We owe ourselves a debt to our own memories.” ~ Jon McCormack
“For most photographs, what they come down to is a celebration of being alive in this moment. And it is a remarkable thing. And the closest analogy that I can come to are the late 1800s Victorians who would faithfully write in their diaries every night. And these weren’t to be published at the end of their lives. This is just them recognizing their humanity. Celebrating their humanity. And so, for me, that is the role of the photograph today.” ~ Jon McCormack
“ The difference between whether you use Photoshop or some kind of AI tool, it doesn’t really matter a whole lot. The question is, what is the thing you’re representing?” ~ Jon McCormack
“The thing that I would like to accomplish with my life is just being good at figuring out how to fill gaps. Looking at places where there are gaps and being able to figure out how to bring people together to fill those gaps, that is really the thing that I love to do.” ~ Jon McCormack
Links
- Olympus: http://omsystem.com/
- Nikon F5: https://imaging.nikon.com/imaging/lineup/
- Apple iPhone: https://www.apple.com/iphone
- Patterns: Art of the Natural World by Jon McCormack: https://jonmccormack.com/book/
- Steve McCurry: https://www.stevemccurry.com/
- Chasing Light: Austin Mann on Purpose, Beauty, and Art: https://barrettbrooks.com/podcast/chasing-light-austin-mann-on-purpose-beauty-and-art/
- ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
- Adobe Photoshop: https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop
- From War Zones to Wildlife: Ami Vitale’s Journey to Hope Through Photography: https://barrettbrooks.com/podcast/from-war-zones-to-wildlife-ami-vitales-journey-to-hope-through-photography/
- Google Earth: https://earth.google.com/
- Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/kindle
- Edwin Land: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_H._Land
- Polaroid: https://www.polaroid.com/
- Musee Rodin: https://www.musee-rodin.fr/
- Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/
- Dell: https://www.dell.com/
- HP: https://www.hp.com/
- National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
- Vital Impacts: https://vitalimpacts.org/
- Rainforest Alliance: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/
- Sea Legacy: https://sealegacy.org/
- The Kilgoris Project: https://www.kilgoris.org/
- Wade Davis: https://daviswade.com/
- Daniel Katz: https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/insights/our-founder-daniel-katz-reflects-on-the-origins-of-the-rainforest-alliance
Connect with Jon
- Website: https://jonmccormack.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonmccormackphoto
Connect with Barrett
- Barrett’s newsletter: https://BarrettBrooks.com
- X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/barrettabrooks
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barrettabrooks
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