‘The iPhone Content Machine: A Visual Essay’

Om Malik, after Apple’s September 9 “It’s Glowtime” event at Steve Jobs Theater:

I decided to become a fly on the wall and chronicle the spectacle unfolding in front of me. I focused on those who were there to create content about the devices, not the devices themselves. It was fun to just float among the crowds with my Nikon Zf and a 40mm lens.

It was a wonderful spectacle — just to bask in this new kind of raw media energy. Content for the sake of content. Events for the sake of content. Fog of content. It’s the new way of the world. As a student of media, I love this chaos and change — because from chaos and change comes the future.

I’m linking to this photo essay despite, not because of, the fact that it includes a portrait of yours truly dicking around on his phone in the small room where the media wait for post-event briefings. Steve Jobs Theater is a beautiful and unique space, but there are aspects of the space that are hard to capture in photos. Om’s collection here captures the feel of it.

I tried to return the favor by photographing the photographer.

See also: Om’s thoughts on the event and announcements.

★ Monday, 30 September 2024