Global Photo Project Invites You to Snap One Image That Captures Who You Are

Lucas Buick and Ryan Dorshorst, founders of Hipstamatic, announced The Last Camera Project, a mobile app and community art project that invites photographers worldwide to contribute one single photo that answers the question, “What one image captures the heart of who you are?”

The app, available now on iPhone and iPad, is a virtual recreation and streamlining of what would happen if photographers could send a disposable camera around the world to one another. While that’s not a particularly practical way to reach the scale that The Last Camera Project aspires to, the same ephemeral spirit persists in the app.

Within the app, users can capture just one single photo. It is also a semi-controlled environment, which somewhat mimics the “ship a real camera” experience that Buick and Dorshorst are emulating. Once a user downloads the app, they join a waitlist and are assigned a number. Once their number is up and it’s their time to shoot, they capture (or select) a photo inside the app, which features a disposable film camera-inspired user interface and appearance, and then carefully pick their moment to capture their one shot. So far, over 1,280 photographers have contributed to The Last Camera Project.

The photo has a proprietary filter “inspired by Hipstamatic’s signature analog aesthetic” and includes relevant metadata, including where and when the picture was captured. Users can also add a short description.

Users can also browse other people’s submissions in the app via a gallery that is updated in real-time. Excitingly, once the project is complete, all the photos will be included in a digital mosaic and featured in a physical exhibition at Art Basel Miami Beach in December. Submissions are open through October 31, 2025. The project will also be printed in a hardcover book.

Buick and Dorshorst explain that The Last Camera Project is inspired by prior participatory photography projects, including Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree and JR’s Inside Out Project. The duo hopes that the iPhone will prove an interesting “canvas for global storytelling, fostering connection and celebrating shared humanity.”

“Photography has become endless, but meaning can get lost in the noise,” Buick and Dorshorst explain. “The Last Camera Project invites everyone to pause, reflect, and share a single image that matters. Together, we’re creating a timeless artwork that captures the essence of who we are in 2025.”

The Last Camera Project app is available now for free on iPhone and iPad. Once downloaded, users can sign up to join the waitlist. Once their turn arrives and they contribute their image to the project, they can then invite up to six friends to join them.

Buick tells PetaPixel that how people join The Last Camera Project will be an essential data point when the duo assemble the final project, so to that end, they have given PetaPixel readers a unique invite code to join The Last Camera Project. This code, much like when someone is invited to the project by a friend, allows the recipient to get involved and contribute their one photo instantly.

Image credits: The Last Camera Project is created by Hipstamatic founders Lucas Buick and Ryan Dorshorst