Exploring everywhere from the comfort of home.
Perhaps the most unique travel Instagrammer out there, Jacqui Kenny of @streetview.portraits uses Google Maps to travel the world. The self-proclaimed “agoraphobic traveler” first started the project because she loved the style of photography she found on Google Streetview and the hidden surprises she found while exploring the world through her computer.
“I loved discovering magic moments in faraway places,” Jacqui says. This creative project turned into an Instagram account that was eventually featured in the New Yorker. Her streetview portraits are utterly captivating, showcasing scenes from everyday life at the far corners of the earth as well as more familiar places, like suburban subdivisions in Arizona.
Her favorite places to visit on Streetview are Senegal, Mongolia, Peru, and Chile. “I’m always attracted to places that have extreme temperatures, beautiful light, amazing architecture and fashion, desert gardens, blue skies, and vibrant colors,” she says. Although she hasn’t physically visited any of these places yet, if given the opportunity, she would go. “It will be a huge challenge for me, but I feel like I’ve faced so many fears over the last few months that I’m willing to take on anything.”
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This fall, Jacqui’s work is on view at a gallery in New York City. The show, open until October 15 at 39 Spring Street in SoHo, aims to raise awareness about mental health issues. Limited edition prints of her Streetview portraits are for sale and all proceeds benefit the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.