Brandon Ballentine

iOS developer and photographer

Hi, I'm Brandon. I'm an app developer and photographer. I build apps and creative tools inspired by my interests in technology and photography. Previously, I was an iOS developer and instructional designer at Apple. Today, I'm the co-founder of Joy Code, a creative studio focused on building products that combine art, code, and fun.

Projects

Building apps and hardware that bring digital tools into the traditional darkroom. See more at Joy Code.

Ilsee iOS App

Ilsee is an iOS app for contact printing digital images onto traditional silver gelatin photo paper.

You can join the waitlist now to be notified when the beta launches this fall.

Launching Fall 2026

Ilsee Stack

Ilsee Stack is a modular guide for aligning your iPhone and silver gelatin paper in the darkroom.

Ilsee Stack is optional, but helps ensure a proper print when using the Ilsee iOS app.

Launching Fall 2026

Photography

Creating black-and-white photographs. These days, shooting with with a Leica M11 Monochrom. See more on Glass.

A moth-like creature sculpture with tattered wings stoops on a rusted railroad trestle over a calm river, its reflection and the tree line mirrored in the water. Black and white. Conway, South Carolina.

A grinning skeleton in a curly black wig and a striped leather jacket, posed as Michael Jackson in Thriller, stands in sharp focus on a sunny lawn while a crowd of ragged zombie figures shuffles out of focus behind it. Black and white. Conway, SC

Black-and-white photo of a ride attendant in waders sits beside a shallow pool holding two giant clear inflatable cylinders, under a striped canopy at the NC State Fair.

Black-and-white photo of riders on chain swings circling the Wave Swinger ride at the NC State Fair, with spectators watching from behind a barrier below.

Chairlift sky ride cars hang above a busy midway at the NC State Fair, with game booths, a striped tent, and a wall of giant plush prizes along the sides.

Black-and-white low-angle photo of riders on chain swings flung outward against a clear sky on the Wave Swinger ride at the NC State Fair.

A vintage Cadillac Eldorado convertible parked under a live oak in Wrightsville Beach

Black-and-white photograph looking out from beneath the concrete pilings of Johnnie Mercers Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC, their angled shadows stretching across an empty beach toward the surf

A Brazilian drum ensemble plays in the street at the NC Folk Festival beneath a streamer-fringed parasol

A firefighter scales a tall ladder held steady by his crew as a crowd watches from the bleachers

Black-and-white photo of a grinning man in biker gear — leather vest, aviator sunglasses, and a half helmet — riding a child-sized Radio Flyer pedal go-kart past a crowd of festival spectators.

The Lucky Strike smokestack and a rusted water tower rise over a brick factory and city skyline

A woman walks past a towering white sculpture of a serene, elongated face.

A woman in a white dress and straw hat stands before a field of sunflowers

A giant shark kite hovers over beachgoers on the dunes

A skateboarder catches air in a bowl at Venice Beach skate park as a crowd looks on

A performer in a white suit and cowboy hat sings into a microphone on a sunny pier

Black-and-white photograph of a giant Tyrannosaurus rex statue towering over a desert lot, a lone palm tree beside it and a small figure walking past on the sidewalk below.

Black-and-white street photograph of a man seated on a stool on a sidewalk, a towel draped over his shoulders, while a woman with short hair and glasses cuts his hair in front of a brick storefront

Get in Touch

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