Traveling the world with Google Street View -- Jacqui Kenny suffers from agoraphobia -- an anxiety condition that makes traveling very difficult. But Kenny has found a way to explore the world from the comfort of her own home via Google Street View -- and she captures images of sights she sees along the way.
Traveling the world with Google Street View -- Jacqui Kenny suffers from agoraphobia -- an anxiety condition that makes traveling very difficult. But Kenny has found a way to explore the world from the comfort of her own home via Google Street View -- and she captures images of sights she sees along the way.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Arequipa, Peru -- Kenny shares shots on her Instagram @streetview.portraits, under the pseudonym "Agoraphobic Traveller". The project came about by accident -- but she now has 35,2000 followers.
Arequipa, Peru -- Kenny shares shots on her Instagram @streetview.portraits, under the pseudonym "Agoraphobic Traveller". The project came about by accident -- but she now has 35,2000 followers.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Sun City, Arizona -- "I was just exploring Google Street View out of curiosity, and I soon realized there was something quite interesting about it," Kenny tells CNN Travel. Kenny was drawn towards arid landscapes with splashes of color, like this cactus in Arizona.
Sun City, Arizona -- "I was just exploring Google Street View out of curiosity, and I soon realized there was something quite interesting about it," Kenny tells CNN Travel. Kenny was drawn towards arid landscapes with splashes of color, like this cactus in Arizona.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Arequipa, Peru -- "I thought it was a little bit magic, Google Street View, it feels like a parallel universe, frozen in time," says Kenny. "There's all these billions of images that are yet to be explored."
Arequipa, Peru -- "I thought it was a little bit magic, Google Street View, it feels like a parallel universe, frozen in time," says Kenny. "There's all these billions of images that are yet to be explored."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Naryn, Kyrgyzstan -- Kenny has a knack for spotting striking settings." I realized pretty quickly that I really liked those kind of extreme environments," she says, "That might be connected to the fact that due to my agoraphobia, these are places that I would never go to in real life, it would be quite difficult for me to get to."
Naryn, Kyrgyzstan -- Kenny has a knack for spotting striking settings." I realized pretty quickly that I really liked those kind of extreme environments," she says, "That might be connected to the fact that due to my agoraphobia, these are places that I would never go to in real life, it would be quite difficult for me to get to."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Atacama Region, Chile -- Kenny is meticulous about her framing, abiding by the constraints of Instagram's 1080 by 1080 format. Her images are carefully composed snapshots of Street View. Only occasionally do people appear in her images - as in this post from Chile. When they do, their blurred faces add to the photos' otherworldly allure.
Atacama Region, Chile -- Kenny is meticulous about her framing, abiding by the constraints of Instagram's 1080 by 1080 format. Her images are carefully composed snapshots of Street View. Only occasionally do people appear in her images - as in this post from Chile. When they do, their blurred faces add to the photos' otherworldly allure.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Durango, Mexico -- Kenny's eye is the result of years spent working in creative industries: "When I got the right lighting conditions I started looking at other things that I'm attracted to, like really amazing colors, pastel colors or vibrant colors," she says.<br />
Durango, Mexico -- Kenny's eye is the result of years spent working in creative industries: "When I got the right lighting conditions I started looking at other things that I'm attracted to, like really amazing colors, pastel colors or vibrant colors," she says.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Lima Region, Peru -- Kenny embraces the quirks of Street View, including the effect of the Google car in the desert landscapes. "I love the dust," she says, "Because the Google car kicks up the dust it adds another layer -- something that feels a little bit surreal."
Lima Region, Peru -- Kenny embraces the quirks of Street View, including the effect of the Google car in the desert landscapes. "I love the dust," she says, "Because the Google car kicks up the dust it adds another layer -- something that feels a little bit surreal."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Baganuur, Mongolia -- Kenny began her internet explorations whilst in the process of closing down a company she had co-founded a decade previously. "It was a very hard time and I wasn't really ready to go back into the world," she recalls. "So I thought, I needed a creative project, so that I can still be doing something creative and keeping myself focused."
Baganuur, Mongolia -- Kenny began her internet explorations whilst in the process of closing down a company she had co-founded a decade previously. "It was a very hard time and I wasn't really ready to go back into the world," she recalls. "So I thought, I needed a creative project, so that I can still be doing something creative and keeping myself focused."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Bishkek, Chuy Province, Kyrgyzstan -- But this pursuit has turned out to not just be creative -- Kenny is also helping to destigmatize mental health issues. "I've always wanted to do something about mental health," she says, "But I was never sure what to do [...] I'd never really told anybody about my agoraphobia."
Bishkek, Chuy Province, Kyrgyzstan -- But this pursuit has turned out to not just be creative -- Kenny is also helping to destigmatize mental health issues. "I've always wanted to do something about mental health," she says, "But I was never sure what to do [...] I'd never really told anybody about my agoraphobia."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Casa Grande, Arizona -- Anticipating a backlash, Kenny feared telling her followers, but soon realized her fears were unfounded. "When I put it up on Instagram, it was amazing," she says, "Obviously there's still so much stigma attached and I thought people were going to judge me, but I've had nothing but support."
Casa Grande, Arizona -- Anticipating a backlash, Kenny feared telling her followers, but soon realized her fears were unfounded. "When I put it up on Instagram, it was amazing," she says, "Obviously there's still so much stigma attached and I thought people were going to judge me, but I've had nothing but support."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Cabanillas, Puno, Peru -- Kenny has also had other agoraphobics -- and sufferers of other anxiety disorders -- reach out to her: "I get people contacting me pretty much every day, especially over the past 6 months," she says, "I've built this really amazing community."
Cabanillas, Puno, Peru -- Kenny has also had other agoraphobics -- and sufferers of other anxiety disorders -- reach out to her: "I get people contacting me pretty much every day, especially over the past 6 months," she says, "I've built this really amazing community."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Cajamarca, Peru -- The uniquely digital project is hard to define -- and Kenny has questioned whether it is right to call herself a photographer or a curator. "I've kind of decided I'm a photographer but I'm a Street View photographer, I'm not a photographer in the real world," she says.<br />
Cajamarca, Peru -- The uniquely digital project is hard to define -- and Kenny has questioned whether it is right to call herself a photographer or a curator. "I've kind of decided I'm a photographer but I'm a Street View photographer, I'm not a photographer in the real world," she says.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Arizona City, Arizona -- Even Google are apparently interested in Kenny's work. She says she's been chatting to the company about upcoming projects: "I'm in conversation with them at the moment about certain things. So that's been really positive."
Arizona City, Arizona -- Even Google are apparently interested in Kenny's work. She says she's been chatting to the company about upcoming projects: "I'm in conversation with them at the moment about certain things. So that's been really positive."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico -- Kenny is open to trying out real-world photography -- but she is also keen to expand her technological horizons: "I'm thinking of maybe experimenting with virtual reality," she says. "I might go more into exploring new things rather than traditional photography."
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico -- Kenny is open to trying out real-world photography -- but she is also keen to expand her technological horizons: "I'm thinking of maybe experimenting with virtual reality," she says. "I might go more into exploring new things rather than traditional photography."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Paipote, Atacama, Chile -- Kenny does see some oddities on her Street View explorations -- but she chooses not to post those. "I try to be as respectful as I possibly can, I always think about that," she says.<br />
Paipote, Atacama, Chile -- Kenny does see some oddities on her Street View explorations -- but she chooses not to post those. "I try to be as respectful as I possibly can, I always think about that," she says.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Quilmana District, Lima Region, Peru -- Thanks to her virtual travels, Kenny feels a real affinity to many of her most-visited far-flung locales: "I feel quite a connection now to some of these places that I immerse myself in. When I get a town I really, really love, I'll spend quite a lot of time there."
Quilmana District, Lima Region, Peru -- Thanks to her virtual travels, Kenny feels a real affinity to many of her most-visited far-flung locales: "I feel quite a connection now to some of these places that I immerse myself in. When I get a town I really, really love, I'll spend quite a lot of time there."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Roldan, Lima Region, Peru -- Kenny has considered visiting her favorite spots in real life. "I think I would go to these places if there was a reason to go to them," she says. "I would love to have an exhibition in the places that I travel to the most. And that would give me enough reason to go."
Roldan, Lima Region, Peru -- Kenny has considered visiting her favorite spots in real life. "I think I would go to these places if there was a reason to go to them," she says. "I would love to have an exhibition in the places that I travel to the most. And that would give me enough reason to go."
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
San Juan de Marcona, Peru -- Kenny knows traveling so far would be tough -- "It would be very, very hard for me, to do it," she says -- but she feels the struggle would be worth if a fantastic opportunity arose.
San Juan de Marcona, Peru -- Kenny knows traveling so far would be tough -- "It would be very, very hard for me, to do it," she says -- but she feels the struggle would be worth if a fantastic opportunity arose.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates -- In the meantime Kenny is excited to see where the project goes -- leading to new offers and opportunities: "It's kind of amazing how spending a lot of time at home on this project has actually really opened my world," she says.<br />
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates -- In the meantime Kenny is excited to see where the project goes -- leading to new offers and opportunities: "It's kind of amazing how spending a lot of time at home on this project has actually really opened my world," she says.
Courtesy Jacqui Kenny via Google Street View