Jon C. Phillips
Product engineer, newsletter founder, and photography entrepreneur
joncphillips
Montréal, Canada
Joined May 2026
Summary
Email and audience-building specialist: Jon has built multiple newsletter-driven products (Contrastly, DailyPhotoTips, TheDailyPreset) and an email-focused ebook, emphasizing that an owned email list is a durable, valuable asset that powered product sales and monetization. founderreports+2
Builder of developer and product tooling: Jon creates pragmatic developer-facing products (AutoChangelog, Preflight) and distribution tools (Distribution Kit), combining product design and engineering to automate workflows and launch-time checks. autochangelog+2
Photography entrepreneur and educator: He founded and grew Contrastly into a significant photography education business, authored many in-depth tutorials and resources, and continues to run daily newsletters and preset services for photographers. contrastly+2
Multidisciplinary creator with personal interests in design, watches, and music: Beyond product work, Jon publishes personal essays, curates watch recommendations (OversizedHour), and is active about music and creative practice, reflecting a mix of technical and aesthetic pursuits. joncphillips+2
Work
Projects
Writing
Email Growth Guide
January 1, 2026A 100+ page practical guide (ebook) with actionable tactics for launching, growing, and monetizing email newsletters based on a decade of experience.
Getting Uncomfortable
Personal essay about moving between countries and changing routines and environments (published on the author's site).
Author archive (Contrastly) — assorted photography tutorials and guides
Dozens of long-form photography guides and tutorials covering topics like composition, lighting, landscape, street, and editing; the author archive lists 100+ pieces written by Jon C. Phillips for Contrastly.