See Apple’s Top 10 Winning Photos from Its ‘Shot on iPhone Challenge’
Credit: Apple
Apple’s international panel of judges has officially named the winners of the company’s Shot on iPhone Challenge. The top 10 winning photos were captured on a range of iPhone models (even older ones) by users spread across the globe.
The Cupertino tech giant will highlight the images on billboards in select cities, in Apple retail stores, and in its online marketing efforts. Here are the winning pictures and a few comments from the judges on why they were chosen. Continue reading to learn more and view Apple's top 10 winning photos from its most recent Shot on iPhone challenge.
Alex Jiang, U.S.
This vibrant and colorful image was shot on an iPhone XS Max. But while appealing at first glance, Apple’s judges noted some deeper details to the picture, too.
“Zooming in you can see details of each family and their unique touch,” Chen Man said. While Annet de Graaf notes that the image reveals “life behind the surface of an average apartment building.”
Blake Marvin, U.S.
Photographer Blake Marvin was able to capture this amazing image of a curious critter on an iPhone XS Max. As judge Austin Mann points out, the shot obviously took a lot of patience and some great timing.
The image also shows off Apple’s hardware, too. With a fast shutter speed and Smart HDR, the raccoon’s eyes and deep shadows are highlighted, Austin Mann said. Apple SVP Phil Schiller called the image an “organic movement frozen in time.”
Darren Soh, Singapore
Apple SVP Phil Schiller perfectly summed up this image, shot on an iPhone XS Max, by calling it a “surreal composition” with a single sign of life: the bird flying in the corner.
“A reflection that looks like a painting two worlds have collided,” Schiller said. Judge Chen Man added that the photo creates a “fantastic feeling” by leveraging “distortion and reflection as a strange angle.”
Nikita Yarosh, Belarus
This image, shot on an iPhone 7, proves that you don’t need a particularly fancy locale or the latest smartphone camera technology to capture some amazing photographs.
Austin Mann praises how accessible the picture is, as well as its composition and color. Luísa Dörr also pointed out some small details of the image are actually quite thought-provoking, despite its simplicity.
Dina Alfasi, Israel
Reflections are a popular thing to photograph, but this iPhone X-captured image throws a unique spin on it with movement and a heart-shaped puddle.
Sebastien Marineau-Mes praised the way the puddle frames the subject, “capturing a glimpse of the world” as they hurried by. Brooks Kraft said that the ambiguity of the image’s composition is one of its strengths.
Elizabeth Scarrott, U.S.
This image, captured on an iPhone 8 Plus, proves that portrait photos and pictures of beautiful landscapes don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
The image “captures the wonderment of childhood in a beautiful setting,” Brooks Kraft said. Pete Souza added that while the setting may be familiar, the picture is “not like any I’ve seen from this location.”
Andrew Griswold, U.S.
Sometimes it’s the most unlikely elements of an environment that create a beautiful picture, as proven by this image shot on an iPhone XS.
Jon McCormack praises the creative use of depth-of-field. Sebastien Marineau-Mes said the way the background pattern is distorted and magnified is one of the image’s most interesting aspects.
Bernard Antolin, U.S.
There may always be a struggle between complexity and simplicity in art, but this iPhone XS-shot image proves just how beautiful the latter can be.
Kaiann Drance agrees with that, adding that the use of black and white helps to “elevate” the simple scene with a different mood. The lack of colors also highlights the “dramatic contrast” between the clouds and landscape.
LieAdi Darmawan, U.S.
This gorgeous image, shot on an iPhone XS, takes a portrait-like approach to landscape photography, according to judge Luísa Dörr.
She notes how the textures of the mountains “evoke an old wrinkled face,” but ultimately concludes that there is something subconsciously appealing about the image — a part that she isn’t able to explain.
Robert Glaser, Germany
Sometimes, it’s the simplest of locations that can produce the most striking images. That appears to be the case with this iPhone 7-captured photo of a simple but beautiful field.
Judge Kaiann Drance praised the gorgeous dynamic range of the image, as well as its pleasing color and the high level of detail throughout the meadow, trees and clouds.