The smartphone has made spur-of-the-moment pictures possible. Since 2008, the IPPAWARDS have recognized the best photos taken from iPhones. Here are our picks for the finest in a decade of iPhone photography.
Image: R. Lemise
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Prizewinning smartphone photos
The smartphone has made spur-of-the-moment pictures possible. Since 2008, the IPPAWARDS have recognized the best photos taken from iPhones. Here are our picks for the finest in a decade of iPhone photography.
Image: S. Niu
First steps
Ron Lemise was among the winners of the first IPPAWARDS in 2008. For the amateur photographer from New Jersey, smartphone photography was a "natural development." Although he owns professional equipment, he now uses only his cell phone. "My other cameras have been collecting dust ever since," he explains on his web site.
Image: R. Lemise
A ball amidst the skyscrapers
Christopher Pecoraro has been using his iPhone to capture everyday life in his home city of New York since 2009. His pictures reveal how he sees The Big Apple. This one, of a small ball in the big city, won an IPPAWARD in 2009.
Image: C. Pecoraro
The city that never sleeps
Sion Fullana, who comes from Spain, captured a moment in hectic street life in New York. Among his many prize-winning photos, this image earned him an IPPAWARD in 2010. One of his iPhone photos is on display in the permanent exhibition of the Museum of High Art in Atlanta.
Image: S. Fullana
Lakeside paradise
"Escape from the big city" could be the motto of this picture. Emily Rose won several IPPAWARDS in 2011. All of her photos show children in natural settings. They seem like random snapshots meant to preserve a special moment.
Image: E. Rose
Still life
In 2012, Adria Ellis won an IPPAWARD for this photo titled "Still Life." Ellis studied photography in Paris and Santa Barbara and since 2011 has almost exclusively used her cell phone to take photos. On her website, she writes, "The introduction of the iPhone (...) has changed my creative expression more than any one thing in my life."
Image: A. Ellis
The look
This image is reminiscent of Steve McCurry's famous photo of an Afghan girl in a refugee camp, which graced the cover of a National Geographic magazine in 1985. Shown here is Kim Hanskamp, from the Netherlands. The photo won the 2013 IPPAWARD in the category "People."
Image: K. Hanskamp
Red fur in the snow
It's not often that you get this close to a fox. Michael O'Neal managed to do that with his iPhone and took the 2014 IPPAWARD in the category "Animals." His smartphone photos have found an appreciative public: the US-American photographer has 685,000 followers on his Instagram account.
Image: M. ONeal
Mystical scene
This fascinating picture was made by Martin Dreyer from Hamburg. The aerial engineer takes most of his iPhone photos while traveling. This image earned him third place in the "Landscapes" category at the IPPAWARDS in 2015.
Image: M. Dreyer
Eternal friendship
The Khalkhas live in the South of the Chinese province Xinjiang. They train their eagles for hunting over a period of years and establish a close connection to the birds. This photo won Chinese photographer Siyuan Niu the IPPAWARDS Grand Prize in 2016 and the distinction "Photographer of the Year."
Image: S. Niu
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When Apple introduced the iPhone to the market ten years ago, American photographer Kenan Aktulun, like millions of other purchasers across the world, was fascinated by the tiny rectangular box. He was particularly pleased by the ease with which one could now take photos. Digital cameras, with their numerous and often complicated functions, were too cumbersome for him. The iPhone made photography simple - and Kenan became an ardent admirer of the Apple smartphone.
The photographer observed how quickly cell phone use had evolved, and how people began documenting their everyday lives. Emotional moments could easily be preserved and shared with friends. Enthused by this revolution in photography, Kenan founded the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS), recognizing the best iPhone photos sent in by users since 2008. The participants include both professional and amateur photographers. Click on the gallery above for some of the best photos in the nine years of the IPPAWARDS.
