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Apple Announces Winners of Shot on iPhone Challenge

first-to-tea said:
The prizes were awarded to phone models 7 up, or the current Apple line up.
Apple used the filename, which included the contestant name and phone model number, to exclude older phones from participating.
How can ten entries fail to include winners from at least any one of iPhone models 6, 5, 4?
Complete marketing exercise for Apple who had a tough end to 2018.
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It’s a little curious that Apple never explained what the license fee is. You’d agree.
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You do realize that the cameras on the new phones blow away the older phone cameras, right? As one of the reviewers noted, you simply could not have taken that shot of the raccoon as presented on some older phones—on my old 6 it simply wouldn't have exposed well enough to be a decent shot. Not to mention you can do RAW corrections on newer hardware and not the old stuff, and it outputs in a nicer image format than JPEG by default. They've featured billboards with photos shot on old hardware before, but it's not hard to believe that they were drawn towards images from better cameras for this contest—especially since the difference would be magnified on large screens and without a lot of compression like we usually see a lot of images these days.
 
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willmtaylor said:
More ****. Still no substantiation.

I don’t know what the licensing fee is, so I haven’t made statements postulating that I do. If I had a working idea based on evidence and logical inferences, I’d state it with my reasoning and support.

To sum up, I’d agree that neither of us knows, but one of us is full of it. Shameful.
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Shame on Apple for not being upfront with the licensing fees and not spreading winners across all devices.
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fuchsdh said:
You do realize that the cameras on the new phones blow away the older phone cameras, right? As one of the reviewers noted, you simply could not have taken that shot of the raccoon as presented on some older phones—on my old 6 it simply wouldn't have exposed well enough to be a decent shot. Not to mention you can do RAW corrections on newer hardware and not the old stuff, and it outputs in a nicer image format than JPEG by default. They've featured billboards with photos shot on old hardware before, but it's not hard to believe that they were drawn towards images from better cameras for this contest—especially since the difference would be magnified on large screens and without a lot of compression like we usually see a lot of images these days.
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Yes, though older devices have their unique quailities in photographic output, grain is beautiful. Actually, based on the rules of this competition, it seems the emphasis is less on the camera system but rather on post-production work.
 
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Freida said:
We both know that that is not what I meant and its also not a portraiture. Its just scenery pic with a girl in it :)
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No, it certainly isn't a classical portrait, but it is actually an environmental portrait. I follow plenty of photographers who shoot with that genre in mind. :)
 
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first-to-tea said:
Shame on Apple for not being upfront with the licensing fees and not spreading winners across all devices.
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Licensing fees would typically be negotiated. And Apple is certainly under no obligation to spread winners across all devices. There are upwards of twenty iPhone models so it’s not even possible with only ten winners.

first-to-tea said:
Yes, though older devices have their unique quailities in photographic output, grain is beautiful. Actually, based on the rules of this competition, it seems the emphasis is less on the camera system but rather on post-production work.
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No, based on competition rules, the emphasis is that the entries must be shot on iPhone. Post-production is optional at the artist’s discretion.
 
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What's to stop someone changing the EXIF data and winning?

All someone needs to do is take a snap on the Pixel 3, claim it's an iPhone and they've won.
 
Crayola should start a competition called "Drawn with crayons" and announce those winners so that the professional artist of the world can feel uneasy as photographers do when looking at this ****.
 
davethorp said:
Next year’s competition will be entitled “Shot on iPhone but heavily edited using photoshop to the point where you can no longer tell it was shot on iPhone”
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I don't really think any of these are "heavily" edited. And isn't the point to blur the quality line between a phone camera and a dSLR?
 
JTBing said:
ARTISTS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THEIR WORK
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Marcel Duchamp bought a urinal, put it on its side, wrote “R. Mutt 1917” on it, and titled it “Fountain.” It is considered a landmark piece of 20th century art.

The thing about art is that it’s not to be understood, it’s to be made.

Though I still get annoyed by certain things like this that is considered radical or whatever. I see it everywhere on social media. It’s just hilarious because in art school I’d have been eviscerated by my professors if I took upside down photos of heart shaped puddles, lol. And not because it was too radical, but because many photo 1 students do this when they’re first starting out because they’re trying to be cheeky. Oh well, to each their own.
 
mollyc said:
No, it certainly isn't a classical portrait, but it is actually an environmental portrait. I follow plenty of photographers who shoot with that genre in mind. :)
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Actually..... Perhaps I am too literal-minded (I've been accused of that before!) but my understanding of an "environmental portrait" is one which shows the subject in his or her customary environment, a situation to which the viewer can immediately relate the subject to the background -- for example, an artist standing in his or her studio with paintings and art supplies around, or a writer in surroundings which include books, newspapers or magazines or perhaps tools of the writing trade (computers, typewriters) ..... A photographer in a professional studio with his work tools (cameras, tripods, booms, light stands, etc.) seen behind or around him or her.... A Hollywood film director on the set......

Like Freida I viewed this image and decided that it's a very nice photo of a cute little girl standing awestricken in the midst of some amazing scenery. It's definitely not a formal portrait of the child, but in my opinion it also would not be considered an "environmental portrait" by most professional photographers. To me, the only "relationship" the child has to the scenery is being there in that place and seeing it as a tourist and feeling wonderment about it all. That's pretty cool in itself and makes for a nice image. However, it really has nothing to do with her own real life and her own interests and chosen activities -- an "environmental portrait" of a child this young would show her in a school environment or perhaps an extracurricular environment -- a young dancer in a dance studio, a participant in a sports activity surrounded by whatever is used in that sport. A young swimmer by a pool, attired in swimwear, perhaps posing as though she were ready to dive into the water. or simply sitting at the pool's edge.... To me, that's what "environmental portraiture" is all about.
 
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I’ve yet to see a photo that adequately conveys the enormity and majesty of the Grand Canyon. It is one of those places that you have to experience in person.
 
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Clix Pix said:
Actually..... Perhaps I am too literal-minded (I've been accused of that before!) but my understanding of an "environmental portrait" is one which shows the subject in his or her customary environment, a situation to which the viewer can immediately relate the subject to the background -- for example, an artist standing in his or her studio with paintings and art supplies around, or a writer in surroundings which include books, newspapers or magazines or perhaps tools of the writing trade (computers, typewriters) ..... A photographer in a professional studio with his work tools (cameras, tripods, booms, light stands, etc.) seen behind or around him or her.... A Hollywood film director on the set......

Like Freida I viewed this image and decided that it's a very nice photo of a cute little girl standing awestricken in the midst of some amazing scenery. It's definitely not a formal portrait of the child, but in my opinion it also would not be considered an "environmental portrait" by most professional photographers. To me, the only "relationship" the child has to the scenery is being there in that place and seeing it as a tourist and feeling wonderment about it all. That's pretty cool in itself and makes for a nice image. However, it really has nothing to do with her own real life and her own interests and chosen activities -- an "environmental portrait" of a child this young would show her in a school environment or perhaps an extracurricular environment -- a young dancer in a dance studio, a participant in a sports activity surrounded by whatever is used in that sport. A young swimmer by a pool, attired in swimwear, perhaps posing as though she were ready to dive into the water. or simply sitting at the pool's edge.... To me, that's what "environmental portraiture" is all about.
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Interesting point, but perhaps you are being somewhat, not so much literal-minded as... well, perhaps “strictly-defining” would be a better description.

To the extent the environment is effective in helping to tell the story the artist is trying to convey about the subject, in the environment they live, work or play, it’s fair to say it’s an example of environmental portraiture.

If, however, you feel that that particular environment doesn’t advance the photographer’s message (maybe a sense of awe or wonderment, or a feeling of childhood innocence?) then you could certainly argue that it would be more properly categorized as a location portrait.

Anyway, that’s my take.
 
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PickUrPoison said:
Licensing fees would typically be negotiated. And Apple is certainly under no obligation to spread winners across all devices. There are upwards of twenty iPhone models so it’s not even possible with only ten winners.


No, based on competition rules, the emphasis is that the entries must be shot on iPhone. Post-production is optional at the artist’s discretion.
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Just goes to show how flawed the competition was to begin with, licensing fees as the last minute prize is just a joy killer. It’s simple, a prize for a model from each year, past ten years. Simple. Nothing hard about that. The prizes were totally stacked towards only current models on sale.
Yes, shot on iPhone, but the photos chosen clearly have super post production emphasis.
 
first-to-tea said:
Just goes to show how flawed the competition was to begin with, licensing fees as the last minute prize is just a joy killer. It’s simple, a prize for a model from each year, past ten years. Simple. Nothing hard about that. The prizes were totally stacked towards only current models on sale.
Yes, shot on iPhone, but the photos chosen clearly have super post production emphasis.
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“Flawed” is merely your Apple-hate drenched description. There’s nothing flawed about a competition that selects awesome examples of what artists can do with the amazing cameras on iPhone. “Shot on iPhone.” See how that works? Incredible photographs, shot on iPhone.

Apple has no duty to select one winner per model year. They never claimed they would, and they didn’t. Why is this a problem for you? If you want to hold a contest where one winner is selected from each if the last ten model years—regardless of the actual ten best—you’re free to do so. Apple is equally free not to do so. It’s their contest and their rules. Not yours.

Not sure why you have a problem with post-production, the rules clearly state artists may post-process if they so choose, though they are required to detail what techniques they utilized. Shot on iPhone. It means just that. Hold your own contest if you want to select pictures with less or no post processing.

And really, “licensing fees as the last minute prize is just a joy killer”? Not for the entrants, or the winners, I would say. I’m sure it was a “joy killer” for you; far from being half-full, your glass is completely empty. Maybe you need a new hobby? Complaining about the rules for a photography contest you didn’t win seems rather... I don’t know, maybe... empty, meaningless and sad?
 
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MistrSynistr said:
They are all heavily edited. Sharpness cranked up to max. Filtered to hell. Colors changed in post production. Tons of things. (I do this for a living).
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I didn't say *not* edited. I said not heavily edited. Most of these are done in Lightroom mobile or VSCO. One person mentioned the default camera app and Snapseed. It's doubtful anyone spent more than 5 minutes editing any of these photos. (I know how to take photos too.)
 
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Timmy ... and my picture of keys, sunglasses, and a beer didn’t win because why?
 
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