iPhone Photography Awards Highlight Best Images of 2024

[MacRumors]

Every year, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) selects the best photographs captured with an iPhone, and the 2024 award winners were announced today. Many of this year's winning images were taken with Apple's most recent iPhone 15 models.

The grand prize image features a boy at an aquarium, with the photo shot in black and white using an iPhone 15 Pro Max.

The first place image includes a group of swimmers at a lifeguard camp from an iPhone 11 Pro Pro Max, while the second place image features children in Cambodia shot on an iPhone 15 Pro.

There are also winners across a number of categories, including abstract, animals, architecture, children, cityscape, landscape, lifestyle, nature, people, portrait, series, still life, travel, and other. All of the winning images can be viewed on the IPPA website.

IPPA has been running the iPhone Photography Awards since 2007, and 2024 marks the 17th annual competition. The contests are open to iPhone and iPad users worldwide, and images can be edited with iOS apps. It is worth noting that it costs money to send in a photo, but Apple devices are provided as prizes.

Article Link: iPhone Photography Awards Highlight Best Images of 2024

 

[diego.caraballo]

MacRumors gallery is filled with so much better pictures.
Some of the winners are heavily-edited shots...

And others are...I don't how to describe them...

 

[frownface]

And others are...I don't how to describe them...

You just don't understand art, man. *sips latte*

/s

 

[IAmStumped]

I don't understand the appeal of black and white photography. That aquarium photo would be so much more amazing in colour...

 

[citysnaps]

What this shows is great photography comes from the photographer and his/her life experiences, imagination, ability to see, ability to assess the quality of light, ability to compose, recognizing potential narratives that a viewer might conjure, skill, and determination. And very little to do with what camera one chooses to use. Too many people focus on the latter, rather than the former.

iPhones are great cameras in the right hands.

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

Aren't these quite heavily photoshopped?

 

[frownface]

I don't understand the appeal of black and white photography. That aquarium photo would be so much more amazing in colour...

It's visually striking because it's different from what we're used to seeing.

The same photo, in colour, without the HDR, without the grainy filters would just look like a normal photo to us; technically it'd be a far better photo. But aesthetically it'd be ho hum.

 

[jlc1978]

I don't understand the appeal of black and white photography. That aquarium photo would be so much more amazing in colour...

Look at the works of Ansel Adams and O Winston Link.

 

[citysnaps]

Look at the works of Ansel Adams and O Winston Link.

I'd also add Richard Avedon, particularly his work in his In the American West project. Also Daido Moriyama, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Dorothea Lange, Robert Capa, Sally Mann, Graciela Iturbide, Elliot Erwitt, and Garry Winogrand.

 

[frownface]

Aren't these quite heavily photoshopped?

Yep pretty much. These competitions tend to be more about who can cake on the most layers of post processing in a combination that looks good.
You could get to the same end point with the same starting photo taken by any half decent phone from the last decade.

 

[kjvmartin]

If only they could perfect indoor low-light pictures of people. I have almost no keeper photos from family events where Pixel users are present. We all share after, and our photos look quite poor by comparison.

At least I know I can get an amazing shot of some mountain or a flower outside.

 

[newton4000]

As someone who photographs mostly in BW, that BW winner is just horrendous. Firstly, there is nothing interesting about the composition - this is an easy enough shot to get at any Aquarium. Second, the processing and everything about it is horrendous. Yes, this is about taste, and some things like HDR are to each his own taste, but I just can't see anybody thinking this is a good image?

 

[TVreporter]

Really what’s so unique or special about the first photo? They turned it black and white to reduce the glare off the glass and overexposed light at the top.

Really don’t get that one as the winner.

The irony Apple touts its HDR for dynamic, colourful images … and a black and white pic wins.

 

[steve09090]

As someone who photographs mostly in BW, that BW winner is just horrendous. Firstly, there is nothing interesting about the composition - this is an easy enough shot to get at any Aquarium. Second, the processing and everything about it is horrendous. Yes, this is about taste, and some things like HDR are to each his own taste, but I just can't see anybody thinking this is a good image?

I think it has or had potential, but the ‘grunge' style filter just kills it for me.

I'd also add Richard Avedon, particularly his work in his In the American West project. Also Daido Moriyama, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Dorothea Lange, Robert Capa, Sally Mann, Graciela Iturbide, Elliot Erwitt, and Garry Winogrand.

Henri Cartier-Brasson. Is studied all of these ^ in my Diploma. Great photos need a great photographer, not a great camera.

In other news. Samsung top 5 photos.

Moon
Selene
Luna
Måne
Lune…

 

[citysnaps]

I think it has or had potential, but the ‘grunge' style filter just kills it for me.



Henri Cartier-Brasson. Is studied all of these ^ in my Diploma. Great photos need a great photographer, not a great camera.

In other news. Samsung top 5 photos.

Moon
Selene
Luna
Måne
Lune…

Do you have a favorite of the photographers mentioned in my post? That's quite a diverse list of styles/content.

It would be tough for me to pick one. But if I had to, it would probably be Avedon for his epic road trip making photos of America's West. Next up would be Moriyama, Bravo, or Lange. Tomorrow I'd probably pick a different three.

 

[7thson]

Testament to “the best camera is the one you have with you”. I remember years ago, probably circa iPhone 11, an iPhone 6s(+)(?) winning the grand prize. I have an iphone 15 pro and pretty much no clue how to utilize the most of the camera’s capabiltities.

 

[steve09090]

Do you have a favorite of the photographers mentioned in my post? That's quite a diverse list of styles/content.

It would be tough for me to pick one. But if I had to, it would probably be Avedon for his epic road trip making photos of America's West. Next up would be Moriyama, Bravo, or Lange. Tomorrow I'd probably pick a different three.

I wish I’d seen an actual exhibition of Richard Avedon. Standing in front of life size photographs of In The American West was apparently unnerving and exhilarating at the same time. His full frame portraits are something else. I think my favs are Ansel Adams, particularly for his use of filters and how it changed photography. Margaret Bourke-White (I had one of her originals in my hands at the Art Gallery in South Australia) and it was awe-inspiring to see first hand the depth of shades in Black & White prints. It basically started a series that I exhibited. But also Cartier-Brasson in the Decisive Moment. There are so many tbh. Dorothy Lange is also a good choice. How does one choose?

 

[jlc1978]

Great photos need a great photographer, not a great camera.

Exactly. It's the eye behind the lens that counts.

I think my favs are Ansel Adams, particularly for his use of filters and how it changed photography

When I was in SF I had a chance to see some of his commercial photography that the Fairmont had sicoveed in an old box. How many photographers could make a B&W shot of a dining room look spectacular through teh us elf light and shadow?

 

[sevoneone]

MacRumors gallery is filled with so much better pictures.
Some of the winners are heavily-edited shots...

And others are...I don't how to describe them...

Yeah... I'd dare say 50% of these selections look like middling snapshots artificially pushed to look like something they are not. The winners from 2023 are 10x better in terms of composition and detail.

 

[svish]

Interesting photos! iPhones take good photos.

 

[Kottu]

MacRumors should have a category for best photos from the forum.

 

[Motawa]

All you people do is complain it’s sickening

 

[returnZero]

To me, the photographer of the first image found a way to make this composition work well despite the chaotic elements. The photograph easily could have become aimlessly lost. The red lines represent the rule of thirds in both landscape and portrait formats. The yellow lines illustrate how each element captures the viewer's interest, acting as guiding lines. The green lines show the roles of elements that are placed in a composition to complement each other.

If we examine the red line, we notice that placing the child in the bottom right corner counterbalances the weight of the other elements on the left side, where two elements reside. The green line at the bottom spans across from the left and rises toward the right side of the frame. Conversely, the green line at the top stretches from right to left as it descends, guiding our eyes toward the far left. Together, these two green lines effectively counterbalance the overall weight of the photograph, creating a well-balanced appearance.

Furthermore, if we follow the yellow lines, they lead our eyes to the point where the surface of the water appears slightly overexposed, revealing a school of fish swimming around. Below that, another flock of fish appears, followed by two more groups arranged in a diagonal pattern, ultimately directing our gaze toward the two sharks near the child, marking the conclusion of our visual journey. The surrounding backdrop on both sides creates a safe and comforting atmosphere, while the reasonably highlighted area on the child's face enhances the profound emotional storytelling.

 

[Bodhitree]

Interesting photos, and interesting discussion. Generally I don’t think filters add very much to photos, I think a good photo is in the first instance made by subject, colour and composition.

I had a quick look at the award winners, for the most part I thought they were not that special. That’s of course just my opinion, and I don’t judge a lot of photo competitions…

 

[ds2000]

I’m not sure if the forum will wreck the quality of these, but they were taken using RAW on my 14 Pro, then the details found in Lightroom.

No fancy lenses, no special lighting, just capturing my girls living out their lives on our vacation. These cameras are an absolute gift to us all.