In the 17th annual competition of the iPhone Photography Awards, one image taken at an aquarium in Florida won the grand prize. There were thousands of entrants in each category from still life and nature to animal and cityscape. "Each photograph tells a unique story —whether it's the raw beauty of nature, the quiet elegance of architecture, or the vibrant energy of human life — eliciting deep emotions and resonating with viewers worldwide," the award organisers said.
Here are the photos that impressed judges the most. Erin Brooks' Boy Meets Shark topped all the nominations for the top prize It portrays a young boy standing in awe before a massive shark. It symbolising the innocence of youth juxtaposed with the mysteries of the deep sea, according to the award organisers.
The photo was shot in Tampa, Florida on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Glen Wilbert's Lifeguard camp won the Photographer of the Year. The award organisers said the image "captures the organised chaos and energy of lifeguards in training".
The image was shot in Huntington Beach in California on an iPhone 11 Pro Max. Anthony Maureal's Pupils followed in next at second place. The award organisers said the photo "beautifully illustrates the quiet focus of young monks as they meditate in the ancient temple".
The photo was shot at Ta Prohm in Cambodia on an iPhone 15 Pro. Wenlong Jiang's image came in third place. "The photograph captures the vastness and intricate structure of an indoor space, with a lone figure providing a sense of scale and solitude within the grand environment," the award organisers said.
"Tucson Morning" was shot in Fujian in China on an iPhone 14. Coming in first place in the abstract category was Jose Manuel Garcia Gonzalez's Pita Pinta. It was taken in Pravia in Spain on an iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Winning the best animal photo was Colin Hoskins with Huntsman, Horse & Hounds. The image was taken in Cirencester in England on an iPhone 7 Plus. Leping Cheng's Entrance to the Fancy Land wowed judges in the architecture category.
The image was shot in Xiamen in China on an iPhone 12 Pro Max. On the Swing of Childhood by Daniel de Cerqueira was the best photo in the children category. The picture of a child in a hammok was taken in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on an iPhone 11.
Yanzhou Chen's Paradise image of Chongqing in China won the cityscape category. It features a colourful playground in front of industrial chimneys. The photo was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Paddy Chao's "Night Sky in Lake Tekapo" won the landscape category. It was taken on Lake Tekapo in New Zealand on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Glen Wilbert won the Photographer of the Year as well as the lifestyle category.
Lifeguard camp was also taken on Huntington Beach in California on the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Shinya Itahana's Stream won the best nature image. It was taken in Tottori in Japan and was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro.
In the 'other' category, Jun Hu's What's on your mind? came out on top. The picture of a woman and a donkey face to face was taken in Santorini in Greece on an iPhone 7. Brooke Wilen's Oompa Loompa impressed in the people category.
The image, reminiscent of a scene from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was shot at a motel in Silver Lake in Los Angeles on an iPhone 6S. Grace by Artem-Koleganov won best portrait. The black and white image was taken in St Petersburg in Russia on an iPhone X.
The best series of images were Xingping Zhou's Jumping into Dreams. The photos of people at a pool were taken in Johor in Malaysia on an iPhone 13. Dai Fushun's Sweet Summer was named best still life image.
The picture of juicy watermelon on a plate was taken in Mongolia, China on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Sahara Surfing by Khalid Mahmood was the best travel photo. The shot of four people on camels in the dunes was taken in the Northern Sahara desert in Morocco on an iPhone 13 Pro.
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