Winners Crowned at the Eighth Annual iPhone Photography Awards

Newsweek, 2015

Dozens of amateurs and professionals became award-winning photographers for images they snapped on their iPhones, iPods or iPads. The eighth annual iPhone Photography Awards named three photographers of the year — Michał Koralewski of Poland in first place, David Craik of the U.K. in second and Yvonne Lu of the U.S. in third — and three winners in each of 19 categories, such as portraiture, travel, animals, seasons and food.

"This year's entries were especially impressive, ranging from intimate, thought-provoking moments to stunning, captivating imagery," IPPAWARDS creator Kenan Aktulun said in a press release sent to Newsweek. The winners "once again showed the ability of the iPhone to take astonishing photographs."

Aktulun, a designer, photographer and creative director, founded the competition soon after the first-generation iPhone came out. He began taking photos with the phone as a hobby and quickly realized that though the early technology didn't necessarily make for the most technically strong images, the phones allowed people to capture meaningful moments spontaneously.

Photographer of the Year — First Place

Michał Koralewski, Poland

An accordionist playing traditional Polish songs in a market square in Warsaw. "His face was the first thing I noticed," photographer Michał Koralewski said of the image.

Photographer of the Year — Second Place

David Craik, United Kingdom — Cafe Birds

Photographer of the Year — Third Place

Yvonne Lu, United States — Before Sunset

"I shoot mostly street scenes and portraits, trying to capture intimate moments, the kind that carry a lot of emotions," said Dina Alfasi of Tel Aviv, whose photo won third place in the portrait category this year. "Love, pain, fear, joy — no matter what emotion, as long as whoever looks at the picture will truly feel something."

Aktulun declined to disclose the precise number of submissions to the competition, but said that they were in the thousands this year and that the number of photos entered roughly doubled from a year ago. Submissions came from more than 120 countries this year, including the U.S., the U.K., Australia, China, South Africa, Egypt, Kuwait, Germany, Taiwan and Ecuador.

"Every year I look at the photos submitted, and they're getting more personal," Aktulun said. "People are more comfortable with it." Not only has the technology improved since the iPhone was first released in 2007, but "the quality of images in terms of composition frame and kind of lighting of subject, or the pictures they're taking is much, much better. People are less focused on using a lot of filters and more on what it is they're trying to capture."

The panel of unidentified judges generally includes professional photographers, creative directors, publishers and media buyers. This year's group of 12 judges also included a design professor and two architects.

"iPhone photography has taught me to find my own style and helped me think creatively, turning ordinary moments into magical ones, capturing details that we often take for granted," said Chris Belcina, a nurse from Cooper City, Florida, whose photo of Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado took first place in the landscape category.

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