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Here Are The Best iPhone Photos Of 2017

This'll make you want to up your 'gram game stat.

The winners of the 2017 iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) were just announced, after thousands submitted their entries from over 140 countries.

Entrants compete not just for the prestigious titles, certificates, and mentions, but also for gold and palladium bars “from the most recognizable private gold mint in the world.”

This year’s Grand Prize Winner of Photographer of the Year was Sebastiano Tomada from Brooklyn, New York for his photograph, “Children of Qayyarah”, taken on his iPhone 6s.

“Children roam the streets in Qayyarah near the fire and smoke billowing from oil wells, set ablaze by ISIS militants,” the photo’s caption reads.

IPPAWARDS

First Place for Photographer of the Year went to Cork, Ireland’s Brendan O Se for his photo, “Dock Worker”, of a dockworker in Jakarta, also taken with a 6s:

IPPAWARDS

Second Place for Photographer of the Year went to Singapore’s Yeow-Kwang Yeo for “The Performer”, an image of a street opera performer taking a break, taken with a 6 Plus:

IPPAWARDS

Third Place went to Kuanglong Zhang in Shenzhen, China for the iPhone 7 photo, “The City Palace”, an image of a staff member taking in the view from Udaipur’s City Palace:

IPPAWARDS

In addition to the competition for best photographer overall, the categories one can enter include (but are not limited to) the following: Abstract, Animals, Architecture, Children, Floral, Landscape, Lifestyle, Nature, News/Events, Panorama, People, Portrait, Series (3 images), Still Life, Sunset, Travel, Trees, Other. If you’re feeling inspired, you can check out the 2018 rules here.

We’ve included the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners’ photographs for Lifestyle, Panorama, The America I Know, and News/Events below for your enjoyment:

Lifestyle

Nick Trombola. Pittsburgh, PA USA. 1st Place – Lifestyle.“I went on a ski trip to Telluride, Colorado last winter with some friends. On the second morning we were already outside before the trails even opened for the day, so we were one of the first groups on the lift. The snow was perfectly white and mostly undisturbed because the only people who were on the Mountain before us were locals who had houses higher than our hotel. On our way up we passed over a group of three skiers, and I thought that they contrasted so well against the snow and our skis in the foreground that I quickly dug my iPhone out of my jacket and took the shot.”
IPPAWARDS
Nick Trombola. Pittsburgh, PA USA. 1st Place – Lifestyle.“I went on a ski trip to Telluride, Colorado last winter with some friends. On the second morning we were already outside before the trails even opened for the day, so we were one of the first groups on the lift. The snow was perfectly white and mostly undisturbed because the only people who were on the Mountain before us were locals who had houses higher than our hotel. On our way up we passed over a group of three skiers, and I thought that they contrasted so well against the snow and our skis in the foreground that I quickly dug my iPhone out of my jacket and took the shot.”
YuMing Guan. Guangdong, China. 2nd Place – Lifestyle.“This picture was taken in the summer of 2015, in Oia, a beautiful small town of Santorini. Tourists from around the globe gathered at the cliff to see the breathtaking sunset that is known as one of the Greatest Views in the World. Everyone was amazed by the stunning moment with awe and applauds, that’s when this local old man caught my attention. He was so concentrated and undisturbed, as if no crowd or view deserves his attention better than his own windowsill. I guess perhaps in his mind, the Greatest View in the World is HOME.”
IPPAWARDS
YuMing Guan. Guangdong, China. 2nd Place – Lifestyle.“This picture was taken in the summer of 2015, in Oia, a beautiful small town of Santorini. Tourists from around the globe gathered at the cliff to see the breathtaking sunset that is known as one of the Greatest Views in the World. Everyone was amazed by the stunning moment with awe and applauds, that’s when this local old man caught my attention. He was so concentrated and undisturbed, as if no crowd or view deserves his attention better than his own windowsill. I guess perhaps in his mind, the Greatest View in the World is HOME.”
Chung Hung. Taipei, Taiwan. 3rd Place – Lifestyle.
IPPAWARDS
Chung Hung. Taipei, Taiwan. 3rd Place – Lifestyle.

Panorama

Nick Trombola. Pittsburg PA, United States. 1st Place – Panorama.“This photo was taken at the American cemetery in Normandy, France in March 2016 as my best attempt to do it justice. There is a kind of indescribably transcendent quality to the memorial that I’ve never really felt anywhere else. It remains to this day my favorite place I’ve ever been, and the way the sun reflects off the perfect white headstones in this photo always remind me of the feeling of wholeness I have when I go there.”
IPPAWARDS
Nick Trombola. Pittsburg PA, United States. 1st Place – Panorama.“This photo was taken at the American cemetery in Normandy, France in March 2016 as my best attempt to do it justice. There is a kind of indescribably transcendent quality to the memorial that I’ve never really felt anywhere else. It remains to this day my favorite place I’ve ever been, and the way the sun reflects off the perfect white headstones in this photo always remind me of the feeling of wholeness I have when I go there.”
Andrew McCausland. Abbotsford BC, Canada. 2nd Place – Panorama.
IPPAWARDS
Andrew McCausland. Abbotsford BC, Canada. 2nd Place – Panorama.
Brian Marchuck. Lancaster PA, United States. 3rd Place – Panorama.“The day started beautiful and sunny. During an ATV ride through the Sedona Mountain wilderness I jumped off the ATV as a rain storm blew in and portions of the sky started dropping rain bands over the landscape. The photo is called, Rain Over the Reds.”
IPPAWARDS
Brian Marchuck. Lancaster PA, United States. 3rd Place – Panorama.“The day started beautiful and sunny. During an ATV ride through the Sedona Mountain wilderness I jumped off the ATV as a rain storm blew in and portions of the sky started dropping rain bands over the landscape. The photo is called, Rain Over the Reds.”

The America I Know

Juan Carlos Castañeda. Astoria NY, United States. 1st Place – The America I Know.“These pictures were taken on December 5th, 2016 at Standing Rock, North Dakota. That day the water protectors, the people standing up for the Sioux tribe were supposed to get evicted by the Morton County Sheriff’s Department. Thousands of veterans came to the aid of those of us who were protesting. They told us that they had vowed to protect this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic. President Obama announced that the Dakota Access Pipeline had to be halted until an investigation was made. The veterans still marched on that afternoon and made sure to let everyone know that they were there helping protect Standing Rock. Mother Nature stepped in that day with a blizzard of 40 to 50 mph winds with temperatures of -30F. The height of the storm and the march was captured with the photo that was selected for first place. Everyone there stood until it was physically impossible to continue. Shortly after that picture was taken everyone had to go back to camp and the officers on the other side of the bridge had to leave as well. It was a great reminder of who truly was in charge.”
IPPAWARDS
Juan Carlos Castañeda. Astoria NY, United States. 1st Place – The America I Know.“These pictures were taken on December 5th, 2016 at Standing Rock, North Dakota. That day the water protectors, the people standing up for the Sioux tribe were supposed to get evicted by the Morton County Sheriff’s Department. Thousands of veterans came to the aid of those of us who were protesting. They told us that they had vowed to protect this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic. President Obama announced that the Dakota Access Pipeline had to be halted until an investigation was made. The veterans still marched on that afternoon and made sure to let everyone know that they were there helping protect Standing Rock. Mother Nature stepped in that day with a blizzard of 40 to 50 mph winds with temperatures of -30F. The height of the storm and the march was captured with the photo that was selected for first place. Everyone there stood until it was physically impossible to continue. Shortly after that picture was taken everyone had to go back to camp and the officers on the other side of the bridge had to leave as well. It was a great reminder of who truly was in charge.”
Davis Bell. Los Angeles CA, United States. 2nd Place – The America I Know.“As we made our way around Antelope Island on that clear and crisp September day I couldn’t help but be startled and amazed at the immenseness of these bison. Out here on the open field as they moved about the dry golden grass above the Salt Lake, slowly, deliberately, the feeling of quiet strength was humbling to me, the observer. In many ways this image encapsulated my internal search on this particular road trip. Being but an arms length away from this gargantuan creature gave me some pause for reflection in my search for so many answers. Here this animal that became the imagery of The West, and whose lore is interwoven with pioneers, cowboys, and the earliest inhabitants of these American plains, stands as a mythical remnant, a symbol, of our American journey and what is possible with a little foresight, a little courage, and a lot of dedication.”
IPPAWARDS
Davis Bell. Los Angeles CA, United States. 2nd Place – The America I Know.“As we made our way around Antelope Island on that clear and crisp September day I couldn’t help but be startled and amazed at the immenseness of these bison. Out here on the open field as they moved about the dry golden grass above the Salt Lake, slowly, deliberately, the feeling of quiet strength was humbling to me, the observer. In many ways this image encapsulated my internal search on this particular road trip. Being but an arms length away from this gargantuan creature gave me some pause for reflection in my search for so many answers. Here this animal that became the imagery of The West, and whose lore is interwoven with pioneers, cowboys, and the earliest inhabitants of these American plains, stands as a mythical remnant, a symbol, of our American journey and what is possible with a little foresight, a little courage, and a lot of dedication.”
Maria K. Pianu. Pordenone, Italy. 3rd Place – The America I Know.“When in NY area, I like to take an out of season walk in Coney Island. This photo was taken during an Indian summer windy day, breathing the Ocean breeze and getting inspired by Coney Island decadent and old-school Brooklyn atmosphere.”
IPPAWARDS
Maria K. Pianu. Pordenone, Italy. 3rd Place – The America I Know.“When in NY area, I like to take an out of season walk in Coney Island. This photo was taken during an Indian summer windy day, breathing the Ocean breeze and getting inspired by Coney Island decadent and old-school Brooklyn atmosphere.”

News/Events

Samuel Nacar. Albacete, Spain. 1st Place – News/Events.The nomads of Europe“Monday 24th of October started the eviction of the biggest migrant camp in Europe named The Jungle, located in northern France only 5 kilometers away from the city of Calais. On Wednesday 26th of October the camp was set on fire and thousands of migrants had to leave, some of them were relocated while others were not. In this photograph you can see thousands of migrants being evicted from the camp due to the many fires.”
IPPAWARDS
Samuel Nacar. Albacete, Spain. 1st Place – News/Events.The nomads of Europe“Monday 24th of October started the eviction of the biggest migrant camp in Europe named The Jungle, located in northern France only 5 kilometers away from the city of Calais. On Wednesday 26th of October the camp was set on fire and thousands of migrants had to leave, some of them were relocated while others were not. In this photograph you can see thousands of migrants being evicted from the camp due to the many fires.”
Thea Mihu. Sibiu, Romania. 2nd Place – News/Events.“Shot on February 4th, 2017 during anti-corruption protests in Romania, the largest protest since the fall of communism, where thousands of people protest creatively against Romanian government.”
IPPAWARDS
Thea Mihu. Sibiu, Romania. 2nd Place – News/Events.“Shot on February 4th, 2017 during anti-corruption protests in Romania, the largest protest since the fall of communism, where thousands of people protest creatively against Romanian government.”
Xirui Huang. Hunan, China. 3rd Place – News/Events.“Taken on January 2016, during clashes between Turkish Government forces and PKK militants at the old district Sur, Diyarbakir.”
IPPAWARDS
Xirui Huang. Hunan, China. 3rd Place – News/Events.“Taken on January 2016, during clashes between Turkish Government forces and PKK militants at the old district Sur, Diyarbakir.”

You can see all of the iPhone Photography Awards winners here.

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