A picture is worth a thousand words. Furthermore, it is able to stir emotions. This is certainly true for shots showcased through iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS). Now in its 13th edition for 2020, the competition received submissions from thousands of photographers from all over the globe. Among them are winning photographs that reflect powerful worldview.
Take the shot that won the Grand Prize Winner and Photographer of the Year Award for example. Titled 'Flying Boys', Street photographer Dimpy Bhalotia of the United Kingdom focuses on a fleeting moment. In it, three boys take flight from a wall into the Ganges River, their expressive limbs filling the sky with both tension and exuberance.
"Since the start of the IPPAWARDS, iPhone photography has evolved exponentially with every new model of iPhone. The technical quality of the photos taken is on-par or above most DSLR cameras. We’ve been noticing less reliance on heavy use of filters and apps compare to early days. The most significant improvement we’ve been seeing is how users are becoming more fluent with the visual language, storytelling, capturing emotional moments and a slice of time. iPhone’s ease of use made that possible and accessible to every user. When a tool becomes invisible users are able to focus on the moments and experiences they are trying to capture," said Kenan Aktulun, Founder of iPhone Photography Awards.
Special Mention
On the list of winners is a Singapore entry. Submitted by Singapore-based photographer Jiawen Wu, 'Journey to the Lava Field' came third in the 'Nature' category. Although shot using an iPhone 6, the Hawaii-taken picture documented an important moment.
"My husband and I went on vacation to Hawaii in 2016. The Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has many volcano/lava tours, however, at the time we were there, most tours were closed due to the low volcanic activity. We were lucky that just 2 days before our departure, we heard in the news of an eruption and lava was making its way downhill, so we decided to try our luck and drove to the lava field. It was a long walk on the solidified, dead lava field together with dozens of other hikers, which took probably 2-3 hours until we reached the fresh lava area," explained Wu.
Scroll the gallery above to see the winning shots photographed by its photographer.
