The 2018 iPhone Photography Awards Prove You Don't Need A Fancy Camera To Take Amazing Photos

(Photo: Erica  Wu/iPhone Photography Awards)
(Photo: Erica Wu/iPhone Photography Awards)

Ever since the release of the first iPhone, the iPhone Photography Awards have honored the true masters of mobile photography. Now in its 11th year, we’re seeing just what some photographers can do with a camera they probably carry around all the time. While this competition is limited to those who use iPhones, there is a competition for mobile phone users as well, if you’re interested.

This year’s winners were selected from thousands of entries and from photographers in 140 countries. The winning image, taken by Jashish Salam of Bangladesh and titled “Displaced,” shows a crowded refugee camp with Rohingya children watching a film about sanitation. Other awards included prizes for photographer of the year and 18 other categories like Nature, Children and Travel.

Check out some of the winning images below and head over the iPhone Photography Awards site to see more.

Grand Prize

"Displaced"<br />Rohingya children watching an awareness film about health and sanitation near Tangkhali refugee camp in Ukhia.<br />Shot on iPhone 7
"Displaced"
Rohingya children watching an awareness film about health and sanitation near Tangkhali refugee camp in Ukhia.
Shot on iPhone 7

Photographer Of The Year

First Place<br />"Baiana in yellow and blue"<br />The picture was taken in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, spontaneously, after a truck drove by. The woman with traditional clothes of a &ldquo;baiana&rdquo; was looking after the truck, during her work break.<br />Shot on iPhone 6S.
First Place
"Baiana in yellow and blue"
The picture was taken in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, spontaneously, after a truck drove by. The woman with traditional clothes of a “baiana” was looking after the truck, during her work break.
Shot on iPhone 6S.
Second Place<br />"Eye to eye"<br />Yantai Shandong province, China<br />Shot on iPhone 6
Second Place
"Eye to eye"
Yantai Shandong province, China
Shot on iPhone 6
Third Place<br />"I want to play"<br />A young boy who lost his leg was watching his friends play soccer, and he said he wanted to play soccer if he could.&nbsp;<br />Yangon, Myanmar<br />Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
Third Place
"I want to play"
A young boy who lost his leg was watching his friends play soccer, and he said he wanted to play soccer if he could. 
Yangon, Myanmar
Shot on iPhone 7 Plus

Abstract

First Place<br />"Corrugations"<br />Brisbane, Australia<br />Shot on iPhone X
First Place
"Corrugations"
Brisbane, Australia
Shot on iPhone X
Second Place<br />"The Union of Colors"<br />Mall of Asia, Philippines<br />Shot on iPhone X
Second Place
"The Union of Colors"
Mall of Asia, Philippines
Shot on iPhone X
Third Place<br />"Collapcity"<br />Pozna, Poland<br />Shot on iPhone 6S
Third Place
"Collapcity"
Pozna, Poland
Shot on iPhone 6S

Animals

First Place<br />&ldquo;Django&rdquo;<br />Carlsbad, California<br />Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
First Place
“Django”
Carlsbad, California
Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
Second Place<br />"0 to not-quite-Seagull-speed in 60 seconds"<br />New Brighton, Wirral, U.K.<br />Shot on iPhone 7
Second Place
"0 to not-quite-Seagull-speed in 60 seconds"
New Brighton, Wirral, U.K.
Shot on iPhone 7
Third Place<br />"Smiling Fox"<br />Miyagi Zao Fox Village, Japan<br />Shot on iPhone X
Third Place
"Smiling Fox"
Miyagi Zao Fox Village, Japan
Shot on iPhone X

Architecture

First Place<br />"Rampage"<br />Rome, Italy<br />Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
First Place
"Rampage"
Rome, Italy
Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
Second Place<br />"Jameh Mosque of Isfahan"<br /> Isfahan, Iran<br />Shot on iPhone 7
Second Place
"Jameh Mosque of Isfahan"
Isfahan, Iran
Shot on iPhone 7
Third Place<br />"Burj Khalifa Dubai"<br />Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai<br />Shot on iPhone 6
Third Place
"Burj Khalifa Dubai"
Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai
Shot on iPhone 6

Children

First Place<br />"Spray Fury"<br />Toronto, Canada<br />Shot on iPhone 5S
First Place
"Spray Fury"
Toronto, Canada
Shot on iPhone 5S
Second Place<br />"Air"<br />Skate park, Haifa, Israel<br />Shot on iPhone X
Second Place
"Air"
Skate park, Haifa, Israel
Shot on iPhone X
Third Place<br />"Twins"<br />Fermoy, Cork, Ireland<br />Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
Third Place
"Twins"
Fermoy, Cork, Ireland
Shot on iPhone 7 Plus

Landscape

First Place<br />"Human vs. Nature"<br />Between Nevada and Arizona<br />Shot on iPhone 8 Plus
First Place
"Human vs. Nature"
Between Nevada and Arizona
Shot on iPhone 8 Plus
Second Place<br />"At Sycamore Gap"<br />Northumberland, U.K.<br />Shot on iPhone 7
Second Place
"At Sycamore Gap"
Northumberland, U.K.
Shot on iPhone 7
Third Place<br />"The Kerid"<br /> Kerid, Iceland<br />Shot on iPhone X
Third Place
"The Kerid"
Kerid, Iceland
Shot on iPhone X

Lifestyle

First Place<br />"Mrs. Sancheski"<br />Alcal&aacute; de Henares , Madrid, Spain<br />Shot on iPhone 7
First Place
"Mrs. Sancheski"
Alcalá de Henares , Madrid, Spain
Shot on iPhone 7
Second Place<br />"Dreams in the basket"<br />Heyuan, Guangdong, China<br />Shot on iPhone 5S
Second Place
"Dreams in the basket"
Heyuan, Guangdong, China
Shot on iPhone 5S
Third Place<br />"Enjoy the Summer "<br />Novalja, Croatia<br />Shot on iPhone SE
Third Place
"Enjoy the Summer "
Novalja, Croatia
Shot on iPhone SE

Nature

First Place<br />"Morning Fog"<br /> Toulouse, France<br />Shot on iPhone 6S
First Place
"Morning Fog"
Toulouse, France
Shot on iPhone 6S
Second Place<br />"The Sand-snow river"<br />Rosa Khutor Ski Resort, Sochi, Russia<br />Shot on iPhone SE
Second Place
"The Sand-snow river"
Rosa Khutor Ski Resort, Sochi, Russia
Shot on iPhone SE
Third Place<br />"Serenity"<br /> Ilulissat, Greenland<br />Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
Third Place
"Serenity"
Ilulissat, Greenland
Shot on iPhone 7 Plus

News and Events

First Place<br />"Iftar Amongst the Ruins"<br />During a lull in the bombings, Syrians gather, seated on a long 1200-meter row of tables set up among the ruins of Douma, for a public Iftar, the evening meal at the end of the daily Ramadan fast. <br />Shot on iPhone 7
First Place
"Iftar Amongst the Ruins"
During a lull in the bombings, Syrians gather, seated on a long 1200-meter row of tables set up among the ruins of Douma, for a public Iftar, the evening meal at the end of the daily Ramadan fast.
Shot on iPhone 7
Second Place<br />"The Heat"<br />Betim, Brazil<br />Shot on iPhone 5S
Second Place
"The Heat"
Betim, Brazil
Shot on iPhone 5S
Third Place<br />"Refugee Caravan"<br />Members of the Refugee Caravan 2017 climb the border fence dividing Mexico and the U.S. to celebrate their arrival in Tijuana.<br />Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico<br />Shot on iPhone 6S<br />
Third Place
"Refugee Caravan"
Members of the Refugee Caravan 2017 climb the border fence dividing Mexico and the U.S. to celebrate their arrival in Tijuana.
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
Shot on iPhone 6S

Other

First Place<br />"Sky Portal"<br />Wright Brothers National Park, North Carolina<br />Shot on iPhone SE
First Place
"Sky Portal"
Wright Brothers National Park, North Carolina
Shot on iPhone SE
Second Place<br />"Lo de G&oacute;mez"<br />Ciudad Aut&oacute;noma de Buenos Aires<br />Shot on iPhone 6S
Second Place
"Lo de Gómez"
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Shot on iPhone 6S
Third Place<br />"Landing"<br />Sucy-en-Brie, &Icirc;le-de-France, France<br />Shot on iPhone SE
Third Place
"Landing"
Sucy-en-Brie, Île-de-France, France
Shot on iPhone SE

Panorama

First Place<br />"Icebergs"<br /> Iceland<br />Shot on iPhone 6 Plus
First Place
"Icebergs"
Iceland
Shot on iPhone 6 Plus
Second Place<br />"Frozen Central Park"<br />Central Park, New York City<br />Shot on iPhone 7
Second Place
"Frozen Central Park"
Central Park, New York City
Shot on iPhone 7
Third Place<br />"Sunrise in Monument Valley"<br />Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah<br />Shot on iPhone 7 Plus
Third Place
"Sunrise in Monument Valley"
Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah
Shot on iPhone 7 Plus

Travel

First Place<br />"Silk Road"<br />Mongolia<br />Shot on iPhone 6S
First Place
"Silk Road"
Mongolia
Shot on iPhone 6S

Also on HuffPost

People

<strong>First Place: "Tea Culture"<br /></strong><br />"For a long time, I have been fascinated by the ancient Mongolian method of hunting with golden eagles. In early 2018, I followed one family of eagle hunters during their migration from winter camp to spring camp. Mongolia is sparsely populated, but the inhabitants have a very hospitable and welcoming culture. Tea for Kazakh culture is one of the attributes of hospitality. Tea isn't just a drink, but a mix of tradition, culture, relaxation, ceremony, and pleasure. Damel, seen here wrapped in heavy fur clothes, drinks a cup of tea to keep warm from the chilly temperatures in Western Mongolia."
<strong>Second Place: "Le&iuml;da and La&euml;lle &mdash; I Will Lift You Up"<br /></strong><br />"Since 2016, I've been involved with Haitian immigrants and refugees living in my city, Estrela. I have become friends with some families, and especially with twin sisters, Le&iuml;da and La&euml;lle. They say living in Brazil is like living in paradise &mdash; very different from the reality of their country of origin. They dream of becoming models and teachers, as a way to earn money to bring their other relatives from Haiti to Brazil, to live all near one another. On this day, they were playing in front of their home, improvising exercises to develop their imagination and creativity, as if they were actresses, and playing an imitation game with poses. La&euml;lle reached for Le&iuml;da's face and lifted her head up, showing her where she should look. At this brief moment, I took the photo."
<strong>Third Place: "Challenging Journey"</strong><br /><br />"This photograph was taken from Dhaka's airport rail station during the Eid vacation. People were returning to their village homes to spend Eid with families, and the rush at the last hour was immense. One man caught my attention: He was dangling on a train's handle with his family, trying to get inside the train. At that time, rain started and the train began to slowly move. The family had tickets to board the train, but couldn&rsquo;t get to their seats. There are many people like him, who come to Dhaka for work &mdash; leaving their families and home villages &mdash; so when they get vacation, they don't want to miss the opportunity to spend time with dear ones, no matter what."

Nature

<strong>First Place/Grand Prize:&nbsp;"Mermaid"<br /></strong><br />"I was fortunate to have encountered a humpback whale with her calf on my first day snorkeling near Japan&rsquo;s Kumejima Island. Most of the time, the calf stayed close to her mom. At one point, the calf began jumping and tapping its tail on the water near us &mdash; it was very friendly and curious. Finally, the mother, who was watching nearby, came to pick up the calf and swim away. I fell in love completely with the calf and its very energetic, large and beautiful tail."
<strong>Second Place: "Flamingos Taking Off"<br /></strong><br />"Thousands of flamingos take off from the colorful salt Lake Natron in Tanzania. Before taking off, flamingos need to take a short run on water to build up some speed. at this time, Their long, red legs trod a series of water ripples on the surface of the lake. looking down from the helicopter, these ripple lines look like giant aquatic plants flowing in the water. This photo was taken from a helicopter."
<strong>Third Place: "Mars"<br /></strong><br />"These natural sand towers, capped with large stones, are known as the Earth Pyramids of Platten. They are situated in northern Italy&rsquo;s South Tyrol region. Formed centuries ago after several storms and landslides, these land formations look like a landscape from outer space and continuously change over the years and, more accurately, over seasons. This natural phenomenon is the result of a continuous alternation between periods of torrential rain and drought, which have caused the erosion of the terrain and the formation of these pinnacles. As the seasons change, the temperatures move between extremes and storms affect the area, pyramids disappear over time, while new pinnacles form as well."

Cities

<strong>First Place: "Another Rainy Day in Nagasaki"</strong><br /><br />"This is a view of the main street from a tram in Nagasaki on a rainy day. The tram is vintage and yet retrofitted with modern ticketing equipment. No conductor is on board any more&nbsp;&mdash; only the driver. It seems to rain a lot in Nagasaki and the rain in Nagasaki was even made into a popular song some years ago."
<strong>Second place: "Geometry Of The Sun"<br /></strong><br />"Teotihuacan means 'the place where the gods were created,' and that's the exact feeling visitors have when they walk along the Avenue of the Dead at this Mexican archeological site. This pyramid was dedicated to the god of sun, and I found it mesmerizing how the rising sun in the picture conquered just half the image, while the other half is in the shadows. I have always loved archeology and ancient civilizations, so I couldn't wait to visit Mexico and explore the remains of the pre-Columbian civilization. I planned my visit to Teotihuacan at sunrise, to get a combination of golden sunlight, play of shadows, and few crowds around. I flew my drone to see if the image I had in my mind was really out there: Luckily for me, this frame was just waiting for my camera!"
<strong>Third Place: "Reflection"<br /></strong><br />"On an early morning, I wanted to photograph the fog, which is epic in Dubai every year from December to January &mdash; and almost every photographer&rsquo;s dream in this part of the world. Sadly, I could not get access to the rooftop and so I peeped through the glazed window on a lower floor. I was overwhelmed and excited to see how beautiful the city looks, and my excitement was quadrupled as soon as I saw the reflection of the road and building on the building facade that I was in. I immediately opened the window to the maximum permissible amount and clicked a single shot with stretched hands."
<strong>Honorable Mention: "Alone In The Crowds"<br /></strong><br />"In this photo, I tried to bring the intense and stacked living conditions that Hong Kong is famous for into perspective for the viewer. With so many people living in small spaces, it's strange to see all these amenities empty. As a solo traveler, I&rsquo;m often alone in crowds and this photo resonates with me. I barely scratched the surface of this incredible urban environment, but this image really summarizes my experience here."

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.