2014 Winning Photographers

Julio Lucas

Julio Lucas

Bradenton, FL United States

1st Place
Photographer of the Year

Personal Site
Instagram

I enjoy taken photos with my iPhone due its portability and ease of use while on the move. iPhone’s naturally tend to saturate colors in the captured image. Which depending on the enviromental lighting, the saturation of colors normally allows for a bold beautiful image. I generally try to stay away from using filters in my iPhone pictures. I want my photos to take on a more traditional form and grant the capture moment to tell the story rather then a manipulation of the moment by use of to many filters.

I’m just a simple guy who is passionate about art, design and iPhone photography but most importantly likes to stay on the move… Enough said its time to go a new adventure awaits!

Jose Luis Barcia

José Luis Barcia Fernandez

Madrid, Spain

2nd Place
Photographer of the Year

Flickr
Instagram

Born in Asturias, a beautiful region in the north Spain and I am currently living in Madrid. I think my interest in art started when I was 13 and first saw Picasso’s Guernica, one of my favorite paintings. I still remember the huge impression that I felt looking at that giant canvas and all its symbolism and meaning.

I am interested in black and white street photography, photomontages and minimalist photography. I try to capture emotions and moods through an ever-present subjects in all my photographs.

Jill Missner

Jill Missner

Ridgefield, CT United States

3rd Place
Photographer of the Year

Instagram

I’ve lived in all three “C” states (California, Connecticut and Colorado), among others.  At a very young age I learned about the importance of photographs. Photography has been in my family my entire life, as my grandfather, Mickey Pallas was a photojournalist.

The photo I took was taken on a near-bye hike at a local pond in Ridgefield.  I make it a point of shooting pictures while I am out and about with my dog Wrigley.  We recently drove cross-country and I chronicled the trip through his eyes.  It is really quite a nice snapshot of Americana, and I am very thankful for the pictures to reflect back on.

I like to use my I-phone to take pictures for two reasons.  One, it is easy and my phone is with me most of the time, and two, it takes great photo’s.  So it is basically about quality and convenience.  I am basically never without a camera.  You cannot beat that!

Michael O'Neal

Michael O’Neal

San Francisco, CA United States

1st Place – Animals

Personal Site
Instagram

Michael O’Neal is a San Francisco based photographer most recognized for his portraiture work and use of natural light.

While driving up to Colter Bay Beach in Wyoming, I had a memorable encounter with this little guy. I turned the corner and saw him next to a stopped pickup truck in the middle of the road. The departing snowmobilers told me that he was friendly, and boy were they right. I parked, and swiftly grabbed my iPhone and DSLR. I sat in the road for 10 minutes with him, he was so curious! No cars, not a soul around, just me and this red fox. The iPhone shot turned out the best that day!

Yilang Peng

Yilang Peng

Madison, WI United States

1st Place – Architecture

Personal Site
Instagram

Michael O’Neal is a San Francisco based photographer most recognized for his portraiture work and use of natural light.

While driving up to Colter Bay Beach in Wyoming, I had a memorable encounter with this little guy. I turned the corner and saw him next to a stopped pickup truck in the middle of the road. The departing snowmobilers told me that he was friendly, and boy were they right. I parked, and swiftly grabbed my iPhone and DSLR. I sat in the road for 10 minutes with him, he was so curious! No cars, not a soul around, just me and this red fox. The iPhone shot turned out the best that day!

Danny van Vuuren

Danny Van Vuuren

Northriding, South Africa

1st Place – Children

Instagram

I am a television producer and director. I am in no way a professional photographer but I love the practicality of having a camera with me at all times and my line of work allows me to see so many different environments. I am not an avid photographer but I love the ability to snap, edit and share my life all on my iPhone.

What I love most about photography in this technological world is the ability to take high quality photos instantaneously on my iPhone, grade the photos natively or with one of the hundreds of available 3rd party apps and then share it amongst family, friends or complete strangers who share the same passion as you. Most of my family have emigrated from South Africa to various countries around the world and my iPhone with me at all times gives me the opportunity to document my life with my family as it unfolds. Most of my snaps are of my family but I also love to capture a beautiful African sunset or an old building, basically whatever inspires me in that moment because that is what all these pictures are…moments of our lives and proof that we were part of those moments.

Jenny Anderson

Jenny Anderson

Everett, WA United States

1st Place – Flowers

Instagram

I was born in Amsterdam and immigrated to the USA in 1982. I became an amateur iPhone photographer when I had to take before and after shots of my clients. My main motivation was trying to market my brand without infringing upon other peoples photos, then I just branched out from there. I’ve never owned a professional camera nor have taken any training on how to take photos.

Nature, things of old or neglected, unusual objects or whatever catches my fancy inspires me most. I use natural lighting or a strange angle to capture my subject and I like layering filters from different apps to enhance the object of my desire. 

Alexa Seidl

Alexa Seidl

Washington, DC United States

1st Place – Food

Personal Site
Instagram

Born-and-raised in Pacific North West, currently living in DC and working on Capitol Hill. Photography, both DSLR and iPhone-based, is what I do.

My eyes (and lens) are most often drawn to symmetry, colorful architecture, nature, and my favorite people.

Elena Grimailo

Elena Grimailo

Moscow, Russia

1st Place – Landscape

Born in Kaliningrad, a small town near the  Baltic Sea, than moved to Moscow where I currently live. I’m passionate about photography and travel. Despite the fact that Im taking photos all my life, Id never participated in any competitions. I havent posted my pics much either, because I didt find them interesting enough. I guess iPhone helped to change my mind. The fact that one of my pictures won a competition is very important for me and I think it will push myself to share my pictures more often.

I use my iPhone every time I want to take a picture, even if I have my camera with me. I like the iPhones photo quality, the easy way to edit photos with effects before sharing it. I use it during my trips and when I’m at home. I use it for taking picture of a landscape or my morning coffee, to catch street name or a book page – just to memorize it. And it is always with me when I’m skiing in mountains because its doesn’t take space and doesn’t weight anything. I just need put it in the pocket and always get high quality pictures!

Brandon Kidwell

Brandon Kidwell

Jacksonville, FL United States

1st Place – Lifestyle

Personal Site
Instagram

Just an average guy that enjoys capturing the moments I enjoy and want to remember they way that I see them.

My iPhone gives me the tools to do my best to capture the world around me as I see it.  Whether  it’s a moment I want to freeze, a story I want to tell or a scene that I want to create from my imagination or saw in a dream, my iPhone is always at hand.

Felicia Pandola

Felicia Pandola

Providence, RI United States

1st Place – Nature

Instagram

An Associate Marketing Manager, living in the bustling downtown area of Providence, Rhode Island with her French bulldog, Hank.

I use my iPhone to take photos and videos to share with my friends and family. I also use the photos as a creative outlet on Facebook and Instagram. I like to take pictures that share my personal flair through my daily outfits/home décor, my obsession with Hank, peonies, farmers markets, the beach, etc.

Gerard Collett

Gerard Collett

London, United Kingdom

1st Place – News/Events

Flickr

I am a street photographer and opera singer and vice versa at any given moment, living in London.

The ability to take street photographs with the iPhone is an immense addition to the street photographer’s tool kit and provides unique expressive opportunities. If used judiciously, genuinely beautiful and meaningful moments can be captured on the streets that would otherwise be lost in front of the lens of an imposing DSLR camera or similar. An iPhone’s focal length forces the photographer to get in close and minutely observe and be a part of the scene that he or she is hoping to depict and share.

Terry Vital

Terry Vital

Windham, NH United States

1st Place – Others

Personal Site

I’ve been interested in photography for many years. In the past those interests included time behind the lenses of format cameras as well as time in the darkroom. Eventually technology replaced the darkroom, and now I prefer the iPhone over any other digital camera especially for the extensive, inexpensive and surprisingly high quality offering of apps. Chuck full of cameras, lenses, filters, and editing gear, I never had a camera bag and a darkroom that fit in my back pocket until I bought an iPhone.

Shooting with my iPhone feels like open field running for creativity. I shoot freely. And constantly. But I must also remember to slow down, shoot thoughtfully, and enjoy the simple act of framing-n-capturing a well-composed picture.

Kyle Horst

Kyle G. Horst

Watertown, SD United States

1st Place – Panorama

Flickr

Kyle G. Horst is a reporter and photographer for the Watertown Public Opinion Newspaper in South Dakota. He prefers weather photos above all others. When not at work he can be found with his nose in a book or running around the countryside on his motorcycle.

As a journalist, I used to carry an DSLR around with me everywhere I went. The camera in the iPhone is so advanced that I feel absolutely safe knowing that the camera in my pocket can capture just about any sort of breaking news that can happen. I want future generations to be able to see a photo and feel as if they were in it. From proposals in the park to life-altering fires, I am responsible for creating the first draft of history; no filters, no editing.

Laurent Smith

Lauren Smith

Pensacola, FL United States

1st Place – People

Instagram

Lauren Smith oversees photography and video for the University of West Florida’s Marketing & Creative Services Department. In her spare time, she explores her hometown while planning her next big travel adventure. Self-taught, she started taking photos with her iPhone and hasn’t stopped. In fact, she prefers to shoot with her iPhone.

I’m inspired by how people interact with one another and their environment, and I feel that there is some truth lost when you shoot with a DSLR because people notice it and there’s a distinct change in their body language and expression once they feel they’re being photographed. Since most people are always on their iPhones anyway, it’s easy to go unnoticed when you’re taking photos with your iPhone and that’s what I like the most about shooting with it.

Cocu Liu

Cocu Liu

Chicago, IL United States

1st Place – Seasons

Vsco
Instagram

Cocu Liu, is a mobile photographer and interaction designer based in Chicago. He likes to capture moments with his iPhone which focuses on presenting the relationships between people and environment.

Snapping photos with iPhone is easy and quick, I don’t need to spend much time struggling with focal length, white balance and exposure time…etc. By getting rid of those basic techniques from digital camera, I’m more focused on the moment and story in front of me.

Sofija Torebo Strindlund

Sofija Torebo Strindlund

Stockholm – Sweden

1st Place – Still Life

Personal Site
Instagram

Me: Curious. Happy. Strong. Impatient. Creative. Stubborn. Swedish.
Love: Family & friends. Traveling. Food. Art. Adventures. Challenges. Diversity.
Work: Concept. Strategy. Design. Storytelling.

For me, it’s all about trying to capture a feeling – or a story. Keeping it simple, having fun and challenge myself.

Little Su

Little Su

New Taipei City, Taiwan

1st Place – Sunset

Flickr
Instagram

Book Editor. Illustrator. Sketcher. I live in Taiwan. I love travelling, drawing  and taking pictures.

I bring my iPhone with me everyday,especially when I go traveling. I will record what I am interested in by using my iPhone.

Adrienne Pitts

Adrienne Pitts

London, United Kingdom

1st Place – Travel

Personal Site
Instagram

Adrienne is a New Zealand-born travel, portrait and lifestyle photographer currently living in London. She works for various editorial and commercial clients in both the UK and abroad. She lives for travel and new experiences, and can always be found hunting down the good light, and making friends with dogs everywhere she goes.

My iPhone is the camera that is always on me, and is a great creative challenge. This little device I carry in my pocket is a constant reminder to me to always be shooting, to always have my eyes open, and to always try and become better at what I do. It’s incredibly gratifying to shoot and edit in a short time frame, and to share images which reflect little moments of life. To be able to share those moments with others in a real way, and to interact with others in the sharing of their images is something which constantly inspires me.

Aaron Pike

Aaron Pike

San Francisco, CA United States

1st Place – Trees

Instagram

San Francisco-based musician by day, mobile photography enthusiast by…well, the rest of the time. Aaron Pike is an award-winning and published composer, pianist and educator who works with organizations such as: SF Opera, SF Conservatory of Music and the American Conservatory Theatre. When not at work he can be found running and hiking around the Bay Area with his trusty iPhone in hand to snap a few quick shots.

Always striving to create shots that inspire others to get up, get going, and enjoy the natural beauty around them.