151. Volcanic Lava

Possible Camera Used: iPhone 13 Pro
Where to Buy: Apple
Cost: $600*
Don’t let the title fool you; this is actually a close-up shot of a sunflower, which Abhik Mondal captured on his iPhone. Flowers are often a popular choice for those who venture into macro photography because there is so much beauty to be captured on a minuscule level, as proven by this picture.

Volcanic Lava @apple/Pinterest
According to the photographer, he was immediately intrigued by the iPhone 13’s macro feature as soon as he bought the camera. After experimenting with multiple tiny objects, he decided to capture this sunflower due to the stark contrast between the petals and the center.

152. Art in Nature

Possible Camera Used: iPhone 13 Pro
Where to Buy: Apple
Cost: $600*
Prajwal Chougule from India captured this picture so beautifully that at first glance, it’s difficult to tell what the subject even is. The blue gradient on the background almost makes it seem like a wallpaper you’d find on Windows XP, but it’s actually dewdrops on a spider web.

Art in Nature @apple/Pinterest
Chougule referred to this picture as a ‘piece of art on nature’s canvas’, which we believe is the perfect way to describe a shot like this. The image is so masterfully captured that it almost looks like an illustration. Perhaps that is why it was one of the 2022 Shot on iPhone Macro Challenge winners.

153. A Walk on Mars

Possible Camera Used: iPhone 11 Pro Max
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $488*
This picture by Dan Liu won second place for the Photographer of the Year award during IPPA 2021. The shot might showcase an astronaut walking on Martian terrain, but the picture was actually shot in Qinghai, China.

A Walk on Mars @Google/Pinterest
This proves how you can use something as simple as a smartphone to create an illusion that one might deem impossible on Earth. As landscape photography becomes increasingly popular, photographers need an edge that sets them apart, and Dan Liu clearly achieved one with this shot.

154. Side-Walking on Air

Possible Camera Used: iPhone X
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $200*
While the ‘burst’ feature helps capture quick images, you don’t always land the perfect shot. But Jeff Rayner from Los Angeles proves that anything is possible with a little bit of skill. His beautifully captured black-and-white shot is perfectly reminiscent of that.

Side-Walking on Air @techradar/Pinterest
The picture encapsulates the exact moment this little girl jumps in the air, making it seem like she’s actually floating. ‘Side-Walking on Air’ is the ideal title for the shot because it represents the whole essence of what the picture is about. This shot also won an award at the IPPA 2021.

155. Frozen Lines

Possible Camera Used: iPhone 7 Plus
Where to Buy: eBay
Cost: $175*
Forget a DSLR; you don’t even need the latest iPhone to capture stunning photographs. Instead, all you need is skill and practice. This picture was shot on Lake St. Moritz in Switzerland, and Matteo Kava, the photographer, used his iPhone 7 Plus for this purpose.

Frozen Lines @Google/Pinterest
The older models of the iPhone might slow down as newer updates come out, but one thing they don’t lose is their photographic ability. It is a widely known fact that iPhone cameras are unparalleled in the world of smartphones, and shots like this only provide evidence for the statement.

156. Strike a Pose

Possible Camera Used: iPhone X
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $200*
As interesting as animal photography is, it is often one of the more challenging feats to accomplish. Not only is it difficult to get close to certain animals, but it is all the more challenging to get them to strike particular poses. But Laila Bakker from the Netherlands proves you can achieve anything if you set your mind.

Strike a Pose @viemagazine/Pinterest
Her beautiful photograph of this bearded dragon won first place in IPPA 2021 for the Animals’ category, and rightfully so. The animal’s stance against the black background makes this shot nothing less than majestic, and one can appreciate this art even if one may hate these creatures otherwise.

157. Candy

Possible Camera Used: iPhone 8 Plus
Where to Buy: eBay
Cost: $200*
The thing that made IPPA 2021 one of the most special iterations of the awards was that many of these pictures were taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as people were locked away in their homes, detached from human connection, they still found creative ways to capture photographs.

Candy @viemagazine/Pinterest
One such picture was taken by Yuexiang Wang in Shanghai, China, which also went on to win the first position in the Awards’ Architecture category. Titled ‘Candy’, the image depicts the stunning interior of an entirely pink building, showcasing that there is a grace in a color that is often berated for its ‘girliness’.

158. Untitled

Possible Camera Used: iPhone X
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $200*
We wonder why such a stunning picture was left ‘Untitled’, or maybe that title is a jab at how empty city life can often be. This picture comes from Manhattan, New York, and showcases workers at a construction site on top of a skyscraper.

Untitled @Google/Pinterest
What Liz Huang magnificently captured in this picture is how all the workers seem to be engaged in their own activities despite working on-site together. The bright hues of their vests paint a stark contrast against the city’s charming skyline, paying homage to how there are stories to be told on every rooftop.

159. Untitled

Possible Camera Used: iPhone 11 Pro
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $349*
This image perfectly represents how a picture can be worth a thousand words despite being seemingly ‘Untitled’. Glenn Homann submitted this picture for the Environment category at IPPA 2021; we don’t see a better candidate for that segment.

Untitled @dailymail/Pinterest
The image doesn’t show much, except for a ton of plastic cups stacked atop each other, but it sends an unambiguous message regarding the damages of everyday plastic. According to research, 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions happen due to plastics in one way or another, which is a massive amount to be attributed to one item.

160. Flight From Iguazu

Possible Camera Used: iPhone XR
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $200*
Usually, when you look at images like these, you imagine they would have been captured by a drone camera of sorts. However, Lizhi Wang shot this magnificent photograph from her iPhone XR, which speaks a lot about her talents as a photographer.

Flight From Iguazu @dailymail/Pinterest
The picture shows the Paraná River in Argentina and represents a massive chunk of the natural beauty. Perhaps that is why this shot went on to win the first prize in the landscape category at IPPA 2021.

161. Black Summer Blue Montaigne

Possible Camera Used: iPhone X
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $200*
When an opportunity like this presents itself, you must grab a shot. But what if you don’t have a good camera at hand? Christian Horgan from Australia did not let that stop him as he pulled out his iPhone X to capture the stark contrast in this photograph.

Black Summer Blue Montaigne @dailymail/Pinterest
Not only does the person’s hair blend into the background, but their red shirt presents a bright variation against the backdrop, giving the picture its edge. The picture doesn’t showcase anything special; its peculiarity and uniqueness come from the color balance and the framing.

162. The Red Door

Possible Camera Used: Huawei P30 Pro
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $400*
One criticism Android cameras have always faced is their lack of ability to pick up on color, but this Huawei camera debunks those theories. The phone’s camera perfectly captures the bright red color of this restaurant’s door, making the final result look stunning.

The Red Door @thenextweb/Pinterest
The person who took this photograph did have some complaints about the camera, particularly related to its lack of millisecond precision. However, that might not be a big problem for those who like shooting for fun. You always have the option to pick an actual camera for more precision, but that doesn’t mean that phone cameras can be neglected entirely.

163. Slit Sunlight

Possible Camera Used: Canon Rebel
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $400+*
The Canon Rebel cameras might not be on people’s radars today, but they can be used to take some pretty stunning pictures. Take a look at this picture, for example, which is a perfect recreation of shots from our 2020 Pinterest feeds.

Slit Sunlight @Google/Pinterest
While people may gravitate towards fancier camera models for complicated pictures, they can be managed well with a simple Canon Rebel. The biggest reason is that these cameras were mainly designed for film photography, so they still hold up well today. The first Canon Rebel came out over three decades ago, but it’s still worth its buck.

164. The Colored Wall

Possible Camera Used: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $349*
While the colors in this picture may be a little dim compared to an iPhone shot, the image can be heavily appreciated for its focus. The photographer used the Super-Wide mode on the phone’s camera, allowing them to focus on the closer objects while still picking up much of the background.

The Colored Wall @cnet/Pinterest
If you like taking focused shots but don’t want to let go of the backdrop entirely, you don’t have to choose either of the two with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, because it’ll allow you to capture both. For this picture, the camera was positioned only an inch away from the bright sculpture, and yet, a good amount of the road made it into the final shot.

165. A London Road

Possible Camera Used: Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Where to Buy: Amazon
Cost: $349*
This picture of a random London road was captured by the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, showing off two significant features of this camera. Firstly, the picture was shot using the Super-Wide mode, because of which the final result encapsulates so much of the street.

A London Road @cnet/Pinterest
This camera’s second most appreciated quality is its AI-recognition abilities, due to which the sky comes off looking so blue. If anyone tries to tell you that Android cameras are not good at picking colors, you just need to show them this picture.