Thousands of iPhone Photographers Entered This Worldwide Contest — Here's Who Made the Cut

Location: Zanzibar, Tanzania

From the photographer: "Last year I spent a month in Wasa, Tanzania, teaching a class of young, curious, and amazing guys. Before heading back to Italy we stopped in Zanzibar, where this photo was taken. I still wonder how could I capture that exact moment in all its beauty. I was just observing, a few meters from them, but they were probably more curious about me than I was about them, and that's probably why the girl was looking at me."

Location: Santa Rita Beach, Portugal

From the photographer: "Sea Stripes was taken in Santa Rita Beach, Portugal, where the striped beach tents are very typical and set the tone of the well organized and summery little villages. Playing along with this beachy mood, a bather in the distance embodies the spirit in a striped shirt."

Location: Rome

From the photographer: "It was a hot Summer day in Rome, Italy; even the asphalt was melting. We decided to escape from the city center to see the ancient trees of the Borghese Gardens and watch an Italian movie, but when we arrived the pouring rain began. We didn't see the film, but I took wonderful pictures. It was great travel moment I'll never want to forget."

Location: Nevada

From the photographer: "I took this photo in the desert in Nevada, USA, at the Burning Man festival. I stood on a bridge and saw two people lost in a sandstorm, but after a while, something very special came along: a huge silver ball."

Location: Mexico City

From the photographer: "A beam of sunlight shined on a swimming pool at 9:32 a.m. when I was visiting the house designed by Luis Barragán."

Location: San Francisco

From the photographer: "Looking up at the corner of Laguna and Hayes Streets, San Francisco. The midday sun casts an engaging abstract pattern of geometric shadows onto the quirky facade."

Location: Minneapolis

From the photographer: "From the wrong angle, it looked chaotic, like someone had hung string frivolously. But from straight on, it was perfect. Serene and calming."

Location: Porto, Portugal

From the photographer: "What made me take this photo was the unexpected balance of the composition that reinforces the sense of pride, place, and charisma of this peacock. In this public garden, seeing these wild peacocks is one of the most exquisite experiences people can have. They are truly the lords of the garden. "

Location: Kisarazu, Japan

Location: The Bahamas

From the photographer: "I was captivated by the giant fish tanks at a resort in the Bahamas where the fish seemed to be observing people, mirroring the people observing the fish."

Location: Jaipur, India

From the photographer: "Janta Manta Observatory is very sci-fi looking. I captured the flying pigeon with the building to give the photo a dynamic feeling."

Location: Palm Springs, CA

From the photographer: "I can't get enough of the mid-century modern architecture in Palm Springs, CA. This building is one of my favorites and I happened to be driving by midday when the intense light, color, and shadow caught my eye. The building does not have a bad angle, but for me it was the palm tree that made the composition complete."

Location: Xiamen City, Fujian

From the photographer: "This image was taken in the Xiamen international shipping center. I was trying to create a futuristic battle scene of Star Wars (I'm a huge Star Wars fan). When a friend told me about this location, I thought it would be very good to shoot something like this with a lightsaber and two characters fighting. The lighting that afternoon was great, and we waited for the best natural light of the sun to light up the place."

Location: Los Angeles

From the photographer: "This photo was taken outside a supermarket in Los Angeles. My son Jasper wore a raptor mask and a Dodgers hat, and we made up a story about Jasper the Raptor, a dinosaur boy who was hungry and went to the grocery store."

Location: St. Petersburg, Russia

From the photographer: "This is my daughter Olivia."

Location: Peak Rail, Derbyshire

From the photographer: "My two-year-old son, Gabriel, totally captivated by his first experience of traveling by steam train."

Location: Joshua Tree National Park

From the photographer: "In Joshua Tree National Park in the United States, there is a valley called the Cholla Cactus Garden, which is covered by a large number of Teddy-Bear Chollas. This species of Cholla grows freely under the scorching sun, unafraid of the heat and dryness."

Location: Santa Cruz, CA

From the photographer: "I've taken quite a few photos of this agave plant, which is tucked away in the corner of a courtyard in downtown Santa Cruz, and every time I walk by it, I take another. The closeup view, especially in black and white, seems to draw out a part of the agave's beauty that's easy to miss in real life when it's surrounded by flowers and sidewalks and benches."

Location: Shenzhen, China

From the photographer: "During a trip to Shenzhen, China, I was captivated by these volcanic rock steps hidden in a secluded corner, embraced by strikingly red flowers on both sides."

Location: Umm Sayhoun, Jordan

From the photographer: "An unexpected scene on the road to Petra."

Location: Canyon, TX

From the photographer: "The photo was taken on one of my many hikes in Palo Duro Canyon State Park."

Location: Lake Baikal, Russia

From the photographer: "Lake Baikal is frozen for thousands of miles in Winter. Because of the ice, people can walk on the lake. On a snowy morning, I took a picture of Lake Baikal, using the lead wire on the ice as the foreground."

Location: Wuhan, Hubei, China

From the photographer: "A man fishing by the lake. It feels like it came out of the movie called The Grand Budapest Hotel, and I wrote a poem at the time."

Location: Hongkou, Shanghai

Location: Bobruysk, Belarus

From the photographer: "This is the former room of my grandfather in my grandparents' house in Bobruysk, Belarus. Now he is dead and my grandmother has decorated it in his memory in a typical old soviet rural style, which used to be chic and gorgeous when she was a child in the poor countryside after WWII. Nowadays we don't have such interiors in our houses, and it is a kind of museum of those times."

Location: Iceland

From the photographer: "It was dark, humid, and quiet inside the ice cave. I was climbing up step by step toward the light. The moment brought me to the scene as a newborn inside the womb of nature, ready to embrace the outside world."

Location: Kaski, Nepal

From the photographer: "The picture is of Annapurna mountain in the Himalayans where I was walking the ABC trail. The view was so amazing, I will never forget it."

Location: China Sea

Location: Meizhou, China

From the photographer: "This photo was taken at the Lantern Festival in Buzhai Town. It is the tradition of this small southern town to hold a dragon dance performance for Lantern Festival that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. It is a spectacular scene with the fire dragon being lifted by more than 30 adults while it dances and fireworks are set off from its body. Thousands of people came to watch the event and to pray for their family to be safe and healthy for the New Year."

Location: Aleppo, Syria

From the photographer: "This photo was taken in an abandoned house in Aleppo, Syria. In the Syrian civil war, almost the entire city of Aleppo became a ruin of war and there was hardly a building left intact. In January 2018, I walked into many rooms in the ruins. I found that lives were abruptly stopped by the war, and many rooms still retained the pre-war look."

Location: Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul

From the photographer: "I photographed this wedding with my father in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul. During the religious ceremony, each person kneels to hold a prayer with all present for the purpose of blessing the wedding."

Location: Busan, South Korea

Location: Maryland

From the photographer: "We received a large package with an absurd amount of this brown packing paper, and my younger brother and I decided to get creative with it."

Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

From the photographer: "I shot this photo in a local restaurant. I was captivated by the beautiful woman seated at the table across from us. She was preparing to leave, and her table was cluttered with dirty dishes, but I focused on the bright, shimmering fabric and the shiny gold sandals she was wearing."

Location: Senja Island, Norway

From the photographer: "Segla Mountain is a very identifiable mountain on the northern part of Senja Island. From Segla's top I saw the amazing landscape of a narrow mountainous peninsula surrounded by two spectacular fjords. They looked really beautiful at sunrise."

Location: Monument Valley, AZ

From the photographer: "View from Artist's Point in Monument Valley, where the ground falls away steeply and the flat land stretches ahead for many miles, punctuated by the peaks of buttes, mesas, and pinnacles in distance."

Location: Matera, Italy

From the photographer: "Walking the streets of this magical city, it's so difficult to actually capture the spirit of the town. There are corners of quiet solitude where you find hidden gems, such as an abandoned 1,000-year old-cave abode, and there are bustling streets in the city center with scooters buzzing by on business, and the fresh smell of Italian coffee."

Location: China

Location: Cuba

From the photographer: "Dominoes in Havana was captured at the Solar de Aguilar in Havana, Cuba. The building is a mere memory of what it once was, from the wrought iron curving around the grand stair case at the entrance of the building to the non-functioning fountain in the courtyard. Six families occupy the Solar de Aguilar and every afternoon the residents gather in front of the grand staircase to play dominoes. On this particular afternoon, I captured these four neighbors engaged in a friendly game."

Location: Lake Maggiore, Italy

From the photographer: "I live in Milan, and during the weekend, I often go back to the lake to spend time with my parents. One of my favorite things to do is to take the ferry boat across the lake with no definite destination. I spend hours going back and forth with the sole purpose of observing passengers. People look captivated by the beauty of the landscape."

Location: Bayan Ulgi, Mongolia

From the photographer: "In Bayan Ulgi province in western Mongolia, eagle hunting is a tradition passed across generations. Boys start their training as early as 11 years old, and little Bakha is no exception as he makes his entrance into the world of eagle hunting with his prized falcon."

Location: Margaret River, Western Australia

From the photographer: "I take my nephew Eden on 'Photo Safaris,' where we only shoot with our iPhones. Our trophies are the images we capture. My mum has a couple of bee hives in Margaret River, Western Australia, and I thought they'd make for an exciting safari. As we dressed for this adventure I decided to take a portrait of Eden in his 'photo safari suit.'"

Location: Gruissan, France

From the photographer: "One of my favorite moments, perched on the tummy of my master. I have to confess, the view is awesome!! This cushion makes me feel secure. I can also warn other dogs and protect my master. Yeeaah! Who's the boss?! I belong to him and he belongs to me."

Location: Kasese, Uganda

From the photographer: "These intimate portraits focus on how adolescents cope with being HIV positive. Amidst these chilling narratives, extraordinary stories of hope and glimpses of heroism in their quest to pursue their dreams emerged."

Location: Kasese, Uganda

From the subject: "When I grow up I plan to be a pilot, so I can travel the world and see other countries."

Location: Kasese, Uganda

From the subject: "When I grow up I want to be a lawyer who prosecutes criminal people. Many people are forced off their land and are left homeless."

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Kasese, Uganda

Location: Bombay, and Tamil Nadu, India

Location: Bombay, and Tamil Nadu, India

Location: Bombay, and Tamil Nadu, India

Location: Germany

From the photographer: "This photo is one of a series where I wanted to document moments where I felt particular emotions, and I took a picture whether I felt like it or not."

Location: Manhattan

Location: Russia

From the photographer: "This is part of the 'Theater of Disappearance' exhibition by Adrián Villar Rojas in the NYC MoMA. The surreal nature of the exhibit was very inspiring. I spent a long time walking around the exhibit carefully observing details of each sculpture, trying to imagine what it would be like living in their characters. The sun was projecting hard shadows on the sculpture of banquet tables making various items that were placed on tables to appear simple and complete. I wanted to keep this moment in my memory for a long time."

Location: Bangalore, India

From the photographer: "The evening sky marred by some solitary clouds provided a perfect backdrop to this shot. This is the statue of Lord Ram, Hindu God, shot in the outskirts of Bangalore just before sunset."

Location: Baltic Sea

From the photographer: "While floating on the ice breaker, I saw this marvelous sunset on the Baltic Sea."

Location: Shantou, Guangdong

From the photographer: "This was taken by the river in my hometown of Shantou, China. The sunset passed through the leaves and reflected on the river, like a painting."

Location: Da Nang, Vietnam

From the photographer: "It was a cloudy day. I noticed a man with a small boat floating up and down in the sea when I was walking on the beach. Something occurred to me in that moment. I thought, I want to get closer, so I walked in until salty seawater flooded my chest. The man, the boat, and me. I felt a connection in that moment. People are so small between heaven and earth."

Location: Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

From the photographer: "The photograph was taken at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells in Death Valley National Park. A bus load of tourists had just arrived and people were walking out into the dunes. The bright light of midday accented the dunes and the colorful clothes of the tourists."

Location: Cartagena, Colombia

From the photographer: "In this photo that I took in Cartagena, Colombia, I was exploring the contrast between the colonial architecture of the city next to a Palanquera: a Colombian touristic symbol that represents the group of runaway African slaves, now known for selling fruits on the streets with colorful dresses — a 'costume' that disguises the episodes of slavery caused by the Spanish colonization."

Location: Rugen, Baltic Sea

From the photographer: "This was taken on the island of Rügen, which is a German island in the Baltic Sea. The spot where I took the picture is on the northernmost coast of the island, close to the little village Schwarbe. There was a strong wind from the sea behind me with some snow, and the wind and the flakes produced this kind of 'shadow' on the 'lee' of the trees. Everything was very black and white, except the smaller, bush-like trees in the back that were a little brown."

Location: Puglia, Italy

From the photographer: "An early morning walk as the late Summer fog weaves its way through old olive trees in Puglia, Italy. As the sun rose I went for a walk through the olive grove, hunting for an early morning coffee in the photographer's golden hour."

Location: Songyang, China

From the photographer: "It was a forest around an old village. In the morning, magical plants crept out of the earth, the sky got brighter and brighter, the green leaves were a little transparent, and a new ray of sunlight was pouring into all the gaps."

Location: Lobitos Beach, Peru

From the photographer: "I took these photos, and others, at Lobitos beach in Piura, the surfers' paradise in northern Peru. It is the place where the Peruvian desert reaches the Pacific Ocean. What you see in these photos are the results of the fusion of the works of sand, sea, stones, sun, and wind. It is the common work of art of these great masters of nature; that's how I see it. And it's as simple as it is mysterious."

Location: Lobitos Beach, Peru

Location: Lobitos Beach, Peru