Have you ever seen brilliant iPhone photos shared by Apple and used in Apple promotional materials and thought, ‘I’ve got so many great iPhone shots, that could’ve been me!’ Well, now it can be. Apple has announced a macro photography Shot on iPhone Challenge that runs from now through February 16, 2022. Winners will be announced in April.
The iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max smartphones include numerous upgrades to their photographic capabilities, including improved autofocus with the ultra-wide camera that allows for focus as close as 2 cm (0.78″).
To showcase the macro capabilities of its latest flagship iPhone models, Apple welcomes users to share their favorite macro photos taken on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #ShotoniPhone and #iPhonemacrochallenge to participate in the new challenge.
A panel of expert judges will review worldwide submissions and work together to select 10 winning photos. Judges include Anand Varma, Apeksha Maker, Peter McKinnon, Paddy Chao, Yik Keat Lee, Arem Duplessis, Billy Sorrentino, Della Huff, Kaiann Drance, and Pamela Chen. The winning images will be showcased in a gallery on Apple Newsroom, apple.com, Apple’s Instagram and other official Apple accounts. Winning photos may also appear in digital campaigns, at Apple Store locations, on billboards or in a public photo exhibition.
Of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max camera improvements, Apple writes, ‘The pro camera system on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max features new Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras, all powered by the unmatched performance of the Apple-designed A15 Bionic. The all-new Ultra Wide camera features a much wider ƒ/1.8 aperture and a new autofocus system, bringing a 92 percent improvement for low-light environments, producing images that are brighter and sharper. The new lens design, autofocus capability for the first time in the Ultra Wide on iPhone, and advanced software allow users to capture impressive macro images where subjects appear larger than life.’
Apple also offers some tips for iPhone 13 Pro macro photography. Recommendations include getting as close as possible to your subject, placing the primary point of focus near the center of the frame (where the sharpest focus is when shooting macro photos with your iPhone), setting a specific focus point in the viewfinder and shooting at 0.5x to use the Ultra Wide camera. You can also try 1x to get a narrower field of view and tighter frame. The iPhone 13 Pro (Max) will automatically switch cameras as you get close while preserving the 1x field of view.
In addition to sharing photos on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtags mentioned above, you can also participate on Weibo with the hashtags #ShotoniPhone# and #iPhonemacrochallenge#. You must note the model of the phone you used in your image caption. Further, you can also submit high-resolution files via email by sending images to shotoniphone@apple.com. The subject line must be ‘Shot on iPhone Macro Challenge Submission.’ The file name must be ‘firstname_lastname_macro_iPhonemodel.’ Images can be edited or unedited using first- or third-party software and you. Must be 18 years or older to participate. The submission window closes on February 16, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
For additional information and the full terms and conditions, please visit Apple.
All images courtesy of Apple