(Photos) The Winners of This Year’s iPhone Photography Awards

[Yahoo News}- When it comes to taking photos on our iPhones, most of us are happy to take a snap that is remotely worthy of Instagram – before being modified with a dozen filters to ensure that we secure those all important likes.

But when it comes to the annual iPhone photography awards, it’s all a little different – with winners that are capable of capturing incredible shots of everyday life on earth.

Here’s a snapshot of this year’s winners.

Joshua Sarina came second in the travel category with this colourful photo (Picture: IPP)

Nick Trombola won the lifestyle category with this snowy scene (Picture: IPP)

A stirring photo of Standing Rock protestors braving the elements. It won top prize in the ‘America I know’ category (Picture: IPP)

Joseph Cyr from Tucson, Arizona, triumphed with this fiery photo (Picture: IPP)

Magali Chesnel Ferney-Voltaire from France won the trees category

Moscow’s Smetanina Julia won second place in the flowers section (Picture: IPP)

Photos – Amazing Macro Images of Insects and Droplets

“My favorite photo is the ladybird covered by dew, which took a lot of work but was worth it for the awards I’ve received.” (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

Snapping something spectacular can be tricky in the wet, but these stunning photos are an exception to the rule.

Amateur macro-photographer František Dulík, 35, from Slovakia works as a technical engineer for medical devices when he is not capturing insects.

To get these unique photos of the bright and alien-looking mini beasts, Dulík will get up at 3 a.m. to spend five hours out with his camera over sunrise. (Caters News)

Dulík said: “Most of them I took near fishpond, nearby Markusovce village, where I usually go early morning on Sundays.” (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

“But I prefer it to be natural background in autumn with the colors putting the finishing touch to beautiful pictures.” (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

Photo: František Dulík/Caters News

“Fishpond nearby Markušovce is rich for lot of species of insect.” (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

I don’t need to walk far away to find another damselfly or dragonfly, as I have all the species on one place. (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

Snapping something spectacular can be tricky in the wet, but these stunning photos are an exception to the rule. (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

František will get up at 3 a.m. to spend five hours out with his camera over sunrise. (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

Photo: František Dulík/Caters News

“I use natural and artificial backgrounds.” (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

“My favorite photo is the ladybird covered by dew, which took a lot of work but was worth it for the awards I’ve received.” (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

Photo: František Dulík/Caters News

Amateur macro-photographer František Dulík, 35, from Slovakia works as a technical engineer for medical devices when he is not capturing insects. (Photo: František Dulík/Caters News)

Sony World Photography Awards – The incredible winners

A paper boat bobs along a fabric sea in this surreal picture. (Sergey Dibtsev)

(Yahoo News) – The first winners of the 2017 Sony World Photography Awards have been announced.

10 extraordinary pictures have been selected as the winners of the ‘Open’ category of the competition, selected from a pool of more than 100,000 entries.

Journalist and photographer Damien Deomolder, chair of the Open competition, said: ‘It has been a pleasure and an inspiration to be exposed to such a volume of great work, and a privilege too that I could share in the personal moments, the joys, tears, life and losses of photographers from all around the globe who recorded their experiences through their pictures.’

The winners of the National Awards, a global contest to find best images taken by photographers in 66 countries, have also been announced.

This year the competition expanded to Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates for the first time.

Here are some of the most spectacular pictures, taken by both amateur and professional photographers.

This All-American retro shot shows Roy’s Cafe, gas station and motel in California, on the Historic Route 66. (Ralph Graf)

An eerie image of skeletal trees was one of the Open categroy winners. (Hiroshi Tanita)

Three images lie on top of one another, showing a terrace of houses, a portrait of a woman and a pot of mint. (Miriam Strong)

A child grins as he walks along a railway track sheltering under an umbrella. (Shabir Mian)

A Disney-movie castle is reflected in a purple lake in Slovenia. (Ales Krivec)

A beach in San Augustin, Maspalomas, is decorated with unusual wave patterns. (Karolis Janulis)

A mother whale teaches her child how to jump. (John Tao)

Gentoo penguins hunt in formation in the icy cool waters of Antarctica. (Nadia Aly)

A paper boat bobs along a fabric sea in this surreal picture. (Sergey Dibtsev)

Incredible Dew Drops Photos By Alberto Ghizzi Panizza

Ever wondered what life is like in miniature? (Photo: Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Caters News)

These are incredible photos of dew drops by an Italian photographer, Alberto Ghizzi Panizza who specializes in macro images.

Using the macro photography technic, Alberto Ghizzi Panizza took  stunning pictures of miniscule drops of dew on flowers.

Ever wondered what life is like in miniature? (Photo: Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Caters News)

Ever wondered what life is like in miniature? (Photo: Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Caters News)

Ever wondered what life is like in miniature? (Photo: Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Caters News)

Ever wondered what life is like in miniature? (Photo: Alberto Ghizzi Panizza/Caters News)

Wilderness Forever: 50 Years of Protecting America’s Wild Places Photo Exhibition

A Red Fox frolicking in the fall colors of Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (Dee Ann Pederson Houston, Texas, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)

These are some of more than 5,000 entries to go on display in “Wilderness Forever: 50 Years of Protecting America’s Wild Places,” a new photo exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, which will run through summer 2015.

Please click the photos for larger images:

Proxy Falls cascade down towards the moss-covered forest of Three Sisters Wilderness in Oregon. (Thomas Goebel, age 18, Jensen Beach, Florida, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)

A brown bear found in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska holds a freshly caught salmon in its mouth. (Robert Amoruso, Orlando, Florida, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)

An adult male Snowy Owl, wide awake at the day’s first light in Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune Wilderness Area, New York. (Scott Joshua Dere, Cedarhurst, New York, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)

A herd of mountain goats huddle together on top of Mount Evans, Colorado during a lightning storm.(Verdon Tomajko, Superior, Colorado, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)

The Milky Way sparkles over Second Beach in the Olympic Wilderness, Washington. (Joe LeFevre, Oswego, New York, USA/Courtesy of National Museum of Natural History)

Old, Cute Photos Of Cats By Harry Whittier Frees

The birthday cake : Photograph shows two kittens wearing dresses at a table with a birthday cake, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

These are adorable photos of cats dressed and posed in everyday human situations.

The photos were taken by an American photographer, Harry Whittier Frees date back to 1914.

(Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Please click the photos for larger images:

The birthday cake : Photograph shows two kittens wearing dresses at a table with a birthday cake, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Planting time : Photograph shows two kittens wearing dresses with a watering can and rake, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Swinging : Photograph shows two kittens wearing clothes on a swing, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Pick-a-pack : Photograph shows a doll giving a kitten a piggyback ride, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

The cook : Photograph shows a kitten wearing a dress and stirring at a stove, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Hanging up the wash : Photograph shows a kitten wearing a dress and hanging clothes on a clothesline, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Washing dishes : Photograph shows two kittens wearing clothes and washing dishes, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Please click here for more photos.

Your Shot: A Sneak Peek At National Geographic’s Contest Submissions

National Geographic magazine turned 125 this month.

The magazine moves the birthday celebration off its pages with the October 1st public launch of a photo-sharing platform, Your Shot (NGYourShot.com), that allows photography fans to connect with photographers and editors around virtual assignments, get direct feedback on their work and participate in a unique photography-based community.

One of the magazine’s young star photographers, Cory Richards, will usher in the month as lead curator of the magazine’s first assignment on Your Shot.

Led by Richards and his magazine photo editor, Sadie Quarrier, the assignment invites photographers to share three images that convey how photography can help us explore our changing world.

Throughout the assignment, Richards and Quarrier will provide photo tips and feedback on the images that are submitted along with direction on what they feel will best help tell the story.

Their favourite photograph will be selected to appear in a future issue of National Geographic magazine.

Participants must join Your Shot, National Geographic’s free online photo community and storytelling platform, to submit photos to the assignment, which runs until today, October. 22. (National Geographic)

Please click the photos for larger images:

Master of Disguise – Photograph and caption by Graham McGeorge, National Geographic Your Shot – Eastern Screech Owls like to take over woodpecker nests that have been dug out over the years in pine trees, which are the main species of tree at this swamp. Fish and Wildlife also paint a white ring around the base of a tree that has active nests in order to avoid when conducting controlled burns. Screech owls can range in height anywhere from 8-10 inches, so you have to have a sharp eye to find these little birds of prey. 8BIM

What a sheep! – Photograph and caption by Andres Beregovich, National Geographic Your Shot – wandering through Isla Riesco, I bumped into this almost forgotten ranch. Talking to the locals was fun. Then I asked whether I could photograph some of the processes. I couldn’t believe the size of this sheep when I first saw it. I almost couldn’t take the picture cause I was so impressed. 140KG Sheep (about 300 lbs) I’ve only seen this here.8BIM

Smile From Mentawai Hunter – Photograph and caption by Mohd Ismail, National Geographic Your Shot – Smile form mentawai people .

Bromo Tengger National Park – Photograph and caption by Dennis Walton, National Geographic Your Shot – Nothing changes the landscape like a major volcano. I have visited Bromo Tengger National Park in Java, Indonesia many times. The usual drill is to climb to my favorite viewpoint in the early morning darkness and wait for sunrise. You never know what the new day will bring. This time it was an ash eruption of Mt Semeru highlighted by the warm colors of rising sun.

The Last Light – Photograph and caption by Somnath Chakraborty, National Geographic Your Shot – On a lazy eve i took this frame in unknown lane at Varanasi. A surreal light effect i got when i was walking through this lane. perhaps he was returning from his job and allowed me to take this frame on request. I took at least 5 frame out of which this one is cleared most.

Castelluccio di Norcia – Photograph and caption by Mauro Maione, National Geographic Your Shot – The Plains of Castelluccio are a karst plateau of the central-alluvial (Umbria-Marche Apennines), located in the Umbrian side of the Sibillini Mountains at the foot of Mount Carrier, within the territory of the town of Norcia, near the village of Castelluccio , and the National Park of Monti Sibillini, and that is the bottom of an ancient Apennine lake, now dried up, and known for its karst features.8BIM

Alive – Photograph and caption by Jonathan Tucker. National Geographic Your Shot – This is a self portrait I took of my self. This photo was taken under a glacier in Alaska. I hiked over two hours through swamps and up the side of a mountain to reach the Glacier itself..I spent around a hour walking on top of the glacier taking photos until I found this cave. The cave is formed from a water fall from the mountain that meets the glacier.When I first walked in the cave it took my breath away it was so amazing and scary at the same time especially when you hear the ice crack.

White Rim Storm – Photograph and caption by Klaus Priebe, National Geographic Your Shot – During a visit to the Canyon lands during the monsoon season of 2013 I chased storms during the week and had this little micro thunderstorm head right at me. It was a magical moment with the sun peaking through the clouds to the west and the storm producing rain and a few lightning bolts as it passed by me. 8BIM

Orange Liberty – Photograph and caption by Joy Acharyy, National Geographic Your Shot – These kids were playing the ghats of Ganges in Varanasi, India. The moment this kid saw me with my camera, she posed with the huge flag in her hand and made my day.