(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.

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

Magali Chesnel Ferney-Voltaire from France won the trees category

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

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

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

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

Photos – Amazing Macro Images of Insects and Droplets

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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

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

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)

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)

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.

A figure emerges from a foggy night in Tarvastu, Estonia. (Hendrik Mndla)

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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)

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:

A hungry bunch : Photograph shows five kittens wearing clothes sitting at a table drinking tea, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

The aviator : Photograph shows a kitten wearing a dress placed inside a toy glider, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

The entanglement: Photograph shows four kittens wearing clothes playing with a ball of twine, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

A joy ride : Photograph shows a puppy and three kittens wearing clothes with a toy horse and wagon, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Picnic : Photograph shows four kittens wearing clothes having a picnic, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

The wedding : Photograph shows two kittens wearing clothes getting married, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Pumping : Photograph shows a kitten wearing clothes and pumping water for a doll, 1915. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Ready for bed : Photograph shows three kittens wearing pajamas with a candle, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

Ten pins : Photograph shows a kitten preparing to bowl, 1914. (Photography by Harry Whittier Frees/Library of Congress)

The outing : Photograph shows a puppy wearing a dress and pushing three kittens in a wagon or stroller, 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)

The nurse : Photograph shows a puppy holding a kitten, 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)

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

Mischief makers: Photograph shows two kittens wearing dresses with an overturned sewing basket, 1915. (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)

Swinging : Photograph shows two kittens wearing clothes on a swing, 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)

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)

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.

Cool Photos Of Bugs By Boris Godfroid

Butterflies (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Belgian photographer, Boris Godfroid is a very talented photographer who had recently graduated from a film school.

He started shooting macro photography in 2008.

Macro photography is an extreme close up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size of the subject.

I guess Boris Godfroid chooses bugs as his subject because he likes bugs and knows a lot about them since he was a biology student.

Please click the photos for larger images:

Bee (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Wasp (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Bee (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Butterfly (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Ladybug (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Butterflies (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Crab Spider and Catapillar (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Bee (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

European Paper Wasp (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Fly (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Bee (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Grasshopper (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Fly (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Thick-legged flower beetle (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

Butterfly (Marco Photography by Boris Godfroid)

25th National Geographic Travel Photo Contest Winners

First Place: Dig me river – I was in Manaus/Amazon during the Brazilian Aquathlon (swimming and running) championship in . This river is called Rio Negro (Black River) due to water color. Rio Negro is the largest left tributary of the Amazon, the largest blackwater river in the world. While the name Rio Negro means Black River, its waters aren’t exactly black; they are similar in color to strong tea. The dark color comes from humic acid from incomplete breakdown of phenol. I photographed it from the water and my lens got completely wet, but there was so energy in this boys that I just didn’t worry about that.Photo and caption by Wagner Araujo/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

The 25th National Geographic Travel Photo Contest’s winners had been announced!

(Please click here for: ‘2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest’)

National Geographic Traveler magazine received more than 15,500 entries from skilled photographers from around the world for its 25th annual photo contest.

Taken in locations from Brazil to Kenya, the winning pictures show everything from quiet landscapes to surprising moments.

Here are the winning images, please click the photos for larger images.

Second Place: Thunderstorm at False Kiva – I hiked out to these ruins at night hoping to photograph them with the milky way, but instead a thunderstorm rolled through creating this dramatic image.Photo and caption by Max Seigal/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Third Place: Say cheese – Cheetahs jumped on the vehicle of tourists in Masai Mara national park, Kenya.Photo and caption by Yanai Bonneh/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: The TataHonda sect – The photographer could get inside of an enclosed sect named Tatahonda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ladies are preparing for their religious ceremony.Photo and caption by Hideyuki Katagiri/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: Sakura – Cherry blossom is called Sakura in Japanese.Cherry blossom is Japanese symbolic flower.There are various kinds in a cherry tree and an especially old cherry tree has many kinds called Edo-Higan. The trees of the cherry tree exceeding hundreds of years are located in a line with a nebula this temple, and if spring comes every year,can looks at a powerful spectacle can do it. This photograph focused on Edo-Higan and photographed Beni-Sidare which is back together.Photo and caption by Hideyuki Katagiri/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: Children of Reindeer – Mikael Ande, a child of Sami reindeer herders, takes a break indoors after a long, cold day of rounding up the animals for vaccinations and slaughter. Children of reindeer herders learn to handle these animals and the land they thrive in from infancy – young Mikael here knew far more about the ways of nature than I could ever hope to learn.Photo and caption by Michelle Schantz/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: Piano play at sunset – Streets of Queenstown, New Zealand at the end of one more day filled with adrenaline. Calming and doleful scene with piano sound in the background.Photo and caption by Nikola Smernic/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: Portrait of an Eastern Screech Owl – Masters of disguise. The Eastern Screech Owl is seen here doing what they do best. You better have a sharp eye to spot these little birds of prey.Photo and caption by Graham McGeorge/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: Guanjiang Shou – Guanjiang Shou troupes are one of Taiwan most popular activities that may be seen all over Taiwan at traditional folk religion gatherings. With their fiercely painted faces, protruding fangs and powerful, choreographed performances, they are easily recognized, They may be described as underworld police or gods’ bodyguards.Photo and caption by Chan Kwok Hung/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Merit: Lady in Water – A lady collects water in the river by a village in Bagan, Myanmar, 2013.Photo and caption by Marcelo Salvador/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Viewers Choice: Another perspective of the day – The fisherman at Bira Beach.Photo and caption by Dody Kusuma/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Wonder who will win the 25th National Geographic Travel Photo Contest?

Here are some examples of the entrants …..

Please click the photos for larger images:

Shadows and Light (Photo and caption by Jesse Summers/ National Geographic Travel Photo Contest)

Temple At The Foot Of Mount Bromo (Photo and caption by Tim Jenka/ National Geographic Travel Photo Contest)

Snowmelt In The Mountains (Photo and Caption by Andres Miguel Dominguez/ National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

A Rare Reflection (Photo and caption by Christian Roth/ National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

“The Scream” – Underwater Version (Photo and caption by Amir Abramovic/ National Geographic Travel Photo Contest)

Swim with Jelly Fish (Photo and caption by CheanChong Lim/ National Geographic Travel Photo Contest)

Fennec The Soul of The Desert (Photo and caption by Francisco Mingrorance/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

Hamersley Gorge (Photo and caption by Ignacio Palacios/ National Geographic Tower Photo Contest)

Gentoo Chicks (Photo and caption by Richard Sidey/National Geographic Travel Photo Contest)

VIne Snake: Fly Cap For Vine Snake (Photo and caption by Robin Moore/ National Geographic Traveler Contest)

Reflections of Paris

Joanna Lemańska, who goes by the handle MissCoolpics, uses naturally-occurring reflections to capture unique views and unexpected moments of urban life. Particularly interested in architecture and the city, the art historian and self-taught photographer is constantly in search of original angles and fresh perspectives. Here, a few of her futuristic and incredible snapshots in the City of Light.

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)

(Photo courtesy of Joanna Lemańska)