Apple Reveals Winning 'Shot on iPhone' Macro Challenge Photos

Apple today unveiled the 10 winning photos from the Shot on iPhone Macro Challenge that the company launched earlier this year.

Apple Shot on iPhone macro Ashley Lee"Strawberry in Soda" by Ashley Lee, from San Francisco, U.S.A.

Entrants were able to submit unedited macro photos shot on the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max straight from the camera, but photos edited through Apple's Photos app or third-party software were also accepted.

An international panel of expert judges, including Anand Varma, Apeksha Maker, Peter McKinnon, Paddy Chao, Yik Keat Lee, Arem Duplessis, Billy Sorrentino, Della Huff, Kaiann Drance, and Pamela Chen, reviewed the photos from around the world and selected 10 winning entries from China, Hungary, India, Italy, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.

The winning photos will be celebrated on Apple's website, Instagram account, and more. Apple has also said that winning photos may appear in the company's digital campaigns, such as in Apple Stores or on advertising billboards.

Apple Shot on iPhone macro Daniel Olah"A Drop of Freedom" by Daniel Olah, Budapest, Hungary

Apple Shot on iPhone macro Jirasak Panpiansin"Hidden Gem" by Jirasak Panpiansin, from Chaiyaphum City, Thailand

Apple Shot on iPhone macro Marco Colletta"The Cave" by Marco Colletta, Taranto, Italy

We've highlighted a few of the winning photos here and the full gallery can be viewed in Apple's full press release, including comments on each image from the photographer and judges.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...
Apple Sports App Preview Feature

Apple Sports App on iPhone Now Available in More European Countries

Monday November 17, 2025 6:27 am PST by
The free Apple Sports app on the iPhone was released in additional European countries today, including Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Hungary, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Greece, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Ukraine, and others. The app was already available in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Austria, France, Germany,...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...

Top Rated Comments

szw-mapple fan Avatar
47 months ago
This speaks more to the people who were judged in the contest than the quality of the camera itself (which is also very good). A good photographer can make masterpieces with just adequate tools while a bad one won’t be able to do the same no matter how nice the camera is.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
47 months ago
If anyone’s interested, you can see the ‘macro mode’ photography in the iPhone User forum here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/share-your-best-macro-photography-shots.2313341/
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
47 months ago
Wow! Congratulations. They are stunning. One of the best features of the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. Hands down! ??
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TonyC28 Avatar
47 months ago
That strawberry picture is cool.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
47 months ago

This speaks more to the people who were judged in the contest than the quality of the camera itself (which is also very good). A good photographer can make masterpieces with just adequate tools while a bad one won’t be able to do the same no matter how nice the camera is.
Very true. And the best camera that you have, is the one that you have in your pocket. You can create the image you want your audience to see, based off your own creativity.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tagbert Avatar
47 months ago

It is enough. If you feel youre missing out, get a basic dslr and dedicated macro lens. Your pics will exceed the quality of these by leaps and bounds.

The iphone 13 pro macro has (imo) pretty severe distortion along the edges and must be positioned so close to the subject that it casting a shadow with the phone and light problems are inevitable. A dedicated macro will be more uniform with no distortion, will likely allow for better magnification with some tweaks, will focus from farther away therefor avoiding light problems, and will overall be sharper and resolve better.

The iPhone 13 pro’s macro lens is very nifty, but it is just not a pro camera tool.

But it *is* very nifty!
It's a phone camera in your pocket. Of course it is not a pro camera tool. We recognize that but very few of us are pro photographers and still enjoy taking some amazing photos with a non-pro tool.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)