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.

Top Rated Comments

szw-mapple fan Avatar
25 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
25 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
25 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
25 months ago
That strawberry picture is cool.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
25 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
25 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)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
apple wallet drivers license feature

Apple Said iPhone Driver's Licenses Would Expand to These 8 U.S. States… Two Years Ago

Thursday March 14, 2024 7:33 am PDT by
In just four U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports, businesses, and venues. Adoption of the feature has been slow since Apple first announced it in September 2021, with IDs in the Wallet app only available in Arizona,...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
OLED iPad Air

iPad Air Next on Apple's OLED Tablet Roadmap Following iPad Pro

Friday March 15, 2024 3:30 am PDT by
The iPad Air will be the next Apple tablet to adopt OLED display panel technology following its upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, according to an updated forecast from research firm Omdia (via The Elec). "In 2028, we expect the iPad Air to go OLED as well, with the iPad Air using single-stack and the iPad Pro using two-stack tandem OLEDs," said Omdia researcher Kang Min-soo, speaking on...
Walmart MacBook Air M1

Walmart Begins Selling MacBook Air With M1 Chip for $699 in U.S.

Friday March 15, 2024 6:57 am PDT by
Walmart today announced that it has started selling the MacBook Air with the M1 chip in the U.S., with pricing set at a very reasonable $699. The laptop can be ordered now on Walmart.com, and it will be available soon at select Walmart stores. This is the first time that customers can purchase a Mac that is sold directly by Walmart, the company said in a press release. Some other retailers...