100 amazing iPhone photos
Apple’s iPhone is a fantastic little gadget. Global positioning system meets touch-screen meets iPod / portable video player meets hyperportable computer, meets camera. For the purpose of this article, it’s only the latter that is interesting…
I was on the train the other day, and spotted the light hitting my book in a gorgeous way. Cursing that I didn’t have a proper camera with me, I decided to try and capture the moment with my iPhone. The results were actually really quite good, which piqued my interest; are there people out there taking works of arts with their iPhone?
It turns out the answer is a resounding ‘yes’ – and I wasted most of the evening and night collecting 100 fantastic examples of people taking gorgeous photos with their iPhones. Without further ado…
The Apple iPhone as a camera
The iPhone is many things. It’s the most flawed phone I’ve ever owned (which I wrote about here back when I was still editing T3.com), but it’s still heads and shoulders ahead of any other phone I’ve ever owned, too: It’s the first device that does everything I need to, the apps functionality is a stroke of genius, the built-in GPS and maps has saved my bacon so often I’ve lost count, and I’m a recovering Trism addict, too. It’s got the best screen on any phone I’ve ever used, and the whole touch-screen thing is fab.
Having said all that, the iPhone’s camera is pretty damn inferior compared to the current slew of camera phones out there. I had a couple of Sony Ericsson phones that had better battery life AND a far better camera (with – gasp – autofocus!) than Apple’s raprod.
And yet… it’s the first camera phone I’ve used where I’m taking photos all the damn time. It helps that the iPhone makes uploading photos to Flickr / Facebook or e-mailing them to friends very easy, and the fact that your photos are Geo-tagged for you is pretty nifty as well.
So yes, the iPhone is a rather fantastic machine overall, with a sub-par camera. That doesn’t stop people from making some damn fine artwork with it though…
(Top tip: the iPhone takes the photo when you release the on-screen shutter button, so you can find it, press and hold, frame, and then just release the button when you’re ready)
So – despite its shortcomings, it turns out there are some pretty awesome iPhone photgraphers out there. I’ve collected some of the best…
The best of the best
In my research, I found a few photographers in particular that are worth taking a special look at for their work with iPhone cameras: Sionfullana has more than 400 iphone photos in his stream, and his iPhone set is full of absolutely fantastic photos, including tons of great street photography around New York.
Update: I’ve done an interview with Sion Fullana about how he takes his amazing iPhone photos!
The other photographers that kept coming up time and time again are Steve Bluestein, whose abstract work is fantastic indeed. Finally, Bananajode, and carolthome both have really distinctive styles which is an inspiration in itself.
Between these four, they’ve got art with an iPhone camera covered – but there are so many others out there who dabble in iPhone photography – with fabulous results. Witness…
100 fantastic iPhone photographs
It took me a hell of a long time to collect all of these, but they’re all worth taking a look at – first off, 55 with thumbnails…
photo by bananajode
photo by bfscott2007
photo by pouwerkerk
photo by clearstyle
photo by clearstyle
photo by clearstyle
photo by bananajode
photo by bananajode
photo by pixelhound
photo by bananajode
photo by bananajode
Even more!
Still haven’t had enough? I don’t blame you to be honest, there’s a lot of awesome iPhone photography going here, so you may as well keep going! The next 50 or so haven’t got thumbnail images (partially out of laziness, and partially because these users have chosen not to share the ’small’ versions of their images with the world) – but have a click, have a look, and enjoy!
photo by AdamBaronPhoto
photo by ilyysamanthaa
photo by shoken
photo by rayguntv
photo by uncommon
photo by carolthome
photo by version-3-point-1
photo by carolthome
photo by bitrot
photo by steviezj
photo by the-challenge
photo by studioh
photo by jswright
photo by carleton_hall
photo by big-e-mr-g
photo by jswright
photo by junku
photo by petermarik
photo by maitexu
photo by dogmatic
photo by sionfullana
photo by ronlemise
photo by alexthegirl
photo by x-cao
photo by x-cao
photo by antomic
photo by davidwatts1978
photo by journalrevolution
photo by hrtwrk
photo by littlepretty
photo by romeez
photo by gabo
photo by funcrodrigo
photo by yusheng
photo by sionfullana
photo by michaelnyc
photo by big-e-mr-g
photo by jswright
photo by sionfullana
photo by Otto K
photo by sionfullana
photo by sionfullana
photo by skyblueskin
photo by marcel83
photo by Matthew Burlem
photo by carolthome
photo by sionfullana
photo by Tabangel7
photo by sionfullana
And finally, the photo which set me on this wild goose chase in the first place; the only iPhone photo I decided would be good enough to place in my main Flickr stream:
On the Train by yours truly
Join the fun
Want to get in on the fun? Check out the Taken with iPhone group – or check out the there’s currently more than 30,000 photos to be looked at, and they welcome you to add your own, too. Or you can check out ‘taken with iPhone‘ camera browser on Flickr.
… And if you find any amazing gems I’ve missed, do leave us a comment – I’ve been thoroughly amazed by peoples creativity so far, and I’d love to continue being flabberghasted! :)
My day job, if it can be called that, is being a writer. I've got one book out there so far and it's awesome, so go ahead and buy a copy! It's available from 
In front of you, five hyperactive men with guitars, drums, and microphones. Behind you, five thousand fans. In your hands, a camera... You're going to need more than just a little bit of good luck to pull this one off. That's where this book comes in.
Take a Canon EOS 450D. Attach a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens. Hit the streets of London. See what happens.
Insights, suggestions and comments
“Apple’s iPhone is a fantastic little gadget. Global positioning system meets touch-screen meets iPod / portable video player meets hyperportable computer, meets camera.”
Another killer feature is that you can actually make phone calls with it! ;)
I just wanted to thank you for including me in your iphone blog article. You have made my day, night and week. Photograhpy is my hobby. I have had no training but the first time I picked up a camera I knew this what I wanted to do forever. Being a playwright/tv writer it opened up another avenue of creativity to me and I loved it.
When I got my iphone my creativity exploded because my camera was with me always. I look forward to taking many more photos… and someday publishing a book called “Steve Bluestein’s Good Eye”
Thanks again.
Goes to show you don’t need fancy equipment to take a good picture.
Nice pictures. They encourage to pull out my iPhone and try more frequently.
Overall, I have found the iPhone’s camera to be subpar at best in low lighting. But it takes surprisingly good photos in daytime.
If those are the best you could find, I’m not convinced ;)
@Danferno – hahaha, well each to their own – I was pretty impressed!
I’ll give it to you that there are a couple of good ones there, but they seem to be more the result of good post processing than camera quality. The colours just seem sup-optimal and the grain is sometimes beyond the acceptable.
Hello – thanks for including me in your list!
As you said, I have turned on the ‘protection’ thing on Flickr which stops people saving the images but if you want me to send you any for inclusion on here, then just let me know!
Thanks
M
Hey, there!
First of all, thanks a lot for featuring my work on your blog and for your very nice words about it. I deeply appreciated.
But just to clear something up… I’m a guy!!! And you referred to me as a “her” up there somewhere! LOL. Just in case!
Don’t be afraid of trying out with your iPhones, people… it’s a matter of keeping the lens perfectly clean, and the hand as steady as you’re capable of when shooting… and with a minimal processing to enhance the image, you’ll be surprised of what you can get!
Sion: Oh, that’s so embarrassing! I’ll fix it now – thanks for your advice!
I found this one, its my favorite so far.
http://flickr.com/photos/kingpinphoto/1232059831/
Great stuff! I LOVE some of the stuff I’ve shot on my iPhone. Seriously. It’s a fun lo-fi version of my DSLR. Hehe
great write up and thanks for the heads up on the photographers. I have been a long time photographer, but only recently gotten into phoneotography. I think taking the picture through an iPhone is a great break from the DSLR and 21MP. Perhaps that same refreshing feeling that comes from camping instead of sleeping in a proper bed at home :).
This is a really great collection. And shows why I want an iPhone. I am retired from industry (the first big factory closing in Virginia) and income is an issue now so it will be a long, long time before I get an iPhone. But *someday* I will be able to capture photos and be part of this group.
For now I will dream of that time and will plod along and do my blogs and websites with photos taken with my trusty digital SLR camera I got before retirement!
John P
If the image has been tweaked in Photoshop, then the final image isn’t really the product of the iPhone.
And why is the article so biased towards the iPhone in the first place – there are hundreds of cameraphones / smartphones out there that do the same job. Why give Apple all the credit?
This search on Flickr also turns up hundreds of amazing iPhone photos…
http://flickr.com/search/?q=iphone&ss=2&ct=6&cm=apple%2Fiphone&s=int
how are you guys taking such sharp pictures with the iphone?
I wished i had an iPhone. I never thought iPhone has a camera.
The image taken from iPhone looks good and can compete with other cameraphones or even cameras.
Now I need to re-think shooting with my iPhone. :) Great post!
I really like this one. Its not edited in anyway.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24788278@N04/3127539462/
Why give Apple the credit? Because they built a phone that is so easy to use that you actually use it… Before I had a Nokia with a 5MP camera and a Zeiss lens. Not only were the pictures not as good as those I take with my iPhone, but handling the pictures was so awkward that it was a constant source of frustration.
That’s why!
I have manage to take some very decent pictures with my iPhone:
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tnkgrl/3321503163/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tnkgrl/2877002598/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/tnkgrl/2565588691/in/set-72157605517434935/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricardocavolo/3266134723/
it is always about getting it right. understanding how it handles the exposure, the camera is not that good but if you know how to use it, it sure is a good camera, in good light of course.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoken/2110378080/ from an iphone
Hola este es mi blog realizado integralmente desde el iphone ahi pueden apreciar muchas creo yo excelentes fotografias que realice con el telefono
Those are good photos, though I doubt very much that some of these were actually taken with an iPhone. If they were, they were post-processed dramatically.
E da-lhe photoshop nessas fotos! Elas podem até ter sido tiradas com o Iphone, mas foram modificadas!!
No doubt that this photos were post-processed!
In really bright, harsh light that I’d never think of taking a ‘real’ photo in, the iPhone works great. The natural light fall off when used vertically can be used creatively too. I’ve even managed some low light shots that aren’t totally awful.
My person fav I’ve taken is here:
http://flickr.com/photos/faceforwords/3251434315/
as an avid film user, i usually have mixed feelings about pictures taken on camera phones. these photographs are great at showing film users like me that new technology and easier access to taking pictures is a great thing. i especially love the picture of the very crisp coins.
i am, however, annoyed about that photo by breamarie. it looks like half of america’s myspace picture. does that really deserve to be in this unique group or the top 100?
Here are over 500 photos taken with my iphone:
http://flickr.com/photos/stevebluestein/sets/72157604542800390/
hahaha! i have a sony cell with camera 2mpx
and make good photos, and photoshop will help :D
hahaha
will make more photos with my iphone after reading this and seen these amazing photos.
Nice. This is why I started the Photos taken with an iPhone group on Flickr. So much creative work from such an awesome phone.
Don’t forget the apps. There’s some great ones for the iPhone out there. The Pano app being my favourite. My beloved Horizon camera broke on me last year and it would cost me just as much to buy a new one as it would to repair it. But the Pano app is the next best thing. It produces some great Pano phots. Do a search on flickr for “Pano iPhone” for some WOW shots.
its hard to believe that most of these photos were taking with the iphone. first of all, the iphone doesn’t deal with motion very good. i don’t believe that they were all taken with the iphone.
Great photos! Please check out some of mine and give me some feedback. Here are 2 of the best, then all of my Mobile Uploads on Facebook – many San Diego sunsets, piers, nature pics, etc. – all with my iPhone.
another bike in my bike’s review mirror:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1330343&l=bf7dc&id=761814670
Sunset Cliffs:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1358328&l=21cb5&id=761814670
Mobile uploads:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=761814670&ref=profile#/album.php?aid=49451&id=761814670
I really like your blog. Be sure to check out mine http://outlivethesun.blogspot.com/ thank you!
For all you skeptics out there, I am here to tell you that ALL my posted pics indeed were, and will continue to be, taken with my iPhone. I am not a liar. Nor do I believe anyone else who says they’re taking pics with their iPhone is lying. And yes, I DO admit to some post processing. But that doesn’t detract from what I think makes a photo good to begin with. My phone doesn’t possess my “eye”. *I* do.
As I have often said…it’s not so much the camera, or the equipment that takes a good photo. You can take a great photo with a handmade cardboard box pinhole camera. I know because I’ve done it.
A large majority of people who take pictures and post them, or who sell them professionally, DO do some post processing. Personally, I don’t consider this to be a crime. I do it because I think it makes my photos look better. And I’ve been VERY up front in saying I do SOME (and not a “dramatic” amount) post processing. I’ve never said otherwise.
But people will believe what they want to believe, I suppose.
Jodee – you don’t have to defend yourself from the doubtful hordes :)
One thing I don’t get, though, is how people have a problem with post-processing – how many photos does a serious photographer upload, say, on Flickr, without tweaking this, that, and the other? Personally, I think only the photo referenced in this article (which was taken on my iPhone and uploaded directly) hasn’t at least been cropped and had its levels tweaked.
There’s purism and there’s purism, but pragmatically speaking, the iPhones weaknesses are so grave that they have to be overcome with careful application of a bit of Photoshop.
Amen, Haje, AMEN.
One more thing I’d like to add to this is the fact that on NUMEROUS occasions people have actually PRAISED my processing skills, as well as asked for advice and tips on how to better their own photos.
So, here’s to us “tweakers”.
And on THAT note, I say ’nuff said. ;-p
liked it a lot! thanks!
there are also some nice iPhone photos on fuzzyshot.com. not on mine, but on those I link for example.
As someone said above, it’s nothing to do with the camera- it’s the photographer (and the amount of photoshopping they do- which based on the above pics, is HEAPS)
I love taking pics on my iphone, they usually come out so well. Except action photos, they always seem to blur for me.
Nice :-).
My photo, http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/7501/photoavg.jpg
It is apparent that some of these images were touched up with Photoshop or some other image editing software either within the camera or out.
A camera is a tool. It’s how you use it to it’s full potential that counts. A good picture is all about composition, lighting, subject and angle.
I’ve just stumbled across this excellent blog! You have a new follower! What a great piece about iPhone photography, thanks for sharing your curious finds! I’ve long been a fan in the phone’s picture taking abilities, and lately I’ve become addicted to the luscious ‘Camera Bag’ app!
You can see my gallery here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/garethidavies/sets/72157615258473785/
Keep up the excellent work!
G
The great thing about camera phones is that you’d never need miss a photo opertunity again. Especially now that many new phones have 8 megapixel cameras with flash. The only thing they need to start improving is better quality glass.
i have a iphone photo blog http://dixonhamby.blogspot.com/
very nice. i have an iphone photo blog you might enjoy
http://dixonhamby.blogspot.com/
thank you
Taken with 2mp cam of Motorola A1200
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/2069880927/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/2039801446/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/2039801434/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/429254879/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/429080430/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kamathln/429065653/
Neat Post
my photoblog of pics shot using only the iphone and iphone apps. also contains a link to my flickr photostream
thanks!
can someone tell me why my iphone rendered the prop on the plane as it did in the gallery:
http://gallery.me.com/douglaskochel#100050
It would seem to me the blades should appear as originating fro the centre, and why do they bend around the engine cowl?
That’s because your iPhone uses a rolling shutter – instead of taking a moment in time, it ’scans’ from top to bottom very quickly. For most photos, it’s not an issue, but for quick-moving things, the action has already moved on during the time the scan has moved from one end of the lens to the other end!
Nice article :)
Great pics!
I’ve been inspired recently to take some dedicated iPhone pics, I’ve been doing a lot of abstract images, have a look at the photographs I took over the weekend:
Have a look!
http://www.11thstudio.com/blogs/all-posts/iphone-photograpy-abstract-leaf-and-plant-textures/
Thankas for sharing,
Chris
wow, very beautiful photos. Thanks for your
blog.
It’s nice !!
I realized that iPhone might be a fantastic camera for internet communications, like you.
See pictures in Tokyo JP, with iPhone 3GS
… like this -japanese traditional scene- http://uemura.kir.jp/spispo.php?itemid=2320
thank you,
spikaonwork (Tokyo/Japan)
Awesome idea. I used to hate the photos I got from my iPhone until recently. There is certainly a science to it. Monday night I took a few pics of the Flaming Lips at the Greek Theatre here in LA and was blown away by one of the shots. It’s here…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilshirepix
Needless to say, I’m working on becoming a better photographer with my phone. Sometimes it’s nice not having to lug the DSLR around. Thanks for posting these awesome shots!
Best,
Chuck P.
Let see how other people judge my picture. It is from the view from the lifeguard station depicting the lighthouse (Van Speyk)and the whole south side of the beach of Egmond.
http://www.smerdis.nl/wordpress/?p=1188
man i want one so bad. if only there was an iPhone anon that i could afford. overall good review.
http://stream.tellart.com/2009/10/13/the-100-mile-photoscape/#more-322
Adobe photoshop App for the iPhone, well I find this news hard to believe considering Adobe Flash player doesn’t work on the iPhone or on the iPod . Having found this new from the official Adobe website I have to give some credit but I think a App for the iPhone from Adobe is years away?.
I’m a newcomer to this iphone photography, but I have managed to get some results.
http://kokovoko.info
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kokovoko/
Cannot believe these pictures were taken with an I phone.
Found you referenced on http://www.iphontography.org.
Are you not submitting any entries there?
Encouraging some of those talents whose work your have scouted to submit?
Seems like a natural….
The proprietor of the site is a friend of mine and he’s legit.
why not send in some of your work (& invite friends?) to iphontography.org for consideration for inclusion in the Giorgi Gallery (Berkeley) show next February? (They’ve flagged you as a great site.)
Just say’n.
r
Any photo heavily photoshopped will look nice, whether it’s taken with an iPhone or some other camera. Claiming the iPhone produces great photos by showing the ones you posted here not justifiable. It’s like cheating.
The raw photos (straight out of the camera) ones are always the best for comparison. Just sayin’.
I thought your viewers might be interested in the iphone photography show I’m having at the Downtown Community Arts Collective gallery in Fresno, CA. There is a Best of Show with a cash prize. Visit http://www.dcacfresno.org for more information. I’d love to be able to show this kind of quality work.
Love these photos, thanks for collecting them! I’ve just started my own blog dedicated to iPhone photography, apps, and reviews.
eyeoftheiphone.wordpress.com
I loaded some of my own work on the site too! Check it out!
It was nice to see the way you arranged your stuff. These cameras can do pretty fascinating things in the right hands.
if you want to edit photos on your iphone this is a great app for it http://ax.itunes.apple.com/at/app/crop-suey/id355735425?mt=8
Share your wisdom