2014 iPhone Photography Awards remove any doubt: the iPhone is a legitimate photographic tool

by Cullen Welch

posted Friday, June 13, 2014 at 2:52 PM EDT

In keeping with the mantra that the best camera is the one with you, the 2014 iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) selection panel has just announced the winners for this year's competition, and the results are stunning. The next generation of smartphone -- specifically the iOS platform on display here -- is truly raising the bar for digital photography to new and impressive heights. Apple's iPhone now incorporates processing abilities, speed, versatility, and editing potential rival to some of the best dedicated digital cameras on the market!

"Snapping photos with the iPhone is easy and quick -- I don't need to spend much time struggling with focal length, white balance, and exposure time," says iPhone photographer Cocu Liu. "By getting rid of those basic techniques from digital cameras, I'm more focused on the moment and story in front of me."

It is often true that the ergonomics alone of a DSLR inhibits the ability of the photographer to truly be in the moment, much less the full technical control and focus that is required for proper use. Regardless, all of this commotion spurs speculation about the bright potential that future iterations of iPhone may hold in store for our photographic pleasure.

"The ability to take street photographs with the iPhone is an immense addition to the street photographer's tool kit and provides unique expressive opportunities, says Gerard Collett. "If used judiciously, genuinely beautiful and meaningful moments can be captured on the streets that would otherwise be lost in front of the lens of an imposing DSLR camera or similar. An iPhone's focal length forces the photographer to get in close and minutely observe and be a part of the scene that he or she is hoping to depict and share."