The later editions of the iPhone have a fantastic camera. Is it the best cell phone camera on the market? That’s up for debatable. But Apple’s ability to build consistently great cell phone cameras — so much so that for years they’ve been blowing up great shots and slapping them on billboards — is undeniable.
Well, now you can get in on that action because Apple is holding a contest looking for the 10 best iPhone photos to be used in future marketing campaigns. Okay, so your latest selfie or mirror shot won’t win you any awards, but if you’ve found that you take consistently great shots on your phone and are in need of some type of clout, give it a try. The photos are set to be judged by a panel of 10 people — including Barack Obama’s personal photographer Pete Souza — with the prize being the inclusion of your shot on billboards, in Apple stores, and on Apple’s Instagram. The contest announcement further outlines a few more places they’ll use your photos (for free because getting paid for your work is a bridge too far).
“Ten winning photos will be featured on Apple Newsroom, Apple’s Instagram channels, apple.com, in Apple retail stores, Apple WeChat, Apple Twitter accounts, Apple Weibo accounts, and billboards around the world. Winners will be notified on or about February 26, 2019.”
In Apple’s rules for the contest, they explicitly state that there will be “No substitutions or cash redemptions. Prize has no cash value.” So you’re either going to look at this contest as a shameless way for Apple to spread their brand without the need to pay photographers their due, or as an opportunity to get your name out there. There’s a case to be made for both, but for the most part, we think this is a pretty cool opportunity and your phone is probably already full of photos no one is looking at anyway.
The contest is already ongoing with the cutoff date for submissions being February 7th. In order to qualify you must follow Apple on either Instagram or Twitter, your account needs to be public, and you have to use the hashtag #shotonIphone as well as which specific iPhone model you’ve used. It’s cool that older models aren’t excluded from the contest, but it’s safe to say those with the latest models will have an easier time catching great lighting thanks to improved apertures or better software. If you’ve made a resolution to get off socials, don’t fret because you can still submit photos via email.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsyR9DIBre6/
It should be noted that if you submit your photo, you’re giving Apple a royalty-free, irrevocable, non-exclusive license to use the picture… forever! Photos containing copyright violations, nudity, or obscenity of any kind will not be evaluated. Good luck and get shooting.