Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Apple’s latest iPhone photo contest asks for your best Night mode images

Short winter days got you down? Apple’s latest iPhone photo contest will give you a reason to stay out late and celebrate the dark. The company has put up a call for entries looking for the best Night mode photos shot on iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max.

From now until January 29, submissions can be made via Instagram using the hashtags #ShotoniPhone and #NightmodeChallenge. Contestants are advised to note the model of phone used to produce the photo in the description. Images can also be submitted in high-resolution via email. See the original Apple blog post for details.

Austin Mann

Photos will be reviewed by a panel of 10 judges made up of a mix of working photographers and Apple employees. Five winning photos will be selected, with winners announced on March 4. The images will be displayed on Apple’s Instagram account and may be used online, in print ads, or on billboards, according to the company.

It makes sense that Apple would want to draw specific attention to Night mode, a critical new feature in the latest iPhones that allows for handheld long exposures. Night mode produces dramatically brighter, sharper, and more colorful images when the amount of light is insufficient for a standard exposure, and was a highlight of our iPhone 11 Pro review. In addition to granting exposure to the winning photographers, the photo contest will give Apple more content to advertise Night mode in future “Shot on iPhone” campaigns.

While Night mode comes on automatically when conditions call for it, Apple does offer a few tips for getting the best results. To let even more light in, tap on the yellow Night mode icon to gain access to the exposure time slider. Here, you can set a longer exposure than what the iPhone would select by default. To maintain sharpness for the longest exposures, prop your iPhone up or use a tripod adapter. This will ensure no motion blur gets into your image.

Apple’s isn’t the only iPhone photo contest. The independent iPhone Photography Awards has been running since the time of the original iPhone. If you’re looking for more phone photography tips and tricks, we spoke with a past winner about his techniques for getting award-winning photos.

Editors' Recommendations

Daven Mathies
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Daven is a contributing writer to the photography section. He has been with Digital Trends since 2016 and has been writing…
This one thing could make iOS 18 the best iPhone update in years
The Home Screen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple’s WWDC 2024 is just a couple of months away. As with every WWDC, we’ll see what Apple has in store for the next generation of software across its hardware portfolio, including the iPhone with iOS 18.

Rumors have been swirling about iOS 18 and how it will be “one of the biggest updates yet.” We know some features like RCS support in Messages are definitely coming, with other whispers of big home screen customization changes and more.

Read more
This is our best look yet at the iPhone 16’s big design changes
iPhone 15 Pro in Natural Titanium held in hand in front of a cement brick wall.

It seems Apple is prepping yet another design refresh for its smartphones this fall season. In 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro made an aesthetic deviation by serving thinner bezels and titanium looks alongside a new multi-function button. This year, it’s going to be the entry-point iPhone 16 and its Plus variant that are apparently lined up for a design refresh.

Tech commentator Sonny Dickson has shared dummy units reportedly depicting all four iPhone 16 variants, which seem to confirm what previous leaks have predicted so far. On the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the camera lenses dance diagonally on a square bump. Apple is reportedly ditching the current camera arrangement for their respective successors in favor of a pill-shaped vertical setup.

Read more
Everything Apple says is wrong about the DOJ’s iPhone lawsuit
The Apple logo on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The antitrust season is in full swing in 2024. This time around, Apple is in the cross-hairs of regulators, bringing back memories of the historic Microsoft antitrust case that unfolded over two decades ago. Back then, the focus was on Windows and web browsers. In Apple’s case, the iPhone is the centerpiece, with a wide ecosystem woven around it.

Experts say the case against Apple, which dives deep into monopolistic conduct, is surprisingly strong. The Department of Justice, in its lawsuit, has targeted everything from the iMessage “green bubble” mess and Apple Watch incompatibility situation to the locked app ecosystem and objectionable practices that Apple has put in place to maintain its alleged monopoly.

Read more