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Prize-Winning Phone Pix Dial Up Moments Of Freedom And Serenity

"Flying Boys." India
Dimpy Bhalotia
"Flying Boys." India

Jumping through the air, floating in the wind, a firework shooting off — these scenes evoke a sense of freedom that so many of us staying home due to the pandemic haven't felt in a long time.

But we can feel them vicariously in some of the winning entries of this year's iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS). The 13th annual competition invites photographers worldwide to submit unaltered iPhone or iPad photos to one of 18 categories.

The award committee announced the winning images this week. The Grand Prize and Photographer of the Year award goes to Dimpy Bhalotia, a street photographer based in the United Kingdom. Her image "Flying Boys" — one of thousands submitted to the contest — captures three kids suspended in midair as they leap into the Ganges River in India.

We hope the images in our selection — of joy, solitude and serenity — provide a welcome respite to the stresses of the pandemic.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

"No Walls." India
/ Artyom Baryshau
/
Artyom Baryshau
"No Walls." India
"Untitled." China
/ Geli Zhao
/
Geli Zhao
"Untitled." China
"Sheikh of Youth." Iraq
/ Saif Hussain
/
Saif Hussain
"Sheikh of Youth." Iraq
"Calpe Sunrise." Spain
/ Jiandong Wang
/
Jiandong Wang
"Calpe Sunrise." Spain
"Demons Lighting The Sky." Spain
/ Fernando Merlo
/
Fernando Merlo
"Demons Lighting The Sky." Spain
"Untitled." China
/ Tu Odnu
/
Tu Odnu
"Untitled." China
"Prune Deuce." Australia
/ Glenn Homann
/
Glenn Homann
"Prune Deuce." Australia
"Call From Mokattam Mountain." Egypt
/ Magali Chenel
/
Magali Chenel
"Call From Mokattam Mountain." Egypt
"Nightfall At The Dolomites." Italy
/ Leo Chan
/
Leo Chan
"Nightfall At The Dolomites." Italy
"Free From The Past." India
/ Kristian Cruz
/
Kristian Cruz
"Free From The Past." India

Malaka Gharib is the deputy editor and digital strategist on NPR's global health and development team. She covers topics such as the refugee crisis, gender equality and women's health. Her work as part of NPR's reporting teams has been recognized with two Gracie Awards: in 2019 for How To Raise A Human, a series on global parenting, and in 2015 for #15Girls, a series that profiled teen girls around the world.