Grace Holliday

Brighton-based photographer Bertram Greenhough explains how he captured “Lifeguard,” a minimalist 2023 photograph taken on an iPhone 13 Pro at a crowded Brighton beach while out with his daughter. He describes spotting a fleeting composition, then using Lightroom to enhance the yellow, red and blue tones. Greenhough hopes the image conveys peace, security and the warmth of a sunny day.

Los Angeles-based photographer Alon Goldsmith discusses a black-and-white photograph taken on day 111 of his year-long daily photo project. Captured during a bike ride near Santa Monica Pier, the image depicts a Hi-Spy viewing machine overlooking an empty beach, with a bird adding an anthropomorphic, lonely quality. Goldsmith says the monochrome editing strengthens the image’s graphic and cinematic character, while his commitment to street-photography ethics meant leaving elements such as the seagull and sand smudge unaltered.

Brazilian photographer Simone Arruda discusses a photograph taken at São Paulo’s Brás station during a rainy rush hour. The image captures train passengers reading through the window, combining urban chaos with introspection and solace. Arruda explains how the rain, colors and contrast created a cinematic atmosphere, while emphasizing that she used only minor saturation and sharpness adjustments to preserve the scene’s authenticity.

An oncologist in Kolkata describes capturing a photograph of construction workers balancing on scaffolding, using the visual pattern to reflect on how people confine themselves within their own worlds. Minimal edits were made to enhance the sense of enclosure. He highlights the precarious and often harsh conditions faced by Indian construction workers, noting the social and financial difficulties he has witnessed through his medical work.

Indian photographer Rashid Sheriff describes capturing a macro shot of his crowntail betta fish by submerging his iPhone 17 Pro Max in a ceramic bowl filled with water. The image was taken during a visit home to Kerala and reflects his long-standing interest in nature and macro photography, enabled in recent years by smartphone technology. He hopes the close-up perspective inspires curiosity and appreciation for the animal.

Photographer Monojit Dutta describes capturing a spontaneous moment of children playing with balloons in West Bengal after school exams ended, highlighting their freedom, natural energy and the relaxed spirit of Sundays. Using an OPPO Reno13 Pro, he directed only minimal action and later made light edits to enhance the image’s balance and vibrancy.

Takeshi Aruga describes capturing a colourful geometric scene on the side of a car park in Okegawa, Japan, during a walk home from a medical appointment. Influenced by his background in furniture design, he was drawn to the composition and contrasting colours, later making minor edits using Lightroom and Snapseed. He explains that photography has become a creative outlet while he is unable to make physical design work and emphasises that beauty can be found in everyday, ordinary places rather than only in special destinations.

Photographer Tony Hertz reflects on a phone image capturing the shadows of himself and his longtime dog Lolly during a sunset walk in Pismo Beach, taken as part of a shadow-focused series. The moment, shot with an iPhone 7 Plus near a Walmart, gained emotional significance after Lolly’s death, symbolizing their bond and her constant presence throughout their years together.

Photographer Kuanglong Zhang describes capturing an image of two brothers joyfully playing football in Kashgar, contrasting the scene with his modern home city of Shenzhen. He explains his compositional choices, using a telephoto lens to balance the subjects against the surrounding yellow buildings. The boys’ happiness led him to reflect on the simplicity of finding joy, noting that both photography and small childhood pleasures can create lasting happiness.

French photographer Olivier Lei describes capturing a rotated, colour‑driven image at a well‑known Barcelona bar after noticing the visual harmony between his red socks, the bar’s chairs and the surrounding tones. The spontaneous composition emerged during a quiet day scouting locations, with rotation adding intrigue to the scene. Lei now frequently wears the inexpensive loafers featured in the photo.

South African photographer Johan Van Aarde reflects on a 2021 image of his great dane Arya, describing how her contemplative expression evokes feelings of longing and the awareness of a dog’s limited lifespan. The photo, taken at home in Pretoria, gained deeper emotional significance after Arya briefly went missing shortly before her second birthday. Now seven years old, Arya’s presence continues to inspire gratitude and introspection.

A Turkish photography specialist captures a staged scene on Myanmar’s Inle Lake featuring local fishers using foot-controlled oars, a flower seller and Buddhist monks receiving food donations. The image, taken during a 2025 photography workshop, highlights the unique lifestyle of the lake’s residents and the remarkable skill of the fishers, which the photographer admires deeply.

William Shum describes capturing a street photograph in Hong Kong’s Yau Ma Tei district, focusing on the contrast between a red taxi and a dense residential building. Using burst mode on an iPhone 13 Pro Max, he waited for the taxi to appear in the exact position he envisioned. The image highlights the city’s architecture and iconic taxis and contributed to his success in the 2025 Mobile Photography Awards.

Corsican photographer ASA describes capturing a silhouette of a young woman in Bastia during the strong summer light that shapes their street photography. Preferring anonymity and prioritizing form, movement and contrast, they waited for the right presence to enter the frame, later imagining the woman’s possible destination while emphasizing that viewers should project their own stories onto the image.

Ali Zolghadri’s shortlisted phone photograph captures the vast, geometric interior of Tehran’s Iran Mall, emphasizing its futuristic architecture and dramatic natural light. Shot as a composite of three images on a Samsung Galaxy A26, the work reflects his fine art approach, with carefully blended frames and manually executed edits. Zolghadri highlights the balance between admiration for the structure and awareness of human vulnerability, retaining a lone passerby to convey scale.

Australian photographer Jon McCormack captured a visually striking image inside a hollowed granite boulder at Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island, framing the Southern Ocean through an eroded opening. He describes the location as ancient and exposed, shaped by weather and isolation, and aimed to create an image that is both graphically simple and slightly disorienting. Now based in northern California, McCormack has spent a decade photographing natural patterns across seven continents and hopes his work encourages people to see nature as an intricate and creative work of art. His new book, Patterns: Art of the Natural World, has been published by Damiani.

A language teacher, Joseph Cyr, captured an unusual crested saguaro cactus while running in Saguaro National Park in Arizona. The rare mutation gives the cactus a human-like silhouette, prompting reflection on the whimsical and awe‑inspiring aspects of nature. Cyr describes the species’ impressive scale and longevity, noting that crested forms are extremely uncommon among the park’s millions of saguaros.

A Madrid‑based architect describes capturing a photograph of two teenagers playing basketball, noting how light, geometry and shadow created a compelling scene. He reflects on the shared principles of architecture and photography and says he splits his work between a DSLR and his phone, emphasizing that meaningful images can be found in everyday settings.

A Filipino photographer reflects on capturing a candid moment of his usually serious daughter joyfully playing in mud with her young cousin after rare rainfall eased a long drought in Cebu. Witnessing their happiness reminded him of his own childhood and prompted him to document the scene rather than interrupt it, highlighting contrasts between urban and rural childhoods and the relief brought by brief rain after months of hardship.

Easelyn Pineda captured an image of two Filipino spearfishers during a sudden weather change at Laiya beach, highlighting the difficulty and resilience involved in traditional fishing. Shot on an Honor 90 smartphone, the photo was later shortlisted in the motion category of the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. Pineda describes the scene as authentic and humbling, noting the enhanced visual impact created by rain and fading light.

Robby Ogilvie captured a photograph of a sky‑coloured Ford Cortina set against the vibrant houses of Cape Town’s Bo‑Kaap district, a moment he immediately recognized as compelling. Taken during a visit to South Africa, the image won the Object category in the 2026 Sony World Photography Awards. Ogilvie reflects on the area’s artistic energy and its contrasting environments, noting visible social divisions that informed the title of the work, which comments on both connection and separation within the city.

Adela Ramirez reflects on photographing a New York snowstorm from her apartment window, observing dog owners caring for their pets in harsh weather and recalling memories of her late puggle, Teddy. The scene’s mix of architectural views, winter quiet, and tender interactions between people and their dogs highlights the emotional connection that inspired her favorite phone image.

Michael Krupka describes how the jumble of frames and parts in a Philadelphia bike shop inspired his monochrome composition, using overlapping bicycles to create a maze‑like visual effect. The choice of blue‑grey tones enhances the geometry and adds nostalgic depth, reflecting his longstanding attraction to mechanical forms influenced by his machinist father.

A sleepless early morning led photographer Mimi Mollica to capture a striking image of the moon above London using an iPhone 13 Mini aligned with his telescope. He describes the photo as both awe‑inspiring and grounding, reflecting his connection to the quiet, early‑morning cityscape. Mollica emphasizes minimal editing and shares personal reflections on the moon’s enduring presence in the imagination, noting the growing body of lunar images that now form his project, Moon City.