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Daniel Heilig is identified by New Atlas as the Grand Prize winner and Mobile Photographer of the Year in its February 19, 2020 feature on the ninth annual Mobile Photography Awards. His portfolio, made with an iPhone XS Max according to the article, is presented alongside award-winning images shot on iPhones, Huawei phones and Samsung devices.
The 24-image gallery is less a camera test than a demonstration of how broad smartphone image-making had become: documentary photography, portraiture, landscapes, architecture, street scenes, wildlife, visual effects and digital fine art all appear in the selection.
What the New Atlas gallery covered
Rich Haridy’s New Atlas feature, published on February 19, 2020, presents winners from what it calls the 9th Annual Mobile Photography Awards. The article’s main substance is a 24-image gallery spanning the competition’s 20 categories.
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Daniel Heilig’s winning portfolio
New Atlas names German-based artist Daniel Heilig, born in 1985, as its Grand Prize winner and Smartphone Photographer of the Year. The article says his portfolio was shot on an iPhone XS Max and highlights images including The Desert Nomad, The Early Bird Meets The Zebra and The African Tree Cemetery.
Heilig’s approach is presented as one grounded in observation and human connection. The phone matters partly because it makes the photographer less conspicuous, but the images’ impact comes from empathy, timing and the relationship between people, animals and place—not from the phone model alone.
A tour through the winning images
The gallery is easier to understand thematically than as a flat list of categories. Together, these entries show that “mobile photography” describes a capture-and-editing medium, not one fixed look.
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People, portraits and documentary work
The people-focused entries range from intimate portraiture to reportage. Just Jenson by Michelle Simmons is listed in the People category and captioned as made with an iPhone XS. Joanna Cykowska’s Above the Surface, made with a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 according to the gallery, appears under Portraits.
Eduardo Lopez Moreno’s photojournalism entry, captioned Blind in Refugee Camp Dadaab Keny, uses a Huawei P9. The title appears to contain a spelling error in the source caption; it is retained here as reported rather than silently “corrected.” Eliza Tsitsimeaua Badoiu’s self-portrait, Tiny Blue Planet, is listed as made with an iPhone 6s.
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These images illustrate one of the phone’s practical advantages: discretion. In a street, travel or reporting situation, a small device can attract less attention than a large interchangeable-lens camera. That can help preserve a candid moment, although it does not remove the ethical responsibilities of photographing people.
Travel, landscape and nature
Travel and environmental images use the phone to compress a large experience into a decisive frame. Huapeng Zhao’s Hiking in Norway is listed under Travel/Adventure and captioned as made with an iPhone XS Max. Sharon Barezer’s Pearls, made with an iPhone XS, appears in Landscapes, while Margaret Shaw’s White Out represents Water, Snow, Ice with an iPhone 7 Plus.
Nature and wildlife are represented by Leigh Darilek’s Praying Mantis, captioned as made with an iPhone XS Max. These images depend on more than resolution: scale, available light, patience and the ability to recognize a strong arrangement are doing much of the work.
Street scenes, transport and architecture
Urban photography gives the gallery some of its clearest examples of timing and geometry. Dina Alfasi’s Waiting is listed under Street Photography and captioned as made with an iPhone XS Max. Jeff Liang’s Peak Hour in Tokyo, made with an iPhone XR according to the gallery, uses the movement and density of public life as its subject.
Brendan Ó Sé’s Busan, South Korea appears in Architecture and Design and is captioned as made with a Huawei P9. The category pairing is significant: a phone can be used not only to record a place but also to isolate structure, repetition, perspective and graphic balance.
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Minimalism, monochrome and atmosphere
Some entries reduce the scene to shape, contrast or mood. Dimpy Bhalotia’s We Run, You Fly is the Black & White winner listed by New Atlas and is captioned as made with an iPhone X. Roza Ludwikowska’s Dance With Us, made with a Samsung A30, appears under Silhouettes.
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Macro, still life and constructed imagery
Close observation appears in Kuanglong Zhang’s Shade, listed under Still Life and captioned as made with an iPhone 7, and Jaroslaw Bryla’s Stowaway, listed under Macro Details and captioned as made with a Huawei Mate.
The gallery also makes room for images that are openly more constructed. Erika Brothers’ Corazon Puro represents Visual FX and is captioned as made with an iPhone X. Mehmet Omur’s Sax Sukru appears in Digital Fine Art and is captioned as made with an iPhone XR. Peter Wilkin’s photo essay, Protests or Prophecies – The Songs of Kurt Cobain, is listed without a device in the visible article text.
This distinction matters. The collection includes documentary-looking photographs, edited images and explicitly manipulated work. They should not all be evaluated by the same standard of photographic neutrality.
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The devices behind the pictures
| Category | Image | Photographer | Device reported in the gallery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel/Adventure | Hiking in Norway | Huapeng Zhao | iPhone XS Max |
| Architecture and Design | Busan, South Korea | Brendan Ó Sé | Huawei P9 |
| Black & White | We Run, You Fly | Dimpy Bhalotia | iPhone X |
| Landscapes | Pearls | Sharon Barezer | iPhone XS |
| Water, Snow, Ice | White Out | Margaret Shaw | iPhone 7 Plus |
| Silhouettes | Dance With Us | Roza Ludwikowska | Samsung A30 |
| Eyes of the World | Novice Monks, Bagan, Myanmar | Penni James | iPhone X |
| Still Life | Shade | Kuanglong Zhang | iPhone 7 |
| The Darkness Noir | Solitude | Sasa Prizmic | iPhone 6s |
| Nature Wildlife | Praying Mantis | Leigh Darilek | iPhone XS Max |
| Transportation | Peak Hour in Tokyo | Jeff Liang | iPhone XR |
| Visual FX | Corazon Puro | Erika Brothers | iPhone X |
| Macro Details | Stowaway | Jaroslaw Bryla | Huawei Mate |
| People | Just Jenson | Michelle Simmons | iPhone XS |
| Photojournalism | Blind in Refugee Camp Dadaab Keny | Eduardo Lopez Moreno | Huawei P9 |
| Self Portraits | Tiny Blue Planet | Eliza Tsitsimeaua Badoiu | iPhone 6s |
| Street Photography | Waiting | Dina Alfasi | iPhone XS Max |
| Portraits | Above the Surface | Joanna Cykowska | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 |
| Digital Fine Art | Sax Sukru | Mehmet Omur | iPhone XR |
| Photo Essay | Protests or Prophecies – The Songs of Kurt Cobain | Peter Wilkin | Not specified |
The device mix is dominated by iPhones, but Huawei and Samsung appear repeatedly, and several entries use older models such as the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, Huawei P9 and Samsung A30. That is a useful corrective to the belief that award-level work requires the newest flagship.
It is not, however, a controlled camera comparison. The gallery captions are not independent laboratory metadata, and the New Atlas article describes Heilig’s portfolio as shot on an iPhone XS Max while individual gallery labels include iPhone X. The safest reading is “the gallery caption identifies this image as made with…” rather than “this phone objectively produced the best image.”
Why the images work
- Composition: Strong arrangements make an image readable before the viewer starts thinking about equipment.
- Timing: Street scenes, transport and wildlife depend on recognizing the instant when shapes, gestures and movement align.
- Light: Available light can establish depth and mood more effectively than aggressive technical correction.
- Subject and environment: The strongest photographs make the surroundings part of the meaning rather than treating them as background decoration.
- Editing: Processing can clarify the intended mood, but sharpening, HDR, noise reduction and color manipulation can also create halos, artificial texture or exaggerated color.
- Portfolio thinking: Heilig’s recognition came for a body of work, not merely a lucky isolated frame. A coherent sequence can reveal intent and consistency.
What smartphone photography can—and cannot—replace
A phone reduces friction. It is portable, discreet and capable of computational exposure, HDR, multi-frame processing and immediate editing. That makes it especially useful for travel, candid portraiture, street work and rapidly changing situations.
Those advantages do not make phones universally equivalent to dedicated cameras. Larger sensors, interchangeable lenses, long telephoto options, physical controls, sustained low-light performance and high-end print output can still matter. A gallery viewed at web resolution also cannot establish how an image would perform as a large exhibition print.
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The right conclusion is narrower and more useful: these photographs demonstrate that smartphones can produce compelling, award-level work. They do not prove that all phones perform equally or that dedicated cameras have become unnecessary.
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A necessary note about the award year
How the competition frames mobile photography
The Mobile Photography Awards says it was founded in 2011 and organizes an international competition for photographs shot and edited on mobile phones and tablets, alongside exhibitions and gallery presentations.
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According to the current MPA FAQ, mobile phones and tablets are eligible, mobile editing apps may be used, desktop or laptop image alteration is not allowed, entrants retain copyright, and an image may be entered in up to two categories. The current FAQ also says judging is anonymous after submissions close. These are current-site rules and should not automatically be treated as the historical rules for the 2020 edition.
That editing policy reinforces an important point: the competition is not necessarily judging untouched camera output. Documentary photographs, edited photographs, composites and digital fine art can coexist, provided the work fits the relevant category and rules.
What mobile photographers can learn
- Use availability as an advantage. Carry the device, watch the light and be ready before the moment arrives.
- Start with a clear subject. A strong idea and disciplined framing usually matter more than adding effects.
- Work quickly and discreetly. The phone’s unobtrusive form can help with candid and street photography, while still requiring respect for subjects.
- Edit for intention. Correct distractions and reinforce mood; do not assume heavier processing automatically creates a stronger image.
- Build a body of work. A portfolio with a consistent point of view is more persuasive than one technically impressive frame.
- Choose categories honestly. Documentary work, visual effects and digital fine art make different claims about what the viewer is seeing.
The gallery’s lasting lesson is photographic rather than technological. A phone lowers the distance between noticing a picture and making one, but attention, timing, light, empathy and intent remain the qualities that turn a convenient snapshot into a memorable photograph.
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