Skip to main content

Apple has just added a cash incentive to its ‘Shot on iPhone’ contest

If Apple used one of your photos on numerous billboards and inside its stores around the world, would you expect some financial compensation for your work, or would the exposure be enough?

Considering that the company is a commercial entity — and a rather successful one at that — you might actually like the idea of being offered a few bucks for your efforts, as well as for helping Apple to sell a few more iPhones.

Following complaints that its latest “Shot on iPhone” campaign appeared to offer no financial reward, the tech colossus has now changed the wording of the contest’s terms and conditions to indicate that it will cough up cash for the photographers of selected images because it “believes strongly that artists should be compensated for their work.”

Apple’s “Shot On iPhone” campaign launched in 2015 and highlights the handset’s camera by showcasing some of the best photos snapped with it. Whereas in previous years Apple scoured sites like Instagram and Flickr for the best iPhone shots and contacted photographers directly for permission to use their images, this year it’s turned Shot on iPhone into a contest.

Preparations for the next ad campaign kicked off earlier this week, with the company encouraging people to submit their best photos taken with an iPhone. After the February 7 closing date, a panel of judges will choose the 10 best images for use in a global marketing campaign featuring the iPhone.

Concern over Apple’s apparent unwillingness to offer financial compensation to the winning photographers prompted the company to quietly add a new paragraph to its Shot on iPhone press release on Thursday to clarify the situation. The new text confirms that the winning photographers will be paid for their work. It also mentions a licensing fee, but doesn’t go into details.

“Apple believes strongly that artists should be compensated for their work,” the new text says. “Photographers who shoot the final 10 winning photos will receive a licensing fee for use of such photos on billboards and other Apple marketing channels.”

The Verge also spotted that the iPhone maker has altered the wording of the contest’s rules in a PDF document, changing “prize has no cash value” to “winners will receive a licensing fee for use on billboards and other Apple marketing channels.”

Apple collaborated with its long-term ad partner TBWA\Media Arts Lab to come up with the idea for the Shot on iPhone campaign. The campaign has proven so successful that it’s even bagged its creators a prestigious ad industry award along the way.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
I found 16 new widgets for iOS 17 that you have to try
A selection of widgets on an iPhone home screen.

Widgets have long been a popular feature on iPhones. Since the release of iOS 17, they have become more interactive, providing a more engaging experience. Interactive widgets allow you to perform important actions from your iPhone's home screen. For example, you can complete your to-do lists, play and pause media and podcasts, control your smart home devices, and much more — all without opening any apps.

Interactive widgets are not limited to Apple's built-in apps on iOS 17. Third-party developers are also adopting this new feature. Although not all apps offer interactive widgets, there are plenty that do. Here are a few interactive widgets that are worth exploring.
Calculator 17

Read more
Does the iPhone 15 have an overheating problem? Here’s what we know
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera module.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Last fall, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series, which generated a lot of excitement among consumers. However, some users who got their hands on the devices early on expressed dissatisfaction by taking to social media to complain about overheating issues.

Read more
Your iPhone just got a new iOS update, and you should download it right now
iPhone 15 Pro display with iPhone 15 Pro Max in background.

Apple has just released a new security update, iOS 17.4.1. This comes a little over two weeks after iOS 17.4, which was a big update. iOS 17.4.1 doesn't add any new features, but it's still an important update you'll want to download as soon as you can.

With iOS 17.4.1, Apple states that the update “provides important bug fixes and security updates and is recommended for all users.” Apple doesn’t mention any specifics of these bug fixes, but more details on what this security update addresses may be revealed at a later date.

Read more