Smartphone cameras are powerful now see photos prove

Smithsonian.com shared the results of their annual photo contest this week, showcasing winning images taken from entries through categories such as Travel, People, and the Natural World.

One additional category features only images shot on smartphones; the photos from that category may look like any other of the competition's 60 finalists, a quick dig into those image's metadata reveals that the crisp and colorful photos were shot mostly on iPhones as well as models from Huawei and Lenovo, as opposed to powerful SLR cameras that you often see winning photography awards.

More than a decade since the iPhone took off (and even longer since the first camera-phones debuted) these photos—not to mention a few magazine covers—are a sign that the imaging prowess of today's smartphones is getting closer and closer the real thing.

You can view all the winning images on Smithsonian's website.

A man cleaning the hull of a docked ship in the Netherlands.

A view of the Queensboro Bridge and Roosevelt Island tram in New York City.

"I took this shot at Gangasagar Mela. The Gangasagar Mela is one of the biggest religious festivals of India. The patterns formed by the drying saree in the wind, as well as the light and shadow play, attracted my attention. I was able to complete it by adding the presence of a lone man."

"This is Maggie. She has two rare chromosome duplications, one of which she's the only child on record to have.

 This photo captures not only her vulnerability, but also the magnitude of the science for which we are so grateful. A little girl and her 'Gigi' already way too familiar with hospitals and doctors offices than any child should be."

People playing squash at Playa Tarará, Cuba

Kids beat the heat of summer by enjoying the water play area in a mall in Cebu City, Philippines.

A pair of women walk past a graffiti covered wall.

A woman carrying a striped black and white umbrella passes some gates.

A man cycles past Tatsuo Miyajima’s "Counter Void" installation in Tokyo.

A sculptor at work in Mandalay, Malaysia.