First Place: Mt. Fuji by Masakazu Ejiri

Second Place: Lines by Altaf Aiali

Third Place: Spring Blossom by Steven Sandner

Honorable Mentions

A Boy, a Cave, Some Wires by Fernando Prats

Vanishing Trees by Robert Paul Jansen

Waiting for you…by Andini Patricia

Taking a Break by Jacob Santiago

Dandelion on Fire by Linda Owens

Different is Okay  by Glen Coyle

And because we got so many awesome animal shots for this contests, we’ve added an Cool Canines category! These Cool Canine photos win a GripTight GorillaPod Stand.

Waiting by Art Lim

Courage by Richard Lawson

Pugcycle by Mary McGuire

There were so many wonderful photos it was almost impossible to narrow it down to just this group. Check out this gallery to see more beautiful and inspiring phone photos.

Thanks to everyone who participated and a special thanks to our judges, Martin Reisch, Amanda Jasnowski and Colby Brown!

Jordana Wright
Chicago, Illinois | @jordanawright on Instagram
What is your favorite thing about the GripTight?  

The GripTight is super helpful, wonderfully compact, and totally versatile. I can really punch up my mobile photography by positioning my phone literally anywhere. Google hangouts and video chats are so much easier to do on-the-go, now that they can be TOTALLY hands free. When I’m shooting with my DSLR, the GripTight lets me pull up a shot list or other important information that I can easily display without fumbling with my phone.

What is your best tip for getting great photos from a smartphone? 

My best tip is that it’s not always about the app! The angle, lighting, and subject matter can make or break a cellphone photo—just like every other type of photography. Play around because you never know what sorts of AWESOME you may capture. One of my favorite tricks is putting a piece of colored gel in front of my phone’s camera for a moody, colorized photo.

What are your favorite apps?  

My favorite apps are Instagram and Pudding Camera. Sometimes I shoot in one camera app, then open the photo and process it with another. In airplane mode, you can process photos through Instagram as many times as you want to get a unique look.

Have you found any alternative uses for your GripTight?

I’ve used the GripTight to keep my phone safe and in sight on my desk and on the kitchen counter. It makes my cell phone into a lovely bedside alarm clock, and it even came in handy for my husband who works in theatre. He borrowed it to more easily film actors auditioning for a show. In a pinch, you can even use your cellphone (when the screen is dark) to touch up your hair or make-up. The GripTight lets you angle it however you may need!

Can you tell us about a time the GripTight really saved the day? 

I was driving using Google Maps on my phone, and the phone kept falling over in the car. At a red light, I realized I could use the GripTight Micro Stand to keep the phone exactly where I needed it on the dashboard for easier navigation. Fewer fumbles + knowing where I’m going = the happiest photographer.

Eric Wood
Hoosick, NY | @snaplove on Instagram

What is your best advice for using the GripTight? 

The GripTight is awesome for holding my Galaxy SIII nice and still while I fire off a couple shots. One of the most valuable tips for succeeding with the GripTight has to do with your phone. Set your phone’s camera to fire using a timer. That way you can trigger the timer and wait for the shutter to fire without actually touching the phone. The result: super sharp photos!

Can you share a time when the GripTight came in handy recently? 

Last weekend, I was walking around a New England church and there was the first red leaf of fall on the ground. I didn’t have my DSLR with me but I had my phone and GripTight. I set it up on the ground and got a great shot of the leaf.

What is your best advice for new photographers? 

My best tip is to just shoot. I think lots of people have a belief that you need a big, bulky DSLR to take amazing photos. Any photographer will tell you the best camera you could have is the camera you have with you! In lots of cases that is going to be your phone. Don’t hesitate to use it.

What are your favorite apps for shooting? For editing?

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop, Instagram is awesome. It’s quality, fun and social. If you prefer to break it up a little, grab Adobe Photoshop Express and use the sharing platform within. I love it! The new mobile Flickr app has some potential too.

Have you found any fun or unique uses for the GripTight? 

When I am on the road, I usually wrap my GorillaPod around my rearview mirror and put my phone in the GripTight so I can see the navigation in my view. Works awesome!

Enter your best phone photo for a chance to win awesome prizes from JOBY and Olloclip! We’ve got a star panel of judges to help us choose the best photos. See details and enter your photo today!

Simon Dark
Wales, United Kingdom | @simondark 

How did your GorillaPod change your photography? 

I’d been taking photos for years in the woods where I walk with some old mobile phones and a point and shoot. When I finally got an iPhone and a GorillaPod, things started to change really quickly. I started thinking about how I could shoot differently, take more interesting photos and also get a few shots of myself, maybe with a prop or two to make things more fun. It’s been an interesting process for myself as a photographer—I’m having fun.

What makes the GripTight most useful for you?

That little GripTight has really helped with my creative process. When I’m out walking in the woods or down by the beach, I don’t want to spend a long time trying to find somewhere to balance my phone or prop it up against something. I have taken a lot of shots around or above water and I can trust the GripTight to keep my phone safe and shoot the angle I want. I also take a lot of shots from the ground or on uneven surfaces and I haven’t found a place yet where I haven’t been able to use the tripod.

The GripTight GorillaPod is handy and it’s simple to use, I don’t want to spend loads of time taking photos and setting up a shot. I just want to take a quick shot and keep on walking. The GripTight makes life so much easier. There are so many more possibilities of where I can quickly set up the GorillaPod and take a shot, on a rock or tree or branch, and I have learned so much in such a short period of time from using it.

What have you been shooting lately?

Lately, I have been getting some nice portraits at a local beach using a waterproof case and setting up the GorillaPod in some rock pools so the lens is half in half out of the water. I’ve been really happy with the results. Also skating through puddles has given some great results using the Gorillacam app.

Photographer Simon Dark & his JOBY GripTight from JOBY Inc on Vimeo.

What is your best advice for new photographers?  

My best advice for new photographers is to look at other people’s shots and think ‘how did they do that, what angle did they use?’. Don’t be afraid to try something different and really have fun. Lighting is also always important to keep in mind. I would recommend pairing a small GorillaPod with a wide angle phone lens—it’s really fun combo to use.

What are your favorite apps for shooting? For editing?

My favorite apps for shooting are Camera+ and also JOBY Gorillacam. I will crop and edit my shots a little using Snapseed. I mostly share my iPhone shots on Instagram.

Enter once to for your chance to win 1 of 15 prize GripTight packs! There are three winners each day, so the earlier you enter, the more chances you have to win these nifty little tripods! Hurry, contest ends 3/22! ENTER HERE!

Our GripTight GorillaPod is our signature flexible tripod for your smartphone. It fits most bestselling smartphones, with or without a case, and you can position it just about anywhere making it the best phone tripod out there!  Plus you can detach the GripTight Mount from the GorillaPod Original and use the GorillaPod with your point and shoot camera or use the mount with any other tripod. Two products in one—pretty neat!

Check out our GripTight GorillaPod rainbow and choose your favorite color today!

GripTight Micro Stand is the smallest phone tripod available! It folds down into a super tiny package that will easily fit in your pocket. You’ll never be caught without a tripod ever again! While it is awesome for photos, it is also great for video chats, watching YouTube, playing music, using your GPS, or following recipes in the kitchen. The uses are endless for GripTight!

Check out our new GripTight Micro rainbow and pick out your favorite today!

Want to share a photo that you shot using a GripTight GorillaPod with us? Tag it with #griptight #gorillapod on Instagram or share with us on Facebook.

Martin Reisch
Montreal, Canada | @safesolvent

What is your favorite thing about shooting with GripTight?  

The GorillaPod essentially removes the “I have to be holding it” part of the photo equation and also adds this “ceilings and fences can be surfaces too” element. It opens up a lot of opportunity for uniqueness in my photography. Usually, I’m putting equal amounts of effort into finding interesting places to shoot and finding a place to put my GorillaPod. Often, I’ll see a potential spot that I can hang or grip my GorillaPod onto and THEN see what it gives through the camera.

What is your best tip for using GripTight? 

My best tip for using the GorillaPod is that you only need to use two legs to grip, and then you can use the third one to provide stability for your phone by bending it into an angle and having it rest or push off the surface to counter-stabilize your phone.

Joby GripTight Demo from *safe solvent™ on Vimeo.

What are your favorite apps for shooting? For editing?  

I’m a huge fan of Camera+. It’s essentially the first thing I open when I’m shooting and also often the only app I use to edit. I have started to play with the Slow Shutter app for nighttime shooting and I’m very impressed by Photoforge 2 app for masking and heavy duty, complex edits. But for the most part, I like a clean image with a bit of contrast boost and a little cross process filter—both of which can be done in Camera+.

Joby GripTight Demo 4 from *safe solvent™ on Vimeo.

What is your best advice for folks who are new to self-portraiture?

I often pretend like nobody is around when I’m taking my self-portraits because I know how being self-consciousness affects the final shot. You can tell, even on a small iPhone screen, if someone is not in the moment. Pretend like nobody is looking and you’ll get better self-portrait shots.

What inspires you? 

I’m inspired by a combination of the music on my iPhone while I’m wandering around, and the light and architecture of a place. If I’m in a rush, I’ll usually be late because I can’t help but capture things like lens flare from the sun hitting a building and reflecting onto the ground. People have started to comment that “*safe solvent time” is 15-20 minutes behind reality.

Get your own GripTight GorillaPod Magnetic here! And be share your #gorillapod photos with us on Instagram or Facebook!

Here’s our first attempt at doing a Vine video:

Not a lot of shake, right? That’s because we’re using our GripTight tripods to capture the shot. Our GripTight mount holds any iPhone, and you don’t even have to remove your case. It also allows you to use accessories like the awesome Olloclip iPhone lens for even more unique Vine videos. Plus, they are tiny —you can easily fit them in your pocket or your bag—and easy to set up. Taking a minute to set up your tripod will save tons of time by eliminating the hassle of retakes because of annoying camera shake.

But, which GripTight should you use for your Vine videos? Well, it depends on the equipment that you have and how you think you’ll shoot.

Want to shoot shake-free Vine videos with any camera tripod?

Use our GripTight Mount which can attach your iPhone to any tripod uses a common ¼-20” screw mount (which means it also fits on any GorillaPod that you have!) They fold up nicely and won’t snag on anything in your pocket or backpack.

Need an iPhone tripod for Vine that’ll always be with you?

There’s this saying that the best camera is the one you have and that’s definitely true with iPhone tripods too. Maybe even more so because people don’t really associate tripods as something you’ll always have with you. But part of the fun of Vine videos are the spontaneity of it so you really need a tripod that’s small enough to take with you automatically. Our GripTight Micro stand is the iPhone tripod you’ll never leave home without. It folds up nicely to fit in your pocket which makes it the most compact iPhone tripod out there (and tough too with its aluminum legs!).

GripTight Mount + GorillaPod flexible legs = iPhone Vine domination

The GripTight GorillaPod iPhone stand is easily our best-selling GripTight product out there because it lets you attach your iPhone to branches, rocks, pipes, etc. and lets you stabilize your iPhone on almost any uneven surface. Shoot your Vine videos in portrait, landscape, or any angle you want.

You can also use our GripTight GorillaPod Magnetic for a flexible iPhone stand that now has magnetic feet! Why would you want magnetic feet for your iPhone? We’ll let Safe Solvent demonstrate:

Joby GripTight Demo 4 from *safe solvent™ on Vimeo.

Want to do a lot of smooth panning Vine videos?

That would be our GripTight GorillaPod Video. Now you can pan and tilt seamlessly thanks to a mini ballhead and guide stick. Plus, it comes with the same flexible legs and the magnetic feet of our GorillaPod Magnetic.

Now go out there and make the world a better place by showing off your shake-free 6 second Vine masterpieces!

Share your masterpiece with us by tagging them #gorillapod. We’re @jobyinc on Vine if you want more GorillaPods in your feed!