The iPhone 11 series offers stunning cameras with new Night mode capabilities. Apple and a panel of photography experts are interested in what iPhone users can accomplish with the new cameras.
By Chand Bellur
January 9, 2020 at 1:39 p.m. PDT
Apple’s Night Mode Photo Challenge
Night mode is Apple’s new technology for capturing high quality photos with little ambient light. If you’ve ever taken nighttime photos on an older iPhone, you’re probably aware of its shortcomings. Long exposure times produce blurry or grainy photos, unless the photographer and subject are perfectly still. Even with a tripod, nighttime photos tend to be dark and often lack detail.
The iPhone 11 line of smartphones addresses poor quality nighttime photos with improved cameras. The new models feature dual or triple camera configurations. All iPhone 11 models offer the Wide sensor, which is key to Night mode. The sensor is fully equipped with 100 percent focus pixels.
Given the new iPhone cameras and Apple’s predilection for public relations, the Night mode Challenge seems appropriate. The contest rules require participating iPhone 11 owners to submit Night mode photographs by January 29, 2020. A panel of judges composed of Apple executives and photography experts, will select five winning photos on March 4.
No Monetary Reward
Before you start kicking tires at the Porsche dealership, it’s important to realize that there’s no cash or tangible prizes awarded to winners. Instead, winning photographs will be virtually displayed on Apple Newsroom, apple.com and Apple’s Instagram account. The latter could possibly benefit Instagram influencers, however, the prize is simply to have one’s photograph on display.
Apple, however, does benefit from the Night mode challenge. It’s a huge public relations and marketing opportunity. Modern marketing techniques have been slowly adopted by Apple. It appears that Cupertino’s slow embrace of social media and viral marketing comes at an opportune moment. Declining iPhone sales necessitate using every possible strategy to sell products, including contests designed to boost iPhone 11 sales.
How to Submit Night Mode Challenge Photos
There’s no formal, elaborate process to submit photographs. Being a PR maneuver, photos are to be submitted over social media, in order to spread the word and increase virulence. Users can submit photos on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #ShotoniPhone and #NightmodeChallenge. Users are requested to list the iPhone model used in the caption.
For those who don’t have social media accounts or prefer to submit high resolution photographs, Apple will accept submissions by email. Simply email your photos to shotoniphone@apple.com. Emailed photographs should use the following naming convention for files: firstname_lastname_nightmode_iPhonemodel.
Photos can be submitted directly from the camera or can be edited using Apple or third-party image processing tools. Make sure to submit your photos before 11:59 p.m. PST January 29, 2020. For more information, please read Apple’s press release.