Ever since the introduction of the smartphone, we've discovered more and more ways to stay connected with our friends and family. Instagram, Facebook, Skype, FaceTime, Vine, YouTube, Gmail, and Snapchat have all helped us get even closer to humanity than we ever thought possible.
With all your updates available at the click of a button, it's gotten easier and easier to live in the future. But while these new technologies have helped us live faster, they've also perhaps taken away our humanity in some unexpected ways. Thanks to the Apple iPhone, Droid, and other smartphones, features like emoticons have stripped us of some of our real emotions and impersonal texts have replaced in-person interactions.
Sometimes it's good to stop and smell the roses, and not a lot of people realize that nearly all of these amazing smartphones have equally amazing cameras on them, as well. And as these cameras get more advanced with each passing year, we'll be seeing more photographers and artists taking advantage of exciting new opportunities.
So whether you're on a summer vacation on the beach or in New York City, you should always be prepared to take that once-in-a-lifetime photograph for the next cover of TIME. It's only a matter of time until someone wins a Pulitzer Prize while using their iPhone; who knows, it could be you!
Please share in the comments below your most artistic photo ever taken on your smartphone. We'd love to see it!
And please SHARE these beautiful photos with all of your friends!
1. This amazing photo makes you want to get on Priceline and book a trip to Alaska!
2. This artistic vision looks like it could have been created by Andy Warhol or any other Modern artist from the 1960s at Studio 54!
3. This stunning photograph shows what appears to be Niagara Falls. While we're not sure if it's on the Canadian side or the New York side, but either way the view is spectacular. What a romantic place for a weekend getaway or even a honeymoon!
4. These seagulls make me want to go straight to Myrtle Beach for my summer vacation, or maybe even book a trip to Hawaii for some beautiful waves and swimming! Just make sure to wear sunscreen!
5. This amazing photo of a double rainbow is just as awe-inspiring as the original YouTube viral video. Just like in The Wizard of Oz, what do you think is over that rainbow?
- This gorgeous snapshot looks like a dream come true. This engaged couple is getting ready for their upcoming wedding day, and while they're dealing with venues, wedding dresses, wedding cakes, and everything else, at least they know they've got a good wedding photographer!
7. This artistic black-and-white photo of Sesame Street favorite Kermit the Frog really shows just how hard it is to be green!
8. This beautiful image of the Golden Gate Bridge will make anyone want to visit San Francisco in the summer! Get me a reservation at the Best Western Plus down at Fisherman's Wharf!
9. This amazing photo from Kobe, Japan will make anyone want to visit the land of the Samurai for some truly one-of-a-kind photographs.
10. Isn't this just one of the most beautiful photos you've ever seen? The sky looks perfect, and the ocean looks unreal. Wherever this is, you can guarantee I wish I was there, drinking an ice cold margarita and relaxing near the waves with a picnic!
- This makes me want to call in sick and fake a doctor's note so I don't have to go into work in the morning… This lonely-looking shot looks like it could be directly out of a Federico Fellini, Stanley Kubrick, or Orson Welles film! Cinematography at its finest!
12. Who knew that with the lens of an iPhone camera you could take such beautifully perfect photos of everything that a nature trail or hike in the great outdoors has to offer? Who wants to go camping now!?
13. So right after you're finished with conquering the largest mountains in the world, you can make a quick call, update your Facebook status, text your family, and then take the most epic photograph of your life!
14. This incredible photo will make you want to purchase some beautiful flowers and roses for your next big date.
15. And of course, the obligatory airplane window photo... No matter where you're going for your vacation, be it Paris, Rome, London, Tokyo, or the Grand Canyon, you will have to take a photo like this from the seat of your economy seat!
Please SHARE your amazing smartphone photos in the comments below!
