Taipei, Aug. 21 (CNA) — Taiwanese photographer Paddy Chao (趙培均) won first place in the landscape category at the 2024 iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) with his work “Night Sky in Lake Tekapo,” organizers announced Tuesday.

The photo shows two shooting stars against a backdrop of a starry sky, including the constellations Orion and Taurus, over Lake Tekapo in New Zealand in February this year, according to Chao’s Instagram post.

In addition, Chao received an honorable mention in the “Children” category.

The second photo was taken in October last year in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when a baby elephant showed affection to Chao’s eldest daughter and she returned his affection. To capture the moment without disturbing the interaction, he shot the image from a distance using an optical zoom, Chao said in his post.

Both works were shot with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, he added.

The IPPA is a photography award launched in 2007 that accepts unaltered photos taken with iPhones and iPads. The winners have received worldwide attention and have been celebrated by respected media around the world, according to the event’s official site.

The first place winners in each category will receive a 1 gram gold bar, and the second and third place winners will receive a 1 gram platinum bar. All award-winning works will be published in the event publications.