Stunning iPhone photos: The 20 best images from the 2014 iPhone Photography Awards

Forget the snaps and selfies - here's what your smartphone is really capable of

It's a truism to say that smartphones have made amazing photography more accessible than ever before - but it's quite another thing to see what some people can do with these cameras.

The images below are the category winners from the iPhone Photography Awards (otherwise known as the IPPAWARDS - now in its seventh year) with the winners chosen from 17 countries across seventeen categories.

Each of the entries can be edited to a certain degree, but only using software available on iOS devices - there's no Photoshop involved.

Julio Lucas, who was named the IPPAWARDS Photography of the Year and shot the image you see below at Periot Moreno Glacier in Argentina, said he used his iPhone because of its portability - but also because of how it processed images.

"iPhones naturally tend to saturate colors in the captured image," said Lucas. "Which depending on the enviromental lighting [...] normally allows for a bold beautiful image."

Lucas said that he generally tries to "stay away from using filters in my iPhone pictures," adding "I want my photos to take on a more traditional form and grant the capture moment to tell the story rather then a manipulation of the moment by use of too many filters."

Adrienne Pitts, the winner of the travel category, said that carrying her smartphone was "a constant reminder to me to always be shooting, to always have my eyes open" and recommended several apps including "Snapseed, Touch Retouch and the excellent SKRWT which helps straighten lines and perspective."

But of course the best thing about all of these images is that most of us have the power to recreate them with the devices we're carrying in our pockets. Fancy trying it yourself? Click here to see our guide on how to take better photos on your smartphone.