This year’s Sony World Photography Awards has, as always, shown us some truly stunning photography.
Usually when perusing the shortlists of these big international competitions, it can be like reading a catalogue of the most expensive camera gear – and you might be left feeling a little flat if the only thing you have access to is significantly lower in cost, such as something found on our list of the best budget smartphones for example.
Take heart, then, from this gorgeous picture by Robby Ogilvie. Taken in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, it was shot using just a Google Pixel 6 – a smartphone which is not even one of the current models. It goes to show that having a keen eye for composition, spotting a moment and acting on it, can go a huge way further than always having the top-of-the-line kit.
Taking home the first place in the Object Category of the Sony World Photography Awards, Robby beat thousands of other entries to win the prize.
I asked Robby to tell me more about the picture, and how it feels to have been shortlisted for the prestigious SWPAs.
Winner, Open Competition, Object Category, Sony World Photography Awards 2026. Photographed in the Bo Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa.
Shot on Google Pixel 6.
© Robby Ogilvie
The overall winner of the Sony World Photography Awards will be announced on 16 April, with an exhibition taking place at Somerset House from 17 April to 4 May 2026. Our readers can enjoy an exclusive 15% discount off exhibition tickets using the code APHOTO15.
Q: Is this a found scene, or was it set up so that the lines of the car matched the lines of the building?
A: It was a found scene. I didn’t know the car would be there before arriving. As soon as I saw it though, I immediately recognised the composition. The colours and the divisions between the road, the wall, the car and the sky created a very clear structure.
So while the scene itself was not staged, the composition was considered. I stepped briefly into the road to line everything up so the geometry sat correctly within the frame.
I later discovered that the car is actually something of a local feature in the Bo Kaap area and is quite well known. But at the time I had no idea, I simply responded to what was in front of me.
Q: You shot the photo with your phone. Can you tell us more about that? Did you use any special settings?
A: I used my Google Pixel 6. If anyone from Google is reading this, I might be in the market for an upgrade haha!
I did not use any special settings. One of the things I like about working with a phone is the simplicity. It allows you to respond quickly when something presents itself.
For me the most important decisions happen before taking the photo. Where you stand, how the lines sit, how the colours balance. In this case the light was already doing most of the work.
Technically it is very straightforward. I tap the screen where I want the focus point, then line up the composition using the grid on the screen. I normally work with the rule of thirds grid to help place the elements within the frame.
Q: Did you use any editing tools afterwards, for example to make the colours pop with a filter?
A: Very little. I try to stay close to what I saw and experienced at the time.
I made small adjustments to the vibrancy so the colours matched how they felt in person, but I was careful not to push the saturation too far. It would be easy to make the colours louder, but then the image starts to lose its balance.
Most of my editing is actually about refining the composition and removing small distractions. In this image I removed a couple of marks on the car that would have pulled the eye away from the overall structure.
I used the Adobe Lightroom app on my phone to make the adjustments.
Q: Do you normally use other photographic equipment, such as a regular camera?
A: Yes. In my work I use several different mediums depending on the situation or project. I work with analogue medium format film cameras, digital cameras and my phone.
Each offers something slightly different. Film slows the process down and encourages a more deliberate approach. Digital offers a high level of technical control. The phone brings immediacy and freedom.
For me the tool is less important than the way of seeing.
Q: What would you say the advantages of using your phone are in situations like this?
A: The biggest advantage is that it is always with you. Photography becomes part of everyday life rather than something that only happens when you are carrying a camera bag. The small nuances of the everyday are a big part of my work, so having a camera in my pocket means I do not miss those moments.
It is also very discreet. In public places you can work quietly without drawing attention, which often leads to more natural moments.
There is also something quite democratic about the phone. It challenges the idea that strong photographs require expensive equipment.
Q: When you took the shot did you realise you had something special?
A: I knew it was a strong image when I took it. The composition and the boldness of the colours felt very clear and resolved in the moment. I knew it was going to be a good photograph before actually taking it, you get that excited sense when you know you’ve found something good.
That said, you never fully know how an image will live beyond that moment. Sometimes photographs reveal their strength over time.
Q: When did you decide to enter the Sony World Photography Awards? Did you expect anything to come of it?
A: I submitted the image because it felt like a strong photograph. The Sony World Photography Awards are widely respected and receive a huge number of entries each year, so expectations are naturally modest.
I actually visited the awards exhibition many years ago at Somerset House in London and remember feeling very inspired by the work on display. At the time it felt like a distant ambition to be involved one day.
In reality I entered quite late, just a few days before the deadline at the beginning of January. With competitions like this you usually submit and then forget about it. The scale of the awards is so large that you do not really expect anything to come of it.
Even with some positive momentum over the last six months through exhibitions, publications and other awards, recognition on this scale is never something you assume will happen!
Q: How did you feel when you found out you had won a category?
A: There was definitely a moment of disbelief. I read the email a few times just to make sure I had understood it properly.
I found out on my last morning in Paris while celebrating my birthday, which made the timing feel quite surreal. I was excited, proud and a little stunned. I called my parents straight away to share the news, but it was under embargo until 17 February so I had to keep the exciting news to myself for a while.
After that initial surprise, I mostly felt proud. It felt like a real moment of validation. To have the type of work I make recognised and appreciated at that level gives you confidence in what you are doing and encourages you to keep going.
Q: What advice would you give to anyone else shooting pictures with their phones, and for entering competitions?
A: If you are interested in photography, try to shoot as often as you can. Your phone is always with you, on the way to work, on a lunch break, walking somewhere. Use those moments. Take photographs regularly and you will slowly build up a bank of images.
Over time you will start to notice patterns in what you are drawn to. That is usually where your own style and way of seeing begins to develop.
Pay attention to composition and light. The fundamentals matter far more than the equipment you are using. Slow down and really look at what is in front of you. Think about how shapes, colours and lines relate to each other within the frame.
And when it comes to competitions, simply put the work forward. You never really know where a photograph might travel.
Q: Anything else you would like to add?
A: For me photography is really about attention. The phone has played an important role in that because it allows image making to happen in everyday life.
Some of my favourite photographs have come from simply being present and noticing something that might otherwise have been passed by.
See more great work at Robby Ogilve’s website.
Related Reading:
- Incredible winning photographs revealed by Sony World Photography Awards
- The best photos from the Sony World Photography Awards – but which will win $25,000?
