Shot with a phone camera, this striking "concrete vs. nature" image wins US$10,000 top prize in global photography competition

Cable-stayed bridge over calm water at sunset with green plants in the foreground and a clear blue sky.

The winners of the photography competition 'Concrete in Life' 2025/26 have been announced, with Filipino photographer Celbert Palaganas taking the US$10,000 grand prize for his image Pillars Across the Sea.

Shot on a Google Pixel camera phone using its 48MP ultra-wide camera, the winning image captures the contrast between nature and engineering at the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in the Philippines – the longest bridge in the country, spanning approx 8.9km and completed in 2021 using largely sustainable construction materials.