This award-winning image was shot on a phone – yes, really! Is this the final proof that mobile cameras can rival traditional gear?

A fisherman in orange attire navigates a wooden boat, catching fish under heavy rain, with water splashing around him

Mobile photography meets centuries-old skill: two Inle Lake fishermen battle a monsoon, frozen in vivid detail by a phone camera (Image credit: Kyaw Zay Yar Lin, Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year 2025)

The Royal Meteorological Society has revealed the winners of the 2025 Standard Chartered Weather Photographer of the Year competition, celebrating the 10th anniversary as one of the world's most visually striking photography awards.

Selected from over 4,000 entries from 84 countries, the winning images capture the beauty, drama, and unpredictable power of the natural world.

This year, the Mobile Category title was awarded to Kyaw Zay Lin for his gripping image of a sudden monsoon storm at Inle Lake, titled Fishing in raining season. And it might surprise some that this photograph was captured entirely on a Xiaomi smartphone camera – proving that you don't need a DSLR or mirrorless camera to capture high-quality imagery.

Modern tech meets centuries-old techniques

Caught in a sudden monsoon downpour on Myanmar's Inle Lake, two fishermen battle the storm: one paddling with the Intha people's centuries-old single-leg, single-oar technique, the other bailing water from the boat.

Lin captured this drama, freezing the motion of rain, water, and human skill with astonishing clarity. It's a rare combination: ancient techniques meeting modern technology, showing that even in the low light and chaos of a tropical storm, a phone camera can produce high-quality photography, showing just how far mobile imaging has come.

Celebrating weather through photography

This year's competition – sponsored by Standard Chartered and organized by the Royal Meteorological Society – was judged by an international panel of experts in meteorology, photography, and journalism, including members of the ITV Weather team.

All winning and shortlisted entries can be viewed on the Royal Meteorological Society's website.

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, Kim explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture. Through her features, tutorials, and gear reviews, she aims to encourage readers to explore the medium more deeply and embrace its full creative potential.

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